17 Nights & 18 Days Tour
Warmly welcome at the airport and transfer to Colombo.
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city and commercial capital of Sri Lanka. It is located
on the west coast of the island and adjacent
to Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. Colombo is a busy and vibrant city with a mixture
of modern life, colonial buildings and
ruins. Due to its large harbor and strategic position along the East West
sea-trade routes. Colombo was known to ancient
traders 2000 years ago. In 1978 administrative functions were moved to Sri
Jayawardanapura and Colombo was designated
as the commercial capital of Sri Lanka. The population of the Colombo District
is 2.25 Million.
Colombo City Tour (Depending on the arrival flight details)
Overnight stay at Colombo
Have a breakfast at the hotel and early morning proceed to Habarana Via
Pinnawala En-route visit Pinnawala Elephant
Orphanage.
Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage
The Orphanage was established to feed, nurse and house young elephants abandoned
by their mothers and displaced
from their natural environment due to development projects. Most orphans cannot
be introduced back to the wild as
other elephant family groups will not accept them. They enjoy a good life with
their human parents and many find good
foster homes in zoos around the world.If you could reach the Orphanage by 09:15
hrs or 13:15 hrs you will be in time to
see the baby elephants being bottle-fed. At 10:00 hrs the entire herd is taken
to the river for a bath.After the Pinnawala
elephant Ophange visit continuous the trip to Habarana
Habarana
Habarana- the central point of Sri Lanka's Cultural Triangle and the most
convenient base for excursions to the Ancient
historical cities, Anuradhapura 60 minutes, Polonnaruwa 45 minutes,
Sigiriya/Dambulla 30 minutes, Ritigala 15 minutes
and Minneriya/Kaudulla National Parks (site of the renowned ''Gathering'' of
over 250 Elephant between June to
September) 15 minutes.
Evening Jeep Safari at Kaudulla or Minneriya National Park.
Kaudula National Park
Kaudulla National Park is around the ancient Kaudulla tank and provides a 6656
hectare elephant corridor, only 6 km
from the main Habarana-Trincomalee road. Herds of Elephants up to 250 could be
seen mainly in the month of October.
Minneriya National Park
Minneriya National Park is located at the center of the Cultural Triangle. The
dry season from June to September is best
time to visit the 8890 hectare park when the ancient tank dries out. During this
time it is possible to see herds of up to
150 elephants feeding and bathing. Minneriya closest by car to the ancient city
of Polonnaruwa, was upgraded from a
Natural Reserve to a National Park because of the increased number of tourists
arriving to see the elephants.
Overnight stay at Habarana
After the breakfast proceed to Ritigala by the bicycles.
Ritigala
Ritigala- kanada (the Ritigala mountain) lying in the southern part of the North
Central Province of Sri Lanka, bears a
legendary historical and monastic past unsurpassed by any other mountain retreat
in the country. Its unusual structure
embodying numerous caves, large boulder masses and steep rocky precipices,
afforded a natural sheltered habitation for
aboriginal tribes, religious devotees, princes and royal fugitives biding their
time to wage war for the kingship; while its
strategic position in relation to Anuradhapura, the ancient capital.
After Ritigala trekking Continuous the trip by car/van to Polonnaruwa and
Polonnaruwa Sightseeing by the Bicycle.
Polonnaruwa
Polonnaruwa was mediaeval capital of Sri Lanka, and today it is one of the most
beautiful centers of our cultural
heritage. Polonnaruwa succeeded Anuradhapura as capital of the island now called
Sri Lanka at the end of the 10th
century. The Indian Chola Dynasty ruled the island at that moment but after they
were driven out Polonnaruwa
remained the capital. The city had its cultural heyday under the leadership of
King Parakramabahu 1 in the 12th century,
the buildings, parks and the large tank date from this period.
Visit the ancient ruins and the GAL VIHARA COMPLEX, where three very large
Buddha statues are carved out of a single
rock. And you will see the NEW MUSEUM where you will find all above places
dis-played with modules.
Overnight stay at Habarana.
After the breakfast proceed to Sigiriya by Three Wheelers, a very popular taxi
among common people of Sri Lanka.
Sigiriya
Climb the 5th century Sigriya Rock Fortress – which is a UNESCO ''World Heritage
Site'', built by 'King Kashyapa (477-495
AD)'. The ''Lion Rock'' is a citadel of unusul beauty rising 200 meters from the
green scrub jungle, Its perhaps the most
memorable place for visitors to Sri Lanka. The site was known from ancient times
as a hermitage for buddhist monks. A
well planned monastic complex includes caved temples, bathing pools, lovely
ponds and Asia's oldest surviving landscaped
gardens. Today Sigiriya is famous for its ''Frescos Painted'' in the pocket of
the rock. The ''Lion Stairway’’, the ''Mirror Wall''
and the ''Water Gardens'' are the other highlights of Sigiriya.
After the Sigiriya you can get an unforgettable experience in Sri Lankan village
life.
Village Tour
Bullock Cart Ride
Our first vehicle is the Bullock Cart. It was using from beginning until to
date. Our ancient peoples, the ministers,
Lords, Village headman, even the farmers, were using this bullock carts, riding
the last on gravel roads you will see the
Birds, Butterflies and the greenly environments.
The Canoe Boat Riding
You can do canoe boat riding after the bullock cart riding. Blooming lotus,
water lily, Carper fish, Cranes, Egrets,
Cormorants, Kingfisher very occasionally agitators.
Farming House
Visiting a farm house in the village. You can get experience of the pleasure of
the village living. You can walk
throughout the paddy fields. And also you can enjoy the village tour in a simple
home cooking meals, making various
kinds of foods, grinding paddy, making flour out of rice.
Sri Lankan Traditional Lunch arrange at Village House
Elephant Ride
Evening you can have experience of elephant back safari. It’s about one hour
trip through the village and the lake. Around
Habarana/Sigiriya area famous for the Elephant Back Safaris.
Overnight stay at Habarana.
Have a breakfast at the hotel and morning leaving to Kandy Via Matale En-route
visit Dambulla Cave Temple, Matale Spice
Garden and also Batik Factory.
Dambulla Rock Cave Temple
Visit Dambulla Rock Cave Temple also known as the Golden Temple of Dambulla.
Dambulla rock temple was built by 'King
Walagambahu' in the 1st century B.C and it is UNESCO ''World Heritage Site''.
Comprised of 5 caves and a picturesque
facade carved into the side of a steep rock face, the Dambulla Cave Temple
houses ancient statues and paintings depicting
Lord Buddha and his life. This is the largest and best preserved cave temple
complex in Sri Lanka.
Matale Herbal & Spice Garden
Visit a spice garden in Matale to see different spices for which Sri Lanka is
famous for. Here, clients could see different
spices and how some of these spices are grown and processed. After visit proceed
to Kandy.
Kandy
Kandy was the last capital of the Sri Lankan kings which is a UNESCO World
Heritage Site. The name “Kandy” conjures
visions of splendor and magnificence. Many of the legends, traditions and
folklore are still lovingly kept alive. Evening visit
the Kandyan Culture Show.
Kandyan Culture Show
Witness the Kandyan Dance a pageant of traditional Sri Lankan dance that
flourished in the hill country during ancient
times. The dancers are attired in frilled costumes with glistening head-dresses
and breastplates. They skip and whirl to
the beat of the drums executing astonishing acrobatics in mid-air. The highlight
of the performance is the fire-walking at
the end of the pageant.
Temple of the Tooth (Dalada Maligawa)
Visit the ''Dalada Maligawa'' – where the sacred Tooth Relic is placed and
preserved is undoubtedly the greatest
attraction of the city. It is one of the most sacred places for Buddhists all
over the world.Watch the traditional rituals
performed daily by the religious dignitaries of the temple in keeping with the
cultural heritage of county.
Next you will visit the ''Raja Wasala'' – the Royal Palace complex adjoining the
Temple of Tooth where the Council Chamber
known as the ''Magul Maduwa'' is seen. This is a unique wooden pillared hall
dating back to 1784 and the Devale
complexes are housed inside.
Overnight stay at Kandy
After the breakfast at the hotel and morning leaving to Kitulgala. En-route
visit Kandy City and Royal Botanical Garden in
Peradeniya.
Kandy City Tour
Drive around the Kandy Lake built by the last Sinhala king Sri Wickrama
Rajasinghe in 1798. Visit the Bazaar area, Arts &
Crafts center, a gem museum and a lapidary etc.You could visit a Gem Museum &
shops in the area which is famous for
so many years about the gems & Jewelery industry.Ceylon Gems brings you the
highest quality natural gems for provide a
wide range of gemstones that include blue, white, sapphires, chrysobery cats
eye, tourmaline, garnet, topaz.
Royal Botanical Garden
Visit the Royal Botanical Garden which is located less than four miles from
Kandy on the Colombo road. Being 1540 feet
above sea level, it covers approximately 150 acres and well known for it's large
variety of plants and creepers. The best
attraction is the orchid house, which houses more than 300 varieties of orchids
and the many of nutmeg grove.
After reach to the Kitulgala
Kitulgala
Kitulgala is a small town in the west of Sri Lanka. The Kelani River flowing
through Kitulgala and it was the main location
where the Oscar winning movie ''The Bridge over the River Kwai'' was filmed. The
Kelani River is a 145-kilometre-long
river in Sri Lanka & ranking as the fourth longest river in the country, it
stretches from the Sri Pada Mountain
Range to Colombo. It flows through or bordering 05 Sri Lankan districts.
On the hill above kitulgala there is a prehistoric cave was recently discovered
containing skeletal remains from some
unknown prehistoric civilization.
Overnight at Kitulgala Camping Site.
After the breakfast at the Camping site you will start the activities of
Adventure Sports.
Kitulgala is the base for White-Water Rafting in Sri Lanka.
Adventure Sports
After the breakfast leave for Nuwara Eliya
Nuwara Eliya
Nuwara Eliya Which means the City of Lights is also known as
the city of eternal spring, where the air is pure, cool and
distilled up through 1884 meters. The city established by the British in the
19th 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. A journey through narrow passes, beside
deep ravines and over gushing
streams to the hill country of Sri Lanka is a very enjoyable one.
Overnight stay at Nuwara Eliya
Horton Plains
Early morning about 05.15am geared with picnic breakfast leave for Horton Plains
National Park. This park covers an
extent of 3162 hectares and 7200 feets above from sea level. An hour's drive
from Nuwara Eliya will meet you the
entrance Horton Plains National Park. This is the only one National Park in Sri
Lanka could be toured by foot. Endemic
Sender Loris and purple monkey are among the important animal species in
addition to Sambur and the occasional
Leopard. Horton plains area was a paradise of wild elephants until the end of
18th century.Thousnds of wild elephants
were victim of British and other hunters as the wild animal hunting was a legal
hobby in the British period in Sri
Lanka.This park is a habitat for a large number of endemic birds and butterflies
in Sri Lanka.
Trek to World's End a vertical drop of 1312 meters and the Baker's fall is an
experience. From here you could see the
surrounding hills and the mountain ranges.
After the Horton Plains leave to the Nanu-Oya Station for Train Journey.
Train Journey
Leave for Nanu Oya Railway Station to board the train to Ella. This is a
beautiful scenic train ride through tea plantation,
many waterfalls and the fascinating mountain area. This train trip will be an
unforgettable experience in your Sri Lankan
Tour. Most of the time you have to travel in the train standing, along with the
local people.
After about the 03 hours journey train will reach Ella Railway Station. Your
driver will pick you up from Ella Railway
Station and take you to the Hotel in Ella.
Ella
Ella is a little village paradise in the central highlands of Sri Lanka. This
sleepy mountain village, with a view, is the perfect
base for relaxing, whilst also offering lots of fantastic walks through tea
plantations to temples and waterfalls. Some of the
places you could see in Ella are Ella Gap, Ravana Ella Water Falls, Little Adams
Peak and Bambaragala Peak among the
other many varied pleasant walks with stunning sceneries and through the clean
and cheap restaurants and many of small
shops.
Ella with its perfect climate soothes your mind and makes your day to day
anxieties feel a world away. It reminds one of a
hot English summer, hot during the day and cool at night. Most foreign tourists
would like to spend a couple of days
there. When you are traveling out of town you could find plenty of things to
keep you occupied.
Full Day out in the Ella Adventure Park with Adventure
activities. Activities at Ella Adventure Park:
Paragliding over the Makaldeniya ridge – (the first time paragliding has been
offered in Sri Lanka), canoeing (in sea kayaks
on the placid Handapanagala Lake), nature trek, hiking (up to several days, with
the chance to rest and eat in a traditional
Sri Lankan village), bird watching with knowledgeable guide, abseiling, camping
(in two cleared jungle or river settings,
with camp fires and BBQs under the stars), rock climbing
Overnight stay at Ella
After the Breakfast at the Hotel leave for the trekking
Trek through the jungle, see small villages, tea plantations, and climb Little
Adam's Peak. And after make a trek to see
the Nine Arches Railway Bridge located 3100 feet above sea
level. This is believed to be built entirely on solid rocks,
bricks and cement.
Overnight stay at Ella
After the breakfast leave Ella for Yala.
Yala
Evening make a Safari Trip in the YALA NATIONAL PARK
This park is 378 sq. miles in extent and is a most famous and well-developed
National Park in the Island. You could observe
Elephants in herds of varying sizes, Leopards, Wild Boar, Wild
Buffalo, Crocodiles, Peacocks Jackals, Sloth Bear and other
animals. The Bird life comprises 130 species including the
resident and Migrant Birds. Painted Stalks, Serpent Eagle, Sea
Eagle and Pelicans add color to the bird life in the park.
Overnight at Yala Camping site.
Early morning from the Camping site make a Safari Trip in the YALA NATIONAL
PARK.After the Safari leave to Unawatuna.
En-route visit Blowhole and Stilt-fishing
Blowhole
On the coast at Kudawella, 6km east of Dikwella, this natural phenomenon
attracts a steady flow of sightseers. Ocean
wave pressure forces water up through a narrow fissure, causing a surge of foam
and spray that shoots up to 10m in to
the air. Best time is May to August.
Stilt-fishing
Stilt-fishermen whose unique style of fishing involves casting their lines from
perch on a sturdy pole 20-50 meters out to
sea.
Unawatuna
Unawatuna – One of the best places in Sri Lanka with scuba diving locations.
About 5 km south of Galle is the golden
beach of Unawatuna. It is also one of the safest beaches in Sri Lanka as it is
protected by a reef. Surfing, Snorkeling and
Diving are some of the water sports that could be done.
Overnight stay at Unawatuna
Early morning proceed to Mirissa for Whale & Dolphin Watching
All the boats leave Mirissa harbor at around 07:00 – 07.30hrs for whale &
Dolphin Watching journey. Sri Lanka is the best
places to watch blue whales and sperm whales. And also you could see hundreds of
dolphins throughout the journey.
Evening leisure at the Beach
Overnight stay at Unawatuna
After the Breakfast leave for Benthota. En-route visit Galle City & Gall
Fortress.
Galle
Galle was the center of the Dutch regime in the 17th century and the majestic
Galle Fort bears testimony to this fact. The
City of Galle is one of the well preserved colonial-era cities in Southeast Asia
and has been declared a World Heritage City . The Dutch
Museum, Groote Kerk (Great Church) and the National Maritime
Museum are two famous tourist
attractions in Galle. International Cricket Stadium has also contributed to
enhance the image of the city as a sports
destination.
En route experience a Madu River boat safari in Balapitiya.
Madu River is the
widest river of Sri Lanka.The river is
navigable for about 15 km upstream and a boat trip will take you on a leisurely
tour of riverside villages and through
tropical jungle. Upstream the river forms and inland lagoon, an aquatic maze
dotted with small islands and fringed with
mangrove swamps.
Visit a Turtle Hatchery at Kosgoda.The beaches of Sri Lanka are the nesting
grounds for five species of marine turtle.
Overnight stay at Benthota.
Benthota
Spend your time at leisure on Sri Lanka's beautiful coastline at Benthota, where
there are fine beaches and many
activities to do.
Benthota also forms the “Sun & Fun” water sport capital of Sri Lanka with a
gamut of activates from snorkeling/scuba
diving along the Barberyn reef running very close to the shore or to a distant
ship wreck operated by PADI qualified
instructors, wind surfing along the coast is sheer exhilaration as nothing beats
the powerless cruise along the water,
water skiing along the river dragged by an experienced boater, or for the speed
freaks the jet ski along the river or if you
want a bit more adventure in the squalls of the Indian Ocean and while you do
all this what does your kids do? They go
for a ride in a banana boat screaming and shouting, perfectly safe in the clam
placid waters of Benthota.
A day excursion of fishing along the river for lake fish or join up for deep sea
fishing for big game fish from the local
“Marina” or canoeing boat safari along this truly exquisite and delightful
perennial waterway up river, an excursion to
the dark green mangrove forest with its smelly mud and labyrinth of caverns,
sometimes surprisingly clear shallow pools
teaming with small fish, or an excursion in an open boat to the local lighthouse
set in the off shore island to enjoy great
outdoor and picnic under the coconut grove that crowns the island are some of
the experiences on offer.
END OF TOUR IN SRI LANKA