Day 1 - Air-Port / Colombo
Arrival, welcome & assistance at the airport. Leave for Negombo
Your itinerary begins with an exciting tour on bicycles through the lush countryside. This provides an opportunity to enjoy the natural environment and view historical sites including many local Catholic churches and Buddhist temples. You will be accompanied by a member of the hotel staff and will have an opportunity to interact with the local community in the villages. A route map with the descriptions of the sites will be provided to participants.
Dinner and overnight hotel accommodation in Negombo
Day 2 - Negombo / Pinnawela / Sigiriya / Dambulla
Day 2 - Negombo / Pinnawela / Sigiriya / Dambulla
Travel to Kegalle after breakfast to discover the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage. Where an orphanage was started in 1975 to house the abandoned and the wounded elephants. The number of elephants has increased to more than 65 now; including Baby Elephants brought from various parts, as well as some of the more then 25 babies born, as a result of the captive breeding programme. The best time to visit is the feeding time from 0930-1000 hrs and 1330-1400 hrs and the bathing time from 1000-1030 hrs and 1400-1430 hrs when all the elephants are taken to the river close by.
Afterwards proceed to Sigiriya to discover the Sigiriya Rock Fortress. Sigiriya Rock Fortress is another fascinating World Heritage site dating back to the 5th century which was once a stronghold for a king who sought refuge. It remains on a 200 meter high rock with magnificent views of the surrounding jungle.
Later proceed to a relaxing inland hotel at Dambulla. Dinner & overnight in Dambulla.
Day 4 - Dambulla / Sigiriya / Hot Air Ballooning trip / Habarana / Polonnaruwa / Sigiriya
Day 4 - Dambulla / Sigiriya / Hot Air Ballooning trip / Habarana / Polonnaruwa / Sigiriya
Have your breakfast leisurely and then leave for Sigiriya (24 km, approximately 30 minutes drive) and climb the Rock Fortress a UNESCO World Heritage site built by King Kassapa in the 05thcentury A.D. which was a Royal Citadel for more than 18 years. The lion rock is a citadel of unusual beauty, rising 200 meters from the scrub jungle. The base of the rock is ringed by a moat and rampart and extensive gardens including the renowned water gardens. The majestic Lion’s Paw picturesquely guards the stairway of the palace on the summit. See the famous frescoes of the “Heavenly maidens” of Sigiriya in a sheltered pocket of the rock and the 10 foot high Mirror Wall.
Take up an Optional Hot Air Ballooning trip in Sri Lanka is an once in a lifetime experience never to be forgotten!. Experience the magical waking moments of the day with a sunrise flight while gently floating with the wind over Sri Lanka’s fascinating cultural heritage.
On completion, proceed to Habarana (25km – approximate travel time 30 minutes) for an elephant ride. The feeling of stepping back in time, a time when kings rode on the backs of these magnificent mammals and the chance for you dear visitors to do the same is what we at the other corner. The tour will take you along the forest trail, across the river and through the village all on the elephant back ride
Late Afternoon visit the Polonnaruwa, a UNESCO World Heritage site (58 km – approximate travel time 1 ½ hours). It was the Capital of Sri Lanka from the 11th to 13th century, a well-planned medieval city defended by enclosing walls (around 5 km. which still remain), graced by palaces, shrines, monasteries, pavilions, parks, ponds and irrigation lakes. Polonnaruwa is strewn with ruins in a resplendent state of preservation. Of these the ‘Vatadage’ and the ‘Thuparama Image house’ are the most spectacular. The ‘Gal Vihara’ which consists of statues of the recumbent, standing and seated Buddha have been cut from a single granite wall and rank among the true masterpieces of Sri Lankan Art
After visit return to Hotel
Optional: Nature Elephant ride in Habarana
Dinner & Overnight Stay in Sigiriya
Day 5 - Sigiriya / Dambulla / Matale / Kandy
Travel to Dambulla after breakfast to discover the Dambulla Cave Temple. This has been built by king Walagambahu in the 1st century B.C; it is a World Heritage Site. Also, 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 and spanning 14 meters.
Afterwards visit Kandy to discover the Royal City of Kandy Tour. Kandy is Sri Lanka’s last royal kingdom and is a World Heritage site. The tour will take you to the Temple of the Tooth Relic, a magnificent golden roofed temple, Kandy Museum, Kandy Dance show, Botanical Gardens, Market Place and gem & jewellery shops.
Matale…. visit a spice garden in Matale to see different Spices for which Sri Lanka is famous. Here, clients could see different spices and how some of these spices are grown and processed. Witness a Cookery demonstration
Later, discover the Kandy Evening Cultural Dance Show. In the late evening be escorted to a performance of the energetic traditional Kandyan Cultural Dance show, accompanied by tumultuous drumming and climaxes with the amazing fire-walking show.
Later proceed to a relaxing inland hotel at Kandy.
Day 6 - Kandy / Nuwara Eliya
Day 6 - Kandy / Nuwara Eliya
After breakfast leave for Nuwara Eliya; hill-country retreat much loved by Britain’s early day settlers and tea planters, who enjoyed its rolling hills and conifer forests and cool climate.
Nuwara Eliya - The ‘Little England’ of Sri Lanka, is set against beautiful backdrops of Mountains, Valleys, Waterfalls and Tea Plantations. It is supposed to be one of the coolest places in the Island, but it is really just like an English spring day, although the temperature does drop at night. All around Nuwara Eliya you will see evidence of the British influence, houses like country cottages or Queen Ann style mansions.
En-route visit a Sri Lankan tea plantation and a working tea factory and also experience a self-tea plucking session.
Relax in the cool mountain climate.
Dinner and overnight hotel accommodation in Nuwara Eliya
Day 7 - Nuwara Eliya / Hortain Plains / Nuwara Eliya
We rise very early to travel to Hortain Plains.Horton Plains located on a high windswept saddle at 2134 meters elevation, these plains are hard to reach. Many visitors come to see “World’s End” situated on the plains. High up in the central hills of the island lies a series of vast open plains and jungle covered cliffs of awesome height & ice cold, crystal clear streams, pools and waterfalls.
And named as Horton Plaines as a respect to the then British Governor of Sri Lanka Sir Horton and it is the only place where you could see the bear monkey. This is one of world’s best nature tracks. And certain plant species, birds and insects you see them only at Horton Plaines. Nature lovers will enjoy this wide, patna-grass-covered plain, the haunt of several wild yet harmless animals and the home of many species of birds.
Wildlife – The plains are home to a large population of sambar, purple-faced langurs, wild boar and a small number of leopard. Also found here are several of Sri Lanka’s endemic bird species including the yellow eared bulbul, the Ceylon hill white eye, the Ceylon whistling thrush and the Ceylon blue magpie.
New Zealand Farm is also situated at the way of Horton plains. New Zealand farm has purebred Friesian cows, with both farms maintaining a pure line of cattle, rabbits, pigs, hens, cocks and gouts and many more animals and lot of products are manufactured such as cheese , butter and many milk products and it is radily available to buy at the outlet inside. This farm is a very picturesque area surrounded with beautiful range of mountains.
Dinner and overnight hotel accommodation in Nuwara Eliya
Day 8 - Nuwara Eliya / Kitulgala
After breakfast leave for Kitulgala a riverside town surrounded by lush jungle that has two claims to fame: being the location for the Oscar-winning epic Bridge on the River Kwai and the main white-water rafting centre in Sri Lanka. When you eventually arrive in Kitulgala you will check into the Plantation Hotel.
Enjoy a high adrenaline pumping “White Water Rafting” in Kelani River, one of the longest rivers in Sri Lankan, which is a graded 2-3 rapid. You could experience the fascinating view of the surrounding forest while rafting and when you are in the calm waters you could let yourself float while enjoying the scenic beauty. End the rafting and have a river bath.
Dinner and overnight hotel accommodation in Kitulgala
Day 9 - Kitulgala / Ratnapura
After breakfast leave to Ratnapura.Enjoy an exciting day trip to the heart of the Sri Lankan interior and see the “City of Gems” Ratnapura, which has a reputation for producing some of the world’s finest gems. Visit the gem museum where you could see a scaled down model of a typical gem pit, showing the different strata of rocks. They will also demonstrate the equipment for the various stages of polishing and cutting of a gem. You will see the transformation of a small stone plucked out of earth, to the sparkling status symbol on your finger.
Because of the huge demand for gem jewellery and gemstones there are many crooked salesman who are looking to cheat tourists. So it is always advisable to buy from a reputed place, although the cost is a bit higher than roadside shops. There are lots of shops and lapidaries in Ratnapura so you can shop around for the one that best suits you. The State Gem Corporation in Colombo will examine free of charge gems purchased elsewhere, but if they prove to be fakes the Corporation can do nothing to help you get your money back. Sri Lanka mines sapphires, rubies, garnets, aquamarines, zircons and alexandrite, but has no diamonds or emeralds.
Dinner and overnight hotel accommodation in Ratnapura.
Day 10 - Ratnapura / Singharaja
Day 10 - Ratnapura / Singharaja
After breakfast, enjoy a whole day trekking and bird trail in the Singharaja rain forest,
Singharaja Rain Forest; Sinharaja is a great location for general wildlife enthusiasts and a must for bird watchers. Sinharaga, which translates as ‘Lion King’, covers an area of nearly 19,000 hectares close to the gem-mining town of Ratnapura, and consists of natural rain forest as well as introduced species, such as teak and mahogany.
Birds – This forest is considered to be one of the best birding sites in Sri Lanka with 22 out of Sri Lanka’s 26 endemic birds having been sighted here, and large mixed flocks providing an unusual spectacle. Even the less experienced birder would hope to see 10-15 endemics during their stay, highlights include the red-faced malkoha, Green-billed Coucal and Sri Lanka Blue Magpie. Reptiles include the endemic Green pit viper and Hump-nosed vipers, and there are a large variety of amphibians, especially tree frogs. Invertebrates include the endemic Common Birdwing butterfly and the inevitable leeches.
Dinner and overnight hotel accommodation in Singharaja
Day 11 - Singharaja / Yala
After breakfast move on to the deep- south and take a jeep safari for touring at Yala Yala National Park
Yala West National Park is located to the southeast of the island and is well recognised as one of the best parks in the world to observe and photograph leopards. The park covers an area of over 100,000 hectares and its main physical features are sand dunes, lagoons, dry river/stream beds, rocky outdrops and scrub/thorn forest. There is also a substantial elephant population along with spotted deer, sambar, wild buffalo, sloth bear, jackal, mongoose, pangolins and crocodiles. The bird life comprises over 120 species, and ranges from lesser flamingos to paradise flycatchers, crested hawk eagles, and black bitterns.
Dinner and overnight hotel accommodation in Yala.
Day 12 - Yala / Bentota
Day 12 - Yala / Bentota
Beach Stay with many choices of spending your time. Leisurely strolling on the Golden Beaches enthralled in the magical atmosphere. Lazing on a Sun deck reading a book of you choice, and sipping a cool fresh tropical fruit drink of pine apple, Mango, Banana.
Water skiing, Wind Surfing, Snorkeling or cutting through the choppy on a jet water scooter and Dolphin and Whale watching, Diving, Glass Bottom Boat Trip and much more….
Dinner & Overnight stay in Bentota
Day 13 - Bentota / Colombo City Tour
Day 13 - Bentota / Colombo City Tour
After breakfast you will check out from the hotel and drive to Colombo. Check in the hotel and you will have a City tour in Colombo.
Colombo-the capital of Sri Lanka-is the largest city and main port of Sri Lanka. It is also the commercial and financial center of Sri Lanka. A bustling metropolis, the city is an attractive blend of old and new. It has the lazy charm of the bygone era combined with the verve and vivaciousness of a modern city. Dinner & Overnight stay in Colombo.
Day 14 - Colombo / Air-Port
Day 14 - Colombo / Air-Port
Transfer to the airport on time for the flight
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