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Discover Sri Lanka & Maldives From Those Who Know It Best

Blogs from Tikalanka are designed to enhance your knowledge of Sri Lanka and Maldives and keep you up to date with recent developments. We intend to post regular features on travel, news, lifestyle and accommodation as well as guest articles from current and past customers, which will give you first-hand experience of Tikalanka, Sri Lanka and Maldives.

Category: Wildlife

Tikalanka - Independent tailor-made holidays to Sri Lanka and Maldives

TikaWeeks #49/2025: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 6th December 2025

​Cyclone Ditwah caused extensive flooding and landslides on its passage through Sri Lanka last week. Our thoughts are with all those affected by the tropical cyclone. Thankfully, our team in Sri Lanka is safe and our holidays are continuing on the island. Recent updates from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) and other local organisations indicate that the island is recovering and most of the country is safe for travel. We are receiving regular updates from our office in Kandy, local colleagues around the island, the SLTDA, and the Sri Lanka Tourism Alliance to keep us informed of the actual situation on the ground.

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Geoffrey Bawa's Lunuganga, Bentota, Sri Lanka

TikaWeeks #45/2025: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 7th November 2025

We delve into our travel partners’ treasure trove of articles and features about Sri Lanka this week, with a few of Teardrop Hotels recent blogs on various subjects from preserving Geoffrey Bawa’s unique architectural heritage and top elephant hotspots to Sri Lanka’s culinary delights and a guide to the island’s national parks, rainforests and sanctuaries. There are plenty of other insights on offer including recommendations on the best beaches and train journeys, the art of slow travel, whale watching, and climbing Adam’s Peak.

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The Pekoe Trail Organization

TikaWeeks #41/2025: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 12th October 2025

Tikalanka is now an official Pekoe Trail DMC Partner, which means we have been trained and certified by The Pekoe Trail Organization to design itineraries that incorporate the trail responsibly, respectfully, and sustainably. Whether you’re looking for a day hike through the tea country, a weeklong walking journey, or a tailored experience that blends wellness, nature, and culture – we are the professionals who can make it happen and who bring the trail to life for travellers from around the world.

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Sky at night from Wild Glamping Knuckles, Sri Lanka

TikaWeeks #34/2025: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 20th August 2025

‘Off grid’ can have many meanings. Being cut off from technology, using power generated from renewables onsite, or disengaging from everyday life are all what people understand by ‘off grid’. We seem to have become addicted to the internet, WhatsApp, Instagram and the rest without ever considering what travelling was like before the World Wide Web and mobile phones, 24-hour electricity, and a slower pace of life more in tune with nature. Well, now you have your chance with various ‘off grid’ experiences in Sri Lanka.

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The best beaches are on Sri Lanka's east coast during the summer

TikaWeeks #32/2025: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 4th August 2025

Sri Lanka has just expanded its visa-fee waiver to 40 countries, including the UK, in a bid to boost tourist arrivals, hoping to top the impressive 145,188 visitors recorded in the first 23 days of July this year. Global travel website Big 7 Travel named Sri Lanka ‘The Most Beautiful Island in the World’ for 2025, an incredible accolade indeed, and the latest booking data of Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, show that Sri Lanka is among the top three summer destinations for travel.

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The Arnolds and Nihal trekking in Sinharaja Forest Reserve, Sri Lanka

TikaWeeks #31/2025: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 31st July 2025

If you want to learn about the Herpetofauna (reptiles and amphibians) of Sri Lanka, then loyal customers Dave and Chris Arnold will guide you through likely sightings from their hands-on experience of two trips with us in the past couple of years. In an engaging and enlightening account of their travels recently published in an international journal, Dave highlights the numerous and varied species to spot on the island, even donning a pair of ‘sexy’ leech socks in order to navigate Sinharaja Forest Reserve with impunity!

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Elephants in Sri Lanka

TikaWeeks #27/2025: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 2nd July 2025

The Galle Literary Festival, in and around Galle from 21 to 25 January 2026, has become one of the most anticipated literary events in south Asia. The latest episode of “Guardians”, a docuseries narrated by Prince William, shines a light on Sri Lankan rangers working to reduce human-elephant conflict. With around half of all visitors going on safari in Sri Lanka, wildlife is central to the island’s attraction, and ‘glamping’ is a great way to experience the call of the wild. In other news, Sigiriya was recently anointed as Sri Lanka’s first sustainable destination, and another upsurge in tourist arrivals last month shows Sri Lanka is still the place to visit!

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Sperm whale and diver

TikaWeeks #23/2025: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 2nd June 2025

Swimming with whales isn’t just unethical – it’s illegal in Sri Lanka. A recent study found 32 tour operators offering illegal swim-with-whales experiences in key whale-watching areas. Protecting these gentle giants requires collective action – from government and tour agencies, accommodation providers, boat operators, and tourists. For years, Sri Lanka’s tourism model has been framed around distinct “high” and “low” seasons, dictated largely by the island’s monsoonal patterns. This binary view, however, fails to reflect the island’s true potential. The reality? Sri Lanka offers rich, varied experiences throughout the year.

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Kumana Under Canvas, Kumana NP, Sri Lanka

TikaWeeks #22/2025: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 29th May 2025

If rafting over cascading rapids, ballooning around an iconic rock fortress at dawn, climbing a sacred mountain for the spectacular sunrise and experiencing a jeep safari to spot a variety of exotic wildlife are high on your wish list, then Sri Lanka is for you! Many visitors only travel to Sri Lanka for the island’s spectacular, sun-soaked and palm-fringed beaches but there is so much more to discover than its sandy shores and exquisite ancient temples. This week’s update highlights some of the less well-known adventures on offer in Sri Lanka.

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Mirissa Beach, Sri Lanka (courtesy of Deborah Robinson & Pablo Hernando)

TikaWeeks #21/2025: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 19th May 2025

We believe that tourism can benefit both visitors and locals alike, a positive force for the national economies and local communities of the destination country. However, we also appreciate that overtourism has detrimental impacts and tourist income doesn’t always go into the pockets of the people who provide the services or need it most. Recent feedback from customers has highlighted some of these issues. We are well aware of these concerns and are finding new locations to visit and different places to stay to ensure your experience of Sri Lanka remains enjoyable and authentic.

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