Description

Essential Sri Lanka (8D7N)

 

 

At a Glance

• Day 01: Arrival in Negombo 
• Day 02: Negombo – Dambulla 
• Day 03: Dambulla 
• Day 04: Dambulla – Kandy via Sigiriya 
• Day 05: Kandy / Drip trip to Kegalle
• Day 06: Kandy – Nuwara Eliya 
• Day 07: Nuwara Eliya 
• Day 08: Departure from Nuwara Eliya 

 

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 center 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. 

Village Tour – villages in Sri Lanka remains largely unchanged. You can feel how people live simply in harmony with the environment, responding to the seasons as they unfold. Specially you can visit traditional village and observe villagers’ day to day life pattern, domestic activities, and cultural framework. This tourist village tour includes the track winds its way on a flat terrain through the village past patches of jungle, Chena cultivations, Bull cart ride, catamaran boat ride in the village lake, visit a traditional mud house and you can have Srilankan Lunch (Rice and curry) by simple and very friendly village folk going about their daily routine. Transfer to the hotel in Dambulla and check-in.

Overnight in Dambulla 

Meal(s): Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

 

Day 3. Dambulla – Polonnaruwa – Minneriya – Dambulla   

After breakfast at the hotel, we continue to Polonnaruwa. The trip will only take about an hour. We then explore the ancient city of Polonnaruwa by bike. 

The Polonnaruwa Archaeological Park has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982. It is one of the most famous sights in Sri Lanka’s cultural triangle. There are remains of large dagobas (stupas) and temples with numerous Buddha images as well as gardens, parks and palaces and various buildings of a former large city. In particular, the Buddha statues by Gal Vihara are a major draw for visitors. These are four Buddha figures carved into a rock.

Then we continue to Minneriya 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.

Delicious Cookery Demonstration – It’s time to cook! The cooking class will be led by a local cooking expert that knows all the secrets to a good Sri Lankan dish. Local instructor will explain us how the preparing of dishes in Sri Lanka works and teach us how to cook rice and curry. We will prepare a typical meal with 2/3 curries, and there are many to choose from. Some of the favorite Sri Lankan curries are: dhal curry, potato curry, chicken curry, eggplant curry, Fish Curry and so many more… After the cooking is done we will have time to enjoy our meal! Afterwards we visit to Millennium Elephant Foundation.  

Millennium Elephant Foundation (MEF) a family run non-government organization (NGO) which is dedicated to improving the welfare of domestic elephants throughout Sri Lanka. MEF was started in 1999 in memory of Sam Samrasinghe. Charity Number 457. 

We provide and fund the care, medical treatments, food, mahout salaries, the running costs of the charity as well as having an on call Mobile Veterinary Unit which travels around the country treating sick elephants in need. We rely on the income from volunteers and tourism to continue the important work we do for these gentle giants. Home of the new and exclusive Elephant Walk Experience. The alternative to elephant riding option for tourists. An ethical, up close and personal experience unique to MEF. The most interactive enjoyable way to see domestic elephants in Sri Lanka.

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 08. Departure from Nuwara Eliya

Sadly, it’s the end of the tour and time to say goodbye to Sri Lanka. After breakfast, meet the assistant and transfer to the Airport for your departure flight. 

End of services.

Meal(s): Breakfast