Sri Lanka Explore Sri Lanka

On arrival meet the guest at airport and leave for Colombo.

Afternoon city tour in Colombo. Sights of this colorful city are as diverse as its people. The architecture is a mix of modernity, its colonial past & multi-religious monuments. You will see High tech buildings, old Dutch Churches, Hotels built during the British Raj, Buddhist Temples with traditional mural art & statues, ornate Hindu Temples and Mosques. As you travel through Fort - the commercial area, the noisy chaos of the busy bazaar area of Pettah onto the elite residential area of Cinnamon Gardens, you will also notice the diversity of its people in race, community and religious belief.

Dinner and overnight accommodation at hotel.

After breakfast proceed to Dambulla.

En route visit the Golden Cave Temples At Dambulla, which was built by king Walagamba in the 1st century B.C. and it is a
World Heritage Site. It is the most impressive of Sri Lanka's cave temples. The complex of five caves with over 2000 sq. meters of painted walls and ceilings is the largest area of paintings found in the world. It contains over 150 images of the Buddha of which the largest is the colossal figure of the Buddha carved out of rock spanning 14 meters.

Optional: Jeep safari in NP Minneriya.

Minneriya National Park is in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka , about a ten minute drive east from Habarana. Dominated by the manmade Minneriya tank, this relatively small park has a huge range of wildlife living in its many habitats, including spotted deer, sambar, purple-faced langur monkeys and macaques, but it is most famous for elephant. During the dry months, from July to October, the tank is on the ‘migration’ route for these huge beasts from many of the surrounding areas as they search for water and fresh grass, all of which has dried up elsewhere. They gather in numbers of up to 300 at this time, beginning the largest meeting of Asian elephants in the world.

Dinner and overnight accommodation at hotel.

Guests leave in the morning with after breakfast for Hiriwaduna for a trek through this archetypal Sri Lankan village.

The trek begins with a scenic walk along a bund of a Wewa (man-made reservoir). The amazing birdlife, butterflies and possible sightings of crocodile only add to the charm of the trek. Sight the villagers as they go about their early morning tasks of fishing or washing clothes at the periphery of the lake. Initially one wades through a shallow stream and thereafter crosses a wider tributary in a catamaran of an obliging farmer to inspect Chena cultivation.

Optional - Afternoon Elephant back ride through the Jungle of Habarana – A very popular excursion for visitors to this area is elephant back rides through the very pretty landscapes of Habarana where the forest is interspersed with villages and lakes.

In the afternoon, set on a guided sightseeing tour of Polonnaruwa

The Medieval Kingdom from the 11th to the 13th century. Ethnic harmony prevailed between the Sinhalese and the Tamils during this period. Buddhist and Hindu Temples located in the same complex and many other ruins symbolizes this fact. The Palaces, Huge granite sculptures and the massive tanks and complex irrigation systems built by the Great Kings conveys the extent of development that existed in this middle history period.
Thereaft er visit Woodca rving Factory and show room.

Dinner and overnight accommodation at hotel.

Early Morning Climb the 5th century Sigiriya rock fortress

which is a world heritage site, built by King Kashyapa (477-495 AD). The 'Lion Rock' is a citadel of unusual beauty rising 200 meters from the scrub jungle. The rock was the innermost stronghold of the 70 hectare fortified town. A moat, rampart, and extensive gardens including the renowned water gardens ring the base of the rock. Visit the world-renowned frescoes of the 'Heavenly Maidens' of Sigiriya, which are in a
sheltered pocket of the rock approache d by a spiral stairway. These frescoes are painted in earth pigments on plaster.

Proceed to Kandy en-route visit Batik Factory. Enlighten your-self with the different varieties of spices used in Sri Lankan cuisines, how the famous spices of Sri Lanka are grown and processed

Thereafter visiting a Spice Garden in Matale. Enlighten your-self with the different varieties of spices used in Sri Lankan cuisines, how the famous spices of Sri Lanka are grown and processed.

Optional: Relax and enjoy a 20 minutes Ayurvedic Massage.

In the evening witness a Typical Kandian cultural performance.

Dinner and overnight accommodation at hotel.

After breakfast, visit sacred Temple of the Tooth.

The famous Dalada Maligawa or the Temple of the sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy is the most venerated place of worship for Buddhists throughout the world. Built in the 16th century, this temple houses the sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha brought to Sri Lanka from the Kalinga province in ancient India in the 4th century AD. Several buildings have been added to the temple complex by successive rulers, the latest being the Golden Canopy over the inner shrine where the Tooth Relic is placed.

Thereafter visit Gem Museum and Traditional cloth shop.

Afternoon visit the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens,known to be the most beautiful garden in South Asia and is a lovely place to spend a few hours. These gorgeous gardens were first planted and laid out for King Kirthi Sri Rajasingha (1747 – 1780) and cover some 60 ha (150 acres) of trees, lawns and flowering shrubs, including a 20 ha (50 acre) arboretum of more than 10,000 trees. Under British rule, the royal park became a botanical garden in 1821 and is the largest of Sri Lanka’s three main botanical gardens. Here exotic crops such as coffee, tea, nutmeg, rubber and cinchona (quinine) – all of which later became important to Sri Lanka’s economy.

Dinner and overnight accommodation at hotel.

After breakfast proceed to Hill Country.

Optional – Train Ride From Peradeniya Station to Nanu Oya Station – in addition to the breathtaking sceneries it is truly an unforgettable experience.

The change in temperature will certainly take you by surprise. The road to Hill country snakes through the tea plantations. If you are in the mood you can stop on the way to mingle with the locals, to participate in tea plucking or just to enjoy the beautiful sights.

Dinner and overnight accommodation at hotel.

Optional : NP Horton Plains

Spread over 3160 hectares these quiet and mysterious wet zone plains in the south central hills are a paradise for Treks. Forming a plateau within some of the highest mountain peaks in Sri Lanka, the south part of the plains comes to an abrupt end, dropping over 700 meters straight down. This spectacular place is called the "World's End". Leopard, Herds of Sambar & Bear Monkey live in the plains. A variety of birds can also be seen here. Grassland dominates the plains with pockets of forest cover with unusual vegetation spread out in areas. Horton Plains is a place of a very special desolate type of beauty.

Thereafter set on a sightseeing tour, visit to a Tea Plantation and Tea factory. Find out how tea leaves end up in a steamy hot cup. Don’t forget to grab a few fresh tea packets on your way out.

Transfer to Yala.

Dinner and overnight accommodation at hotel.

After breakfast, Jeep safari at Yala National Park.

The largest national park in Sri Lanka formed by a completely diverse landscape ranging from the ocean to jungles, scrubland, freshwater rivers and lakes, which support a large variety of wildlife.

Over 30 species of mammals are known to be found here, including threatened species such as the sloth bear, leopard, elephant and water buffalo. You’ll probably have the best chance of sighting a leopard here than anywhere else on the island.

Thereafter proceed to Colombo.

En-route visit Dutch fort in Galle and Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery.
The Galle Fort is city with the perfect blend of past and present, the native and the colonial. Galle is located at the extreme southwest corner of the island where the shoreline turns east towards Matara and Tangalle. Galle Fort was first built by the Portuguese in the 16th century and then modified by the Dutch during the 17th century. During this time the fort became Sri Lanka’s main port and centre of trade and commerce among the Persians, Arabians, Greeks, Romans, Malays and Indians. The Galle Fort is one of the best preserved examples of 17th century colonial fortifications in the world and is on the UNESCO list of world monuments.

In fact today, much of what visitors see of the Galle Fort is a reflection of the way Galle Fort was during the time of the Dutch. When the British took over Galle for the Dutch in the 18th century they did little to alter or eradicate any of the Dutch structures or influences.

Dinner and overnight accommodation at hotel.

Departure