10 Bentota Safaris to Build a Trip Around

1.Bentota River Safari with Mangrove and Wildlife Encounter

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 182 reviews · 2 hours · from $20Our pick

Take a private two-hour boat safari from Bentota Bridge through mangrove channels and the Bentota Moya Kata delta. English-speaking guides such as Harindra, Sumal, and Nihal point out crocodiles, monkeys, water monitors, bats, snakes, and birds, with hotel pickup available across the Bentota coast. Fresh king coconut and pineapple may be served along the way.

“Super service, very easy booking and communication, super price, very good guide who nows the best places to see animals also crocodiles”

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2.2h Bentota River Safari: Crocodiles, Monkeys, Mangrove & more

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 128 reviews · from $32Top rated

Cruise the Bentota River for about two hours with a private guide such as Coca or Koka, watching for crocodiles, monkeys, monitor lizards, snakes, bats, and birds among the mangroves. Hotel pickup and drop-off are available, and each person receives a king coconut to drink aboard the boat.

“Excellent 2 hours on the river with lots of wildlife spotted. Crocodiles, monkeys, leaf snakes, water monitors and much more. Coca our guide had amazing ability to spot and knew all about the animals and birds. Well worth setting time aside to experience this great little trip.”

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3.Udawalawe Safari DayTrip frm Bentota/Kalutara/Ahungalla/Hikkaduwa

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 77 reviews · from $200

Travel from Bentota, Kalutara, Hikkaduwa, or nearby south-coast towns to Udawalawe National Park in a private vehicle. Your day includes a three-hour jeep safari, park and Elephant Transit Home fees, lunch, bottled water, and hotel pickup and drop-off. Early departures give you a better chance of seeing animals before the heat builds.

“Excellent day out, safari being the main highlight and Danishe was fantastic driver and very accommodating! Overall an experience to remember”

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4.Galle Day Trip with River Safari, Sea Turtle & Stilt Fishermen

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 64 reviews · from $110

Travel by private vehicle from Sri Lanka’s southwest coast to the Bentota River, a turtle conservation center, Ambalangoda mask makers, the Tsunami Museum, Galle Dutch Fort and Koggala’s stilt fishermen. The 8 to 10-hour trip includes transport, lunch, water, entry fees and pickup from many coastal towns. Driver-guides such as Janith and Dinesh have earned particular praise.

“We had a jam packed day on this trip- we had a wonderful time seeing and experiencing plenty without feeling rushed. It was great value for money! Dinesh picked us up on time and got us from place to place safely. We saw crocodiles, monkRead more”

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5.Yala Safari Day Trip from Bentota/ Kalutara/ Ahungalla/ Hikkaduwa

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 60 reviews · from $200

Travel from Bentota, Kalutara, Hikkaduwa, or nearby coastal towns to Yala National Park in a private vehicle with an English-speaking driver-guide. The package includes park entry, a four-hour safari jeep ride, bottled water, lunch, and hotel pickup and drop-off. Early departures offer the best chance to enjoy sunrise and cooler conditions.

“Really well organised by BTM. It was a long day but a great experience. No leopards unfortunately but saw plenty of other animals 🐘”

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6.Madu River Boat Safari Balapitiya

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 41 reviews · from $29

Spend about two hours on a shared motorboat through the Madu River near Bentota. Your skipper and instructor guide you past mangroves and islands, with chances to spot monkeys, monitor lizards, crocodiles, kingfishers, and cormorants. Stops include an island temple, a fish foot massage pond, and Cinnamon Island. Transport and food are not included.

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7.VALUE PACK! One Day Safari Tour to Yala and Udawalawa Parks

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 28 reviews · from $100

Spend about 10 to 12 hours visiting Yala and Udawalawe national parks from Bentota, with hotel pickup, a picnic lunch, bottled water, an English-speaking driver guide, and safari jeep travel. You get about five hours in Yala, three hours in Udawalawe, and a 30-minute Elephant Transit Home visit. Park fees are extra.

“Absolutely amazing experience and certainly worth the money. The private transfer was comfortable and had air conditioning which was nice. The driver was very polite. The tours were exceptional with our tour guide/ jeep driver being Read more”

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8.River Safari with Hotel Pickup and Drop-Off

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 22 reviews · 2 hours · from $28

Take a two-hour private boat safari from near Bentota Bridge through river, reservoir, lagoon, and mangroves. A live guide helps spot crocodiles, snakes, bats, lizards, kingfishers, herons, and egrets. Pickup is by tuk-tuk from selected coastal hotels, with guides available in five languages. Captain Nikolaos has also led this safari.

“Wir haben unwahrscheinlich viele Tiere gesehen. Von einer Baumschlange, einem Krokodil, einer Affenfamilie, vielen verschiedenen Vögeln bis zu einem Waran und anderen Tieren. Diese Tour kann man wirklich empfehlen. Top war auch der Mangrovenwald mit den vielen verschiedenen Tierstimmen.”

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9.Yala 4h Jeep Safari: Guided Wildlife Experience (All Inclusive)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 16 reviews · from $172

Travel from Bentota to Yala National Park in a private air-conditioned car, then switch to a 4x4 jeep for four hours among elephants, leopards, crocodiles, birds, and more. Guides may include Shiran, Little Tony, or Lakshitha, with park fees, water, and transfers included.

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10.Private Udawalawe Safari Tour with Elephant Transit Home

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · from $172

Travel privately from Bentota, Induruwa, Kosgoda, Ahungalla, or Aluthgama to Udawalawe National Park. Tony or guide Dom takes you on a three-hour jeep safari for elephants and other wildlife, followed by a visit to the Elephant Transit Home to watch orphaned baby elephants being fed.

“Tony was excellent, very knowledgeable and explained everything perfectly. A trip not to be missed. As we English say…perfect. Thank you for a memorable experience”

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