×
You will be met on arrival at the Bandaranaike International Airport by your personal chauffeur guide/ guide who will welcome you with garlands and direct you to your vehicle
Departure towards Chillaw
Visit the Munneswaram Hindu Temple en route
The Munneswaram Hindu Temple is one of only five sites in Sri Lanka dedicated to the Lord Shiva and is an important place of pilgrimage for Hindus. The temple complex also has a number of shrines dedicated to other Hindu deities as well as a Buddhist shrine. The original temple is believed to have been in existence since 1000 AD, however was destroyed by the invading Portuguese and was later rebuilt in the 19th and 20th centuries. There is a month long Hindu festival which takes place at Munneswaram between August and September when piglrims in their thousands make their offerings and chariots are paraded around the temple complexes and into Chillaw town.
Arrival & check in to the hotel-
Dinner & overnight stay at Anantaya Chillaw or similar
Picnic breakfast. Suggest to leave the hotel around 5.30 a.m.
Departure towards Wilpttu
Safari in Wilpattu National Park
Popularly dubbed as ‘the land of the lakes’, Wilpattu National Park is famous for watching wildlife within its picturesque villus and dry evergreen forests. It is Sri Lanka’s oldest and largest national park which re-opened in 2010 after being closed for nearly three decades due to the civil war. Wilpattu is one of the top spots in Sri Lanka for watching Leopard and Sloth Bear. Other larger animals seen regularly here include Elephant, Jackal, Mugger Crocodile, Sambar, Spotted Deer and Buffalo are among the larger animals regularly encountered.
Wilpattu is also an excellent birding location particularly in the winter months with over 200 recorded species including a variety of raptors such as Crested Serpent, Changeable Hawk and White-bellied Sea Eagles, Brown Fish Owl; the endemic Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill, Sri Lanka Junglefowl, Sri Lanka Woodshrike and a large number of water birds and waders by the water’s edge near the villus.
Continue to Anuradhapura and visit the archeological city
Anuradhapura is an ancient historical city comprising of religious places of worship and Buddhist shrines constructed by the past Kings of Sri Lanka and was the island’s capital between the 5th century BC and the 11th century AD. You will see some of the most famous as well as the tallest dagobas of Sri Lanka, remains from palaces, temples, monasteries, ceremonial baths and the temple of the holy Bo-tree. This tree was grown from a sapling of the very tree under which more than 2500 years ago the Buddha found enlightenment.
Arrival & check in to the hotel
Dinner & overnight stay at Rajarata Hotel (Deluxe room) or similar
https://www.rajaratahotel.lk/
Breakfast at the hotel
Visit Mihintale
The sacred rock Minintale is widely known as the birthplace of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. The sacred forest is where king Devanampiyatissa (307 BC-267 BC) when on a hunting expedition met Arahat Mahinda Thera (Son of the great Indian emperor Ashoka), and his companions and converted to Buddhism. Prior to that, the Lord Gautama Buddha had visited this rock on his third visit to the island, which was known as Missaka Pabbaththa.
Departure towards Trincomalee
Visit Trincomalee
Trincomalee on the island’s north-east is regarded as one of the world’s largest natural harbours and with a rich cultural heritage, its famous white sandy beaches and serene turquoise blue waters and is increasingly becoming a popular option for those seeking a beach stay on the east coast. ‘Trinco’ has been used by the island’s major port going as far back as the Polonnaruwa era around two thousand years ago having attracted the Danish, Dutch, Portugese, French and British and has even bombed by the Japanese in 1942 during the second world war.
Arrival and check in to the hotel
Dinner & overnight stay at Trinco Blu or similar
www.cinnamonhotels.com/en/trincoblubycinnamon/
The day at leisure at the hotel on HB
Trinco Blu (superior room) or similar
www.cinnamonhotels.com/en/trincoblubycinnamon/
The chauffeur and the vechicle available with a maximum of 80kms per day
Optional visits proposed
Breakfast at the hotel
Departure to Polonnaruwa and visit the archeological city
The ruined capital of Polonnaruwa is one of the undisputed highlights of the Cultural Triangle and is a UNESCO world heritage site. The heyday of the city in the twelfth century represented one of the high watermarks of early Sri Lankan civilization. Polonnaruwa extensive and well-preserved remains, offer a fascinating snapshot of medieval Sri Lanka, including some of the island’s finest monuments and it is compact enough to be thoroughly explored in 3 hours. The Gal Vihara, a collection of magnificent Buddha statues carved out of sheer rock is not to be missed and a prime example of the craftsmanship of that era
Safari in Minneriya National Park
The Gathering of Elephants’, which is ranked among the world’s top wildlife viewing spectacles runs from June – October each year. Each afternoon, around 150 – 200 individual elephants come out of the forest in to the open to graze on the fresh green pasture by the water’s edge at Minneriya and Kaudulla national parks. You have excellent opportunities here to observe the social dynamics of the Asian Elephant as the large bulls in musth compete among each other and seek the females within the herd, while young calves with carefree abandon get up to their mischievous antics often to the displeasure of its alert mothers within the herd. Water birds such as Painted Stork, Asian Openbill, Woolly-necked Stork along with raptors such as White-bellied Sea Eagles and Grey-headed Fishing Eagles are abundant around these large man-made lakes.
Arrival & check in to the hotel in Sigiriya
Dinner & overnight stay at Sigiriya Jungles or similar
https://www.sigiriyajungles.com/
Breakfast at the hotel
Departure to Sigiriya
Rising dramatically from the central plains, the enigmatic rocky outcrop of Sigiriya is perhaps Sri Lanka’s single most dramatic sight. Near-vertical walls soar to a flat-topped summit that contains the ruins of an ancient civilisation. Top of this rock contains ruins of an ancient palace complex, built during the reign of King Kasyapa (477AD – 495 AD) and surrounding rock is the Royal Garden. Ruins of various chambers, stairways and pools can be seen at the top of this rock. There is a stone stairway leading from the base to the top of the mountain. About half way to the top, there is a giant pair of lions paws which is in fact are the remains of a huge head of a lion whose open mouth served as the entrance to the royal palace. Surrounding the palace complex are the ruins of a garden complex consisting of two moats and various pools, some with water fountains still functioning after 1500 years.
Visit Pidurangala
Pidurangala is a massive rock formation located next to the iconic Sigiriya rock fortress. The area has been occupied for over two thousand five hundred years by Buddhist monks who took residence in the caves around the site. The rock came into prominence when King Kassapa (477- 495AD), built Sigiriya, and moved the monks living around the Sigiriya Rock to a newly refurbished and enlarged temple and monastery complete at Pidurangala. The climb to the rock is a pleasant one, where you are surrounded by lush forest, and can hear the beautiful songs of birds. The summit has a stunning view of the surrounding landscape and a great view of Sigiriya at eye level
Dinner & overnight stay at Sigiriya Jungles or similar
https://www.sigiriyajungles.com/
Breakfast at the hotel
Departure towards Kandy
Visit Dambulla Temple en route
Dambulla rock temple was built by king Walagambahu in the 1st century B.C. and is a UNESCO world heritage site. It is the most impressive of Sri Lanka’s many 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 carved out of granite rock and spanning 14 meters.
Make a stop at the spice garden at Matale. You will be able to assist to a Sri Lankan cookery demonstration as well.
Arrival in Kandy
Proceed on a Kandy city tour
Kandy is a UNESCO world heritage site. The historic city about 480m above sea level surrounded by mountains was known to Sri Lankan as Kanda Uda Rata, which means the hill country. Kandy was home to Sri Lanka’s last independent Kingdom, which survived two centuries of colonial incursion before finally falling to the British at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Visit the Temple of the tooth, the Peradeniya University campus and catch a panoramic view of the picturesque town from Upper Lake Drive.
Early evening, you will attend a Kandyan Dance performance and a spectacular fire walking finale.
Check in to the hotel
Dinner & overnight stay at Earl’s Regent or similar
https://www.aitkenspencehotels.com/regentkandy/
Breakfast at the hotel
Visit the Peradeniya Botanical Garden
The Royal Botanical Gardens is the largest of Sri Lanka’s botanical gardens with over 4,000 different species of plants and is regarded among the finest in Asia. The origins of the Botanical Gardens date to 1371 when King Wikramabahu III took to the throne and kept his court at Peradeniya near the Mahaweli, where the gardens were reserved exclusively for Kandyan Royalty. Some of the highlights when visiting these unique gardens would be the Orchid collection, walking through a stunning avenue of Royal Palm Trees as well as a giant Javan Fig Tree on the great lawn. Another key feature of the gardens is the large collection of medicinal plants and spices.
Visit Udawatta Kele
A wild retreat from the busy town of Kandy, the beautiful forest of Udawattekale is located behind the Temple of the Tooth has a long history which dates back to many centuries. This was a forbidden forest by the kings of old, and protected by law. The forest consists of giant trees, creepers, lichens, mosses, ferns and a variety of birds and other wildlife maybe seen during a guided nature walk through the walking trails within this forest. The Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot, Layard’s Parakeet, Sri Lanka Green Pigeon, Brown-capped Babbler, Yellow-fronted Barbet, Crimson-fronted Barbet, Sri Lanka Junglefowl and the Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill are among the endemic birds which may be seen during a walk through the forest. Other fauna encountered routinely include Troops of Toque Macaques, Palm Squirrels, Giant Wood Spiders and endemic Kangaroo Lizards.
Dinner & overnight stay at Earl’s Regent or similar
https://www.aitkenspencehotels.com/regentkandy/
Kandy- Nuwara Eliya 77kms 02h45mins approx.
Breakfast at the hotel
Departure to Nuwara Eliya
Visit a tea plantation and a tea factory en route
Arrival in Nuwara Eliya and proceed on a city tour
Nuwara Eliya meaning “the city of dawn” is the town at the highest elevation (about 2000m above sea level) in Sri Lanka and its tallest peak, Piduruthalagala (2555m) could be seen from here. The city, established by the British in the nineteenth century, and known as “Little England” and is a popular holiday resort for Sri Lankans & tourists due to its cool climate and quaint colonial feel with its little bungalows surrounded by hedgerows. Nuwara Eliya is also the heart of the tea country and you can visit a plantation and a factory en route here and witness how the famous “Ceylon Tea is brewed.
Arrival and check in to the hotel
Dinner & overnight stay at St.Andrews or similar
www.jetwinghotels.com/jetwingstandrews/
Picnic breakfast
Visit Horton Plaines-1/2 day trekking
Horton Plains National Park is a protected area in the central highlands of Sri Lanka and is covered by montage grassland and cloud forest. This plateau at an altitude of 2,100–2,300 metres (6,900–7,500 ft) is rich in biodiversity and many species found here are endemic to the region. This region was designated a national park in 1988. It is also a popular tourist destination and is situated 32 kilometres (20 mi) from Nuwara Eliya
Transfer to the railway station at Nanu Oya and embark on to the local train to Haputale
(seats could be confirmed only 30 days prior to the travelling date on the train. In the event seats are not available, you could always travel standing up if the option is convenient for you. Even though the seats could not be confirmed beforehand, sometimes your chauffeur guide/ guide might be able to clear seats for you from NanuOya station on the day of travelling itself. Also please note that sudden cancellations and delays could not be guaranteed)
Arrival and check in to the hotel
Dinner & overnight stay at Melheim Resort or similar
http://www.melheimresort.com/
Breakfast at the hotel
Yala jeep safari
Yala National park is Sri Lanka’s most visited wildlife reserve. Yala covers an area of 1260 square kilometres. The park’s dry-zone landscape is strikingly beautiful and the park’s wildlife has its own distinctive charm, with huddles of colorful painted storks perched on the incongruously conjoined sight of elephants marching sedately through the bush while rabbits scamper through the undergrowth. Leopards, sloth bears and elephants are the “big 3” here although crocodiles, jackals and the many variety of birds are also a huge draw to this park which is the largest national park in the country
Arrival & check in to the hotel
Dinner and overnight stay at Laya Safari or Similar.
http://www.layahotels.lk/layasafari.php
Breakfast at the hotel
Departure towarsds Colombo via Ratnapura
Ratnapura is referred to as the ‘City of Gems’ and a variety of precious stones including sapphires, rubies, cat’s eyes and garnets are excavated from the gem mines here. The gem mines which appear like wooden shacks are often found in the lush green countryside and around the paddyfields. Using hand tools such as chisels, shovels and hammers, the mining here is labour intense and done in the traditional manner. Visits to an operational gem mine can be arranged upon request. There are a number of gem museums where visitors can see the precious stones and there are exhibits providing additional information on gem mining. Ratnapura receives regular rainfall making the land very fertile and in addition to paddy, low country tea is grown and there are a number of rubber plantations in the area.
Arrival in Colombo and proceed on a city tour
Colombo is the largest city and former administrative capital of Sri Lanka and is a busy and vibrant city with a mixture of modern life and remnants of a bygone colonial era. Due to its large harbor and its strategic position along the East-West sea trade routes, Colombo was known to ancient traders 2,000 years ago. However it was only made the Capital of the island when Sri Lanka was ceded to the British Empire in 1815. The main city is home to a majority of the Sri Lanka’s corporate offices, restaurants and entertainment venues. On this tour you will visit many of the historical, religious and commercial sites of Colombo including the historic and bustling Fort and Pettah, the elite residential Cinnamon Gardens, the Galle face Green, Viharamahadevi Park and much more.
Arrival & check in to the hotel
Dinner & overnight stay at Ozo Colombo or similar
https://www.ozohotels.com/colombo-srilanka
Breakfast at the hotel
Transfer to the airport to connect with the departure flight- rooms have to be vacated by 12h00
