Asian Elephant

Wildlife Trails have been fortunate to visit Nagerhole wildlife sanctuary many times in the last decade, but it was not until our success in 2018 finding and photographing the Black Panther, Saya, in this beautiful park that we realised it was also an incredible location for Indian wild dogs, or Dhole as they are known locally. A few national parks in India, including Nagerhole, stay open during the Monsoon and so this immediately planted in our minds the possibility of putting together a small group tour to Nagerhole in July/August with the focus on Wild Dogs and maybe the chance to see their cubs as well. We have incredible connections in South India and our guides are very much the best in the business and regularly work with professional photographers and film makers.

How should the perfect Sri Lanka leopard safari be designed? Our wildlife safaris focus on longer stays in the national parks and with this one week Leopard safari at Yala national park, our approach is consistent with this ethical approach. We prefer to break up the long drive from Colombo to Yala with interesting stops en route. Not only will these stops give you a break from the car, they will also allow you to immerse yourself more fully in both the culture, food and scenic beauty of this amazing island.

Allan spent 2 months in Sri Lanka during 2022 and looked at all 3 access points to Yala national park. We now do not offer leopard safaris through the crazy busy Tissa gate to any of our wildlife clients; we only send them to Kataragama, or the spectacular Kumana national park. The drivers and guides we use in Sri Lanka are personal friends of ours and the feedback about them from oure regular clients is first class. A Sri Lanka wildlife holiday with Wildlife Trails represents incredible value for money and never disappoints.

Sri Lanka leopard safaris in Yala national park remain one of the best big cat experiences found in Asia. On an island where they are the top predator bar none, they are much more diurnal in behaviour than in India’s wildlife sanctuaries, which thus provides much better opportunities for our wildlife photography holidays to Sri Lanka.  We have been travelling to Yala since 2002 and the safari camp we have hand picked based on personal recce trips in 2022 is based away from the maddness of the Tissa gate and all the package hotels. Ten jeep safaris in Yala (with some of them full days with packed lunches) will allow us to experience key zones and focus on leopards, wild elephants and sloth bears.

Please note, that this tour can easily be extended on a private basis to visit other wildlife sanctuaries or cultural locations of personal interest.

Sri Lanka wildlife safari holidays nearly always include a Leopard Safari at Yala national park. Not only are these often short and rushed, they also enter from the Tissa gate, which sadly is one big mess of traffic chaos and poor behaviour towards wildlife. By taking you wild camping on this small group Sri Lanka wildlife holiday in Kumana National Park -sometimes referred to as Yala East – we avoid all this nonesence and give you a pure and natural wildlife experience very few can offer.

Sri Lanka wildlife holiday visiting Wilpattu, Sigirya, Hortons Plains, Gal Oya and Yala for a leopard safari. All these locations, as well as the time of year we are travelling, have been specifically designed by Allan Blanchard to give us a chance to see all 4 species of wild cats on this amazing island. These are Leopard, Jungle Cat, Rusty-Spotted Cat and Fishing Cat. Without a focus on buffer areas at night outside of the main national parks the chances to see the smaller wild cats is pretty much zero. To add to the excitment of this tour, we also look for the Grey Slender Lloris in Sigirya (chance for fishing cat here also!), Mountain Leopards in Hortons Plains and the chance to see Asian elephants swimming between islands in the stunning Gal Oya national park. We finish with a Leopard safari in Yala on the quieter Kataragama side of the park – where the largest Leopards in Asia can be found.

Imagine an Asian wildlife holiday which combines amazing and diverse jungle experiences with a spectacular view of the Himalayas and the chance to take a tiger safari and stay at the legendary Tiger Tops jungle lodges. If this is your dream then we have created the perfect Nepal wildlife safaris for you, with 2 nights in Kathmandu at the fabulous Dwarika’s Hotel, before staying 5 nights at Tiger Tops Tharu Lodge, then 5 nights at Tiger Tops Karnali Lodge, where we should have our best chance to see tigers, and finishing off this ‘Big 3’ Nepal wildlife safari with 4 nights at the up and coming Shuklaphanta wildlife reserve.

Sri Lanka leopard safaris in Yala national park remain one of the best big cat experiences found in Asia. On an island where they are the top predator bar none, they are much more diurnal in behaviour than in India’s wildlife sanctuaries, which thus provides much better opportunities for our wildlife photography holidays to Sri Lanka.  We have been travelling to Yala since 2002 and the safari camp we have hand picked has been chosen because it allows us to access the park from other gates and not have to queue at the main entrance gate which serves the larger hotels. Although we are likely to experience a Yala national park from decades ago, when there were only 10 to 12 jeeps driving around the 5 different zones. Each traveller will have access to a window seat and plenty of space for their camera equipment in a vehicle adapted for wildlife photographers. Ten jeep safaris in Yala will allow us to experience the entire park and focus on leopards, wild elephants and sloth bears.

Yala National Park consists of dry-mixed evergreen forests and scrublands along with open grasslands, water holes, brackish water lagoons and riverine forests. This park’s diverse habitat supports large numbers of mammals, such as spotted, barking and mouse deer, sambar, wild boar, water buffalo and the endangered sloth bear. This is also one of the best places in the country to see wild elephant and the rare leopard. Large water holes and lagoons support the high density of endangered crocodiles. You can also see large flocks of migratory and resident birds—142 species of birds have been recorded in the park. Of particular note is the rare black-necked stork, the largest bird in the country.

Please note, that this tour can easily be extended on a private basis to visit other wildlife sanctuaries or cultural locations of personal interest.

Compared to the very popular Yala national park, Wilpattu will always be the ‘path less travelled’ and here it is more about the quality of your wildlife encounters, rather than the number. Accommodation near the park remains largely a choice of mobile tented camps on private land, but there is also now a slightly more traditionally built option (the Kulu bungalow is available as an upgrade). The real pay-off is the escape from the crowds and that more intimate connection with nature and wildlife. Kalpitiya became famous for Sperm Whale sightings, but between December and April it is also an incredible location for the resident spinner dolphins. You can have that perfect combination of a relaxed beach stay with marine wildlife tours that are not overly commerical and can often deliver amazing wildlife encounters.

Our first visit to Sri Lanka way back in 2002 included visit to Bundala, Uda Walawe and Yala national parks. While Yala is very much the jewel in the crown of Sri Lanka’s wildlife sanctuaries it is important to be transparent with visitors about excessive visitor numbers which have been caused by the building of a ferry/ cruise ship terminal just 1 hour away by road. Given we are writing this during the middle of the Corvid-19 pandemic, the future of the cruise industry is far from certain, but what is certain in that Wildlife Trails has its finger in the pulse of all wildlife sanctuaries in the country and has already designed this tour in such a way, as to avoid the busier areas of the park and provide our clients with the most natural and exciting wildlife safari experience possible. As well as including a short extension to Uda Walawe national park before arriving in Yala, we also take you right into the heart of the Central Highlands. Enjoy the clean mountain air, authentic bungalow accommodation and choose a walking tour which suits your abilities and interests. After your leopard safari in Yala and experiencing the beautiful eastern side of the park; with its mangrove forests and amazing bird life, you will drive west to Mirissa for your small boat whale watcing safaris looking for the largest animal in the world – Dondra Point is one of the best places to see the Blue Whale.

The design of all our wildlife safaris focus on longer stays in the national parks and with this one week Leopard safari at Yala national park, our approach is no different. We prefer to break up the long drive from Colombo to Yala with interesting stops en route. Not only will these stops give you a break from the car, they will also allow you to immerse yourself more fully in both the culture and scenic beauty of this amazing island. If you are travelling during the whale watching season from December to April, we definitely recommend you visit Mirissa to enjoy an ethical whale watching tour which does not chase or get to close to the animals. Otherwise, we also often choose to include a night at Galle, as there are some wonderful markets, restuarants and an early walk around town before the heat builds up is always interesting. We can also look at stops at wildlife sanctuaries like Udawalawe and Bundala.

In terms of timing Kaziranga has a relatively short season compared to the north and central parks; it reopens after the monsoon in November and closes at the end of April.  The main migratory bird season is mid-November to late February.  During late December and early January the early morning chill can result in some rather misty conditions that can hamper wildlife viewing (lifted by midday), and Christmas/ New Year is best avoided due to increased domestic and international visitors.  During January the process of grass burning begins, working on contained patches the elephant grass (and any invading trees) are burned, so for a short time mammals become more visible as they graze and move more openly on the new growth but within a few months it regains its enveloping height, meanwhile vegetation levels in the forest and riverine areas become more sparse. So on balance the best times can be mid-November to mid-December (if birds have a strong appeal) or mid February to late March (for increased mammal visibility) – the rhinos can be seen in all months.

After spending 30 days in West Bengal and Assam during April 2018, Allan Blanchard and his friend and expert wildlife guide, Avijit Dutta, wanted to bring together the very best wildlife experiences these two beautiful states have to offer and put together a completely unique and unmatched Wildlife Trails small group wildlife tour of North East India. The result is a beautiful overland trip, visiting some of the regions most iconic wildlife sanctuaries; including Gibbon Sanctuary, Kaziranga, Manas, Pakke and Nameri. Far fewer international and domestic visitors make it across to these beautiful national parks and as a result we have the chance to enjoy the amazing wildlife without the crowds that can affect your enjoyment in north and central India.

Although we have of course visited Sri Lanka multiple times before, it will be our first visit to Jaffna and the famous port of Trincomalee which is a whale watching hotspot in the ‘summer’ season. In August the sea conditions will be at their best on the north east coast and we can take advantage of this with both whale watching, snorkelling and diving opportunities. Jaffna will be an intoxicating mix of culture, food and history and we will also try to gain an understanding of how the north is rebuilding itself after the long conflict which causes so much devastation and suffering for the local Tamil population.

After filling up on culture, history, marine life and some coastal R&R, we focus on elephants, first with ‘the gathering’ at Minneriya where depending on recent activity we may in fact find the biggest herds at Kaudulla, Minneriya or Hurulu National Parks.  Then onward to Gal Oya with a wonderful diverse choice of activities, we will take a night time drive in the buffer forest, a morning guided walk and a boat safari hoping to catch sight of elephants as they ‘snorkel’ their way across the huge lake.  The route to our campsite at Yala for more elephants and of course the leopards, takes us via the hill country, with a train ride through tea country, treks to view the tallest waterfall in Sri Lanka, and to Ravana Falls, Little Adam’s Peak and/ or Ella Rock.

Corbett National Park was the first park to be brought under the ‘Project Tiger’ umbrella due to its magnificent scenery and large unspoilt wilderness area, which in turn supported a healthy tiger population. The reality for many visitors over the years had been occasional sightings glimpsed on elephant back and a feeling that the park is a better location for birders than more general wildlife enthusiasts; based on our visits in April 2006, April 2010 and March 2011 and our clients trips, we can confirm this view point is now completely redundant.

Not only does this beautiful park afford the visitor an excellent chance to see tiger, it also provides spectacular elephant sightings in the hotter months, with groups as large as 30 animals making the daily crossing over the Ramganga river. It is possible to view both wild elephant and tigers in a jeep safari from Dhikala, and the real highlight, is the rare chance to stay inside a Tiger Sanctuary at one of the simple lodges and you have a wildlife experience that rivals anything else in India.

A unique Borneo safari which few companies offer. Combining three stunning and very different wildlife locations to maximise your animal encounters. Dermakot is now famous in Borneo for the chance to see nocturnal species such as Clouded Leopard, Leopard cat and Malay Civets. It is always thrilling to enter a wildlife location that is still very much new and off the radar and our time walking and driving in Imbak Canyon is sure to reveal some amazing birds; including up to 8 Hornbill species. This pristine rainforest landscape is also an important sanctuary for rare and endangered species including the Bornean pygmy elephant, clouded leopard, orangutan, proboscis monkey, Bornean gibbon, grey, silver and red leaf monkeys.

As we write this article in July 2020, we can say that with some confidence Dermakot wildlife reserve in northern Borneo is one of the best locations to see small wild cats in the whole of Asia. This is a combination of ideal habitat, extensive research and the huge amount of time spent on night drives within the reserve – the harder you work, the luckier you get. Genuine chances to see Clouded Leopard – Tarsier – Slow Loris – Leopard Cat and Marbled Cat.

Borneo is one of the best locations in asia for both specialist birds and mammals and our hand picked naturalists are genuine experts in all wildlife viewing; not just the charismatic larger mammals. Before travel we will provide you with a birding and mammal list and by includig several day in Mount Kinabalu national park, we increase our chances of spotting rare endemics, like the Whitehead’s Trogon, Whitehead’s Broadbill and Borneo Green Magpie. On the mammals side of things, we will be looking for Orangutan, Pygmy Elephant , Clouded Leopard,Tarsier, Slow Loris , Leopard Cat, Marbled Cat, Proboscis Monkey, Bornean Gibbon, Civet Cats, Flying Squirrels, Sunda Skunk, Maroon Langur, Grey Langur and a variety of reptiles.

When you combine Dermakot, Kinabatangan and Tabin wildlife reserve within the same Borneo safari, you are without doubt looking at the most diverse and mammal rich tour itinerary possible in Sabah.

HERE ARE JUST SOME OF WILD ANIMALS OF BORNEO YOU MAY ENCOUNTER

Orangutan – Pygmy Elephant – Clouded Leopard – Tarsier – Slow Loris – Leopard Cat – Marbled Cat – Sun Bear –      Rhinoceros Hornbill (and the other 7 species) – Proboscis Monkey – Bornean Gibbon – Civet Cats – Flying Squirrels – Estuarine Crocodiles – Sunda Skunk – Maroon Langur – Grey Langur and a variety of spectacular birds and reptiles.