10Nights/11 Days

Day 01: Airport – Pinnawala – Sigiriya / Habarana

“Ayubowan” On arrival at the recently refurbished Modern and State of the art International Airport, you will be blessed to get your first taste of warm Sri Lankan hospitality; We will welcome you at the Airport & transfer to Sigiriya / Habarana.

Pick up from the Airport. Proceed to Sigiriya / Habarana. En route visit Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. Do elephant back ride in Habarana. Then check in to the Hotel. Overnight stay in Sigiriya / Habarana

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage - is a home for about 60 elephants (out of which around 50 are baby elephants) found abandoned or orphaned in the wild. They are being cared, fed and trained by the wild life authority. The best time for your visit is at 9 in the morning, when you will have the opportunity of seeing these ‘babes’ being bottle-fed. You could also see the elephants having their daily baths at a river close by.

Day 02: Sigiriya / Habarana – Polonnaruwa – Minneriya – Sigiriya / Habarana

After breakfast proceed to Visit Sigiriya & Climb the Sigiriya Rock Fortress in the Morning. Then there will be a village tour in Habarana. Later proceed to Polonnaruwa . You will be taken for sightseeing tour in Polonnaruwa. You can also choose to visit Minneriya National Park.

After the visit return to the hotel for overnight stay in Sigiriya /Habarana.

Sigiriya Rock Fortress - Which is a world heritage site, built by king Kashyapa (473 – 491 A.D) .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. The base of the rock is ringed by a moat, rampart, and extensive gardens including the renowned water gardens. The world-renowned frescoes of the “heavenly maidens’ of Sigiriya which are in a sheltered pocket of the rock approached by a spiral stairway is one of the main attractions. The frescoes are painted in earth pigments on plaster.

Polonnaruwa- is the 2nd capital of Sri Lanka. Built in the 11th and 12th centuries A.D, and is a world heritage site. Here you can see the ruins of the Royal Palace, the Gal Viharaya (3 splendid statues of the Buddha in upright, sedentary and recumbent postures carved out of rock). The audience hall, the lotus bath, the Polonnaruwa statue (12th century) and the ParakramaSamudra tank (lake) built by king Parakramabahu the great. There are also ruins of famous places of worship such as the Shiva temple, the Lankatileka, the Watadage, the Galpotha, the KiriVihareDagoba and the remains of a former temple of the tooth.

Minneriya - do a safari of the Minneriya national park. The extent of this national park is about 8,889 hect. There are wet lands in this national park which have international importance, animal and plant species which are plenty in dry zone are found in this park. Wild elephants, various amphibians, local and immigrant bird species are plenty in this park. about hundred and sixty species of birds, 09 amphibians, 25 reptile species, 26 fish species and more than 78 butterfly species have been found in this area. There are bamboo trees which are rare in other parks and wild elephants can be seen conveniently.

Day 03: Sigiriya – Dambulla – Kandy

After breakfast proceed to Kandy. En route visit Dambulla Cave Temple and Spices Garden. On arrival check in the hotel. Stay overnight in Kandy.

Dambulla Rock Temple – was built by king Walagambahu in the 1st century B.C. 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 ceilings is the largest area of paintings found in the world. The caves contain over 150 images of the Buddha of which the largest is the colossal figure of the Buddha carved out of rock and spanning 14 meters.

Spice Gardens - visit a spice garden to see the different spices that Sri Lanka is famous for. You will be introduced to different spices and shown how some of these spices are grown and processed.

Kandy- The last capital of the Sri Lankan kings which is a world heritage site. The name Kandy conjures visions of splendor and magnificence. Many of the legends, traditions and folklore are still lovingly kept alive. Drive around the Kandy lake built by the last Sinhala king Sri WickramaRajasinghe in 1806, visit the Kandy town and bazaar, the arts and crafts center and a gem museum and lapidary. The evening is the best time to visit the temple of the tooth relic and thereafter witness a traditional cultural dance show.

Day 04: Kandy – Peradeniya – Kandy

Have breakfast in the hotel. Then you will be taken for sightseeing. Places of visit includes –

Later return to the hotel for overnight stay in Kandy.

Peradeniya - Botanical Gardenswas first built as a pleasure garden by a Sinhala king and was expanded by the British. It is 147 acres in extent and provides an amazing variety of trees, plants and flowers.

Gem Museum– Sri Lanka has produced some of the most precious gem stones that world has ever known. Most of the world’s celebrated coloured precious gems have been discovered in Sri Lanka. The largest ,the second largest and the third largest blues sapphires in the world, largest Star Ruby, Largest cat's eye, Largest Alexandrite were found in Sri Lanka. A 105 carat cat's eye gem stone of Sri Lankan origin was cherished by 4 British monarchs: Edward VII, George V, Edward VIII and Queen Elizabeth II. The world famous 18 carat blue sapphire worn by Princess Diana later given to Catherine Kate by Prince William was from Sri Lanka.

Oak Ray Traditional Wood Carving – Quality-oriented woodcarving manufacturers and pay exquisite attention to your detail needs. Backed by a team of master craftsmen in various fields they create some of the best masterpieces. As Sri Lanka’s best wood carving exporters we take great care to quality check each piece for finishing and packaging before it leaves. The result - a long list of satisfied customers spread all over the world.

Batik Factory – Batiks incorporate many motifs and colours, some traditional, others highly contemporary and individual. Many display a vigorousness of design related to their origin. The material created by the batik-makers is used to produce distinctive dresses, shirts, sarongs and beachwear well-suited for tropical climes.

Temple of the Tooth Relic – is a temple in the city of Kandy in Sri Lanka. It was built within the royal palace complex which houses the one of the two surviving relic of the tooth of Buddha, an object of veneration for Buddhists.

Cultural Dance Show – Kandyan Art Association & Cultural Centre features daily shows at 5.30 pm which showcase the rich cultural heritage of the Kandyan Kingdom. These shows essentially comprise various styles of Kandyan dance, and are quite popular with visitors to the Hill Capital. The Centre overlooks the scenic lake as it is located along its shore.

Day 05: Kandy – Kitulgala – Nuwara Eliya

Devon & St. Clears Waterfalls

Nuwara Eliya- is Sri Lanka's premier hill resort with a fine bracing mountain climate. Nuwara Eliya is also the heart of Sri Lanka's tea country producing 50% of the world’s best tea. Sri Lanka's highest mountain Pidurutalagala (8282 ft) is located here. Nuwara Eliya is the location for one of the finest 18 hole golf courses in Asia.

Tea Plantation- visit a tea plantation and a tea factory where one the best teas in the world is produced. You will be told all about the process of manufacturing tea and also see how tea is graded. Taste a cup of pure Ceylon tea in the factory

Day 06: Nuwara Eliya – Horton Plains – Ambewela – Nuwara Eliya

After breakfast proceed to Horton Plains and trek to the World’s End. En route visit the New Zealand Farm at Ambewela. Do city tour in Nuwara Eliya. In the evening return to the hotel. Overnight stay in Nuwara Eliya

Horton Plains National Park – is a protected area in the central highlands of Sri Lanka and is covered by montane grassland and cloud forest. This plateau at an altitude of 2,100–2,300 metres (6,900–7,500 ft) is rich in biodiversity and many species found here are endemic to the region. This region was designated a national park in 1988. It is also a popular tourist destination and is situated 32 kilometres (20 mi) from Nuwara Eliya and 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from Ohiya. The Horton Plains are the headwaters of three major Sri Lankan rivers, the Mahaweli, Kelani, and Walawe. In Sinhala the plains are known as Maha Eliya Plains. Stone tools dating back to Balangoda culture have been found here. The plains' vegetation is grasslands interspersed with montane forest, and includes many endemic woody plants. Large herds of Sri Lankan Sambar Deer feature as typical mammals, and the park is also an Important Bird Area with many species not only endemic to Sri Lanka but restricted to the Horton Plains. Forest dieback is one of the major threats to the park and some studies suggest that it is caused by a natural phenomenon. The sheer precipice of World's End and Baker's Falls are among the tourist attractions of the park.

Ambewela New Zeeland Farm – Ambewela is one of beautiful places of Sri Lanka and it's situated at Nuwaraeliya district. Ambewela has highest and widest grass grounds of Sri Lanka. Milko and Highland full cream milk powder factory is situated at Ambewela. One and only Sri Lankan milk powder factory is it. New Zealand farm is also at Ambewela. New Zealand farm has Cows, Bulls, Rabbits, Pigs, Hens, Cocks and gouts and many more animals and lot of products are manufactured buy Ambewela farm. Cheese, Butter and many milk products are manufactured buy it. Widest grasses ground also at Ambewela farm. You can see lot of bulls and cows in there. And getting milk using machines at 12:30 noon in Ambewela farm. The Ambewela Farm has purebred Ayrshire cattle and the New Zealand Farm rears purebred Friesian cows, with both farms maintaining a pure line of cattle. These pedigree cows require a great deal of attention, and in order to maintain the quality of the milk, the farm management takes great care to provide them with a balanced diet and sterilized drinking water. In addition, the cattle are given excellent healthcare by our two resident veterinary surgeons that tend to the animals on a 24-hour basis. The cleanliness of the milking process is also of great importance with automatic milking parlors maintaining the highest levels of hygiene set by the Alfa Laval Company of Sweden. These measures ensure that the milk produced in the two farms is of the very best quality. There is a very beautiful valley in Ambewela. It's not very big but it has various beauties in various pots. You don't have permission to bath in there.

Day 07: Nuwara Eliya – Yala

Day 08: Yala – Galle – Bentota

After breakfast proceed to Bentota. En route visit Stilt Fishermen & Galle Fort. After the visit check in the hotel, then relax at the beach. Overnight stay in Bentota.

Stilt Fishermen

Dutch Galle Fort in Galle……..

En-route visits Weligama Stilt Fisherman & the city of Galle Dutch Fort, museum & Church. Dutch Fort: Built in 1663, the fort still retains the atmosphere and charm of Dutch days. Many Old Dutch buildings are still intact inside the fort. The best way to see the fort is by walking around at the time of sunset. Dutch Museum: The Dutch Museum which is housed in a restored Dutch mansion of the time contains paintings, prints, documents, furniture and ceramics from the Dutch colonial era. Dutch Reformed Church: Built by a Dutch Army officer at the site of a previous Portuguese church and completed in 1754 the church is situated close to the new entrance to the fort. The church contains record of marriages since 1748 and baptism from 1678. The major highlight of the building is there are no pillars inside the building and the weight of the roof is supported by the walls

Day 09: Bentota – Ambalangoda – Bentota

After breakfast proceed to Ambalangoda. Visit the Masks Museum & Workshop in Ambalangoda. En route visit Turtle Hatchery in Kosgoda. Then you will be taken for Boat ride in Madu River. Do water Sports & Leisure on the beach in the evening. Later return to the hotel for overnight stay.

Masks Museum & Workshop in Ambalangoda - The town is famous for masks & puppets. The traditional masks are carved from light Balsa like Kaduru wood (Nux vomica). Kaduru trees grow in the marshy lands bordering paddy fields. The wood is smoke dried for a week in preparation. The hand carved & hand painted masks in traditional dance dramas are vibrant & colorful. The colourful& vibrant nagaraksha (Cobra demon) mask of the RakshaKolama (Demon dance), consist of a ferocious face with bulging, popping & staring eyes, a bloodthirsty carnivorous tongue lolling out of wide mouth armoured& armed to the hilt with set of fanglike teeth, & all topped by a set of cobra hoods.

Turtle Hatchery Kosgoda is famous for its turtle hatchery- operated by the Wild Life Protection Society of Sri Lanka. It was established in 1981 to protect Sri Lanka's turtles from extinction. The hatchery pays fishermen for eggs that they collect at night along the sandy beach. Visitors can see huge tanks filled with new born turtle hatchlings. After being fed, the baby turtles are taken to the sea and released when they are 2-4 days old, usually during the safer hours of darkness. Although October to April is the main laying season, some eggs can be found at Kosgoda throughout the year.The beaches of Sri Lanka are the nesting grounds for five species of marine turtles. They are the Green Turtle, the Leatherback, the Hawksbill, the Loggerhead and the Olive Ridley. All 5 species have been recorded to nest along specific areas of Sri Lanka's coast. Studies have indicated that beaches can be categorized in accordance with visitation by different species of turtles. For example Leatherbacks nest at WalaweModera and Godawaya. Hawksbill nests at Bentota while Green Turtle nests at Rekawa and Kosgoda. Loggerheads nest at Welipatanwala. Olive Ridleys are the only species of turtle that nest everywhere.

Madu River – The Madu Ganga River is a shallow water body in south-west Sri Lanka, which enters the sea at Balapitiya. The Buddhist AmarapuraNikaya sect had its first upasampada on a fleet of boats anchored upon it in 1803.

Day 10: Bentota – Colombo

Have breakfast relax in the hotel. Then proceed to Colombo. You will be taken for city tour and shopping in Colombo. Later check in the hotel and stay overnight.

Colombo - visit fort and Pettah areas and drive past the 100-year-old clock tower, the old parliament and several British built, colonial buildings. other places of interest are, a Hindu and a Buddhist temple, residential areas where you find the stately homes of the affluent, the Colombo museum, the Bandaranaike memorial international conference hall (BMICH). Also visit the ceramics corporation showrooms, the ODEL unlimited dress boutique and the majestic city shopping complex.

Day 11: Colombo – Airport

Have breakfast in the hotel. Then as per your flight timings get driven to airport to board your flight back home. Services from our side end with sweet memories of the Tour.