BEST OF SRI LANKA Wildlife, Spices and Forts

Day 01: Arrival in Colombo

Day 02: Colombo – Sigiriya / Dambulla

Day 03: Sigiriya / Dambulla

Day 04: Sigiriya/ Dambulla – Kandy

Day 05: Kandy Sightseeing

Day 06: Kandy – Yala

Day 07: Yala – Bentota / Wadduwa

Day 08: Bentota /Wadduwa

Day 09: Bentota – Colombo/Departure

DAY 01: ARRIVAL IN COLOMBO

On arrival at the Colombo International Airport, get welcomed by our representative and transferred to your selected hotel in Colombo.

DAY 02: COLOMBO – SIGIRIYA / DAMBULLA (177 KMS. /APPROX. 4.5 HRS.)

After breakfast, transfer to Sigiriya.

Visit Pinnawala Elephant orphanage en-route. Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is a home for Elephants (esp. population of baby elephants) found abandoned or orphaned in the wild. They are being cared for, fed and trained by the wildlife authority. The best time for your visit is at 9 in the morning, when you will have the opportunity of seeing these ‘gentle babies’ being bottle-fed. You could also see the elephants having their daily baths at a river close by.

DAY 03: SIGIRIYA / DAMBULLA

After breakfast, visit Sigiriya rock fortress and Dambulla caves (both of them are UNESCO World Heritage Sites) Sigiriya Rock Fortress was built by King Kashyapa (473 – 491 A.D). Sigiriya (meaning lion rock) is a citadel of unusual beauty rising 200 meters from the scrub jungle. The rock was the innermost stronghold of the 70-hectare fortified town. The base of the rock is rung by a moat, rampart, and extensive gardens including the renowned water gardens. The world-renowned frescoes of the “heavenly maidens’ of Sigiriya which are in a sheltered pocket of the rock approached by a spiral stairway are one of the main attractions. The frescoes are painted in earth pigments on plaster. Furthermore, visit the Dambulla Rock Temple, which was built by king Walagambahu in the 1st century B.C. Dambulla is a world heritage site and is the most impressive of Sri Lanka’s cave temples. The complex of five caves with over 2000 sq. meters of painted walls and ceilings is the largest area of paintings found in the world. The caves contain over 150 images of the Buddha of which the largest is the colossal figure of the Buddha carved out of rock and spanning 14 meters.

DAY 04: SIGIRIYA/ DAMBULLA – KANDY (75 KMS. /APPROX. 2.5 HRS.)

After breakfast, transfer to Kandy. Visit Matale spice gardens en-route. See many different types of spices Sri Lanka is famous for. You will be introduced to different spices and shown how some of these spices are grown and processed. Gardens are open to visitors, a delightful place to stroll in fragrant greenery and learn about nutmeg, pepper vines, clove trees and curry, cinnamon and the precious cardamom. Rest of the day exploring on your own.

DAY 05: KANDY SIGHTSEEING

After breakfast, set off for a city tour of Kandy. Kandy is the last capital of the Sri Lankan kings which is a World Heritage Site. The name Kandy conjures visions of splendor and magnificence. Many of the legends, traditions, and folklore are still lovingly kept alive. Drive around the Kandy Lake built by the last Sinhala king Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe in 1806, visit the Kandy town and bazaar, the arts and crafts center and a gem museum and lapidary. The evening is the best time to visit the Temple of the Tooth, which contains the tooth relic of Buddha, and thereafter witness a traditional cultural dance show. Visit Kandy temple, botanical gardens and cultural show.

DAY 06: KANDY – YALA (266 KMS. / APPROX. 07 HRS. DRIVE)

After breakfast, transfer to Yala. En route visit Ramboda falls and tea plantations. Visit a tea plantation and a tea factory where one of the best teas in the world is produced. You will be told all about the process of manufacturing tea and also see how tea is graded. Taste a cup of pure Ceylon tea in the factory. Check-in to the hotel on arrival.

DAY 07: YALA – BENTOTA / WADDUWA (245 KMS. / APPROX.5.5 HRS. DRIVE)

After breakfast, visit the Yala National Park. Yala is situated 309 km south of Colombo. The terrain is varied, flat plains alternating with rocky outcrops. The vegetation ranges from open parkland to dense jungle. The specialty here is the large numbers of Elephants. Yala is the largest national park in Sri Lanka and is the home of wild elephants, wild boar, wild buffalo, leopard, bear, deer, and crocodiles. Visitors can also see large flocks of migratory and indigenous birds.

Thereafter, transfer to Bentota / Wadduwa. Visit Galle en route. Galle was once the chief port of Ceylon as Sri Lanka was named by the British. It is still well known for hand-made lace, tortoise shell curios, and ebony elephants. You can also visit the Galle Fort (spanning 90 acres), which was originally built by the Portuguese and later extended by the Dutch in 1663. This is a world heritage site.

DAY 08: BENTOTA /WADDUWA

After breakfast, go for a city tour of Bentota. Visit Maduganga boat ride and a turtle hatchery. Bentota is situated on the Northern limit of the Southern Province, at the confluence of the sea and the Bentota River, 62 km from Colombo. Its location in the sun-drenched southern coast at the mouth of the Bentota River and its picturesque, sandy, palm-fringed beaches which border the warm, sparkling waters of the Indian Ocean made it a natural choice for development as Sri Lanka’s first planned tourist resort. Today it is famed in Sri Lanka’s global tourist markets as a highly attractive holiday resort with a wide and varied choice of distinctive hotels to suit every taste and purse. Bentota also has a complete range of tourist facilities within the resort complex including very popular water sports centers.

DAY 09: BENTOTA – COLOMBO (110 KMS. / APPROX. 02 HRS DRIVE) - DEPARTURE

After breakfast, transfer to the Colombo Airport to board on flight for onward destination.

Note: This is just a suggested itinerary indicative of what could be possible. We tailor holidays for your specific needs. Contact us if you want modifications so that we could tailor a holiday to suit your need for an unforgettable Holidays.