The trip had a surprise turn everyday. We went to see blue whales but were treated to a whole host of underwater wildlife - brydes, killers, spinners, black tip reef sharks, turtles just to name a few.

The accommodation, hosting and food was fantastic. Aqua Firma also arranged our pre-trip safari to see the wonderful Sri Lankan land wildlife and all transportation in between.

A truly unforgettable, magical adventure.

Jennifer Dodd (UK)
 

One of the most exhilarating experiences of my life! This trip was everything you would hope for and more: there are no words that can describe the feeling of being in the water alongside a 27-metre Blue Whale. The experience you get just from the boat topside is in itself incredible but having the opportunity to appreciate their full scale beneath the surface was simply magical, it felt like I was in an episode of Blue Planet (incidentally, they film it here).  It was not only Blue Whales we had the luxury of interacting with but also huge pods, hundreds strong, of Spinner Dolphins, as well as Bryde's Whales and even Killer Whales. We were in the water many times each day and every encounter was unique in its own way. There was never a dull moment.

The boats are fairly small. only taking four guests along with a driver and naturalist. This adds to the intimacy of the interactions and also doesn't spook the whales. The set-up was extremely professional with the wellbeing of the animals always the main priority: our naturalist had over a decade's worth of experience. His knowledge was invaluable and his passion for his work made every day unforgettable.

The snorkelling at Pigeon Island was also fantastic and not to be overlooked, with lots of friendly turtles and plenty of black tip reef sharks.  The hotel is excellent, very well equipped and it backs onto a lovely stretch of beach, which was perfect for relaxing in the afternoons. 

It's a fairly active week and not for the faint-hearted. You have to be confident in the water and not afraid of a small bruise here and there, but I can assure you it is well worth it. I cannot recommend this trip highly enough - it's like nothing I have ever experienced before and I would love to go again in the future. 

Aqua-Firma also organised an extra week for me to explore the rest of Sri Lanka, which I would definitely recommend doing. It's a wonderful country, rich in culture, the food is fantastic and there is a vast amount of wildlife to encounter with the Leopards in Wilpattu National Park being a personal highlight for me.

Amelia Hampton, UK

Sri Lanka was AMAZING.

Susa was the best guide a family could want. He was friendly, knowledgeable, informative, attentive. Just brilliant

We spotted around 200 species of birds, multiple lizards, frogs, insects, plants, mongeese, other mammals, fish, crocodiles, you name it.

For bird watchers and natural history fans, Susa is a fabulous guide.

I Dunne (UK)

We had and amazing trip which ticked all the boxes  for all of us (2 adults and 4 children ranging from 8 - 14).  We were particularly impressed with the organisation and our brilliant guide!  Thanks so much  to Aqua Firma.

Anon, Haslemere

We had a fantastic time in Sri Lanka thanks to Jen and Ralph for setting up a busy but very enjoyable itinerary. The first 10 days were full of new experiences and every day we encountered something new. Our driver Carl was great fun and very knowlegable his enthusiasm for birds and his country was infectious.

We enjoyed Willpattu National Park greatly and the 12 hour safaris gave us time to sit and watch the vast range of animals at leisure, We managed to see Leopards, elephants, jackels, deer, lizards, owls, eagles, etc.

After being out in the countryside our arrival at the beach hotel was a bit of a wake up. We soon adapted to the great location and enjoyed our stay. Breakfast lunch and dinner on the beach watching some great surfing was great.

We enjoyed the whale watching trip and the call from the crew of "Turtle mating time" will be remembered for a long time. The turtles, blue whales, and dolphins all put on a great show.

Thanks once again, and we look forward to another trip with yourselves, possibly to Costa Rica in the future.

Trevor, UK