elephants Archives - GlenMyu Estate Luxury Bed and Breakfast

Animals in Asia

Animals that live at our visit GlenMyu Estate., Holiday, Horton Plains National Park, Things to do on holiday in Sri Lanka, Travel / By Mikeez

Animals in Asia

In November 2024, The UK’s This Morning programme started a series on the Animals of Asia.

In the first feature, Dr Scott looks for Elephants in Sri Lanka.

Watch the clip from This Morning to see his amazing experience of his search for animals in Asia.

Supporting Biodiversity at GlenMyu Estate, Sri Lanka

Since we moved to Sri Lanka some eight years ago one of our aims was to encourage wildlife to visit GlenMyu Estate.

We are continuing our work creating a habit and food forest to bring a wider biodiversity to the 5 acres of land.

By staying at GlenMyu Estate on part of your holiday, you will be helping to support our work.

Where can I see Elephants in Sri Lanka?

It’s possible to see elephants as you drive around the country.

Some of the roads on the island have been built close to elephant corridors. You will see warning signs on roads to drive carefully as you may come across elephants on or beside the road!

Animals in Asia - Safari Parks

There are lots of safari parks located around the island.

Here are a few picks from a much longer list of parks you can visit on your holiday in Sri Lanka.

Great for elephants:

Udawalawe National Park

Minneriya National Park

Kaudulla National Park

A wider variety of wildlife

Yala National Park

Wilpattu National Park

Wasgamuwa National Park

Bundala National Park

Flood Plains National Park

Maduru Oya Park Sri Lanka

Great for birds and birdwatchers

Thangamale Bird Sanctuary

Kumana National Park

Gal Oya National Park

Horton Plains National Park

Elephant Orphanages and Sanctuaries

There are lots of elephant orphanages located in Sri Lanka.

In this article by ‘Elephant Sanctuary Sri Lanka’ they cover the following orphanages and sanctuaries:

Udawalawa Elephants Transit Home

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage

Millennium Elephant Foundation (Private Project)

Elephant Freedom Project (Private Project)

Some of our guests at GlenMyu Estate have volunteered at Elephant Orphanages prior to staying with us in the Sri Lankan Hill country.

Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage

The most well known elephant orphanage is Pinnawela which is located 10 km north-west of Kegalle town and very close to Rambukkana town

Elephant Orphanages - the good and the bad

There are mixed reviews and feelings about visiting and supporting elephant orphanages.

Some people love the experience and think that the orphanages are a good idea. Others believe that the way the animals are treated and the conditions are far from good.

Here are video from ‘Poohs World’ and Trisha & Nikhil showing their experiences at Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage .

This Blog Post from Hand Luggage Only highlights the negative side of orphanages.

Animals in Asia - Not just Elephants!

Although seeing elephants in Sri Lanka is a great experience, there is lots of other wildlife to see throughout the island.

In most parts of the island there are National Parks and Safari Parks that all offer different experiences.

As you travel around the island you will see a wide variety of colourful birdlife.

Taking an organised tour or safari in one of the well know parks will ensure that you see more wildlife than you would on your own.

Lots of the safari guides are amazing a spotting animals in the jungle that I would missed.

Encouraging wildlife at GlenMyu Estate

GlenMyu Estate is a luxury bed and breakfast located in 5 acres of the beautiful Sri Lankan Hill country.

The once abandoned estate has and continues to be restored into a haven for wildlife. We have consciously planted species at the estate that will attract, feed and provide a home to a variety of wildlife.

Our ultimate aim is to create a food forest that will provide a food source for us, our guests and the wildlife that visit and live at the estate.

It is early days creating this haven and by spending part of your holiday at GlenMyu Estate, you help to support our ultimate goal.

Some animals and birds seen at GlenMyu Estate

I clearly need to replace my camera to get some beer photos!

However, these photos will provide you with an idea of what you mights see if you stay at GlenMyu Estate.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate, enjoy nature and explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country

Stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country and see animals in this part of Asia.

See sights like Horton Plains National Park is a unique experience.

We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.

The estate is usually within an hours drive of the major sightseeing locations such as Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Town, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Bambarakanda Waterfall and many more,

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.

Animals in Asia Read More »

ITV’s This Mornings’ Dr Scott explores the animals of Asia

Animals that live at our visit GlenMyu Estate., Birds, Birdwatching, Holiday, Things to do on holiday in Sri Lanka / By Mikeez

ITV This Mornings' Dr Scotts 'Animals of Asia'

In a brand new series on ITV’s This Morning programme Dr Scott Millar explores the ‘Animals of Asia’.

Dr Scott is embarking on a once-in-a-lifetime trip around the tropical island of Sri Lanka.

On the 5th of November 2024 Dr Scott was out on safari in Udawalawe National Park, Sri Lanka searching for the Asian elephant.

This Morning - a daytime magazine TV programme

ITV’s This Morning is a British daytime magazine programme that is broadcast on ITV live every weekday from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The programme covers a whole range of topics including news, celeb guests, expert advice, real-life stories and competitions, plus a mix of cookery, health and more.

Dr Scott visits Udawalawe National Park to see the Elephants there.

We can see the reservoir at Udawalawe which provides water for the animals in the park in the distance from our lounge at GlenMyu Estate.

He watches a Crested Hawk Eagle having a bath in the water close to his safari vehicle.

Dr Scott comments that he is in Sri Lanka as it has the highest density of elephants anywhere in the region.

Dr Scott describes himself as a “Broadcaster Author Welfare and Wildlife Warrior” on his Instagram profile.

He also has a Tok Tok channel called Rescue Vet which mainly show his work with animals in the UK.

Rescue Vet

The vet has his own YouTube Channel called Rescue Vet.

This channel shows fresh and new Dr Scott content. It takes a sneak peek inside a Veterinary practice in London.

Sri Lanka - the best place to see animals in their natural environment

According to Dr Scott, Sri Lanka is the nest place to see animals in their natural environment.

On ITV’s This Morning Programme he focussed on the Elephants

There however, is a human elephant conflict in Sri Lanka where the elephants habitat is reducing as more development is taking place.

Sri Lankan Elephants

According to the World Wildlife Fund ‘The Sri Lankan subspecies is the largest and also the darkest of the Asian elephants”

The herd size in Sri Lanka ranges from 12-20 individuals or more. It is led by the oldest female, or matriarch.

The Sri Lankan elephant population has fallen almost 65% since the turn of the 19th century.

Safari Parks in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has many safari parks around the island, all of which provide different experiences to see the animals in their environment.

The most well known is Yala National Park which is on the Southern Coast. Lots of our guests at GlenMyu Estate visit Yala prior or after their stay in the Central Hills of the country. Yala has a wide range of animals that you may see on your safari.

We can see Udawalawe Reservoir from the main lounge at GlenMyu Estate. This National Park is great if you want to see mainly Elephants.

There are many other National Parks around the country where our guests have provided positive feedback on their visits.

We have been to Minneriya and Kaudulla National Parks which were particularly good for seeing elephants and birds.

There are many other safari parks around the country which provides a variety of experiences and animals and birds to see.

If you are interested in birdwatching then there are some parks that are particularly good. Sinharaja, Kumana, Bundala, and Gal Oya are just a few of many options.

Building a habitat to encourage animals to thrive at GlenMyu Estate

From the outset building GlenMyu Estate, we were focused on bringing biodiversity back to the once dilapidated five acres of land.

The land was once part of a larger tea estate and then a sugar cane plantation. When the production of sugar cane became uneconomic, the land was abandoned.

When Ru bought the land, it was overgrown with mainly Guinea Grass, which was brought in to Sri Lanka as quick growing cattle fodder. It took over the land and did not allow any of the endemic species to thrive.

We have taken some years to take out much of this unwanted grass and aimed to create a food forest. The produce would be a source of food for ourselves, our guests and the animals that visit the estate.

The forest is still in its infancy, however, Ru loves to give our guests a garden tour to show what we are growing on the estate.

Leaving space for the flora and fauna

We also wanted to make sure that we did not overdevelop the land so that we could provide space for flora and fauna.

Commercially, it would have made sense for us to build lots of other guest accommodation around the estate. However, this would not leave sufficient space to create the habitat for the animals that visit or have their home on the estate.

What animal life will you see at GlenMyu Estate?

Nature does not guarantee anything however we regularly get one of two types of monkey visiting the estate.

Occasionally you may see a Barking Deer in the distance.

However, we can almost guarantee that you will see a variety of birdlife foraging at the estate every day.

Support our work by staying at GlenMyu Estate

By choosing GlenMyu Estate as part of your holiday in Sri Lanka you will be supporting the work that we are doing on the land to encourage wildlife to thrive here.

You will also have an amazing experience, as supported by the guest reviews that we have on various platforms.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate to explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country

See sights like Horton Plains National Park is a unique experience.

We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.

The estate is usually within an hours drive of the major sightseeing locations such as Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Town, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Bambarakanda Waterfall and many more.

ITV’s This Mornings’ Dr Scott explores the animals of Asia Read More »

Top 10 places to visit in 2024

Bambarakanda Waterfall, Sri Lanka., Birdwatching, Hiking in Sri Lanka, Holiday, Horton Plains National Park, Little Adam's Peak, Things to do on holiday in Sri Lanka, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Koslanda / By Mikeez

Ryan Shirley, includes Sri Lanka in his Top 10 places to visit in 2024.

US YouTuber and seasoned traveller, Ryan Shirley, recommends Sri Lanka amongst his Top 10 Places to Visit in 2024.

He says that it is one of the places he most wants to visit this year.

Who is Ryan Shirley?

According to his YouTube Bio, Ryan “Started making magic and science videos, now 8 years later I’m moving towards travel cinematography”.

He has an amazing 735k subscribers and 178 videos as at June 2024.

Sri Lanka is a lush island country

Ryan says that Sri Lanka is a “lush island country” located off the southern tip of India.

The island is small in size but it packs a large punch with the variety of experiences that you can have whilst on holiday.

An incredible coastline

Sri Lanka has an incredible coastline.

The variation of the beaches as you travel around the island is amazing.

Whether surfing, scuba diving, sailing, swimming, seeing turtles or just getting a tan, it offers everything you would want.

Top 10 places to visit in 2024 -Going on Safari in Sri Lanka

There are lots of opportunities to enjoy seeing animals on safari when on holiday in Sri Lanka.

Many of our guests at GlenMyu Estate, either visit Yala or Undawalawe National Parks to see the wildlife before or after staying with us.

Some guests have been on safari near to the Lion Rock at Minneriya or Kaudulla National Parks.

There are other safaris that you can take around the country also such as Wilpattu or birdwatching in Kumana National Park, Bundala national Park or Sinharaja Rain Forest amongst others.

Visiting the Lion Rock

One place that is a reasons for Sri Lanka being on Ryan’s top 10 places to visit in 2024 is the Lion Rock.

Sigiriya, the Lion Rock has an incredible story and is an amazing place to visit.

The rock is one of the images that you will see on most of the tourist guides.

Climbing the rock early in the morning and reading about the history of the Kings 5th century palace makes this a unique place to visit.

Train journeys and a beautiful bridge

One of the incredible experiences is a train journey through the beautiful Sri Lankan countryside.

Many of our guests at GlenMyu Estate take the train from Kandy to Haputale.

They do a day trip to Ella and visit Nine Arch Bridge along with other sights including Little Adams Peak, Ravanna Waterfall and much more.

Ryan says that Sri Lanka is an underrated country. That must be a reason to visit the island and make up your own mind. It is why it is on his list of top 10 places to visit in 2024

Watch Ryan Shirley’s travel guide to see what he says about Sri Lanka for yourself.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate to explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country

See sights like Horton Plains National Park is a unique experience.

We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.

Top 10 places to visit in 2024 Read More »