The Splendors of Ceylon

07 Nights / 08 Days

Day 01

Destination :

Airport–  Seeduwa

Overnight in :

Seeduwa

Activities & Highlights :

Welcome to Sri Lanka, an Island of Beauty and Natural Prosperity!

Arrival at Colombo International Airport and transfer to Seeduwa.
Approximately 15 minutes’ drive
Rest of the day at leisure.

Day 02

Destination :

Seeduwa – Sigiriya Rock Forest / Dambulla

Overnight in :

Dambulla

Activities & Highlights :

After breakfast, leave for Sigiriya. Approximately 3 ½ hours’ drive
On arrival enjoy a hike to Sigiriya Rock Fortress

Sigiriya – Home to the 5th century ‘Fortress in the Sky’ built by King “Kasyapa” which is perhaps the most fantastic single wonder of the Island. It is also known as Lion Rock because of the huge lion that used to stand at the entrance to the fortress. Within its triple-moated defense, the huge rock rises to a sheer height of almost 500 feet. On its summit are the foundations of what was once a great and sumptuous palace and gardens complete with swimming pool. On one of the stairways, the only known ancient work of Sinhala secular painting survives in the form of frescoes of life-sized damsels in
all the freshness and delicacy of their original colors.

Evening Arrive and check in at the hotel.

Day 03

Destination :

Dambulla

Overnight in :

Dambulla

Activities & Highlights :

After breakfast, Full day at leisure.

OPTIONAL – Day Excursion to the Ancient City of Polonnaruwa @ USD 30 Per person (Minimum of 2 Pax)

Approximately 1 ½ hours’ drive
Polonnaruwa – Once the site of Sri Lanka’s second medieval capital; Polonnaruwa enthralls its visitors with a timeless reflection of the country’s glorious history. The quaint landscapes studded with sites of archaeological importance are all well-preserved and lie on the east shore of the ancient man-made lake – Parakrama Samudraya (literal translation – sea of Parakrama). Peddling one’s way around the sites is the best way to observe and appreciate their antiquated glory as the sites are a little too overwhelming to explore just by foot. Those who aren’t particularly history fanatics can choose the option of visiting one of the several national wildlife parks located in close proximity to Polonnaruwa and enjoy observing the local wildlife in their natural habitats, undisturbed.

OPTIONAL – Jeep Safari to Minneriya National Park @ USD 40 Per person (Minimum of 2 Pax)


Approximately 30 minutes’ drive
Minneriya National Park – This National Park, 8,889 hectares in extent is famous for its large population of elephants in herds of 100 to 150 roaming in the jungle and seen in the catchment area of the Minneriya Lake. About 300 wild elephants, wild buffaloes, wild boar, spotted deer, sloth bear, sambar, leopards, crocodiles, jackals, 9 kinds of amphibians, 25 kinds of reptiles, 160 species of birds, 26 varieties of fish, 78 varieties of butterflies are recorded from the Minneriya National Park.

Day 04

Destination :

Dambulla – Kandy

Overnight in :

Kandy

Activities & Highlights :

Dambulla / Dambulla Temple / Spice Garden / Batik Factory / Kandy

After breakfast, visit Dambulla Cave Temples.
Approximately 15 Minutes’ drive.

Dambulla Cave Temples – Dambulla is famous for the five cave temples on a rock. The first three caves are better, older and larger than the other two. Some caves date back to the 1st century BC. All the five cave walls and ceilings are covered with Buddhist murals and there are more than 130 Buddha statues. Statues of gods and kings are also found here.

Thereafter leave for Kandy, visiting a spice garden and a Batik factory en-route.
Approximately 2 ½ hours’ drive.

Spice Gardens – see the luscious cinnamons, cardamoms, pepper plants etc. You can also purchase your
requirements of spices.

Afterwards visit a Batik factory where you can see the manufacture of beautiful Batik prints and also purchase a wide variety of Batik items. Thereafter, Visit Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in the afternoon.

Kandy – the hill capital; venue of the annual Esala Perahera (Local festival in Kandy); the last stronghold of the Sinhala kings, was finally ceded to the British in 1815. Surrounded by hills, the Mahaweli River and the virgin forest, it is the center of Buddhism, arts, crafts and culture in Sri Lanka. Kandy is an example of Buddhism’s influence in Sri Lanka today. Temples, shrines and monasteries keep Buddhist traditions alive. To Buddhists of Sri Lanka and the world, Kandy is one of the most sacred sites as it is the home of the ‘Dalada Maligawa’ – Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha. One would always return a second time to this beautiful city.

Witness a cultural show in the evening.

Day 05

Destination :

Kandy – Nuwara Eliya

Overnight in :

Kandy

Activities & Highlights :

Kandy / Tea Plantation & Factory / Nuwara Eliya/ Kandy

After breakfast, leave for Nuwara Eliya day excursion. (Approximately 2 ½ hours’ drive)

En Route visiting a tea plantation & factory en-route.

Tea Plantations – tea was first planted in Sri Lanka in 1824 at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya, when a few plants were brought from China. More were introduced from Assam in 1839. In 1867, a Scottish planter named James Taylor planted tea seedlings in 8 hectares of forestland in the Loolecondera Estate. In 1873, the tea export industry of Sri Lanka began with a modest 23 lbs. being shipped to London. Today more than 200,000 hectares in highlands and other areas are under tea and around 300 million kilograms (nearly 25% of world tea exports) are exported by Sri Lanka as the world’s second largest tea exporter. Tea grows only on rolling terrain and is classified by elevation into Low Grown, Medium Grown & High Grown.
Sightseeing in Nuwara Eliya.

Nuwara Eliya – the ‘Little England’ of Sri Lanka, is set against beautiful backdrops of mountains, valleys, waterfalls and tea plantations and is 6,200 feet above sea level. In 1826 some British Officers out on shooting, chanced on Nuwara Eliya plains, and Sir Edward Barnes investigated on it. In 1828 a road was constructed over the ridge at Ramboda Pass and a station for convalescent soldiers was established. It was Sir Samuel Baker who fell under the spell of Nuwara Eliya, brought hounds, horses, cattle, sheep etc. and started a typical English farm here. Flowers and vegetable were brought from England and planted. It is supposed to be one of the coldest places on the Island, but is really just like an England spring day although the temperature does drop at night.
Thereafter in the evening return to Kandy by train.
Train Ride – In Sri Lanka is considered one of the most scenic train rides in the world. The original train system in Sri Lanka was introduced in 1864 by the British Colonial government to transport tea from the hills to Colombo but nowadays, the train is an extremely affordable way to see the beautiful countryside of Sri Lanka.

Day 06

Destination :

Kandy – Beruwela

Overnight in :

Beruwela

Activities & Highlights :

After breakfast leave for Beruwela (Approximately 4 ½ hours’ drive)
Arrive and check in at the hotel.

Beach Stay in Beruwala – Another scenic, beach town – Beruwala is quite a short drive away from Colombo, located just 53 km from the capital. This small, beach town is ideal for a day trip where one can absorb the daily life of locals. The wide, alluring coastal line richly embedded with coconut groves are only part of its charm. The Beruwala fishing harbour is loaded with interesting sights in the wee hours of the morning as the fishing boats come ashore with the day’s catch. The stark white minarets of the Kachimalani Mosque located at the Northern edge of the town also make up for perfect snapshot views.
Rest of the day at leisure.

Day 07

Destination :

Beruwela

Overnight in :

Beruwela

Activities & Highlights :

After breakfast, Full day at leisure.

OPTIONAL – Excursion to Galle Fort & Turtle Hatchery @ USD 55 per person (Minimum of 2 Pax)

Turtles Hatchery – the Ahungalla turtle hatchery in the Southern province was one of the earliest attempts to safeguard local turtles from extinction. Managed by the Sri Lanka Wildlife Protection Society, the Ahangama hatchery offers a wildlife experience of a different sort. Its visitors are offered the opportunity to watch new-born turtles as well as some rare species of adult turtles including Olive Ridley, the Hawksbill, the Green Turtle, the Loggerhead and the Leatherback, swimming about the massive tanks as they beat their flippers against the water.
Galle – which is the south coast’s major city, whose oldest landmark is the massive 17th century Portuguese and Dutch Fort in which the central city is contained. Along the streets, you can see strong Dutch influences in the architecture, long with some old British residences and various mosques with Arabic touches. Galle the port of Galle, thought by some to be the Biblical city of Tar shish, splendidly illustrates the solidity of the Dutch presence in Sri Lanka. The 36-hectare (89 acre) Dutch Fort, built in 1663, has withstood the ravages of time.

In the evening proceed to the hotel & stay leisure.

Day 08

Destination :

Beruwela – Airport

Activities & Highlights :

After breakfast, leave for Bandaranayake International Airport for departure flight