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Wilpattu · Arugam Bay · Sri Lanka
A brahminy kite perched against open sky over Kumana National Park
Experiences

We handle
getting you there.

The jeep, the tracker, the park permits, the start before sunrise. You wake up; the rest is already arranged.

Wilpattu → Arugam Bay →
What we take care of

You don’t organise anything

Booking a safari in a country you don’t know is the part people dread. It is also the part we do every week.

Permits and tickets
Park entry and paperwork sorted before you get to the gate, so you are not queuing in the dark.
Jeep and tracker
We book the vehicle and choose the driver-tracker — the person who knows where the cats have been moving this week.
The early start
Gates open at first light and being among the first vehicles in changes what you see. We make sure you are.
Getting back
Back at the villa by mid-morning, with the pool and the rest of the day still ahead of you.
Wilpattu

Leopard country, and the river

Wilpattu jeep safari

Wilpattu is the largest national park in Sri Lanka and one of the best places on earth to see a leopard. The villa sits near the gate, which is the whole point — the park opens at first light, and being among the first vehicles through it changes what the day looks like.

Sightings take patience here. Wilpattu is bigger and far quieter than the southern parks, so a leopard is something you find rather than something you queue for.

  • Jeep and driver-tracker
  • Park tickets and permits
  • Dawn and afternoon drives
  • Full-day option
  • Leopards, sloth bears, elephants
  • Back for the pool
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Guests and a driver-tracker watching for wildlife from a safari jeep at Wilpattu
Open lagoon and mangroves seen from the bow of the safari boat at Wilpattu

Boat safari

The river runs from the edge of the property out into mangrove and open lagoon. Kingfishers, brahminy kites, crocodiles on the banks, and the light changing every ten minutes.

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Kayak bow on still water at sunrise on the river at Wilpattu

Kayaking

The same river, quieter. Take a kayak out at first light when the water is glass and the birds are the only things awake.

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Breakfast laid on a poled pontoon on the river at Wilpattu

Floating breakfast

A pontoon poled out onto the river, a table properly laid, and breakfast on the water. It takes about an hour, and it is the thing guests photograph most.

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Arugam Bay

Kumana, the point breaks, and the sand

Kumana safari, from Arugam Bay

Kumana sits south of Arugam Bay and is one of the best birding parks in the country — its mangrove lagoon draws thousands of migratory birds through the season. There are leopards here too, and elephants, and a fraction of the vehicles you would share a sighting with further south.

Same arrangement as Wilpattu. We book the jeep and the tracker, handle the tickets, and get you to the gate for opening.

  • Jeep and driver-tracker
  • Park tickets and permits
  • Dawn and afternoon drives
  • Leopards and elephants
  • Exceptional birdlife
  • Back for the surf
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Guests watching elephants from a safari jeep in Kumana National Park
A surfer riding a wave at Arugam Bay

Surf

Main Point, Peanut Farm and Elephant Rock are all within reach, and the villa is a short walk from the sand. Boards and lessons arranged, whether it is your first time standing up or your thirtieth year.

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A fire and a table set on the sand at Arugam Bay after dark

Dinner on the beach

A table on the sand, candles, and whatever came out of the sea that morning. We set it up once the light has gone and leave you to it.

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A grilled seafood platter with prawns, squid and fish at Leopard Inn Arugam Bay

Seafood, grilled

Prawns, squid, cuttlefish and the day’s catch, grilled and brought out on one plate. Ask the kitchen in the morning and it is waiting that evening.

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