Day 01 – Airport / Dambulla (Approximately 04 hours drive)
Arrive in Sri Lanka. You will be met by our representative in Sri Lanka and transferred Dambulla.
Check in at the hotel.
Overnight stay at Hotel Sigiriya, Sigiriya / Amaya Lake, Dambulla
Day 02 – Dambulla / Sigiriya / Polonnaruwa/Dambulla (Approximately 4 and ½ to 5 hours drive)
After Breakfast proceed to Sigiriya to climb the Sigiriya Lion Rock.
 Sigiriya is home to the 5th Century ‘Fortress in the Sky” which is perhaps the most fantastic single wonder of the Island. It is also known as Lion Rock because of the huge lion that used to stand at the entrance to the fortress. Within it triple-moated defence the huge rock rises almost to a sheer height of 500ft.
On its summit are the foundations of what was once a great and sumptuous palace and gardens complete with swimming pool. On
one of the stairways the only known ancient work of Sinhala secular
painting survived in the form of frescoes of life sized damsels in all
the freshness and delicacy of their original color.
Through
Golden paddy fields and lush Green you will continue to Kandy, the last
royal capital of Sri Lanka. Through the straight road you may take
turns to climb the mountain
Thereafter proceed to Polonnaruwa.
 Polonnaruwa is another “World Heritage Site” was
the Capital of Sri Lanka from 11th - 13th Centuries, contains some
splendid and spectacular statues. Lankatilake, Tivanka and Thuparama are
the most beautiful and largest Image Houses and Tivanka has the best
examples of frescoes of the Polonnaruwa period. Rankoth Vehera and
Kirivehera are well preserved large stupas, and Gal Vihare - a rock
shrine, has four Buddha statues, two seated, one standing and one
reclining and Parakrama Bahu statue are examples of Sinhalese stone
carver. The Vata-da-ge is a unique creation of the Sri Lankan
artists.The medieval capital, Polonnaruwa was fortified with inner &
outer moats and inner & outer walls. The Parakrama Samudra is on
the western side of the city. The Royal Palace, Audience Hall and other
buildings in the inner city were enclosed by another tall wall.
Thereafter return to hotel.
Overnight stay at Hotel Sigiriya, Sigiriya / Amaya Lake, Dambulla
Day 03 – Dambulla / Sigiriya / Kandy city tour ( Approximately 3 and ½ hours drive)
After Breakfast proceeds Dambulla Cave Temple.
 Dambulla is a vast isolated rock mass 500ft high and
a mile around the base. Here is found the famous Rock Temple dating to
the First Century BC. The caves of Dambulla sheltered the King Walagamba
during his 14 years of exile from Anuradhapura. When he regained the
throne he built the most magnificent of Rock Temples to be found on the
Island. In the first Cave is a recumbent image of the
Buddha 47ft long cut out of the Rock. There are images of deities
associated with Buddhism all around. The frescoes on the ceiling date
back to the 15th - 18th Centuries. In the Second Cave, the finest and
the largest of all, there are 150 life-size statues of Gods from the
Buddhist religion along with numerous images of the Buddha himself.
Thereafter precede Kandy, Enrout visit Spice Gardens and Bathik Factory at Mattale.
Spice Gardens at Matale –
You will see many spice gardens at Matale and in Mawanella on the
Colombo-Kandy road where Cinnamon, Cardamom, Pepper Creepers and all
other spice trees, plants and creepers are planted for visitors to see
them. Spice products are also available for those who would like to buy
them. At all Spice Gardens visitors are taken round explaining each tree
and plant and at the end explaining the use of them in food
preparations.
Afterwards visit a Batik Factory where you can see the manufacture of beautiful Batik prints. These shops contain a wide variety of Batik items.
Evening visit to Temple of the tooth relic.
 Temple of the Tooth Relic
- To Buddhist of Sri Lanka and the world, Kandy is one of the most
sacred sites as it is the home of the “Dalada Maligawa” - Temple of the
Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha
Thereafter witness the cultural dance performance featuring various types of dances.
Overnight stay at Hotel Topaz / Amaya Hills, Kandy
Day 04 – Kandy/ Nuwara Eliya (Approximately 2 and ½ hours drive)
After breakfast commence city tour of Kandy, including Upper Lake Drive, Market Square and Royal Botanical Gardens, Peradeniya.
 Kandy - The hill capital is another “World Heritage Site”.
It was the last stronghold of the Sinhalese Kings during the
Portuguese, Dutch and British rule and finally ceded to the British in
1815 after an agreement.
To
the Buddhists of Sri Lanka and the World, Kandy is one of the most
sacred sites as it is the home of the “Dalada Maligawa” - Temple of the
Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha.
Close
by are the remains of the Royal Palace (“Maha Wasala”), “Palle Wasala”-
where the Queens stayed-now used for the National Museum, “Meda Wasala”
where other close relatives lived, Audience Hall,
Natha
Devala and Vishnu Devala are situated close by. The Bathing Pavilion
(“Ulpenge”) is by the Lake and in the Center of the lake is the Island
called “Kiri samudraya” (Milk white ocean) used by the kings as the
summerhouse.
Today it is the center of Buddhism, Arts, Crafts, Dancing, Music and Culture.
Visitors can see these Dance & Music at the daily Cultural Performances held at several places in the city.
 Peradeniya Royal botanical Gardens- 147 acres in extent; Started in 1374 as a pleasure garden of the Kings of Gampola and Kandy. There
are more than 5,000 species of trees, plants and creepers. Some rare
and endemic as well as flora from the tropical world are found in the
gardens. Spice Garden and Orchid House are popular with tourists.
There
are 5 Palm Avenues beautifying the gardens, the earliest and tallest
Palm Avenue (Royal Palm Avenue) was planted in 1905 and the Double
Coconuts from the Seashells Island, with the largest seed of all plants
in the world is one such avenue.
Thereafter proceed to Nuwara Eliya, Enrout visit Tea Plantation and Tea Factory.
Tea Plantation
- Tea was first planted in Sri Lanka in 1824 at the Botanical Gardens
at Peradeniya, when a few plants were brought from China. More were
introduced from Assam in 1839. In 1867 a Scottish Planter named James
Taylor planted tea seedlings on an 8 hectares of forestland, in the
Loolcondura Estate.
Check in at the hotel.
Overnight stay at Galway Forest Lodge / Jetwing St’ Andrews, Nuwara Eliya.
Day 05 – Nuwara Eliya / Kitulgala / Bentota (Approximately 6 and ½ hours drive)
After breakfast commence city tour of Nuwara Eliya,
 Nuwara Eliya -
The ‘Little England’ of Sri Lanka, is set against beautiful backdrops
of Mountains, Valleys, Waterfalls and Tea Plantations. It is supposed to
be one of the coolest places in the Island, but it is really just like
an English spring day, although the temperature does drop at night. All
around Nuwara Eliya you will see evidence of the British influence,
houses like country cottages or Queen Ann style mansions. The Victoria
Park, in the middle of the town, is a lovely place for a stroll or a
picnic and is also good for Birding as you get some rare birds in this
Park.
Seasons
may be absent elsewhere in Sri Lanka, but here you can read them by the
flowers, which bloom in the spring (March to May) and the fall (August
and September). These are the “seasons” when low-country folk flock to
Nuwara Eliya to escape the sea level heat and humidity.
Thereafter proceed to Bentota via Kitulgala.
Kitulgala -
It is one of the most famous places for White Water Rafting adventures.
However there are many more reasons why this spot, just 100 kms from
the capital Colombo, is well worth visiting. Chief among these are the
historic Beli Lena Caves where the pre-historic Balangoda Man supposed to have lived. The caves are reached after a short 10km drive from the main road through the Kitulgala tea estate.
David Lean’s epic war film “Bridge on the River Kwai” was filmed in this area of the Kelani River, which runs through Kitulgala, and the ruins of the bridge still remains.
Overnight stay at The Surf, Bentota
Day 06 – Bentota Leisure
Breakfast at the hotel.
Rest of the day at leisure in the beach.
Overnight stay at The Surf, Bentota
Day 07 – Bentota / Airport (Approximate 3 and ½ hours drive)
After Breakfast at the hotel, Proceeds to the Airport to connect departure flight.
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