Destinations: Colombo / Sigiriyia / Polonnaruwa / Minneriya National Park / Dambulla / Kandy /Pinnawala/ Nuwara Eliya
Duration: 05 nights / 06 days
Day 01 – Colombo
Arrive at the Bandaranaike International airport, Katunayake. You will be met and assisted on arrival by Ceylon Tours airport staff and transferred to Colombo, the commercial capital of the country. (30km – approx. 1 hour drive)
On arrival, check in at the hotel. In the Afternoon commence a sightseeing tour in city of Colombo. Drive through the commercial and city centre area known as the “Fort”, built by the Portuguese in the 16th century where grand colonial era buildings stand alongside modern office structures. See the busy markets and noisy bazaars of Pettah. Drive past the Town hall, Independence Square, the B.M.I.C.H (International Convention Centre) and Cinnamon gardens residential area and visit a Buddhist temple and a Hindu Kovil to experience the diversity of religion, ethnicity and customs of the people.
Return to your hotel on completion.
Overnight stay at a hotel in Colombo.
Day 02 – Sigiriya
After breakfast at the hotel leave for Sigiriya (170 km – approx. 3 ½ hours drive) and climb the Rock Fortress (a UNESCO World Heritage site) built by King Kassapa in the 05thcentury A.D. which was a Royal Citadel for more than 18 years. The lion rock is a citadel of unusual beauty, rising 200 metres from the scrub jungle. The base of the rock is ringed by a moat and rampart and extensive gardens including the renowned water gardens. The majestic Lion’s Paw picturesquely guards the stairway of the palace on the summit. See the famous frescoes of the “Heavenly maidens” of Sigiriya in a sheltered pocket of the rock and the 10 foot high Mirror Wall.
Thereafter check in at hotel.
Overnight stay at a hotel in Habarana
Day 03 – Polonnaruwa
On completion, leave for Polonnaruwa (45 km, approx.1 hour drive), (UNESCO World Heritage Site) the Capital of Sri Lanka from the 11th to 13th century, a well-planned medieval city defended by enclosing walls (around 5 km. which still remain),graced by palaces, shrines, monasteries, pavilions, parks, ponds and irrigation lakes. Polonnaruwa is strewn with ruins in a resplendent state of preservation. Of these the ‘Vatadage’ and the ‘Thuparama Image house’ are the most spectacular. The ‘Gal Vihara’ which consists of statues of the recumbent, standing and seated Buddha have been cut from a single granite wall and rank among the true masterpieces of Sri Lankan Art. Return to your hotel on completion.
Thereafter visit Minneriya National Park by private jeeps. Minneriya National Park has an extent of 8889 hectares and it surrounds Minneriya Lake with a feeder area of 249 square kilometers. Wild elephants are largely benefited by the increased availability of water in the Minneriya Lake. Dominant vegetation types found in Minneriya National
Park are Medium canopy secondary forest with scrub, ridge forests with open Low canopy species, grasslands, plains and wetlands. Abandoned slash and burn cultivated patches (chenas) also are found within this National Park. Amongst the animals found at the Minneriya National Park are the wild Elephants, Purpled faced leaf monkey, Toque monkey, Sambar, Spotted deer, Painted strokes great white pelicans, Ruddy turnstones
and Grey Herons.The threatened and rare wild animals found in this park is the leopard and sloth in bear.
Overnight stay at a hotel in Habarana
Day 04 – Dambulla / Kandy
After breakfast at the hotel, leave for Dambulla (25 km, approx. ½ hours drive) and visit the famous Golden Rock cave temple which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
A sacred pilgrimage site for 22 centuries, this cave monastery, a vast isolated rock mass with its five caverns is the largest best preserved cave-temple complex in Sri Lanka.
The Buddhist mural paintings (covering an area of 2,100 sq. meters) are of particular importance as are the 157 statues including a 47 foot long statue of the recumbent Buddha. The ceiling of one cavern is fully illustrated with paintings that follow the natural folds of the rock so closely that it appears to be made of cloth. The complex of caves is one of the most impressive Buddhist Temples in the world.
Thereafter leave for Kandy (72 km – approx. 3 hours drive).
En route visit a Spice garden in Matale.
Kandy, the bustling hill country capital is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is famous for the pink painted Temple of the Tooth which houses the most sacred religious relic, the tooth of the Buddha, the Kandy Lake built in 1807 which is an attractive centerpiece to the town and the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens.
Kandy is also popular because of the annual festival known as the Esala Perahera where the inner casket covering the tooth relic of the Buddha is taken in a grand procession through the streets of the city held annually in the month of July or August.
On arrival in Kandy, check in at the hotel.
In the Evening visit the sacred Temple of Tooth Relic. Thereafter enjoy the Kandyan Cultural show at the Kandyan Arts & Cultural Centre. The show features the graceful and rhythmic dancers and drummers culminating in an impressive fire walking display.
Overnight stay at a hotel in Kandy.
Day 05 – Pinnawela / Nuwara Eliya
After breakfast leave for Pinnawala and visit the Elephant orphanage (50 km, 2 hours drive). This orphanage was set up by the government to take care of baby elephants lost or abandoned in the wild. Witness the feeding of the elephants. The baby elephants being bottle fed with milk is a heartwarming sight. Thereafter observe them as they take their daily bath in the river nearby, which affords marvelous photo opportunities. Bath time is enjoyed by all elephants, young and old alike and it is a good time to closely observe their tightly knit family structure. The young elephants are protected and cared for, by the older ones in the group and the leader of the group is respected by all. (Open from 8.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. Daily feeding times- 9.15 a.m.,1.15 p.m. 5.00 p.m. Bathing times – 10.00 a.m., 2.00 p.m., 4.00 p.m.).
On completion leave for Nuwara Eliya (130km, approx. 4 ½ hours drive). En route visit the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens where a rare collection of tropical exotic and indigenous flora including the famous Orchid House could be viewed.
Continue to Nuwaraeliya & en route visit a tea plantation and a tea factory, At the tea factory witness the process of manufacture of tea from plucking of the green leaves to packeting of the processed tea which is mainly meant for export markets.
This beautiful town of Nuwara Eliya, set in the heart of Tea country and situated 1890 meters above sea level, is where the British succeeded in creating an English countryside with homes in styles from Georgian to Queen Anne with well kept lawns with hedges.
In the afternoon commence a sightseeing tour of the city. Visit the Nuwara Eliya Town, Market place, Golf Course, (one of the finest 18 holes Golf courses in Asia) the Hill club, and drive around this hill station viewing Lake Gregory.
Overnight stay at a hotel in Nuwara Eliya
Day 06 – Nuwara Eliya / Beach
Breakfast at hotel.
After breakfast leave for your beach stay via Kitulgala, where the famous film “bridge on the river kwai”.was filmed.The 1957 Blockbuster Movie “Bridge on the River Kwai” and the historic blowing up of the bridge during the train crossing was enacted on the Kalani River at Kitulgala.
En route visit St Clair’s and Devon waterfalls.
Afterwards drop at Airport for departure or drop at a beach hotel.
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