Sri Lanka, or Ceylon as it was known for many years, is an ancient land with a recorded history that began around 4th century BC when people settled in Anuradhapura. History, however, is just one small part of what this country offers to travel enthusiasts.
Breathtaking landscape, a calm yet dynamic culture, and warm people that reflects in their hospitality. This destination is heavily influenced by Buddhism, and thereby one experiences this culture and its allied things on this island country off the coast of India. Explore tourism to its potential in this trip involving visits to Buddhist and Hindu temples, rich flora in the lush green tea estates, amazing sandy beaches and an overall captivating cultural experience.
| Day 1: | Arrive Colombo (Sri Lanka) |
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| Day 2: | Colombo |
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| Day 3: | Colombo/ Polonnaruwa (Drive) |
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| Day 4: | Polonnaruwa / Sigiriya / Kandy (Drive) |
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| Day 5: | Kandy / Nuwara Eliya (Drive) |
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| Day 6: | Nuwara Eliya / Mount Lavina (Drive) |
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| Day 7: | Mount Lavina/ Colombo/ Home |
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Enna vishayam! (Welcome in Tamil) Upon arrival in one of the world's oldest countries we are welcomed in traditional Sri Lankan style and transferred to your hotel.
A scenic drive through the city brings us to the busy commercial areas as well as the tree lined residential Cinnamon Gardens. Visit Sea Street - the Goldsmith's quarter in Pettah, the bazaar area, a Hindu Temple, the Dutch Church of Wolfendhal dating back to 1794, the historical Davatagaha Mosque, the Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara (Buddhist Temple) believed to be the site visited by Lord Buddha 2500 years ago.
After an early breakfast we head off for the Elephant Orphanage at Pinnawala for the (0900 hrs) feeding of the elephants and bathing in the river. After this unique experience we visit Dambulla*, to explore the rock cave temple, which is comprised of a series of 5 caverns with ceilings of natural rock covered with intricate paintings. The natural folds of the rock have been skillfully used to given the illusion of a cloth. Forty-eight statues of the Buddha and images of the various deities can be seen inside the cave. Thereafter we proceed to the 11th Century A.D capital city of Polonnaruwa* where the South Indian influence on the architecture is still noticeable. The Gal Vihare is where four colossal statues of the Buddha carved out of the living rock stand testimony to the skill of master craftsmen. We also visit the Tivanka Pilgrimage with its priceless murals and the vast man made lake that is the Sea of Parakrama - a feat of ancient engineering.
The day starts with a visit to the World Heritage site at Sigiriya* where we climb the 5th century A.D. Rock Fortress. The vision of a patricidal king named Kasyapa transformed an awesome monolith into a cloud swept city. The mirror wall that protects a series of exquisite murals (frescoes of celestial maidens using natural pigments) and the Lion's Paw entrance to the ruined palace on the summit are well worth the effort of the ascent. We proceed to Kandy visiting en route the Spice Gardens at Matale. Kandy was the seat of the Kandyan Kings from the 14th century A.D. and is a repository of Sinhala culture. Evening is an interesting cultural experience as we enjoy a Kandyan Cultural Dance complete with fire eating and fire walking. The day culminates with a visit of the Dalada Maligawa, the Temple of the Tooth in time for the Pooja (sacred offering).
Our morning tour of Kandy* takes us around the beautiful lake and the upper lake drive. We visit the Arts and Crafts center where we can buy Kandyan silver and brassware, metal work, lacquer work, wood and bone carvings, pottery and hand woven fabrics. Next, we visit the Royal Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya, formerly the pleasure gardens of the Sinhala Queens. The gardens contain over 4000 species of plants. The avenue of the Royal Palms, the bamboo fringed Riverside drive, the Bat drive with a vast collection of flying foxes who spend the daylight hours hanging upside down, are some of the special features of this lovely garden. There is also an Orchid house, a Spice garden, a Herb garden and Glass house of Begonias, African Violets and other greenhouse plants. We then proceed to Nuwara Eliya in the heart of the tea country, which was established by the British as a replica of a little English village reminiscent of the Lake District. Even today Tudor and Victorian style houses with trim English gardens speak of a gentler age. An 18 holes golf course and the picturesque lake are a year round attraction. Tour this unusual little city and en-route visit a tea factory where you can see the intricacies that go into the manufacture of the world's best loved brew.
An interesting day ahead as we head off for Ratnapura, the City of Gems, famous for blue, yellow and star sapphires, cat’s eyes, rubies, alexandrite and a multitude of semi precious stones in every hue of the rainbow. Gems are found very close to the surface and a visit to a gem "pit" is on every visitor's itinerary. We then proceed to Mount Lavinia. Evening is at leisure or laze by the pool or walk along the beach.
* DENOTES UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES INCLUDED
