Highlights of Sri Lanka Tour
Sri Lanka Experience Tour
Day 01 Arrival / Colombo
Meet on arrival at Colombo Airport by a representative and transfer to your hotel – Check in at Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel – Dinner & Overnight stay at the hotel.
DAY 02 - Colombo – (Sightseeing Tour)
Afternoon, proceed on a sightseeing Tour of Colombo driving through the Commercial area of the " Fort" so named, because both the Portuguese and Dutch had a Fort at this point. Drive passed "Pettah" - a noisy Oriental bazaar with a hotchpotch of Humanity, ancient vehicles, bargains, mosques & temples. Visit Hindu temple & drive pass Jumi-UL Alfar Jumma Mosque, Continue the tour through the Wolvendaal Dutch Church, Hultsdorf Law courts, to the residential area of Cinnamon Gardens and on to the Independence Square and Bandaranayke Memorial International Conference Hall – Return to Hotel for Dinner and Overnight stay.
DAY 03 - Colombo / Dambulla / Habarana / Polonnaruwa / Habarana
Breakfast at Hotel – Leave for Habarana - En-route visit the Dambulla Rock Temple. Climb up to the temple, which was donated by king Walagambahu in the 1st century BC to Buddhist monks. Dambulla is a World Heritage site and is the most impressive of Sri Lanka's cave temples. The complex of five caves with over 2000 sq. meters of painted walls and the ceiling is the largest area of paintings found in the world. These caves contain over 150 images of the Buddha of which the largest is the colossal figure of the Buddha carved out of rock spanning 14 meters
Continue to Habarana – Check-in at Chaaya Village 4*
Late afternoon proceed on a sightseeing tour of Polonnaruwa, which was the 2nd capital city of Sri Lanka, built in the 11th and 12th centuries AD, and which is a world heritage site. Here you can see the ruins of the Royal Palace, the Gal Viharaya -where 4 splendid statues of the Buddha in 'Upright', 'Sedentary' and 'Recumbent' postures carved out of rock, the Audience Hall, the Lotus Bath, king Parakramabahu's statue, and the Parakrama Samudraya lake built by King Parakramabahu the great. There are also monuments of famous places of worship such as the Shiva Temple, the Lankathilake, the Watadage, the Galpotha, the Kiri Vehera and the remains of a former Temple of the Tooth Relic
Return to Hotel – Dinner and overnight stay at the Hotel.
DAY 04 - Habarana / Sigirriya / Matale / Kandy
Breakfast at Hotel – Morning proceed to Sigiriya - Climb the 5th century Sigiriya rock fortress which is a world heritage site, built by King Kashyapa (477-495 AD). The 'Lion Rock' is a citadel of unusual beauty rising 200 meters from the scrub jungle. The rock was the innermost stronghold of the 70 hectare fortified town. A moat, rampart, and extensive gardens including the renowned water gardens ring the base of the rock. Visit the world-renowned frescoes of the 'Heavenly Maidens' of Sigiriya, which are in a sheltered pocket of the rock approached by a spiral stairway. These frescoes are painted in earth pigments on plaster.
Thereafter visit a Spice garden in Matale to see the different spices, which Sri Lanka is famous for. You will be introduced to different spices and shown how some of these spices are grown and processed.
Proceed to Kandy – Check in at Cinnamon Citadel 4* - In the evening visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic and thereafter witness a cultural show featuring traditional Sri Lankan dancing - Return to hotel for Dinner and overnight stay.
DAY 05 - Kandy / Pinnawala / Nuwara Eliya
Breakfast at hotel – Morning Proceed to visit the Elephant Orphanage in Pinnawela - This orphanage is the home for about 89 elephants, out of which some are baby elephants found abandoned or orphaned in the wild. They are being cared, fed and trained by the wild life authorities. The best time to visit is during the feeding times, when one will have the opportunity of seeing the baby elephants being bottle-fed. Also could accompany the elephants to a river close-by and see them having their daily bath.
Afternoon leave for Nuwara Eliya – En-route visit a Tea plantation and a Tea factory, where the best tea in the world is produced. You will be told all about the process of manufacturing tea. You can also see how tea is graded. Taste a cup of pure Ceylon tea in the factory.
On completion, proceed to Nuwara Eliya, because of its invigorating mountain climate and scenery, is Sri Lanka’s most popular hill resort. Nuwara Eliya is also the heart of Sri Lanka’s tea country producing a significant share of the world’s best tea. Sri Lanka’s highest mountain Pidurutalagala (8282 feet) is located here. Nuwara-Eliya also has one of the finest 18 hole golf courses in South Asia - Check in at Grand Hotel 4* - Evening leave on a sightseeing tour of Nuwara Eliya - Drive through "Little England” Return to hotel for overnight stay.
DAY 06 - Nuwara Eliya / Departure Transfer OR Beach Stay Extension
Breakfast at Hotel – End of Tour and leave for Colombo Airport or the choice of a Beach Extension to relax after your tour
*=local charge
