Sri Lanka Express
From Negombo to Unawatuna
Tour Operator: G Adventures
Physical rating: 2 - Light
Special diets catered: Vegetarians, Vegans
Age range: You must be 18 to travel unaccompanied on a G Adventures tour. For minors travelling with a guardian over 21 years old, the minimum age is 12.
Tour operated in: English
Prices From:
Tour Overview
Discover Sri Lanka's incredible cultural and natural highlights on this eight-day tour. Explore a spice plantation, look for elephants on safari in Udawalawe National Park, and visit a stunning tea plantation. Wrapping up in Unawatuna, this tour is designed for add-on beach time to complete your vacation.
Highlights
Explore stunning beaches- Stay overnight at a local tea estate
- Explore stunning beaches, search for wildlife on a safari, gain insight into the national heritage at a tea plantation, indulge in the world-class flavours of Sri Lanka, Stay overnight at a local tea estate, Camp outside a national park
- Kandy
Your G for Good Moment: AMBA Estate
- Camp outside a national park
- gain insight into the national heritage at a tea plantation
- Ella
Your Welcome Moment: Meet Your CEO and Group. Spice plantation visit. Temple of the Tooth visit. Tea tasting. Cooking demonstration. Udawalawe National Park safari. Galle City and Fort tour. All transport between destinations and to/from included activities.
- indulge in the world-class flavours of Sri Lanka
- search for wildlife on a safari
Itinerary
Day 1: Negombo
Location: Negombo
Accommodation: Sea Horse Hotel
Arrive at any time.
There are no planned activities until an evening welcome meeting.
ACTIVITY: Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.
Day 2: Negombo/Kandy
Location: Negombo
Accommodation: Winter Villa kandy
Meals: BREAKFAST, LUNCH
Drive to Kandy, visiting a spice plantation en route. Enjoy lunch at G Adventures-supported Sthree Craft Shop and Café. Later, explore Temple of the Tooth.
TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
ACTIVITY: Visit the herbal centre of spices for an interactive session with students of Ayurveda. Learn all about the medicinal uses of various herbs used by the people of Sri Lanka in their massages and treatments.
ACTIVITY: Stop for a delicious traditional Sri Lankan lunch prepared by Sthree Craft Shop and Café. This social enterprise offers opportunities for local women and youth living with disabilities, through handicraft and hospitality training.
ACTIVITY: Enjoy a tour of the Temple of the Tooth, which houses an important relic – a tooth of Lord Buddha kept in a well-preserved golden casket. Learn about the importance of this site from local guides.
Day 3: Kandy
Location: Kandy
Accommodation: Winter Villa kandy
Meals: BREAKFAST
Explore Kandy with a free day.
FREE TIME: FULL DAY Get out and explore more of Kandy.
Day 4: Kandy to Ella area
Location: Kandy
Accommodation: Amba Estate
Meals: DINNER
Travel by private vehicle to the historic town of Nuwara Eliya and enjoy some free time. Continue the journey to the rolling green valleys of the Ella area and spend 2 nights at the G Adventures-supported AMBA estate, an organic farm and guest house.
Livelihood opportunities in the valley of Bandarawela, Sri Lanka are limited for low income community members. Many rely on agricultural work, especially in the tea plantations, which can be arduous with little financial gain. Amba Estate came to the area with the purpose of promoting economic growth through their organic tea plantation, paying fair wages, sharing their profits with their workers, and creating opportunities for growth. Having established its place in the travel market, Amba is now ready to support community cooperatives as a means of better spreading the income of tourism throughout the valley. Planeterra is working alongside Amba Estate by supporting the initial investment for the first community-led microenterprise that will work in partnership with Amba. Planeterra’s catalyst grant covers the equipment, training and setup costs for a group of six women to formally become a chutney co-operative. The chutney will be sold back to Amba Estate for travellers to consume, as well as sold to guests and in markets throughout Sri Lanka. G Adventures travellers began visiting Amba in July 2018. They now have the opportunity to eat the delicious chutneys, meet the women and see how it’s made!
TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
ACTIVITY: Tucked into the hills of Ella Rock, Amba Estate is an organic tea plantation that provides the local community with meaningful employment opportunities and fair wages. During your two-night stay at Amba Estate, you'll learn about traditional hand-rolling techniques used in tea production along with preparing (and eating) delicious local food.
Day 5: Ella area
Location: Ella
Accommodation: Amba Estate
Meals: BREAKFAST, DINNER
In the morning, enjoy a tour through the tea plantation and learn about one of the nation's most popular exports followed by a tea tasting. After enjoy free time to soak in the stunning scenery, opt to hike to Ella Rock, or visit Ella town by tuk tuk. This evening, enjoy a cooking demonstration of classic homestyle Sri Lankan dishes, a delicious mixture of savoury and sweet.
ACTIVITY: Learn about one of Sri Lanka’s most exported commodities with a visit to a local tea plantation. Meet a local tea expert who will enlighten you on how the leaves are harvested and processed. Enjoy a taste of pure Sri Lankan tea direct from the factory, and experience a cup of truly fresh tea from one of the world’s most renowned tea regions.
ACTIVITY: Tucked into the hills of Ella Rock, Amba Estate is an organic tea plantation that provides the local community with meaningful employment opportunities and fair wages. During your two-night stay at Amba Estate, you'll learn about traditional hand-rolling techniques used in tea production along with preparing (and eating) delicious local food.
FREE TIME: AFTERNOON Discover all Ella has to offer with a free afternoon.
Day 6: Ella/Udawalawe National Park
Location: Ella
Accommodation: Big Game Camping Udawalawe
Meals: BREAKFAST, DINNER
Depart Amba Estate in the morning after enjoying a delicious home cooked breakfast. Begin the journey to Udawalawe National Park and visit the Elephant Transit home before enjoying an afternoon wildlife safari through Udawalawe National Park. Afterwards, head to a tented camp by the lake on the boundary of National Park and relax with a BBQ dinner around the campfire.
TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
ACTIVITY: Drive through this massive nature reserve and keep an eye out for the mighty Sri Lankan elephants – they live in abundance here and often wander along the road. Make several stops to observe these beautiful animals.
Day 7: Udawalawe National Park/Unawatuna
Location: Udawalawe National Park
Accommodation: Hotel J Unawatuna
Meals: BREAKFAST
After breakfast transfer from Udawalawe to Galle for a tour of the fort and city. Later, head to Unawatuna, on the south coast.
TRANSPORT: Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.
ACTIVITY: Visit the Galle Fort, a 16th-century fort first built by the Portuguese, and later occupied by the Dutch. The ramparts are still standing even after being battered by Mother Nature, including the 2004 tsunami. Explore more of the beautiful capital, taking in the Dutch architecture and lively atmosphere. The Dutch Hospital shopping complex is a great place to scoop up some souvenirs.
TRANSPORT: Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.
Day 8: Unawatuna
Location: Unawatuna
Meals: BREAKFAST
Depart at any time.
Additional Information: The Colombo airport can be reached by taxi or there are train and bus connections from nearby Galle for much less. Your CEO can help you arrange a transfer.
ACTIVITY: Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with travel arrangements to extend your adventure.
What's Included
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Accommodation
Standard hotels/guest houses (6 nts), camping (1 nt).
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Meals
6 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 3 dinners
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Spice plantation visit
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Galle City and Fort tour
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Udawalawe National Park safari
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Temple of the Tooth visit
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Tea tasting
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Cooking demonstration
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Your G for Good Moment: Lunch at Sthree Craft Shop and Café, Kandy Your G for Good Moment: AMBA Estate, Ella Your Welcome Moment: Meet Your CEO and Group
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All transport between destinations and to/from included activities
Meals Included
Accommodation
Transport
Your Peace of Mind Options
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Low Deposit
G Adventures requires a deposit of 200 GBP to secure a place on this tour, and the final balance is not due till 60 days before departure..
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Secure payments
All payments to TourHub are deposited into an externally regulated Trust account.