Day 01
AIRPORT - NEGOMBO
AM
Arrive at the Bandaranaike International Airport.
Assistance on arrival by a representative of “Heritage Expediciones”
Transfer to Negombo and check-in at the hotel.
PM
Visit the fishing village. The auctioning of fish is interesting to watch, also the various types of boats used for fishing.
At leisure for the rest of the day.
Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
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Day 02
NEGOMBO - DAMBULLA - GIRITALE - MINNERIYA - GIRITALE
AM
Breakfast. Leave for Giritale. At Dambulla you will visit the Rock Cave Temple. A 1st century BC Rock Caved Temple which contains the most outstanding collection of Buddha images in Sri Lanka. These images of Lord Buddha are of his different reincarnations as well as depicting some historic episodes.
PM
Check-in at your selected hotel.
An evening jeep safari of the Minneriya National Park.
The Minneriya National Park is situated in the North Central Province twenty kilometres northwest of Pollonnaruwa and 182 kilometres from Colombo. Located on the banks of the Minneriya Tank built by King Mahasena (274-301 AD) this park is considered one of the most scenic spots in the country. Twenty four species of mammal are found in the park, the most important being the elephant of which there are 150-200. Minneriya is a hide-out for elephants seen in herds roaming around the park. Other species present include Sambur and Spotted Deer, Leopard, Sloth Bear, Toque Monkey and purple faced leaf monkey. Minneriya became a National Park in the year 1997.
Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
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Day 03
GIRITALE - WASGAMUWA - GIRITALE
AM
Breakfast
Enjoy a Jeep safari to the Wasgamuwa National Park.
The Wasgamuwa National Park is 39,322 hectares in extent and located within Polonnaruwa and Matale Districts. It is 225 kilometres from Colombo and entirely river borderd – to the east by the Mahaweli Ganga to the west and north by the Amban Ganga and to the south by the Duniwilla Oya. One of the unique facets of Wasgamuwa is the cultural heritage contained within its borders. Tropical mixed evergreen forest is predominant and over twenty three species of mammal are seen. Apart from the population of two hundred elephants, Leopard, Sloth Bear, Jackal, Wild Boar, Water Buffalo, Spotted Deer, Barking Deer and Fishing Cat are also found here. One hundred and forty three species of birds and thirty five species of reptiles have been recorded in this park. Wasgamuwa was declared a National Park in 1984.
PM
Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
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Day 04
GIRITALE - SIGIRIYA - POLONNARUWA - GIRITALE
AM
Breakfast
Climb the Sigiriya Rock Fortress which is World Heritage Site.
Sigiriya, a massive rock in the green scrub jungle, is perhaps the most memorable place for visitors to Sri Lanka. The site was known from ancient times as a hermitage for Buddhist monks. A well planned monastic complex includes caved temples, bathing pools, ponds and Asia's oldest surviving landscaped gardens. Today Sigiriya is famous for its frescos painted in the pocket of the rock. The "Lion stairway" the "Mirror Wall" and the "Water Gardens" are it's other highlights.
PM
Proceed to Polonnaruwa and visit the ruins of this ancient capital. Polonnaruwa was the mediaeval capital of Sri Lanka and today it is one of the most beautiful centers of our cultural heritage. With its comparatively brief history and a dozen rulers, it is a far more completely preserved ruin than Anuradhapura. Visit the ancient ruins and the Gal Vihara complex where three large Buddha statues are carved out of a single rock.
Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
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Day 05
GIRITALE - MATALE - KANDY
AM
Breakfast
Leave for Kandy. The Spice Garden and Batik Factory on the way will interest you.
Batik is an ancient art of mixing colours by using wax as the main component and today Sri Lanka is among the world leaders in the design of batik. Batik galleries and factories offer batik from simple single coloured designs to intricate multi-coloured masterpieces.
Visit a spice garden in Matale. For centuries, spices have been one of Sri Lanka's celebrated exports. Spices are mostly grown in home gardens (as a home industry) and used not only to flavor food but also in medicine and cosmetics. Visit a Spice Garden and sample scents and flavors such as cinnamon, ginger, pepper, vanilla, cardamom etc.
PM
Arrive in Kandy and check-in at the hotel.
Later leave on a city tour of Kandy.
Sri Lanka's second most popular city is Kandy, a beautiful historical place in the citadel of the country. It is not only known for it's great kings who ruled the city for almost 225 years independently until the British took over in 1815, but it is also the place where the Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha is laid in a magnificient temple.
Visit part of the Old Palace and the Temple of the Tooth Relic and view the traditional rituals of the Temple which are performed daily. In the evening, view a half hour cultural performance of Kandyan Dancing which includes fire walking.
Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
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Day 06
KANDY – NUWARA ELIYA - ELLA
AM
Breakfast.
Your journey to Ella will begin in the morning via Nuwara Eliya and on the way you will visit a high grown tea plantation. Enjoy a cup of freshly brewed tea.
It is generally accepted that the discovery of tea occurred in ancient China. The Chinese say it was their Emperor Shen-Nung in 2737 BC who first tasted tea. The story goes that while he was boiling his drinking water a few leaves from a wild tea bush accidentally fell into the water. The Emperor liked the delicate flavor they imparted to the water and so the art of tea making was born. Ceylon tea is acclaimed as the best tea in the world. The influence of climatic conditions imparts to the product a variety of flavors and aromas, synonymous with quality. The cultivation and manufacture of tea is presently a highly skilled, scientific and technical process, with Sri Lanka producing some of the most fragrant teas in the world.
PM
Arrive in Ella and check- in at the Ella Adventure Park for dinner and overnight stay.
Optional activities one could indulge in are village hopping, canoeing, frogging, mountain biking, nature trails, visits to waterfalls and historical archaeological sites.
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Day 07
ELLA – KATARAGAMA or YALA
AM
Breakfast. Leave for Kataragama or Yala taking the Buttala / Kataragama road where there are chances of seeing wild elephant crossing.
PM
Arrive in Kataragama or Yala and check-in at the hotel.
Enjoy a jeep safari to the Yala National Park which is by far the best wild life park in Sri Lanka.
The Park is situated 309 km. South of Colombo and approximately 1,259 sq. km in extent. It is mainly thorny scrub forest and the vegetation ranges from open parkland to dense jungle. Water holes, small lakes, lagoons and streams provide water for the animals and birds. The speciality here is the large number of elephants. Species of deer, wild buffalo, wild boar, monkeys, crocodiles, peacock and painted stork is a common sight in the park.
Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
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Day 08
KATARAGAMA or YALA – UDA WALAWE
AM
Breakfast.
Proceed to Uda Walawe for a safari of the Uda Walawe National Park. Hop into your four wheel drive jeep that awaits you at the entrance to the park.
The Uda Walawe National Park is approximately 30,821 hectares in extent and situated 170 km. south east of Colombo. This park comprises grasslands and thorn scrubs and many valuable species of trees are found within it. Large herds of elephant and deer species such as spotted deer, sambhur, wild boar, water buffalo, jackal are some of the prominent wild animals found in this park and a variety of avifauna is seen. This park acts as the catchment to the Uda Walawe Reservoir.
PM
Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
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Day 09
KATARAGAMA or YALA - GALLE - KOSGODA - COLOMBO
AM
Breakfast.
Leave for Colombo visiting the coastal city of Galle, the Ambalangoda mask makers and a Turtle hatchery at Kosgoda.
Galle is the south coast’s major city and the oldest landmark is the massive 17th century Portuguese and Dutch Fort. The walled city has stood since the early sixteenth century through the colonial period of the Portuguese (1587 AD), Dutch (1640 AD) and British (1796 (AD) and in present times is proclaimed as an archaelogical reserve. The strong Dutch influence could be seen in the architecture of the city. Galle is famous for lace making, ebony carving and cutting and polishing of gem stones. Galle is known to be a ` World Heritage Site ‘.
A visit to the Turtle htachery
Four of the five endangered species of sea turtles lay their eggs in sandy beaches of Sri Lanka. Most vulnerable of all are their eggs. The fishermen keep watch and collect these eggs to be consumed or sold in the market place. The Turtle Foundation purchase these eggs and hatch them in their own hatcheries. Once hatched, the baby turtles are provided refuge for three days and released to the sea.
PM
Arrive in Colombo and check-in to the hotel
City tour of Colombo, the commercial capital of Sri Lanka. It is also a paradise for shoppers.
Colombo is the commercial capital city of Sri Lanka, which stretches for 14 km along the western shore of the country. It is not just a simple city of two million people, but a metropolis, where different ethnic groups, religions and cultures intermingle. The contrast between highrise hotels, colonial mansions, supermarkets, street bazaars, dazzling cars and motor-rickshaws is found every where you look.
Dinner and Overnight stay in Colombo.
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Day 10
COLOMBO - AIRPORT
AM
Early breakfast
Transfer to the Bandaranaike International Airport for departure.
Please note that it is an airline requirement to check-in three hours prior to your departure.
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