Sri Lanka – August 2-13, 2025

12 Days, 11 Nights with Guest Photographer David J Grenier

Workshop starts: August 2nd, 2025, Negombo Hotel

Workshop ends: August 13th, Negombo Hotel

Difficulty: Easy- Some bumpy, uneven roads in the safari vehicle. Some off-road driving.

Minimum number of participants: 6

Join us on this once in a lifetime, unique journey to the ‘Pearl of the Indian Ocean’ – Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka, is a small tropical island nestled at the southern tip of India. On our 12-Day Sri Lanka photo tour and cultural adventure, you will be experiencing amazing vistas, wild animals, ancient cultures, breathtaking beaches, misty highlands, quaint local villages, and indulge in savory Sri-Lankan cuisine. We will witness everyday life by photographing picturesque stilt fishermen, emerald green tea plantations, and one of the most colorful festivals in the world – the Kandy Esala Perahera. This epic journey includes luxury  accommodations, breakfasts and dinners, all excursions and sightseeing activities i.e. private boat trip, private safaris, temple visits, fort entrance fees, etc., transportation to and from Colombo International Airport, and in-country travel via spacious, air-conditioned mini coach. 

Our Journey will start by picking you up at the Colombo International airport and driving you to our hotel in Negombo (a 30 min drive from the airport), where we will gather for an informal meet and greet. In Negombo we will embark on a private boat tour where we will enjoy the smooth waters and natural settings of one of Sri Lanka’s largest coastal lagoons while getting a close up view of local fishing life. Negombo is the 5th largest city in Sri Lanka. It’s a fishing village, resort city, and a commercial hub all in one and has a very visible Roman Catholic influence due to Sri Lanka’s history of being a former colony of the Portuguese, Dutch and British. The catamarans utilized in Negombo for fishing are unique to this town, and found nowhere else in Sri Lanka, let alone the world. We will photograph these beautiful vessels in the ocean, when they leave to go fishing in the mornings and when they return – times to be determined on a daily basis subject to local wind & tide conditions.

After our three night stay in Negombo, our next stop will be our first safari adventure at Minneriya National Park. This park is located in Sri Lanka’s North Central Province, 182 kilometers from Colombo. The park, which is part of the elephant corridor that connects Kaudulla and Wasgamuwa National Parks, is an important habitat for Sri Lanka’s Asian elephants. Two endemic monkeys, the purple-faced langur and the toque macaque, and large herbivorous mammals such as the sambar and axis deer frequent the park. Rare and endangered species such as the leopard and sloth bear also inhabit Minneriya. The Minneriya reservoir is an important habitat for large water birds such as the lesser adjutant, painted stork, and spot-billed pelican. The great white pelican, ruddy turnstone, and grey heron are the other water birds here. Among the endemic birds are the jungle fowl, hanging parrot, brown-capped babbler,  grey hornbill, black-crested bulbul, and the crimson-fronted barbet. While at the park, we are embarking on an afternoon game drive in our private 4-wheel drive vehicle with experienced local guides. The next two nights will be spent in this scenic area where we will explore and photograph the archaeological park of Polonnaruwa with its hundreds of ancient tombs, statues, stupas, and temples. To immerse ourselves fully in Sri Lankan culture, we will make time to visit a typical village where we will be treated to a  cooking demonstration.  

On the way to Kandy, our home base for the following two nights, we will stop at a scenic view point to photograph one of Sri Lanka’s most famous historical monuments, the Sigiriya Lion Rock. This natural phenomenon is an enormous square-shaped rock, a former fortress of King Kassapa. It is home to murals, gardens, and on top of the rock: a swimming pool and palace. Kandy, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies between rolling tea plantations and emerald rainforests and is the former capital of the Sri Lanka kings. The gilded-roofed Temple of the Tooth (Sri Dalada Maligawa) safeguards a relic believed to be Buddah’s tooth. Preserving the Relic of Buddha in this haven of refuge, it was declared that whoever houses and protects it is automatically given the power to rule the country. The artifact serves as a significant symbol of Sinhalese identity and pride. A photographic highlight of our stay in Kandy is the Kandy Esala Perahera – an ancient and glamorous Buddhist festival and parade featuring musicians, jugglers, singers, fire-breathers, and ornately decorated elephants. 

After witnessing this exceptional performance, we will travel to Yala National Park, where we will spend one night, and then move on to Koggala where we spend the next two nights. The national park features a diverse ecosystem that includes monsoon forests, marine and freshwater wetlands, thorn forests, grasslands, marshes, and sandy beaches. The abundance and diversity of wildlife make Yala National Park the leading national park in Sri Lanka. Seeing a leopard is the pinnacle wildlife sighting and with the tremendous population of leopards, there is a strong probability that we will get the chance for a close photographic encounter. There are 215 species of birds and 44 species of mammals calling this area home. We then move on to Koggala, a small coastal town situated on the edge of a lagoon and features one of the longest beaches of Sri Lanka. One side of this coastal town is bordered by coral reefs while on the other side it is bordered by the Koggala Lake rich in biodiversity. We will have plenty of time and opportunities for stunning land and seascape shots as well as photographing the stilt fishermen at sunset. Our last night will be spent in Negombo before we bid you farewell for now at Colombo International airport.