Description
- Timing: 3 days 2 nights
- Difficulty: Beginner (training provided) NO SWIMMING SKILLS NEEDED
- Availability: Event Basis
- Guests: Kids 6+, Adult & Family Tour Options
- Booking: Email, Call
- Why This Trip? Most Popular Multi-Day Expedition in Sri Lanka
- Rating: 5 out of 5 by customers for personalized care and safety
Discover the schedule
Day 00
The Preparation
Day prior to Expedition: an overnight drive from Colombo or pick up from your preferred place near Mahiyanganaya if you wish to travel early and have a rest, could be arranged.
Changing room will be provided on arrival and after a quick freshen up we’ll leave for our starting point in Dehiattakandiya.
A pre-expedition training will be conducted to cover the basics of kayaking, rescue, and leave no trace principles.
Day 01
The Start
After a recap of training, we’ll spend our day paddling through the amazing landscapes and the most fun-filled class 2 Rapids of Wasgamuwa NP and not forgetting the crocodiles and elephants. The campsite is situated just by the river, inviting you to have a nice evening coffee while gazing at the sunsets and elephants crossing the river. A BBQ dinner will be served by the campfire and in the night, there is an opportunity to see the fishing cats and crocodiles with occasional visits of Sri Lankan jackals.
Day 02
The Push
The fun continues as you vendor deep into the wilds and rapids continue offering you full of challenges but even a newbie can overcome with our qualified guides by your side. You’ll discover the ancient inland harbor which used to repair ships during the reign of King Bathikabaya in the Anuradhapura period. The day ends at a sandbank extending to the horizon with the Dimbulagala rock creating a nice backdrop to your images. Not so far away from your campsite is where elephants will cross after a belly full of paddy and other crops stolen from the farmers on the other side of the park.
Day 03
The Glory
From here onwards the landscape changes as the river gets widened and the flow of the river gets slow enabling you to have a calm paddling till you meet the Manampitiya Bridge. The birdlife on day 3 is a treat for any bird lover and what’s unique is the fact that you will see white-bellied sea eagles in action live. The Crocodiles are usually shy and tend to hide away if you make a noise.
Upon arrival and after a quick change by the river you will be escorted back to Colombo.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Wildlife Kayak Tour
- Warm, Healthy, Meals
- A comprehensive training before the expedition on a similar environment at no extra cost
- Snacks, Coffee and Hot Drinks
- Transportation from Colombo and back fully AC Comfortable VAN/MINI BUS
- A digital archive of images and videosof your memories
- First Aid- Qualified and CPR trained
- Sports Massage Therapist
- Camping Gear
- 4-season Tents
- You will need to provide your own sleeping bag and pad, or you can rent an Air Mattress/Pillow combo for an additional fee of $15 per person for the entire 3 days.
- All Kayaking Gear
- Personal Floatation Device
- 10 Liter Dry Bag
- Stable Double Kayak & Paddle
- Helmets
Wasgomuwa NP is located in the Central part of Sri Lanka and in the dry zone. Our tours run rain or shine, so we ask you to wear quick-dry rash guards and tight leggings during the day that will cover your entire body. You can change to cotton wear at night. We advise avoiding shoes and flip-flops, ideal footwear for this expedition is a pair of sandals with straps. Because the storage is limited, we request you to travel light. Sunglasses and shades must be strapped. Hats and caps are a must as the sun can get you during the day.
Sun Blocks: we kindly request you to keep it away if possible or use a natural or organic-based one.
Toiletries: Avoid single-use plastic containers, you could accompany organic soaps or dry shampoo bars or purchase an organic soap bar from us to support our rural development and women empowerment initiative.
You will receive a trip-specific packing list upon booking, which will go into great detail about what else to bring. Keep an eye out for it in your confirmation email!
With thoughtful consideration, we have revised our cancellation policy for 2023. The policy below
reflects our dedication to providing a stress-free booking, planning, and travel experience for you, our
guests. Our revised policies are flexible and forgiving, so you can book with confidence.
For all our Mahaweli River Expeditions, cancellation fees are as follows:
- If you cancel more than 30 days prior to your scheduled trip, we will refund you in full*.
- If you cancel 30-15 days prior to your scheduled trip, we will charge 50% of the total invoice.
- If you cancel 15 days of your scheduled trip, we will charge the entire amount of your invoice.
- Cancellation from EcoGrip due to weather/Covid Lockdown/ETC, We will refund you in full.
ALL ADVANCE PAYMENTS ARE TRANSFERABLE UP TO ONE YEAR IF YOU INFORM 15 DAYS PRIOR TO THE
EXPEDITION.
If you decide to cancel your trip with us, please consider transferring your payment to a membership
card account. That way you can join us in the future, providing an easy way to postpone your vacation
plans.
*Full refunds include: trip fees, add ons, and taxes & fees, minus 4000LKR per person booking fees for
multi-day trips*
We completed our 2020 season and are happy to share that, with strict COVID-19 protocols in place, we had a successful season. We were able to conduct this expedition with hundreds of people, and no known cases of COVID-19 were contracted on our trips. We are taking what we learned in 2020 and preparing for another meaningful, inspiring season in 2021.
While our hope for 2021, is to operate our trips in the same way we did pre-COVID-19, we have careful plans to address the continued public health risks posed by the virus. We will follow scientific expertise and industry standards for hygiene and cleanliness, encourage the use of cautious practices among our staff and guests, and communicate all changes to our policies as we continue to adapt.
In 2021, we are set up to conduct this expedition in a meaningful way with purposeful Covid-19 mitigation policies. Please take just a few minutes and check out our Travel Updates & Covid Response Page.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.