The owners chose to establish the Sri Lanka Aggressor Safari Lodge® on the edge of Wilpattu National Park for a selection of reasons. First it's the largest National Park in Sri Lanka. Its also the main national park in the north of the country which is less developed than the south of country. This was very important as it delivers a far better overall safari experience in Wilpattu National Park than the southern developed parks which can be a little overcrowded at certain times of the year. The Wilpattu National Park delivers the best diversity of animals and birds of any of the national parks on the island and has a large population of leopard and bear. In addition, the lodge is also within an hour of Minneriya National Park, which has the largest population of Elephant on the island and hosts whats called the “Gathering” of largest number of Indian Elephants in one place in the world between the months of August and October each year.
The other main reason for establishing the Sri Lanka Aggressor Safari Lodge® at Wilpattu is that we were given the opportunity to develop the local village surrounding the lodge. Nearly all employees of the Safari Lodge will come from the local village as well as much of the produce we serve to our guests.
5 DAY/4 NIGHT ITINERARY
Below is a sample itineray and description of the tours included in the 5 Day/4 Night Adventure Package. This package will include transportation to and from the parks and ancient cities, all meals and guides.
Day 1 - Wilpattu National Park
• Leaving from Negombo at 8:00am, guests travel to the Aggressor Safari Lodge® near Wilpattu and Minneriya National Parks. The travel time is about two and a half hours.
• After guests check-in and enjoy lunch, they will be taken on an afternoon safari around 2:30pm into Wilpattu National Park. Here they will have the opportunity to experience big game viewing of the parks; Leopards, Elephant, Bear, Buffalo, Deer, Crocodile, Jackal and many other animals and birds in their natural jungle habitat. After the first day they will then head back to the Safari Lodge for dinner at night fall.
Day 2 - Sigiriya Rock Palace & Minneriya National Park
• After breakfast, guests will leave the lodge at 7:00am to travel to the 5th Century AD Sigiriya Rock Palace.The most striking feature of this monument is the Mirror Wall which contains painted with inscriptions and poemsdating from the 8th century.The palace and fortress complex takes several hours to climb from the bottom to the top.
• After lunch at a local restaurant, guests will go on an afternoon safari into Minneriya National Park around 2:30pm. This national park is home to the largest Asian elephant gathering known to exist on the planet. Guests sit and watch as these huge animals drink, play and snack on the green, lush grasses that have been exposed by the receding water. Dinner follows at the Safari Lodge.
Day 3 - Anuradhapura & Wilpattu
• After breakfast, guests will leave the lodge at 7:30am to travel to the 3rd Century BC ancient city in Anuradhapura. It served as the capital city of the country for nearly 1400 years until the beginning of the 11th century AD. During this period, it remained one of the most stable and durable centers of political power and urban life in South Asia. The city also houses the Jetavana, the Abhayagiri Dagaba and Ruwanwelisaya stupa’s that house many ancient Buddhist relics and remains of Buddhist monks and nuns. The Jetavana stupa, is the largest stupa in the Buddhist world in both its dimensions and its mass. It is 231 feet high up to its broken pinnacle and it has been calculated that it is made up of 160 million bricks.
• Guests will enjoy lunch at Wilpattu National Park around 1:30pm in an area frequented by troupes of monkeys, The adventure continues with a second safari through Wilpattu National Park to experience big game viewing of the parks; Leopards, Elephant, Bear, Buffalo, Deer, Crocodile, Jackal and many other animals and birds in their natural jungle habitat and then back to the Safari Lodge.
Day 4 - "Monkey Kingdom" Primate Center
• After an early breakfast, guests will leave the lodge at 5:30am to travel to the Sri Lanka’s Primate Center for a full days jungle excursion. Established over 50 years ago, the Primate Center is where Disney Studios filmed the movie "Monkey Kingdom". It is home to 3 types of Sri Lankan monkeys, the Toque Macaque, the Gray Langur and the Purple Faced Langur. While visiting the monkeys in their natural jungle habitat, you can observe their interaction with family, friends and even their enemies. You will witness displays caring, courtship, passion, cooperation and teamwork as well as greed, jealousy and aggression as they go about their daily business.
• Return to the Safari Lodge around mid afternoon.
Day 5
Early breakfast and final look around the Aggressor Safari Lodge™ before leaving for Negombo and your journey home.
7 DAY/6 NIGHT ITINERARY ADVENTURE & RELAXATION PACKAGE
Below is a sample itineray and description of the tours included in the 7 Day/6 Night Adventure & Relaxation Package. This package will include transportation to and from the parks and ancient cities, all meals and guides.
Day 1 - Wilpattu National Park
• Leaving from Negombo at 8:00am, guests travel to the Aggressor Safari Lodge® near Wilpattu and Minneriya National Parks. The travel time is about two and a half hours.
• After guests check-in and enjoy lunch, they will be taken on an afternoon safari around 2:30pm into Wilpattu National Park to experience big game viewing of the parks Leopards, Elephant, Bear, Buffalo, Deer, Crocodile, Jackal and many other animals and birds in their natural jungle habitat and then back to the Safari Lodge for dinner at night fall.
Day 2 - Sigiriya Rock Palace & Minneriya National Park
• After breakfast, guests will leave the lodge at 7:00am to travel to the 5th Century AD Sigiriya Rock Palace. The palace and fortress complex takes several hours to climb from the bottom to the top.
• After lunch at a local restaurant, guests will go on an afternoon safari at 2:30pm into Minneriya National Park. It is home to the largest Asian elephant gathering known to exist on the planet. Guests sit and watch as these huge animals drink, play and snack on the green, lush grasses that have been exposed by the receding water. Dinner follows at the Safari Lodge.
Day 3 - A day of rest & relaxations at the lodge
A local guide is avaiable for a village walk or exploring the flora and fauna on the lodge grounds.
Day 4 - Anuradhapura & Wilpattu
• After an early breakfast, guests will leave the lodge at 7:30am to travel to the 3rd Century BC ancient city in Anuradhapura. It served as the capital city of the country for nearly 1400 years until the beginning of the 11th century AD. During this period, it remained one of the most stable and durable centers of political power and urban life in South Asia. The city also houses the Jetavana, the Abhayagiri Dagaba and Ruwanwelisaya stupa’s that house many ancient Buddhist relics and remains of Buddhist monks and nuns. The Jetavana stupa, is the largest stupa in the Buddhist world in both its dimensions and its mass. It is 231 feet high up to its broken pinnacle and it has been calculated that it is made up of 160 million bricks.
• Guests will enjoy lunch at Wilpattu National Park around 1:30pm in an area frequented by troupes of monkeys. The adventure continues with a second safari through Wilpattu National Park to experience big game viewing of the parks; Leopards, Elephant, Bear, Buffalo, Deer, Crocodile, Jackal and many other animals and birds in their natural jungle habitat and then back to the Safari Lodge.
Day 5 - "Monkey Kingdom" Primate Center
• After an early breakfast, guests will leave the lodge at 5:30am to travel to the Sri Lanka’s Primate Center for a full days jungle excursion. Established over 50 years ago, the Primate Center is where Disney Studios filmed the movie "Monkey Kingdom". It is home to 3 types of Sri Lankan monkeys, the Toque Macaque, the Gray Langur and the Purple Faced Langur. While visiting the monkeys in their natural jungle communities, you can observe their interaction with family, friends and even their enemies. You will witness displays caring, courtship, passion, cooperation and teamwork as well as greed, jealousy and aggression as they go about their daily business.
• Return to the Safari Lodge for dinner.
Day 6 - A day of rest & relaxations at the lodge
A local guide is avaiable for a village walk or exploring the flora and fauna on the lodge grounds.
Day 7
Early breakfast and final look around the Aggressor Safari Lodge™ before leaving for Negombo and your journey home.
7 DAY/6 NIGHT ITINERARY EXPLORATION PACKAGE
Below is a sample itineray and description of the tours included in the 7 Day/6 Night Exploration Package. This package will include transportation to and from the parks and ancient cities, all meals and guides.
Day 1 - Wilpattu National Park
• Leaving from Negombo at 8:00am, guests travel to the Aggressor Safari Lodge® near the Wilpattu and Minneriya National Parks. The travel time is several hours.
• After check-in and lunch, guests will be taken on an afternoon safari into Wilpattu National Park around 2:30pm to experience big game viewing of the parks Leopards, Elephant, Bear, Buffalo, Deer, Crocodile, Jackal and many other animals and birds in their natural jungle habitat and then back to the Safari Lodge for dinner at night fall.
Day 2 - Sigiriya Rock Palace & Minneriya National Park
• After breakfast, guests will leave the lodge at 7:00am and travel to the 5th Century AD Sigiriya Rock Palace. The palace and fortress complex takes several hours to climb from the bottom to the top.
• After lunch at a local restaurant, guests will go on an afternoon safari around 2:30pm into Minneriya National Park. It is home to the largest Asian elephant gathering known to exist on the planet. Guests sit and watch as these huge animals drink, play and snack on the green, lush grasses that have been exposed by the receding water. Dinner follows at the Safari Lodge.
Day 3 - Anuradhapura & Wilpattu
• After breakfast, guests will leave the lodge at 7:30am to travel to the 3rd Century BC ancient city in Anuradhapura. It served as the capital city of the country for nearly 1400 years until the beginning of the 11th century AD. During this period, it remained one of the most stable and durable centers of political power and urban life in South Asia. The city also houses the Jetavana, the Abhayagiri Dagaba and Ruwanwelisaya stupa’s that house many ancient Buddhist relics and remains of Buddhist monks and nuns. The Jetavana stupa, is the largest stupa in the Buddhist world in both its dimensions and its mass. It is 231 feet high up to its broken pinnacle and it has been calculated that it is made up of 160 million bricks.
• Guests will enjoy lunch at Wilpattu National Park around 1:30pm in an area frequented by troupes of monkeys. The adventure continues with a second safari through Wilpattu National Park to experience big game viewing of the parks; Leopards, Elephant, Bear, Buffalo, Deer, Crocodile, Jackal and many other animals and birds in their natural jungle habitat and then back to the Safari Lodge.
Day 4 - "Monkey Kingdom" Primate Center
• After an early breakfast, guests will leave the lodge at 5:30am to travel to the Sri Lanka’s Primate Center for a full days jungle excursion. Established over 50 years ago, the Primate Center is where Disney Studios filmed the movie "Monkey Kingdom". It is home to 3 types of Sri Lankan monkeys, the Toque Macaque, the Gray Langur and the Purple Faced Langur. While visiting the monkeys in their natural jungle communities, you can observe their interaction with family, friends and even their enemies. You will witness displays caring, courtship, passion, cooperation and teamwork as well as greed, jealousy and aggression as they go about their daily business.
• Guests will return to the Safari Lodge mid afternoon.
Day 5 - Ritigala Mountain & Monastery
• After breakfast guests will leave the lodge At 8:00am to travel to the Ritigala mountain range and ancient Buddhist Monastery built in the 1st Century BC. The Ritigala Mountain range is the highest Mountains on the island and the climate is considerably cooler. On arrival you will be taken on a 3 hour nature walk through the mountain jungle and ruins of the ancient Monastery. Though there is a chance to see larger animals, this nature walk focuses more on micro life fauna and flora that can be experienced better on foot rather than in a jeep in the larger parks.
• After your nature walk and lunch you will travel to the Elephant Corridor hotel for dinner and to relax and enjoy the rest of your evening at the resort.
Day 6 - Kandy & Temple of the Tooth
After breakfast you will leave the Elephant Corridor Hotel at 9:00am to travel to the city of Kandy, the last city of the ancient kings of Sri Lanka. Kandy is the second largest city in Sri Lanka and capital of the Central Province. Kandy is the home of The Temple of the Tooth Relic, one of the most sacred places of worship in the Buddhist world. It was declared a world heritage site in 1988. You will spend a delightful day of sightseeing and shopping throughout the city before retiring to your hotel in Kandy for the evening.
Day 7
Guests will enjoy an early breakfast before traveling to Negombo for their journey home.
Colombo (CMB) airport is the only international airport in Sri Lanka and all Aggressor Safari Lodge® guests will fly in and out of Sri Lanka from Colombo. We recommend guests have 1 pre-night in Colombo.
Airlines That Fly Into Colombo:
Qatar Airways via Doha
Emirates Airlines via Dubai
Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong
Singapore Airlines via Singapore
Transfer from the airport to the host hotel, Jetwing Beach Hotel is not included in the price, but can be arranged at the time of the reservation by our in-house travel department, Aggressor Adventure Travel, for an additional charge.
• All pick ups are from the Jetwing Beach Hotel in Negombo at 8:00 am. Travel time to the Aggressor Safari Lodge is 2.5 hours.
• Guests will be taken back to the Jetwing Beach Hotel if they are staying in Sri Lanka or to the airport if they are flying out.
Passport/Visa:
Visitors must have a current passport, adequate funds to support themselves, and a return airline ticket. US citizens require a passport that must be valid for 6 months from date of entry. It is the travelers’ responsibility to ensure they have the proper visa to travel into each country on his or her itinerary as well as for re-entry and return to their country. Since regulations vary by country, contact your consulate or embassy of your country for the requirement.
E-Visa ETA are required for all travelers: E-Visa Application Link
It takes approximately 10 minutes to complete and pay for online and is good for a 30 day stay in Sri Lanka. The cost is $35 (subject to change without notice) and most airlines will want to see the printed and approved ETA upon check-in when flying to Sri Lanka. This is the responsibility of each traveler.
Your Safari Packing List:
Luggage
Besides your main luggage bags please bring a small back pack for daily safaries
Clothing
~ Short- and long-sleeve shirts for layering, sun screen and mosquito protection
~ Shorts and khakis
~ Fleece or insulated jacket for cool nights
~ Waterproof windbreaker or poncho
~ Wide-brim, tie-on sun hat
~ Bathing suit for lodges with pools
~ Sleepwear
~ Running, walking shoes, or light hiking boots
~ 1 Pair open sandals
~ Travel documents, including a valid passport with visa and airline tickets
~ Cash and a credit card for emergencies
~ Sunglasses (100% UV screening with retainer straps)
~ Sunscreen and lip balm with SPF 40+
~ Mosquito repellent containing DEET
~ Anti-itch cream
~ Bandanas
~ Hand sanitizer and wipes
~ Binoculars
Sri Lanka Weather: