Upali was determined, 34 endemics birds seen, 29 photographed! total 230+

Bill Rowe
Bill Rowe with Upali

My initial contact was with Jith at the Rutland Birdfair. I was impressed by his knowledge and enthusiasm – so did not look at any other company in detail. All communication has been very prompt, all questions answered to my satisfaction and all printed material very clear (really liked the photos)

Jith promptly met me at the airport and introduced us me to Upali, my guide/ driver.

I was very fortunate to have Upali as my guide as he is a very good bird watcher with many years of experience. He has an excellent eye for birds, Upali also leads archeological and cultural trips – so as a bonus I was treated to a wide variety of facts about Sri Lanka its customs and history. This made car journeys pass quickly helped by strategic ‘tea shops’ (tea with fresh ginger was particularly good). I sampled a variety of local snacks and drinks (wood apple; green coconut) Upali was very comfortable even on the longest drive from Nuwara Eliya to Tissamaharama (5 hrs). We made very good use of Upali’s local contacts, from local guides to private residents – in this way we saw many birds.

Upali was determined that I would see all 34 endemics birds. Which we completed at 7:30am on Day 14. I had managed to get good photographs of 29 of them. We also saw a wide range of other animals. The highlight has to be at Yala where towards the end of the day we went in a fast 30min drive to see a leopard, and just before leaving the park, we had a close (50m) view of a sloth bear.

All accommodation was excellent and varied.

The only exception was in Kandy which like most city hotels lacked character and personal approach, but still a good hotel.

Food was great when it was local Sri Lankan dishes, just occasionally I felt I was offered western food at first- but when I enquired further I received local food. The buffets were really good.

I was surprised that the hotels didn’t have local goods for sale.

However, Upali took me to a good store in Kandy which allowed me to find gifts for my relatives, and tomorrow we will make a stop at a government store on our way back to the airport so that I can buy a few items, including      Sri Lanka tea.

 

In summary I have had a wonderful trip, seen many birds (230 at present). I have enjoyed the smiley welcome given to me by people of all ages. They always respond to my greeting with a smile and a few words. The breadth of Upali’s knowledge added another dimension to the trip.

Having traveled to S. America, Central America and Africa recently. I can confirm that Sri Lanka is a must-see country and the package provided by Jith is excellent value for money.

Best Wishes,

Bill Rowe
London, England

Name of Guest: 
Bill Rowe
Tour review date: 
9 Feb 2019

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