Negombo kalkışlı Muthurajawela Marsh varışlı Birdwatching: Colombo

Board a flat-bottomed boat at the Muthurajawela boatyard at 7 am, when the marsh is at its most active and the rarer species are easiest to spot. Your dedicated bird guide scans the reeds and open water as you glide quietly through one of Sri Lanka's most biodiverse wetlands — a 6,230-hectare sanctuary that shelters more than 100 bird species alongside 200 wildlife species and 190 plant species. A bottle of water and breakfast are included, and this is a private tour, so the pace and focus are entirely yours. Muthurajawela's story adds depth to every sighting: once prime rice-growing land, the area was gradually reclaimed by nature after saltwater seeped in via the Dutch Canal, and it was declared a priority wetland in 1996. The three-hour boat ride covers the Negombo Lagoon waterways that wind through this former farmland. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included, so make your own way to the boatyard. Minimum age for participants is seven years.