Nature, Culture & Beach Tour
Itinerary for 13 Nights / 14 Days
- Day 1 – Airport / Negombo
- Welcome on arrival at the Airport and transfer to Hotel in Negombo..
Dinner and overnight stay at Hotel in Negombo.
- Day 2 –Negombo / Pinnawala / Sigiriya
- After breakfast start the tour heading to Sigiriya via Pinnawala.
- Your first destination is Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. This Elephant Orphanage was established in 1975 to nurse and house young elephants found abandoned and wounded. At present this has become a conservation and educational centre. Today some of these orphans have been fortunate enough to see their grand children born in the same location. You can enjoy seeing elephants playing and bathing in the nearby river which is really an eye-catching scene.
- You can enjoy the Sri Lankan Lunch at Pinnawala before proceed to Sigiriya.
- The best time is to climb Sigiriya Rock is around 3.00 in the afternoon
- Sigiriya is home to the 5th Century "Fortress in the Sky" which is perhaps the most fantastic single wonder of the Island. It is also known as Lion Rock because of the huge crouching lion image that is carved at the entrance to the fortress. King Kashyapa, built this impregnable fortress on a 650ft rock. Frescoes of life sized beautiful damsels in all the freshness and delicacy of their original color continues to mesmerize the visitor.
- Now it is the ideal time to enjoy a Village Tour when you can get the best photographs of Sigiriya rock with sun-set.
Dinner and overnight stay at Hotel in Sigiriya.
- Day 3 – Sigiriya / Polonnaruwa / Sigiriya
- In the morning drive through Minneriya Jungle to come to Polonnaruwa.
- You can spend more time in the holy city of Polonnaruwa to witness all the Buddist Monements, Statues and Temples.
- Enjoy the Sri Lankan traditional local lunch at Tidas Arana Restaurant - Polonnaruwa.
- On your way back experience the Elephant Riding at Habarana.
Dinner and overnight stay at Hotel in Sigiriya.
- Day 4 –Sigiriya / Minneriya / Dambulla / Kandy
- After early breakfast leave to visit National Park at Minneriya Just a ten-minute drive east of Habarana, Minneriya National Park offers something of a change of scenery for anyone suffering ruin fatigue. Its centrepiece is the large Minneriya Tank, created by the famous tank-builder and monk-baiter Mahasena, and despite its relatively small size, the park also boasts an unusually wide range of habitat types, from dry tropical forest to wetlands, grasslands and terrain previously used for slash-and-burn (chena) agriculture. Much of the area around the entrance is covered in superb dry-zone evergreen forest dotted with beautiful satinwood, palu (rosewood), halmilla and weera trees – though the thickness of the forest cover means that it’s relatively difficult to spot wildlife.
- The principal attraction here is elephants. Minneriya forms part of the elephant corridor that joins up with Kaudulla and Wasgomuwa national parks, and large numbers of the beasts can be found here at certain times of year during their migrations between the various parks – local guides should know where the greatest concentrations of elephants are at any given time. They are most numerous from July to October, peaking in August and September when water elsewhere dries up and as many as three hundred or more come to the tank’s ever-receding shores from as far away as Trincomalee to drink, bathe and feed on the fresh grass that grows up from the lake bed as the waters retreat – as well as to socialize and search for mates. This annual event has been popularly dubbed “The Gathering”, the largest meeting of Asian elephants anywhere in the world. At other times, you may spot only a few elephants, which in fact are often more easily seen from the main Habarana–Polonnaruwa road that runs along the park’s northern edge. Other mammals found in the park include sambar, spotted deer, macaque and purple-faced langur monkeys, sloth bears and around twenty leopards (although these last two are very rarely sighted), plus an enormous number of birds.
- After lunch you will leave for Dambulla to explore the magnificent complex of caves which is one of the most impressive Buddhist Temples in the world.
- Dambulla is a vast isolated rock mass 500ft high and a mile around the base. The famous Rock Temple is dating to the First Century BC. The caves of Dambulla sheltered the Sinhala King Walagamba during his 14 years of exile from Anuradhapura. When he regained the throne he built the most magnificent Rock Temples to be found on the Island. The ceiling is also covered with frescoes which depict great events in the life of the Buddha and landmarks in the history of the Sinhala people.
- On the way visit the Heritage Spice Garden and Ayurvedic Village at Matale
Dinner and overnight stay at Hotel in Kandy.
- Day 5 – Kandy / Peradeniya / Kandy
- After breakfast you can go for sight-seeing in Hill Capital through Queens Drive over the Kandy Lake. Next is to visit the Royal Botanical Garden of Peradeniya. The garden contains more than 4,000 varieties of tropical plants and this is one of the best and valuable collections in the world. This garden offers you very easy & comfortable bird watching, with over 40 species of birds around. Sri Lankan Hanging Parrot, Layard’s Parakeet and all types of Barbet can be seen here mostly.
- You are driven a city tour in the afternoon day visiting Gem Museum, Wood Carving and Silk Shop.
- Kandy - Sri Lanka’s last capital of Sinhala kings is Kandy and a world heritage site. The name ‘Kandy’ conjures visions of splendor and magnificence.
- In the evening around 5.00 p.m. you will visit the Arts & Crafts centre and thereafter witness the splendid Cultural Show. From there proceed to the ‘Dalada Maligawa’ – Temple of the Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha to view the traditional religious service which is known as “Pooja”. Later drive to enjoy cool breeze around the Lake built by the last King, Sri Wikrama Rajasinghe in 1798.
Dinner and overnight stay at Hotel in Kandy
- Day 6 – Kandy / Ramboda / Nuwara Eliya
- After breakfast leave for Nuwara Eliya via Ramboda. First stop is at famous Ramboda Water Fall.
- Then visit the Blue Field Tea Gardens. Arrangements are made to pay a visit to the Tea Plantation and the Tea Factory. Do not forget to taste a cup of finest tea in the world, produced in Sri Lanka and buy your tea requirement to be used back home and for gifts to your loved ones. Finally you arrive to Nuwara Eliya towards in the afternoon.
- Nuwara Eliya – This city is well-known as the heart of tea plantation and Mini-England. It is more than 1900 meters above sea level. This city is the most popular hill resort of all holidaymakers because of the salubrious mountain climate and scenery. Gregory Lake is also an interesting place you can visit today. On arrival to Nuwara Eliya you can have a visit to the MC Market to buy fresh Sri Lankan fruits and then enjoy an evening walk in Nuwara Eliya town..
- Hakgala Flower Garden, Victoria Park, Golf Ground, Post Office Building, Seetha Eliya Kovil and Galway Forest are some interesting places you can visit in and around Nuwara Eliya. We can organize a Mountain Bike Tour around the city to enjoy the sight seeing in Mini England.
- Hakgala - Flower Gardens at Hakgala were established in 1861 for the purpose of experimentation and promotion of Cinchona cultivation in Sri Lanka. The gardens lying in the hill country among Sri Lanka's tea plantations in the Nuwara Eliya district are located along the Badulla Road, 9.5 km south-east of Nuwara Eliya, the popular holiday resort.
Dinner and overnight stay at Hotel in Nuwara Eliya.
- Day 7 – Nuwara Eliya / World’s End / Nuwara Eliya
- Today you start your program very early to visit World’s End. The Safari Jeep will pick you up from the hotel and after the visit you will be dropped back at the hotel. Arrangements are made to give you take away breakfast packets from the hotel you stay. Rest of the day you can relax at the hotel.
Dinner and overnight stay at Hotel in Nuwara Eliya.
- Day 8 –Nuwara Eliya / Nanuoya / Ella
- You will be dropped at Nanuoya railway station and picked up at Ella railway station. I am sure you will enjoy the very nice train ride through a lot of tea estates and tunnels. In the afternoon you have time to visit Nine Arch Bridge.
Dinner and overnight stay at Hotel in Ella.
- Day 9 – Ella / Lipton Seat / Ella
- Mini Adam’s Peak, Ella Gap and Ella Rock are some of interesting places you can visit while you are at Ella.
- Ella - Firmly entwined with the love triangle, of Sita, Rama and Ravana of the Indian epic Ramayana. Ella is strewn with reminders of Sita’s impressments in Sri Lanka. Every Rock, stream or water fall is named after Sita or Ravana. Framed by the towering Ella Rock and the spectacle of the wondrous Ella Gap, Ella surpasses all other places in sheer, spectacular scenic beauty in Sri Lanka.
- Today your main program is to treck The Lipton Seat. You are dropped in certain point in the morning and you will be picked up in another point in the afternoon. It is advisable to get the help of a trecker guide for you to make use of a good treckenig through tea estates, paddy fields , jungles and villages.
Dinner and overnight stay at Hotel in Ella.
- Day 10 – Ella / Wellawaya / Udawalawe
- Your first item for the day is delightful Rawana Falls that you find six kilometers down the Wellawaya Road from Ella. Here the water falls in stages over a series of ledges down the steep rock face plunging into a pool at road level before continuing into the valley below. We are sure that you will be enchanted by the beauty of gushing Rawana Falls and the beautiful views around.
- After a while start the journey to go down the hills to reach Wellawaya town. On this journey within hours you will experience the climate changes which you may not find in other parts of the world. You also can see vast lands of paddy fields, tropical jungles and remote farming villages along this way.
- Your morning journey will end at the Udawalawe National Park. This is situated between Udawalawe reservoir and the Walawe river and is surrounded by the scenic beauty of the mountain range. This park is world known for its elephants seen in whole herds of them, adults and babies bathing and playing in the water or feeding. Deer species such as spotted deer, Sambar, barking deer and languor, water buffalo,Wild boar, monkeys, jackal and a variety of other species such as crocodiles and peacocks are some of the prominent wild animals found in this park. If you are lucky you will have opportunity of seeing bear and the leopard.
- On completion of wild life tour you will proceed to Hotel in Udawalawe for dinner and overnight stay.
- Day 11 – Udawalawe – Tangalle - Mirissa
- After breakfast start to go to Mirissa , one of the beautiful beaches in the southern coast of Sri Lanka. On this journey within a couple of hours you will experience the southern coastal expressway. You also can see Hot Water Springs and vast lands of coconut estates along this way. In the afternoon relax at Mirissa Beach.
- Dinner and overnight stay at hotel in Mirissa
- Day 12 - Mirissa – Sea Tour - Mirissa
- Early morning you will visit Whales & Dolphin watching by a boat with comfortable seats. Breakfast will be served at the boat while watching Whales & Dolphins.
- Afternoon relax at the beach.
- Dinner and overnight stay at hotel in Mirissa
- Day 13 – Mirissa / Galle / Colombo
- For the last night in your tour start journey to Colombo via Galle and Hikkaduwa
- First stop is at Galle City and its Old Portuguese / Dutch Fort.
- The port- town of Galle is Sri Lanka's fourth biggest town with 80,000 people. The history of Galle dates back to 1505 when a Portuguese fleet bound for Maldives was blown off and took shelter in the Galle Harbor. This arrival drastically changed the history of Sri Lanka. In 1598, the Portuguese built a small fort which was later extended. However, when the Dutch took over in 1640, they destroyed all traces of the Portuguese presence. In 1663, the Dutch built the 36-hectare Fort, which is now a World Heritage Site.
- Then you leave to visit the Oak-Ray Wood Carving at Galle & the Sea Turtle Sanctuary & Research Center at Kosgoda.
- On the way you may enjoy the delicious sea food lunch at Refresh Restaurant at Hikkaduwa.
- Dinner and overnight stay at hotel in Colombo
- Day 14 – Colombo – City Tour - Airport
- After breakfast you are driven in Colombo for City tour covering interesting places such as Old Parliament,Town Hall, Victoria Park, Independence Square, BMICH, Gangarama Temple, Bere Lakeand Galle Face Green.
- Before leaving the paradise of Sri Lanka do not forget to do your shopping covering Gems, Jewelry, Batik Cloths, Handicrafts, Tea, Spices and Souvenirs etc.
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Having spent a remarkable Tour and Holiday transfer to the airport for departure.
Thank you & Come again