Meet your driver at the Colombo airport and drive to Yala National Park.

Embark on a safari in the Yala National Park, a protected area of nearly 130,000 hectares of land divided into five blocks. Only two blocks are open to the public, with the rest functioning strictly as nature reserves.

• The 215 bird species living in the park are enthralled, of which the Ceylon Jungle Fowl, Brown-capped Babbler, Ceylon Woodshrike and Ceylon Swallow are endemic. Maybe even catch a glimpse of their nests in Palu, Satinwood, Weera, Maila, Mustard and Woodapple trees. From tropical rainforests to mangrove swamps, the abodes of the other 44 mammal species, 47 species of reptiles, and 18 amphibian species, along with various other invertebrate species, are wide and varied. The park's most famous residents are elephants, sloth bears, sambar, jackals, spotted deer, peacocks, crocodiles, and the elusive leopard.

Head back to the airport or your hotel in Colombo.