Discover Sri Lanka

After an early breakfast, proceed to visit Pinnawala Elephant Millennium.  You will enjoy an elephant walk experience and get the chance to bathe a giant beast. End the tour with lunch at the foundation. Continue your journey to the Cultural Triangle of Sri Lanka. Check-in at the hotel and relax during the rest of the day.

In the early morning, visit the rock fortress of Sigiriya. The legendary sky citadel of Sigiriya, the “Lion Rock” famous for its frescoes of ‘Celestial Maidens’ is the most impressive site in Sri Lanka. Built by King Kasyapa in the 5th century on top of a vast 200m granite rock it took seven years to build and was abandoned after ten years of occupation when the King, defeated by his brother, committed suicide. Although it is a steep climb, the views and frescoes are definitely worth the effort. Sigiriya is best visited first thing in the morning or just before sunset when it is cooler and less crowded. Take a tour of a local village nearby, enjoying the walks through paddy fields and the cool breeze.  It is an opportunity to get acquainted with the typical village life, as you meet village folk and their families.  You will engage in cookery demonstration along with a bullock cart ride. Just after the bullock cart ride you will also have a boat ride end to the with an authentic Sri Lankan lunch. Located between Habarana and Polonnaruwa, the 8,890 hectares of Minneriya National Park consists of mixed evergreen forest and scrub areas and is home to favorites such as Sambhur deer and elephants.  However, the central feature of the park is the ancient Minneriya Tank (built in 3 rd. century AD by King Mahasena). This tank is an incredible place to observe the elephants that come to bathe and graze, as well as the huge flocks of birds (cormorants and painted storks to name but a few) that come to fish in the shallow waters. Return to the hotel for overnight stay.

After breakfast, checkout from the hotel and proceed to Kandy. En route visiting the cave temples of Dambulla. Dambulla is renowned for its Cave Temples, which were built by King Valagambahu in the 1^st century BC in gratitude for the shelter he sought in the caves when fleeing from Indian invaders. Sited on a gigantic granite outcrop, which towers more than 160m above the surrounding land, the caves are completely covered by ancient frescoes depicting religious and secular scenes. Protected within the caves are hundreds of statues of Buddha, many carved out of the rock itself, of which the largest is the 15m long reclining Buddha. Afterwards your next stop will be at a spice plantation in Matale where they grow a variety of spices such as cinnamon, pepper and nutmeg, for which Sri Lanka was renowned and initially colonized by the Portuguese, Dutch and British. Arrive in Kandy. Kandy is the old capital of Ceylon and the seat of the last Singhalese kingdom.  It is a charming city with the most important Buddhist temple in the country and is set around an ancient artificial lake amongst rolling hills that are covered by forests and tea plantations.  Set in the mountainous area of the island, there are fantastic views over the city from some of the hotels. Kandy is a great place to buy gemstones.  Sapphires of all colors, rubies, tourmalines and spinel’s can all be found here.  Visitors are also invited to have a look around their workshop, where they will be able to see the design, and cutting, polishing and setting processes. Check in to the hotel for overnight stay.

Visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha in the late afternoon. Ever since it was founded in the 16th Century, it has housed one of the most sacred relics of Buddhism – a tooth of Buddha collected from his funeral pyre and which is now protected within the gold-roofed Temple of the Tooth. At 1600hrs witness a cultural dance show. Return to the hotel for overnight stay.

After early breakfast check-out of the hotel and proceed to Nuwara Eliya by train. You will board the Badulla train and enjoy a brief train ride to Nanuoya station. Your vehicle will travel ahead of you and pick you up from this station. Continue to Nuwara Eliya by your vehicle. En route you will visit a local tea factory and plantation. Rest of the day is free to relax. Overnight stay at the hotel.

After breakfast at the hotel check-out and proceed to Tissamaharama via Ella. You will stop at hill country vegetable patches and stalls of fruit sellers along your route. Lunch stop is at 98 Acres Hotel in Ella. After exploring the scenic lounge at the hotel continue to Tissamaharama and Yala. Check into the hotel. Proceed to visit Kataragama. Overnight stay at the hotel.

With a packed breakfast, make a morning safari in Yala National Park. Yala National Park (1,570 sq. km) was created in 1938 and is located in the south-eastern corner of the island. Its diverse range of habitats, including scrub jungle, brackish lagoons, lakes and rivers are home to 400 elephants and around 40 leopards in addition to wild buffalo, Sambhur deer, musk deer, black bears, macaques, jackals and a numerous variety of birds. Rest of the day relax at hotel and enjoy the local area. Check out from hotel and proceed to a southern or western beach resort. Relax and enjoy the sun on the beach.

Enjoy the sun, sea, and just relax on the beach.

Enjoy the sun, sea, and just relax. Check out from the resort at 12noon and proceed to the airport.