About this experience
Loris Watching from Sigiriya City is an evening nature walk for travellers staying around Sigiriya, led by an expert naturalist guide in search of the slender loris. This small, nocturnal primate spends its life in the trees, which is why the search happens after dark and among the branches rather than on the ground.
The walk takes place at Sam Popham's Arboretum on Kandalama Road in Dambulla, a dry zone arboretum where birds, butterflies, dragonflies and mammals live alongside one another.
Once night has fallen, the guides move slowly along the paths with torches fitted with softer red light, which disturbs the animals less, and switch to white light only when a loris has been found. Lorises have long, slender bodies and big round eyes that shine in the darkness, and they climb in a slow, cautious way from branch to branch. Wild animals keep their own hours, so no sighting can be promised, but the arboretum is also home to mouse deer, civet cats and rabbits, any of which may appear along the way.
The experience lasts three hours and starts at 18:30. The nature hike, the entrance ticket and commentary and advice from the naturalist guide are included, and it is a good choice for anyone interested in mammal watching. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included, and there is no public transport nearby, so please arrange your own way to the arboretum. Gratuities and personal expenses are also excluded.
Children aged five and over may join. The walk is not wheelchair or stroller accessible, is not suitable for pets and is not recommended for people with heart conditions.
