HIGHLIGHTS: SIGIRIYA l MATALE l KANDY l NUWARA ELIYA l HANUMAN TEMPLE l SEETHA AMMAN TEMPLE l ELLA l YALA l RAVANA WATER FALL l GALLE l WASKADUWA l BENTOTA l COLOMBO
DAY 01 AIRPORT l SIGIRIYA
Arrival at the Bandaranayake International Airport, meet and transfer to your first hotel in Sigiriya. On the way visit,
home to about 60 Elephants found abandoned or orphaned in the wild. Also, you can accompany the Elephants to a river close by to see them having their daily baths.
Dambulla Cave Temple located within a massive rock from the surrounding plains of Dambulla, 600 feet high and over 2000 feet in length. It is home to the world’s most acclaimed Cave complex of magnificent Buddha Images and Rock Paintings of vivid colors and shapes constructed and painted from around 2nd Century BC (Anuradhapura era ) and continued up to the Kandyan era of the 18th Century. The five main temple caves cover over 1000 square meters, these were formed out of a deep cavern, part natural and part excavated. One cave consists of a reclining Buddha over 15 meters in length and another holds 50 statues in a variety of positions and is decorated in glowing colors. The ceiling of this ancient monastery is covered with the colorful frescoes. Long strips of narrative paintings depict episodes of a story such as the life of Buddha or the coming of Buddhism to Sri Lanka.
Overnight at KASSAPA LIONS ROCK HOTEL / Sigiriya
DAY 02 SIGIRIYA l MATALE l KANDY
After breakfast visit,
Sigiriya is an archaeological site in North Central Sri Lanka. It contains the ruins of an ancient palace complex, built during the region of King Kasyapa (477AD - 495 AD). Sigiriya is one of the 7 world heritage sites in Sri Lanka and is one of its most popular tourist destinations. The Sigiriya site consists of a 180m tall granite rock, whose sides are so steep that at some points the top overhangs the base. At the top of the site there is a palace complex. The ruins of various chambers, stairways and pools can be seen at the top. There is a stone stairway leading from the base to the top of the mountain. About half way to the top, there is a pair giant pair of lions paws which is in fact the ruin of a huge head of a lion whose open mouth served as the entrance to the royal palace. Surrounding the palace complex are the ruins of a garden complex consisting of two moats, various pools
Afterwards leave for Sri Lanka's cultural capital Kandy. On the way visit,
During past history Sri Lanka known as Taprobane, was world renowned for its Quality Spices. In the 16th century Ceylon, as it was then known, was discovered by Portuguese who soon began trading in cinnamon and other spices. The Dutch and British followed bringing with them their own history and influences, forming a strong Western presence which created a history of food expressed with spices which can be tasted in the dishes today. Spices are an essential element of the cuisine of Sri Lanka and the Ayurvedic tradition and a visit to a garden specializes in the cultivation of these substances and an excellent way for purposes of new uses of certain ingredients that perhaps though they knew well. Find cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, vanilla, cardamom and black pepper, to name a few. Visitors can buy the products in their natural state or in the form of oils and potions that are used by Ayurvedic medicine.
Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy. Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy is the most prominent and sacred Buddhist shrine in Sri Lanka, even in the world. The relic of the tooth is kept in a two-story inner shrine fronted by two large elephant tusks. The relic rests on a solid gold lotus flower, encased in jeweled caskets that sits on a throne. The temple is joined to the Pattiripuwa (Octagon) tower, built in 1803, that was originally a prison but now houses a collection of palm-leaf manuscripts. The king's palace is also in the temple compound. In the evening you will watch cultural dance show of fire dancers and Kandyan Dancers
Overnight at THILANKA HOTEL / Kandy
DAY 03 KANDY l NUWARA ELIYA
After breakfast leave for Nuwara Eliya. Visit,
Tea plantation and tea factory. No visit to the hill country is complete without a visit to a tea estate, where you can view the vibrant green fields of tea which for so many people epitomize the image of Sri Lanka. Surrounded by the breathtaking, idyllic landscape, you will also get a chance to taste and purchase some of the world’s finest tea. Nuwara Eliya situated at around 2000m above sea level and surrounded by lush tea plantations. Nuwara Eliya is the main hill resort of Sri Lanka and the heart of the tea industry. This city with an elevation of 6200 meters is the highest in Sri Lanka. Once a pleasure retreats of the European planters the town is still very much an English town with many English style bungalows and buildings. Some of the finest teas in the world are produced here, and a visit to a tea factory and a tea plantation is a must. The process is unchanged from Victorian times, and you can follow it through from picking, drying and crushing to fermenting, packing, and especially tasting and buying.
According to the ancient stories, Ramboda is a area, where the forces of Rama gathered to fight against King Ravana. This temple was built by the Chinmaya mission of Sri Lanka and dedicated to Hanuman. This temple houses for 16 feel height statue of Hanuman.
The city is the administrative capital of Nuwara Eliya District, with a picturesque landscape and temperate climate. It is at an altitude of 1,868 m (6,128 ft) and is considered to be the most important location for tea production in Sri Lanka. The city is overlooked by Pidurutalagala, the tallest mountain in Sri Lanka. Nuwara Eliya is known for its temperate, cool climate — the coolest area in Sri Lanka.
Overnight at HEAVENS EVEN HOTEL / Nuwara Eliya
DAY 04 NUWARA ELIYA l ELLA l YALA
After breakfast leave for Ella. On the way visit,
Seetha Amman Temple is located approximately 1 kilometer (0.62 mi) from Hakgala Botanical Garden and 5 kilometers (3.1 mi) from Nuwara Eliya. The temple is located in the village of Seetha Eliya (also known as Sita Eliya). This place is believed to be the site where Sita was held captive by (Vikram) king Ravana, and where she prayed daily for Rama to come and rescue her in the Hindu epic, Ramayana. On the rock face across the stream are circular depressions said to be the footprints of Rawana’s elephant.
The Ravana Falls popularly known as Ravana Ella is a popular sightseeing attraction in Sri Lanka. It currently ranks as one of the widest falls in the country. This waterfall measures approximately 25 m (82 ft) in height and cascades from an oval-shaped concave rock outcrop. During the local wet season, the waterfall turns into what is said to resemble an areca flower with withering petals. But this is not the case in the dry season, where the flow of water reduces dramatically. Later leave for Yala on the south coast. En-route visit,
Kataragama Temple also known as Ruhunu Kataragama Devalaya in Kataragama, Sri Lanka, is a temple complex dedicated to Buddhist guardian deity Kataragama Deviyo and Hindu War God Kathirkamam. It is one of the few religious sites in Sri Lanka that is venerated by the Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and the Vedda people. For most of the past millennia, it was a jungle shrine very difficult to access; today it is accessible by an all-weather road. The shrines and the nearby Kiri Vehera are managed by Buddhists, the shrines dedicated to Teyvavai and Shiva are managed by Hindus and the mosque by Muslims.
Overnight at OKRIN YALA HOTEL / Yala
DAY 05 YALA l GALLE l WASKADUWA l BENTOTA
After breakfast visit,
Yala National Park is famously known for its highest concentration of leopard in the world and this is the second largest national park in Sri Lanka. The park is primarily shrub jungle with rocky out crops that dot the park, along with several salt and fresh water lagoons. Rain is received mainly during the northeast monsoon usually from May to September. At the Yala national park visitors could spot leopards, elephants, sloth bear, Sambar and spotted deer, jackal, mongoose, wild boar, wild buffaloes, langur and macaque monkeys. Yala is also famous for its bird life. There are around 130 species of birds that have been spotted at the premises including black necked stork, sandpipers, pelicans, egrets, hoopoes, parakeets and bulbuls. One could spot peacocks as soon as they enter the park unlike the evasive jungle fowl, the national bird of Sri Lanka.
Galle is a bustling provincial capital and administrative centre for the South. Once a port, Galle was Sri Lanka’s first international commerce and trade centre, and the streets are still awash with a cosmopolitan range of goods available to buy in exotic markets and quirky art galleries. The Dutch presence is still visible in Galle, and should you want to retrace the footsteps of the Dutch rule, let our guide give you the tour of the Old Dutch fort (a UNESCO World Heritage site), the Dutch Government House, the former New Oriental Hotel (built in 1684), the old bell tower, and the Dutch tide-based sewage system.
It is said that these sea turtles need a specified location or beach to lay down their eggs. Therefore they come to places like Sri Lanka ignoring many more beaches around the world. Eventually they lay down the eggs on the sandy beaches and return back to sea. All the tourists are demonstrated to ensure the life of turtles and conserve them. The Sea turtle hatchery is a day care for new born turtles.
Overnight at Coco Royal Beach Resort / Bentota
DAY 06 WASKADUWA l COLOMBO l AIRPORT
After breakfast leave for Colombo. Visit,
Colombo is the commercial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka. It is the financial center of the island and a popular tourist destination. In Colombo you will see a fascinating mix of old and new, with a central cluster of high-rise office blocks and hotels overshadowing red-tiled colonial-era buildings and sprawling street markets which overflow with high piled fruit and vegetables, colorful silks and cottons, and deliciously fragrant spices. Also, Majestic City shopping complex, ODEL Unlimited Dress Boutique and the ancient Pettha market at the harbor district, one of Colombo’s busiest places and first shopping choice for most Indians visiting Sri Lanka. A mix of market vendors selling anything from fresh vegetables, meats and seafood to jewelry, clothing and electronic goods. The numerous streets are dedicated to different trades, with one of the most notable being sea street at the end of the open market, specialized in the trading of gold and jewels and mostly administered by migrant Tamil people.
Later transfer back to the airport for departure. End of Tour.
RATES:
06 pax - USD 265 p.p.*
08 pax - USD 260 p.p.*
10 pax - USD 265 p.p.*
12 pax - USD 260 p.p.*
15 pax - USD 265 p.p.*
20 pax - USD 260 p.p.*
*if a winter peak season supplement applies, we'll inform you accordingly
This Sri Lanka Group Tour can be customized to fit your dates and special specifications. Organizations, association, senior citizens and large families can get a tailor-made group tour quote that fits the desired budget and interest, please fill out the booking form and add your requirements under 'Remarks'. Our Sri Lanka experts will send you a revised itinerary with all available options free of charge.
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