Escursione notturna per vedere lo sfuggente e raro Loris a Sigiriya

We were greeted with a cool drink and 15 minute, thorough information session on the loris, held under cover. Clean, western toilets are available to use. After getting our red light head torches sorted, we set off on about a 1.5 km walk through forest, walking quietly in single file. This tour is at night, on uneven ground, through moderately dense foliage - you must wear covered in shoes and preferably long pants to avoid scratches from thorny bushes. The loris is very small and elusive, however, we were very fortunate to spot a single, slender grey loris high up in a tree! This was a magical experience that will be treasured! The location of this tour is several kms out of Sigiriya and you are driving there at night on a dangerous road (possible elephant encounters), therefore, be organised with how you get out there and have your return trip to Sigiraya pre booked.

I liked the preview presentation where they provided information about the Loris and their behavior, then we took a walk in the woods to see them and although they are high in the trees they can be appreciated very well. The staff is very friendly and always answer all questions related to the Loris and other animals you cross, something to highlight is the responsible use of red light to not disturb the animals.

it’s fun and learn something new at the same time. i really enjoyed it and would recommend people to join if they visit Sigiriya. But make sure you arrange transportation in advance as some tuk tuk drivers may not want to drive at night time.

Very educational with explanations before going to the forest. Forest guides make every effort to see them even if this is not always evident.

Interesting experience although unfortunately we spotted a Loris only briefly. Very kind owners of Rocko’s Cafe and the dinner was very good

Rocko café is remote so make sure you organise a tuk tuk to take you back to your hotel after the tour (at approximately 8:45-9pm), as there is absolutely no one around! I really think Viator should offer the same as Get Your Guide & provide included collection & drop off, especially for this tour in the middle of nowhere. One of the guides very kindly took us back as we had originally walked to Rocko’s for the 6:30pm start. I would definitely recommend having the included dinner beforehand & not afterwards as it’s very quiet at 9pm. The video presentation before the walk would have been more interesting & informative if the nature guide had spoken more clearly & not been yawning throughout! Also, the video itself had a thick line through the screen so a lot of information & photos were obscured from view. The local guides who take you on the actual walk tried their best to spot the very elusive loris but unfortunately we only got a very brief glimpse of two. It’s very dark, with just the red light head torch to see by, and there are lots of potential hazards to trip over so be careful! There were also several piles of rubbish on the ground with bottles, cans, plastic bottles etc 😩 which was sad to see! You definitely need mosquito repellent on!

We booked to stay for the night at Back of beyond and stayed in their tree house with the night tour to see the slender Loris in Pidurangala. Situated at the foot of Pidurangala rock with which we climbed in the afternoon before the night walk. The whole experience was fantastic and you can visit Rocko’s cafe next door for fresh fruit cocktails and health drinks as well as delicious food and even a fantastic massage. The night safari started with a naturalist talk about the Loris and their habitat followed by a couple of hours excursion to try and spot them. We had 3-4 sightings but they are extremely elusive but it was an enjoyable experience. The Back of beyond accomodation was excellent with open sided rooms to the forest and mosquito netted beds. The best Sri Lankan shower experience in the open forest style but private bathroom was a treat! The staff are extremely friendly and attentive and made us feel very welcome! The best tea, toast, and lovely breakfast. Thank you.

Good fun and interesting evening out in Sigiriya. Be aware though that the experience is quite far out of town and the walk back is dangerous. We and another couple all got stuck for about an hour as we didn’t have a driver to take us back, there were no tuk tuks and no signal nor wifi at rocko cafe which made it incredibly challenging to get back safely, and when we did eventually get a tuk tuk, they charged high prices as they knew we had no other way back.

Wandering throught the nightly jungle was amazing. After a small and interesting introduction ro the Loris we went out on a short hike through the jungle with two guides. We spottet 4 Loris that night - truly magical creatures and experience

We booked this separately from the island tour we were on and before we arrived in Sri Lanka. Communication was first class and we were collected from our hotel for a small charge. The ethos behind Back of Beyond, who run the night walks, is excellent, and they also educate school children from the area and train local guides. After a welcome drink at the lovely cafe, we received an excellent briefing before going on the walk, where we were delighted to spot 4 Slender Loris. While we were staying in the area we did another nocturnal Loris walk with a different provider and it wasn’t a patch on this one. Overall this was excellent value, top service and a very worthy cause, 100% recommended!