Description

Discover Sri Lanka with Beach (14D13N)

 

At a Glance

• Day 01: Arrival in Negombo 
• Day 02: Negombo – Dambulla 
• Day 03: Dambulla
• Day 04: Kandy   
• Day 05: Kandy
• Day 06: Nuwara Eliya 
• Day 07: Nuwara Eliya 
• Day 08: Yala
• Day 09: Yala – Udawalawa    
• Day 10: Udawalawa – Bentota 
• Day 11: Bentota
• Day 12: Bentota
• Day 13: Bentota
• Day 14: Departure from Bentota

 

Day 1. Arrival in Negombo

Welcome to Sri Lanka! 

If golden beaches, rising waves, misty mountains, mighty elephants, stealthy leopards, giant whales, a majestic past, lovely tea and warm smiles could sum up a country, that would be Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka has often been described as a tropical paradise. The vegetation of the coastal belt is lush and dramatic, and the mountainous areas of the interior are spectacular. Pleasant sea breezes temper the coast’s tropical climate through most of the year; the hills and mountains in the island’s centre are cool at night. Arab traders of long ago knew the island as Serendib, which is the origin of the word serendipity, reflecting the unexpected pleasures of the land. 

Upon your arrival at the airport our representative will await you and you will drive together to Negombo. The driving times will be approx. 20 minutes.

Check-in and time for leisure.

Overnight in Negombo    

Meal(s): Dinner

 

Day 2. Negombo – Dambulla 

After breakfast we will start our tour and leave for Dambulla, where we will visit the cave temples. 

Dambulla Cave Temple – 92 miles from Colombo. Dambulla is famous for the five cave Temples on a rock.  The first 03 caves are better, older and larger than the other two.  Some caves dates to 1st C.B.C. All the 5 cave walls and ceilings are covered with Buddhist murals and there are more than 130 Buddha statues, statues of Gods and Kings are also found here.

Transfer to the hotel in Dambulla and check-in.

Overnight in Dambulla 

Meal(s): Breakfast & Dinner

 

Day 3. Dambulla – Minneriya – Dambulla   

Breakfast at hotel and Morning at leisure. 

Afternoon transfer to Minneriya National Park and enjoy a 4 x 4 jeep safari in the Minneriya National Park. 

This 8,889-hectare national park is famous for its large numbers of elephants, who roam the jungle in herds of 100 to 150 animals and can be found in the catchment area of ​​the lake. In addition to elephants, the national park is also home to langurs, macaques, buffalo, wild boar, spotted deer, sloths, crocodiles, jackals, nine types of amphibians, 25 types of reptiles and around 160 species of birds.

After the jeep safari we return to the hotel in Dambulla.

Overnight in Dambulla

Meal(s): Breakfast & Dinner

 

Day 4. Dambulla – Sigiriya – Kandy  

After breakfast at the hotel, we will visit one of the highlights of the entire tour, the Lion Rock of Sigiriya. Sigiriya is a historic rock fortress and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982. 

The name Sigiriya means lion rock. It is an approximately 200-meter-high magma block that towers over the jungle, visible from afar. Buddhist monks lived under its rock overhangs and in the caves already around 300 AD.

On its summit are the foundations of the royal palace, water tanks for water supply, as well as guard buildings on the edges of the rock. On one of the stairwells, the only known ancient work of Sinhala secular painting -in the form of frescoes of 21 life-size virgins in the freshness and delicacy of their original colour- was preserved.

We continue our journey and drive to Kandy. The driving time is around two and a half hours. 

In Kandy we visit the Tooth Temple, which houses the tooth relic of Lord Buddha. It is the most important shrine in Kandy. The tooth is housed in a two-story shrine surrounded by two large elephant tusks and rests on a golden lotus flower enclosed in a jewellery box on a throne. The temple is adorned with beautiful local paintings and architectural details.

Transfer to the hotel and the rest of the day at leisure.

Overnight in Kandy

Meal(s): Breakfast & Dinner

 

Day 5. Kandy – Kegalle – Kandy

After breakfast in the hotel, we embark on a culinary adventure in Kandy and attend a cooking demonstration.

Sri Lankan cuisine is considered to be one of the hottest and spiciest in the world. Spices and coconut milk are generally always used to prepare Sri Lankan dishes. A friendly teacher will show us how to prepare some of these delicious Sri Lankan style foods. 

Afterwards we visit the Peradeniya Royal Botanical Gardens: this botanical garden covers 147 hectares and is not only a paradise for scientists but also for every nature lover. It was initially used as an amusement garden for the kings of Kandy from 1374 onwards. There are more than 5,000 species of trees and plants, many of them endemic. The Spice Garden and the Orchid House in particular are very popular with visitors. Transfer back to your hotel. 

Overnight in Kandy

Meal(s): Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

 

Day 6. Kandy – Nuwara Eliya

After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the Kandy Railway Station. Enjoy a Scenic Train Journey from Ella to Nuwara Eliya.

Special Note: We generally obtain 1st class train tickets for all our clients, but first-class carriages, with air conditioning are available only a few. Trains are often cancelled and we often face challenges in obtaining the tickets due to the very high demand. Hence we cannot definite the train tickets to our clients until we get the train tickets in hand.

Transfer to the hotel and the rest of the day at leisure.

Overnight in Nuwara Eliya

Meal(s): Breakfast & Dinner

 

Day 7. Nuwara Eliya

After breakfast at the hotel, start your city tour in Nuwara Eliya.

Nuwara Eliya City Tour

Explore the charming city of Nuwara Eliya, also known as little England on a full day tour visiting all the main attractions which include colonial buildings, Lake Gregory, Victoria Park and seeing beautiful landscapes covered with tea, a contrasting view apart from other major cities of Sri Lanka.

Witness the historical landmarks of Nuwara Eliya and absorb its colonial heritage. Stroll around Lake Gregory and take in the serene and calming atmosphere.

Visit the Victoria Park and enjoy its unique ambience and landscaped gardens, as well as the Sita Amman Temple which is wrapped in history and legend.

Return to the hotel and remaining time of the day at leisure.

Overnight in Nuwara Eliya

Meal(s): Breakfast & Dinner

 

Day 8. Nuwara Eliya – Ella – Yala  

After breakfast, we will take you to Yala National Park and commence Yala National Park jeep safari (3hrs).

Yala National Park covers 378 square miles and was established in 1938. It is a former shooting reserve of an athlete. Yala is the most famous and well developed national park in Sri Lanka, where wild animals and birds can be observed. Wildlife includes elephants in herds of various sizes, leopards, wild boars, buffalo, crocodiles, peacocks, jackals, sloths and more. 

The bird world includes around 130 species, including residents and migrants. Storks, paradise flycatchers, gray herons, short-toed eagles, sea eagles, black-necked storks, spoonbills and pelicans add color to the bird life in the park.

Return to the hotel and free time in the evening.

Overnight in Yala

Meal(s): Breakfast & Dinner

 

Day 9. Yala – Udawalawa

After breakfast at the hotel leave for Udawalawa. Visit Elephant Transit Home.

Twenty minutes’ drive away from the Uda Walawe National Park is the ‘Elephant Transit Home’, associated with the Born Free Foundation (UK). Here, orphaned or sick elephants are fed and cared for until they are strong enough to be returned to the wild. The centre allows you to visit at the feeding times of 10.30am, 2.30pm, and 6.30pm. From behind a barrier you can watch the elephants ambling along behind a keeper, into the compound where they will be fed milk through plastic hoses with funnels attached, some stamping and trumpeting with impatience. 

Thereafter transfer to Udawalawe National Park & enjoy a jeep safari.

Stretching over a land of 30,821 hectares, Udawalawe National Park is famous for its large population of elephants. Hence, this national park is ideal to observe the herds of marvelous Asian elephants in their unique natural habitats. It is known that about 400 elephants in total are sustaining here while about 250 of them are considered as permanently resident.

Overnight in Udawalawa

Meal(s): Breakfast & Dinner

 

Day 10. Udawalawa – Galle – Bentota    

After breakfast at the hotel leave for Bentota via Galle.

Galle – Sri Lanka’s most historically interesting town, built on a premonitory rock in the south of the Island. It was a major port until about 100 years, but today still handles shipping and sailing boats in the natural harbor. Stroll around the Light House and harbor or visit the old town where you can see the traditional lace makers and carvers and purchase some the finest shell-craft souvenirs in the world.

Thereafter proceed to Bentota and check in at the hotel. The rest of the day at leisure.

Overnight in Bentota   

Meal(s): Breakfast & Dinner

 

Day 11. Bentota    

Full day at leisure.

Overnight in Bentota

Meal(s): Breakfast & Dinner

 

Day 12. Bentota    

Full day at leisure.

Overnight in Bentota

Meal(s): Breakfast & Dinner

 

Day 13. Bentota    

Full day at leisure.

Overnight in Bentota

Meal(s): Breakfast & Dinner

 

Day 14. Departure from Bentota

Breakfast at the hotel. According to flight details, transfer to the airport in Negombo for your departure flight back home. End of services.

Meal(s): Breakfast