Exclusive: Muthurajawela Bird Watching Tour with Transfers
Description
This tour gives you an exciting experience by TukTuk complete with bird watching tour in Muthurajawela wetland, one of the main bird watching locations in Sri Lanka.There are many variates of flora and fauna that are interdependent in this coastal ecosystem. The name Muthurajawela has been derived from Sinhalese language which the majority of Sri Lankans use to communicate. The meaning can be translated in to English simply as “Swamp of Royal Treasure”. Treasures of kings in olden days are believed to be buried in that area. Muthurajawela Marsh is situated towards the southern part of Negombo.
Tour Options
Itinerary
You will be picked up from your hotel in Negombo for a tour riding a TukTuk to Muthurajawela Wetland, and a bird watching tour by boat. Your TukTuk is a very typical form of public transport, part of the everyday street scene. On the TukTuk, you can sit and stretch out, protected from the sun, and rain, and with a great breeze. You will soon arrive at Muturajawela wetland marine sanctuary, famous for its mangroves, salt water crocodiles and avi fauna. You will take a boat ride through the vast Negombo lagoon. Extending over 6,000 acres and over 29,000, and rumored to provide home to over 40 species of migratory and 85 indigenous bird species. Mangrove forests that line the footpath are great places to observe birds as well as baby crocodiles and fiddler crabs. On completion of this visit, your TukTuk rider will take you back to the hotel.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
All hotels and places in Negombo, Colombo, Mount Lavinia or Waikkal
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Comfortable shoes are recommended
- Hotel pickup & drop off can also be arranged outside of Negombo depending on your location (additional charge may apply)
Reviews(18)
Starting the tour in the Dutch canal, we saw many exciting species of birds, kingfishers, raptors, parrots and woodpeckers. Lots of monitor lizards and after getting out into the lagoon, water birds aplenty and monkeys in the trees. Highly recommended for any birdwatchers or nature lovers!
Dear Valued Guest, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We’re thrilled to hear that you had an excellent birdwatching tour and enjoyed the rich biodiversity along the Dutch Canal and lagoon. Spotting such a wide range of bird species, from kingfishers and raptors to parrots and woodpeckers as well as monitor lizards and monkeys, truly makes for a memorable nature experience. Your recommendation means a great deal to us. We’re always happy to welcome fellow birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts, and we’re delighted that the tour met your expectations. We hope to have the pleasure of hosting you again on another wildlife adventure soon! Warm regards, Beyond Escapes Team
We really enjoyed this trip. We were collected, on time, from our Negombo hotel - a bit of a bumpy trip but direct and safe. The guide was good and we saw a lot of different birds, incl kingfishers, some monkeys, water monitors. Part way through we moored up and some packet snacks and drink were provided. Improvements? A pre- printed identification sheet would be useful, especially for children
Dear Valued Guest, Thank you for sharing your experience and for joining us on your recent wildlife tour. We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed the trip and appreciated the safe and timely pickup from your hotel in Negombo. It’s great to know you had the chance to see such a variety of wildlife , including kingfishers, monkeys, and water monitors and that our guide helped make the experience enjoyable. We also appreciate your suggestion regarding a pre-printed identification sheet. That’s a very helpful idea, especially for families with children, and we will certainly take it into consideration to enhance future tours. Thank you once again for choosing us. We hope to welcome you on another adventure soon! Warm regards, Beyond Escapes Team
I just had a quick stop in Negombo after flying in to Colombo. I was picked up on time by a lovely driver. This was a relaxing tour after a long day travelling. I only really wanted a boat trip and thought seeing some birds would be nice. We actually saw baby crocodiles and lots of monkeys too. Fab first day in Sri Lanka. The guide was very knowledgeable too.
Worth getting up early to catch the birds and in a very pleasant temperature May like to take something soft to sit on as the boat seats are very hard Very knowledgeable guide
Wonderful boat trip through some backwaters near Negombo. From the meeting place on the old canal we headed slowly up the canal, stopping frequently to take photos of the varied wildlife. We continued into the lagoon for a shoreline route viewing many types of birds. I am not an experienced birder but our guide was very knowledgeable and helpful explaining the many different species.
Dear Valued Guest, Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us. We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed your boat trip through the wetlands of Negombo and found it to be a wonderful way to spend a few hours immersed in nature. It’s great to know that the slow journey through the canal and along the lagoon allowed for plenty of wildlife viewing and photography. We’re also pleased that our guide's knowledge and helpful explanations enhanced your appreciation of the many bird species, even as a non-experienced birder. Your kind feedback is truly appreciated, and we’re so glad we could be a part of your time in Sri Lanka. We hope to welcome you again for more peaceful and enriching nature experiences in the future. Warm regards, Beyond Escapes Team.
Really enjoyed it. The Tuk-tuk driver arrived on time and was helpful. He told me about some of the sights we passed and on the way back stopped at a beach to see waves hitting some rocks. The guide for the boat tour was very informative and we saw many different birds, and also large water monitors and land monitors. The listing says "light refreshments" but those were not included for my trip.
Dear Valuable Guest, Thank you for sharing your feedback and for choosing us for your tour experience. We're very pleased to hear that you enjoyed the trip, found the tuk-tuk driver helpful and punctual, and appreciated the scenic stop at the beach. It’s also great to know that the boat tour provided a memorable opportunity to observe a variety of bird species and local wildlife. We sincerely apologize for the oversight regarding the light refreshments mentioned in the listing. Your comment has been noted, and we will review this with our team to ensure better clarity and consistency for future guests. We truly value your feedback and hope to welcome you again on another adventure soon. Warm regards, Beyond Escapes Team.
I can't recommend this enough - as an avid birdwatcher I was looking forward to seeing some Sri Lankan avifauna. Aruna was so knowledgeable, helpful, and also spoke fantastic English. You could tell he had such a passion for nature and deep knowledge that he wanted to share. I didn't bring binoculars with me but I didn't feel like I needed them given the birds I saw were mostly in flight and the mangroves were very dense. I was expecting to see 5 or so different species, but in the end I counted 27 (and water monitors and monkeys too). The wetlands are vast and the boat was absolutely necessary for getting around some of the quieter parts. Even for non-birdwatchers this could be a lovely calm break in peaceful surroundings!
Dear Valued Guest, Thank you very much for taking the time to share such a detailed and enthusiastic review of your birdwatching experience with us! We are thrilled to hear that the tour exceeded your expectations and that you were able to spot an impressive 27 bird species, along with other fascinating wildlife like water monitors and monkeys. It’s especially rewarding to know that Aruna’s passion, knowledge, and excellent communication made such a positive impact on your experience. We’ll be sure to share your kind words with him—he’ll be delighted to know his efforts were so appreciated. We're also glad the setting provided a peaceful and memorable escape, even beyond birdwatching. It’s feedback like yours that truly motivates our team to continue delivering exceptional nature-based experiences. Thank you once again for choosing us. We hope to welcome you back soon for more wildlife adventures in Sri Lanka! Warm regards, Beyond Escapes Team.
Prompt pick up from hotel. Early start is required to ensure best chance of seeing as many birds as possible. Also need to negotiate local traffic. Well informed guide and observant boat skipper made the trip all the better.
Thank you for the excellent rating and for recommending us! We're thrilled you enjoyed your tour with Beyond Escapes. Our aim is to provide a unique experience, and we're glad we exceeded your expectations. Our tour costs reflect the uniqueness of our offerings, the quality of our arrangements, and our commitment to community-based activities.
My guide, Nirmala, was fantastic, really knowledgeable and friendly. We saw 20 kinds of birds plus macau, water monitors and a baby crocodile in just two hours! It was also simply a nice way to spend a morning.
Please accept our sincere gratitude for your generous feedback. We are so happy to hear that you have had a wonderful time in Sri Lanka. We always want our clients to be happy and our guides to make you smile. Thanks for trusting us. All the Best !
We were picked up in time at our hotel with a Tuk-Tuk and enjoyed the ride trough authentic residential districts leaving the crowded tourist spots of Negombo behind. Once on the boat we were busy looking for birds, monkeys and water monitors. Thanks to our guide we discovered at least 15 different bird species. Bring a good camera to get some incredible pictures. If you're not keen of a demanding photo safari you can simply sit, relax and enjoy the boat ride trough the mangroves. Either way we felt like it's a great, highly recommendable trip you shouldn't miss while staying at Negombo.
Thank you for taking the time to share your recent experience with Beyond Escapes. We value your feedback and the most generous compliments on our service and we are so glad that we were able to provide you an exceptional service. And also, we are very happy that all our efforts have been successful in making your day tour memorable and enjoyable.
