TOUR NO. 02
10 NIGHTS & 11 DAYS - SRI LANKA NATURE
Day 01
On arrival at the Colombo Airport our representative will meet you and transfer to a Hotel in Colombo. Daytime City Tour and Shopping will be arranged accordingly.
* Colombo – A drive through the City, taking you to the busy commercial areas as well as the tree lined residential Cinnamon Gardens. The historic Dawatagaha Mosque and the former Eye Hospital are two buildings in Cinnamon Gardens also worth looking at. Visit Fort, the former British Administrative Center and Military Garrison, Sea Street – The Goldsmith’s quarters in the Heart of Pettah, the Bazaar area where there is also a Hindu Temple with elaborate stone carvings. The Dutch Church of Wolfendhal dating back to 1749. Also see the replica of Avukana Buddha, the Independence Square and with a visit to the Museum to see more than two thousand five hundred years of Sri Lankan History.
Dinner and Overnight stay in Colombo.
Day 02
After Breakfast leave for Yala (305 Kms from Colombo) along the Sea Coast towards the Southern Part of Sri Lanka. Enroute visit a coastal city known as Hikkaduwa with many resort Hotels for it’s wonderful Corals in the sea. Glass bottom boats will be provided to see the Corals along the seacoast. Later visit the largest City in the South known as Galle a Seaport for International shipping.
· Hikkaduwa – A town teeming with life exudes a character almost of its own. Largely the low budget travelers attracted here by the lovely beach overlooking the Indian Ocean and the pre-ponderance of cheap Hotels, Rest Houses and Eating Places patronize it. Many of them are located at the south end of the town in Narigama, Sri Lanka’s answer to Bali’s Kuta Beach. Bright Batiks, masks, jewelry, and other crafts are sold all along Hikkaduwa’s Galle Road strip. But several higher quality establishments catering to the more moneyed visitors are also located in this town. There are many Resort Hotels all along the Coast facing the Indian Ocean with sandy beaches. A large number of visitors take to the water with snorkel and mask to view the underwater attractions of the Country’s best-known Coral Gardens. Glass bottomed boats are available for hire to those not inclined to make a dive.
· Galle – Third biggest town in Sri Lanka after Colombo and Kandy, and being the Capitol of the Southern Province it is premonitory built on rock in the South of the Island. It was a major Port until One Hundred years ago when ships and sailboats had to sail from the Arab ports to the South East Asian Countries touching Galle Harbor for their replishments. It is a Natural Harbor with a historically old Light House to guide shipping while passing Galle.
· The Fort of Galle – The oldest landmark built by the Portuguese and continued by the Dutch which is still contained as the Dutch Fort.
Proceed to Yala for Dinner and Overnight stay.
Day 03
Breakfast and Relax at the Hotel deep in the Yala Sanctuary or outside of the Sanctuary depending at the availability of the Hotels. Afternoon visit to the Yala National Park by jeep accosted by experienced trackers.
· Yala – Is a haven for Fauna both indigenous and migrant. Bird concentrations are by the Lagoons/Salvers. Here are thousands of Flamingoes, Assemblies of spotted Billed Pelicans, Spoonbills, Cormorants and various species of Herons, Pheasants, Pea Fowl, Peacocks and the Wild Fowl are found in hundreds. Wild buffalo and herds of wild Elephants are a common sight. Whether it is a bird or animals you have them all at Yala.
Dinner and Overnight stay at Yala.
Day 04
After Breakfast leave for Nuwara Eliya (192 Kms from Yala) via Ella.
· Rawana Falls - A Beautiful Waterfall of 90m altitudes close to the road from Ella to Wellawaya about 6 kms south of Ella. The stream, a tributary of Kirindi Oya plunges with a foaming spray over a series of (1050m), In general the rocky underground of the waterfalls in Sri Lanka consists of hard gneiss or granite, but here the material is khondalite, a kind of limestone, which undergoes decay faster. Thus there are caves near the falls. Rawana of Ramayana legend is said to have lived none of the caves above the waterfalls
Dinner and Overnight stay in Nuwara Eliya.
Day 05
After Breakfast visit Horton Plains & World’s End by jeep
· Horton Plains – 7000ft - 2134m elevation are an expanse of misty grassland interrupted by scraggly
Trees and ice-cold rivulets, nearly uninhabited, they are lonely yet exhilarating. There are birds and rhododendrons and other Fauna and Flora. Many visitors come to the Horton Plains to see World’s End, considered the finest view in all of Sri Lanka. The terrific escarpment drops vertically for about 1000ft (328meters) and falls away almost as steeply for another 4000ft (1312meters). In the early morning a crescent of Silver – Indian Ocean rims the Horizon 50miles (80kms) to the South.
Dinner and Overnight stay in Nuwara Eliya
Day 06
After Breakfast leave for Kandy (77 kms from N’eliya), enroute visit Tea Plantation & Tea Factory and the Royal Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya.
· Royal Botanical Gardens – Situated at a picturesque town called Peradeniya, sixty-seven hectares of exquisite beauty and botanical treasures containing 4000 species, this is a haven not only for Scientists but to every nature lover as well.
Evening witness the Sri Lankan Cultural Show. Dinner and Overnight stay in Kandy.
Day 07
After Breakfast visit the Elephant Orphanage at Pinnawela (42 kms from Kandy)
 | Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage - Situated close to Colombo – Kandy Road is the Elephant Orphanage started in 1975 to house the abandoned and the wounded elephants. The number of Elephants has increased to more than sixty now, including baby elephants brought from various parts, as well as the babies born, as a result of the captive breeding programme. The best time to visit is the feeding time from 0930 to 1000 hours and 1330 to 1400 hours and the bathing time from 1000 to 1030 hours and 1400 to 1430 hours when all the Elephants are taken to the river close by. It is one of the best moments to watch all the elephants frolicking in the river close by. |
Afternoon commence City Tour of Kandy including a visit to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relict
· Kandy - The Hill Capital. The last stronghold of the Sinhala King was finally ceded to the British in the
Year 1815. Being the second largest City after Colombo, Kandy is an example of Buddhism’s influence in Sri Lanka today. Temples, shrines, Monasteries keeping alive Buddhist traditions are everywhere. To the Buddhist 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.
Dinner and Overnight stay in Kandy.
Day 08
After Breakfast leave for Sigirya (92 Kms from Kandy), enroute visit the Spice Garden & Batik Factory at Matale.
· Spice Garden at Matale – 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 of Sri Lankan Culture and it’s traditions.
Rest of the Day at Leisure in a Hotel at Sigiriya with Dinner and Overnight stay.
Day 09
After Breakfast Climb the Sigiriya Rock Fortress.
· 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 Lion that used to stand at the entrance to the Fortress. Within its triple-moated defense the huge rock rises almost to a sheer height of 500ft. 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 survived in the form of Frescoes of life sized damsels in all the freshness and delicacy of their original color. Sigiriya was never conquered by any of the invading forces that had such an affect on the Island of Sri Lanka. It was however ceded to the British during the colonial rule without force.
Afternoon excursion to Polonnaruwa (67 Kms from Sigiriya)
· Polonnaruwa – The Capital of Sri Lanka from 11th to 13th Century, contains some splendid and spectacular statues. Lankanthileke, Tivanka, and Thuparama are the most beautiful and largest shrine ruins and Tivanka has the best example of Frescoes of the Polonnaruwa period. Rankot Vihara and Kiriwehera are well preserved with large stupas and gal vihare – a Rock Shrine, has four Buddha Statues, Two seated, One standing and One reclining and Parakrama Bahu statue are examples of Stone Carver. The vata-da-ge is a unique creation of the Sri Lankan artists.
Dinner and Overnight stay at Sigiriya
Day 10
After Breakfast proceed to Katunayake, enroute visit the Dambulla Cave Temple.
· Dambulla – Is a vast isolated rock mass 500ft high and a mile around the base. Here is found the famous Rock Temple dating to the First Century BC. The caves of Dambulla sheltered the King Walagamba during his 14 years of exile from Anuradhapura. When he regained the throne he built the most magnificent of Rock Temples to be found on the Island. In the first Cave is a recumbent image of the Buddha 47ft long cut out of the Rock. There are images of deities associated with Buddhism all around. The Frescoes on the ceiling date back to the 15th-18th Centuries. In the second Cave, the finest and the largest of all, there are 150 life size statues of Gods from the Buddhist Religion along with numerous images of the Buddha himself. 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.
Dinner and Overnight stay at Katunayake (5 minutes from the Airport)
Day 11
Proceed to Airport for Departure on the schedule Flight back home.
For Bookings , Reservations and Information on this package offer