Essentials of Sri Lanka

Meet @ the hotel by 15h00 local time. (own arrangements for the transfer from the airport to the hotel in Colombo -32Km from the Airport transfer time by vehicle around 45mts)

Evening visit the city of Colombo, the largest city and the Commercial Capital of Sri Lanka.

Arrive at the hotel for overnight stay.

After breakfast, get ready to visit Sigiriya. Some considers Sigiriya as the eighth wonder of the world. It consists of an ancient castle used by King Kasyapa in the 4th century AD. The Sigiriya site has the remains of an upper palace sited on the flat top of the rock, a mid-level terrace that includes the Lion Gate and the mirror wall with its frescoes. The moats and walls that surround the lower palace are still exquisitely beautiful.

Arrive at the hotel for overnight stay.

After breakfast, get ready to visit Polonnaruwa, the second most ancient of Sri Lanka's kingdoms. Polonnaruwa was first declared the capital city by King Vijayabahu I, who defeated the Chola invaders in 1070 CE to reunite the country once more under a local leader. While Vijayabahu's victory and shifting of Kingdoms to the more strategic Polonnaruwa is considered significant, the real Polonnaruwa Hero of the history books is actually his grandson, Parakramabahu I. The city Polonnaruwa was also called as Jananathamangalam during the short Chola reign. However, with the exception of his immediate successor, Nissankamalla I, all other monarchs of Polonnaruwa, were slightly weak-willed and rather prone to picking fights within their own court.

In the afternoon visit Medirigiriya. The Medirigiriya site is situated in a beautiful surrounding and has a history going in to the pre-Christian times. The brahmi characters found on the bricks and some of the stone carvings is an indication of the long history of this site. The first reference to this site in the chronicles is during the king Kanittha Tissa (192-194) of the Anuradhapura Era. Later many kings have contributed to this complex. There are remains of an advance hospital in the same area. This is built as two squares. The outer square has 33 stone pillars and the inner square has 20 pillars. There have been three entrances to the building. There are indications that the rooms have had doors. A well-preserved medicine boat can also be seen here.

Return to the hotel for overnight stay.

After breakfast, get ready to visit Anuradhapura, one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka. This place is world-famous for its well-preserved ruins of the Great Sri Lankan Civilization. The Civilization built upon this city was one of the greatest civilizations of Asia and in the world. The city is now a world heritage site according to the UNESCO. Founded in the 4th century BC it was the capital of the Anuradhapura Kingdom till the beginning of the 11th century AC. During this period, it remained one of the most stable and durable centres of political power and urban life in South Asia. It was also a wealthy city which created a unique culture and a great civilization. The ruins consist of three classes of buildings, dagebas (stupas), monastic buildings, and royal ponds.

Next visit Mihintale, situated 12 kilometres east of the ruins of Anuradhapura. The sacred mountain of Mihintale is considered the location where Buddhism was first introduced to the island. There are two stories, one historical and one mythological, that explain the arrival of Buddhism at Mihintale. According to historical sources, in the middle of the third century BC the great Indian Emperor Ashoka had sent his son Mahinda to Sri Lanka to spread the teachings of the Buddha.

Return to the hotel for overnight stay.

After breakfast, get ready to visit Kandy. En-Route visit Dambulla. The Dambulla cave Temple (also known as the Golden Temple of Dambulla) is a world heritage site (1991), situated in the central part of the country. This site is situated 148 km (92 mi) east of Colombo and 72 km (45 mi) north of Kandy. It is the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. The rock towers 160 m (525 ft) over the surrounding plains. There are more than 80 documented caves in the surrounding. It has five caves under a vast overhanging rock, carved with a drip line to keep the interiors dry. In 1938 the architecture was embellished with arched colonnades and gabled entrances. Inside the caves, the ceilings are painted with intricate patterns of religious images following the contours of the rock. The Dambulla cave monastery is still functional and remains the best-preserved ancient edifice in Sri Lanka. This complex dates from the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC.

Next visit a spice garden and a batik factory in Matale. The Spice Garden in Matale is called Sri Lanka’s immortal soul because it is easy to find plenty of the great scents, tastes and medicines that make Sri Lanka famous. See and learn about spices at Matale, and experience the great riches of Sri Lanka’s cuisine and traditional Ayurveda therapy

Finally arrive at Kandy, a major tourist destination – also known as the cultural capital of Sri Lanka. Nestled in the hills at an altitude of 488 m, it is located at a distance of 115 km from Colombo. Kandy has a rich history. It was originally known as Senkadagalapura after a hermit named Senkada who lived there. Many of Sinhalese people call it Mahanuwara meaning the Great City. The name Kandy was derived by the colonial rulers from the word ‘kanda’ in Sinhala, meaning a hill. Kandy was the stronghold of the Sinhalese kings, who promoted and protected the local culture until the city was occupied by the British in 1815.

Visit the Temple of the tooth, the main attraction of the city and also the most sacred Buddhist establishment in Sri Lanka where one of Buddha's tooth relic is being kept. It is built in the 16th century but improvements and additions have been made in this structure until the fall of the Kandy kingdom. A golden canopy was added to it recently. Daily rituals are being carried out at various offering times to the shrine. A dress code applies for entering the temple. The magnificence has been enhanced by the octagonal pavilion. In the evening, enjoy a Kandyan Dance.

Arrive at the hotel for overnight stay.

After breakfast, get ready to visit Peradeniya. The Royal Botanical Gardens of Peradeniya is considered to be one of the most beautiful botanical gardens in Asia. It is situated in a slope of the Mahaweli River. The total area of the botanical garden is 147 acres. The origins of the Botanical Gardens date as far back as 1371 to the period of King Wickramabahu III. It is renowned for its collection of a variety of orchids. It also includes spices, medicinal plants and palms trees. Attached to it is the National Herbarium. The classical Avenue of Palms is located in this Garden. One tree with a significant history is the Cannonball Tree planted by King George V of the United Kingdom and Queen Mary in 1901. The tree is bent with its fruits, which look like cannonballs. During the Second World War, the Botanical Garden was used by Lord Louis Mountbatten, the supreme commander of the allied forces in the South Asia, as the headquarters of the South East Asia Command.

In the evening, leave for Nuwara eliya, en-route visit a tea plantation. Nuwara Eliya is called as the Paradise of Nature & as the heart of Tea country located at a height of 1980 meters in the central highland of a tropical Island. The weather & the climate of this location feel different in comparison to the other places in Sri Lanka. Therefore, most of the visitors are interested in spending their Holidays in Nuwara-Eliya. Apart from the assortment of Climate, there are plenty of eye-catching & heart-touching places. The most attractive places in Nuwara-Eliya are Gregory’s Lake, Haggala Botanical Garden, Laksapana Falls, Lover’s Leap, Devon Falls, Oliphant Estate, The Ceylon Breweries, and The Golf Club.

Arrive at the hotel for overnight stay.

After breakfast, get ready to visit Ella, Ella is blessed with some of the most beautiful views in Sri Lanka. Only 8 km from Bandarawela, this small town is used as a base for plenty of trekking expeditions to the surrounding countryside. It occupies a very scenic vantage point, with views on a fine day stretching right across the South Coast of Sri Lanka. Some of the places you could see in Ella are the Ella Gap, Ravana Ella Falls, Little Adam's Peak and Bambaragala Peak among many other pleasant walks with stunning scenery. Ella is only a small village located high in the mountains. Like most places in Sri Lanka the nice thing about Ella is the climate. It reminds us of a hot English summer. Hot during the day and cool at night. If you fancy climbing the peaks that are dotted around Ella, make sure you take sun protection and water.

Next, visit Buduruwagala, located about 5 km from Wellawaya on the Thanamalwila road. The name Buduruwagala means “the rock with the statue of Buddha”. Seven figures are carved in this rock with a massive 51-foot Buddha statue in the Abhaya Mudra gesture at the centre. The rock itself is in the shape of a kneeling elephant with its head bowed down. Although there is no documented information about this site in the ancient scriptures, it is now believed these carvings were done during the last days of the Anuradhapura period.

In the evening, visit the Udawalawa National Park, the best place in Asia to see herds of Asian Elephants in the wild. Udawalawa National Park, is one of Sri Lanka's Dry-Zone Dry Evergreen forests that harbours one of Asia’s largest & most viable Asian elephant populations. The 30,821ha Park was set up in the year 1972 to protect the catchments of the man-made Rainwater Reservoir which is at the south end of the River Walawe. The vital habitats that make up this land area include open parklands, grasslands and thorn scrubs aside riverbanks that are home to many valuable and much sought-after species of trees. Since its declaration as a National Park in 1972, it has become very popular, especially with Foreigners.

Arrive at the camping site for overnight stay with Dinner.

After breakfast, get ready to visit Negombo. En-route visit Galle, the capital of the southern province with a colourful history. The most popular attraction of the town is the magnificent Dutch fort which has been declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO. The 300-year-old Dutch atmosphere is still alive around the fort and amidst its many historical buildings not invaded by the skyscrapers. The beautiful beach of Unawatuna is just 6km south east of the city centre. The Dutch Reformed Church, contains records of marriages since 1748 and baptism from 1678. The other significance of the building is that there are no pillars inside the building and the weight of the roof is entirely supported by its walls. The southern coastal belt is very popular among tourists and comes to life mainly from October through April when the monsoon moves northeast and the sea becomes calm with blue skies.

In the evening, arrive at Negombo, located approximately 37 km north of the commercial capital Colombo of Sri Lanka. It is located at the mouth of the Negombo lagoon. The major beach resort in the West Coast is Negombo. The wide sandy beaches and the safe sea are the major attractions of Negombo and it is perfectly located within the 7 km from the Bandaranaike International Airport in Sri Lanka. Negombo has a majority of Roman Catholics along with Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims. Negombo has been given the name "Little Rome" due to the highly ornate Portuguese-era Roman Catholic churches found within the township. Negombo has an Old Dutch Fort, which was built in 1672. Arrive at the hotel for overnight stay.

Breakfast at hotel & the rooms are available until 12h00 in the afternoon.

Own arrangements for your transfers or extension of stay in Sri Lanka.