Itineraries

Day 01 :Dambulla

Dambulla is a world heritage site in Sri Lanka, located north of Kandy in Matale district The town of Dambulla is built around a large granite outcrop, concealing an impressive Buddhist cave complex, Raja Maha Vihara, datingfrom the 1st century BC. It is the largest and best preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka.The murals, covering an area of 2,100 square metres, include depictions of Buddha's temptation by Mara, and Buddha's first sermon. Statues of the Hindu gods Vishnu and Saman are also present, reflecting the arrival of Hinduism in Sri Lanka during the 12th century.On Route visit - Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage Near Kegalle on the Colombo Kandy road is the Pinnawela Elephant orphanage, a riverside sanctuary which cares for elephants displaced from wild habitats.

The Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage, established in 1975, commenced with seven orphans. Today some of these orphans enjoy the fortune of seeing their grandchildren born in the same location. The original objective of establishing the orphanage inclined more towards tourism, but is soon became a conservation and educational centre. With the help of local and foreign elephant experts, Pinnawela started a scientific captive-breeding programme for elephants.The orphanage is home to hundreds of abandoned or injured elephants who are looked after with warmth, love and affection. The elephants at the orphanage are bathed daily in a river located nearby.Dinner & Overnight stay at the Hotel.

Day 02 :Dambulla — Sigiriya — Kandy

After the breakfast leave for Kandy. On Route Visit Sigiriya Rock Fortress. The spectacular Rock Fortress of Sigiriya, 19 kilometers North East of Dambulla is one of Sri Lanka’s major attractions. The Rock was the Fortress of the "King Kasyapa" who murdered his father and stole the throne from his elder brother who was the rightful heir to the throne. Kasyapa built his fortress in this 182-meter high rock to protect himself from his enemies. Sigiriya may have been inhabited through prehistoric times. It was used as a rockshelter mountain monastery from about the 3rd century BC, with caves prepared and donated by devotees to the Buddhist Sangha. The garden and palace were built by Kasyapa 477 - 495 AD.

Following Kasyapa's death it was again a monastery complex up to about the 14th century, after which it was abandoned. The ruins were discovered in 1907 by British Explorer John Still. Today Sigiriya is famous for its ‘Mirror Wall’, which consists of poems and paragraphs carved by visitors to the rock many years ago and for its magnificent frescoes of shapely be-jewelled maidens, vibrant colours and the water garden similar to the Ajantha frescoes of India. Sigiriya is in fact, the best-preserved city center in Asia from the first millennium and has been named as a UNESCO world heritage site and 08th Wonder of the World.

Afterwards proceed to the ancient city kandy via beautiful scenary. Kandy - (the Sacred City of Kandy) - is a city in the centre of Sri Lanka. It lies in the midst of hills of rare vegetal species. The Kandy Valley crosses an area of tropical plantations. The monumental ensemble of Kandy is an example of construction that associates the Royal Palace and the Temple of the Tooth. It was one of a series of temples built in the places where the relic, the actual palladium of the Sinhalese monarchy, was brought following the various relocations of the capital city.The Temple of the Tooth, the palace complex and the holy city of Kandy are associated with the history of the dissemination of one of the most important religions of humanity, Buddhism. The Temple of Kandy is the product of the last peregrination of the relic of the tooth of Lord Buddha and the testimony of a cult which continues to be practiced today. Kandy has now grown out to encompass Peradeniya, home to the Botanical Gardens. In the evening walk around the kandy lake and watch Kandyan Dance performance. Dinner & Overnight stay at the Hotel.

Day 03 :Kandy — Nuwara Eliya

After breakfast visit Peradeniya Botanical Garden. As Sri Lanka’s largest garden an elegant and spacious 147-acres (60-hectares) plenty of time is needed to stroll Peradeniya’s imposing Avenue of Royal Palms. There are some 4,000 different species of plants at Peradeniya Gardens. The 10,000 or so trees, which are the stars, are mature, lofty giants, many of them tropical timber trees. Highlights of the collection include the Giant Bamboo of Burma, capable of growing to 40 meters height (130 feet) with a 25-centimetre (10-inch) stem diameter. And it can grow by a rapid 30 centimeters a day (12 inches). Absolutely sensational is the century old giant Javan fig tree, its tentacle like roots spread across the enormous area of about 1,800 square meters (19,375 square feet) a massive central trunk beneath the tree’s vast canopy ‘umbrella’. Take a train ride from Kandy to Nanu Oya via amazing scenary – Waterfalls , Mountains, tea states and caves.. Clients will love to have this experience. Proceed to Nuwara Eliya and relax at « Little Englend » Dinner & Overnight stay at the Hotel.

Day 04 :Nuwara Eliya — Ella — Yala

After breakfast visit Hakgala Gardens. The 2nd hill country botanic gardens after Peradeniya Gardens, which was originally a plantation of Cinchona from which the antimalarial drug quinine was found and later used for experiments in acclimatizing temperate-zone plants to life in the tropics, and were run by the same family for three generations, up to the 1940. Hakgala Botanical Gardens is located 10 km away from the town of Nuwara Eliya. Your trip to Nuwara Eliya is not complete without a visit to the Hakgala Gardens mainly because the site is legendary. It was once the pleasure garden of Ravana of the Ramayana epic and according to many, it was one of the places where the beautiful Sitha was hidden by the demon King Ravana. Afterwards visit Sitha Amman Tepmle Sitha Amman Temple - The stream that runs from the hill, catered to the needs of Sitadevi during her stay at Ashoka Vatika. She is said to have bathed in this stream. Now there is a temple erected for Lord Rama, Sitadevi, Luxshmana and Hanuman by the side of this stream. It is interesting to note that foot prints akin to Lord Hamunams are found by this river – some small and some large. You may visit Lord Ravana palace, Seetha Agni Pariksha place while you are touring.

Ravana Falls : The Ravana Ella Falls and the Rawana Ella Cave are located close to the Wellawaya mainroad in the famous valley called Ella gap, only about 6 kms away from the town of Ella well known for its splendid views to the Ella gap. The cascading waterfall measures about 25 metres. It is believed that Sita bathed in a pool that accumulated the water falling from this waterfall. The nearby Rawana Ella cave is quite small, only 50 metres long. As in the case of Ishthripura Cave in Welimada, legend has it that it was used by King Rawana to hide princess Sita. It is believed to belong to a network of tunnels also connecting it to the Dova temple and to all the palaces and airports and dairy farms of King Ravana. Archaeological findings in the Rawana Cave include a human skull dating back to 20,000 BC.

Ravana Caves : These tunnels prove beyond doubt the architectural brilliance of King Ravana. These tunnels served as a quick means of transport through the hills and also as a secret passage. These tunnels networked all the important cities, airport and dairy farms. A close look at these tunnels indicates that they are where a palace and a tunnel existed. Existing tunnels mouths are situated in Ishtripura at Welimada,Ravana cave at Bandarawela, Senapitiya at Halagala, Ramboda, Labookellie, Wariyapola, Matale and Sitakotuwa Hasalaka. In addition there are many more tunnels.Leave to Yala.Overnight stay at the Hotel.

Day 05 :Yala — Galle

Early Morning undertake the Jeep Safari at the Yala National Park. Also known as Ruhuna, is an important national park on the south east coast of Sri Lanka. The reserve covers 979 km², although only the original 141 km² are open to the public. Much of the reserve is parkland, but it also contains jungle, beaches, freshwater lakes and rivers and scrubland. The latter zone is punctuated with enormous rocky outcrops. The range of habitats gives rise to a good range of wildlife. Yala has the world's highest concentration of Leopards, although seeing this largely nocturnal carnivore still requires some luck. There are good numbers of Asian Elephants, crocodile, Wild Boar, Water Buffalo and Grey langurs amongst other large animals.

The open parkland attracts birds of prey such as White-bellied Sea Eagle and the wetlands have waders, Painted Storks, and the rare Black-necked Stork. Landbirds of course are in abundance, and include Sirkeer Malkoha, Indian Peafowl and Sri Lanka Junglefowl. The Port of Galle – Sri Lanka’s 04th biggest town is 115 km south of Colombo and close to Hikkaduwa. Galle is a town rich in history and in fact, was the centre of Dutch rule in the 17th century. The majestic Galle Fort bears ample testimony to that fact. The City of Galle is one of the best-preserved colonial-era cities in Southeast Asia, and has been declared a World Heritage City. Galle was a major port in Sri Lanka and still handles shipping and cruising yachts.

The Dutch Museum, Groote Kerk (Great Church) and the National Maritime Museum are some of the famous tourist attractions in Galle. The city is also famous for its delicate handmade lace and ebony carvings. The Galle International Cricket Stadium has also contributed to enhance the image of the city as a sports destination since of late. In the evening walk around the sea sides and enjoy the night.. If you are intrested in sea foods.. you can enjoy sea food dinner. Dinner & Overnight stay at the Hotel.

Day 06 :Galle — Colombo

After breakfast leave to Colombo- Commercial Capital. On- route visit Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery.. Colombo (derived from Sinhalese name Kola-amba-thota which means "mango harbour", altered by the Portuguese to honour Christopher Columbus), is the cultural capital and largest city and commercial center of Sri Lanka. (The new administrative capital of Sri Lanka is Sri Jayawardenepura-Kotte.) A vast majority of Sri Lankan corporations have their head offices located in Colombo. Some of the industries include chemicals, textiles, leather goods, furniture, and jewelry. Colombo was probably known to Roman, Arab, and Chinese traders more than 2,000 years ago.

Muslims settled there in the 8th century and controlled much of the trade between Sinhalese kingdoms and the outside world. The Portuguese arrived in the 16th century and built a fort to protect their spice trade. The Dutch captured the city in the 17th century. The British made the city the capital of their crown colony of Ceylon in 1802 Sightseeing highlights include the Colombo National and Dutch period museums, old and new parliament houses, Gangarama Buddhist Temple, Town Hall, and the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall.

Apart from excellent shopping, Colombo offers visits to one of the worlds leading tea auctions, an 18 hole Golf Course, seasonal Buddhist and Hindu pageants, international cricket tournaments, plush casinos, enjoyable evening entertainment and excellent restaurants. State-of-the-Art communications and Cyber services are available in the hotels and other outlets. Good road and rail transport links are possible from Colombo to all tourist resorts. A number of cruise lines also call at the Colombo Port. The Pettah area, which is in the heart of Colombo, is a beehive of activity. Traders and payment hawkers of all kinds flock to Colombo and it’s a well-known fact that Pettah is where the best bargains are available。 Dinner & Overnight stay at the Hotel.

Day 07 :Colombo

Transfer to the Airport for Departure.