Travelpack

Highlights: Colombo - Kandy - Dambulla - Nuwara Eliya - Tissamaharama - Beruwala

Other Departures: Manchester - £1785, Birmingham - £1785, Edinburgh - £1745, Newcastle - £1789

Day 01: Airport / Colombo
You will be warmly welcomed by your chauffeur guide who will guide you throughout the tour.
After the formalities at the airport, leave for your first hotel in Colombo. (Approximately 1hr drive) Once reached, check-in to the hotel and relax. Commence a city tour in the evening. Sri Lanka’s commercial capital and the largest city with the highest population, Colombo is situated in the Western Province. It is a fascinating town that has a blend of eastern and western cultures where all colors of the island are drawn together. Many visitors appreciate the city’s colonial heritage and enjoy the vast range of fine shopping and dining outlets that can be located within the rush of its urban buzz.

During your journey through the City of Colombo, you will visit the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) which is the very first purpose-built convention center in Asia that combines the best of professional conference facilities available. Independence Square is also a must-visit, which today has become a major tourist attraction due to its historical significance and extraordinary work of architecture. Your visit will see the Old Parliament of Sri Lanka and the gorgeous Galle Face Green facing the beautiful Indian Ocean. Also, you could have the opportunity to shop at the famous department stores and malls in Colombo where you would find brands at bargain prices.

Overnight accommodation at Ozo Colombo.

Day 02: Colombo / Kandy Train Ride
Today, proceed to Fort Railway Station and board your train to Kandy. (Approx. journey time: 03hrs) 
Once reached, check-in to the hotel and relax. Overnight accommodation and dinner at Amaya Hills, Kandy.

Day 03: Kandy Sightseeing
After breakfast, embark on a sightseeing tour of Kandy. Kandy perhaps is Sri Lanka’s most beautiful town. Set 488 meters above sea level, Kandy is Sri Lanka’s most visited place after Colombo. The focal point of the town is the golden-roofed ‘Dalada Maligawa’, where the sacred tooth relic of the Buddha is enshrined. There are numerous shrines and temples in and around Kandy, where you will see rare paintings, frescoes, and stone carvings.

Attractions within Kandy:
Temple of the Tooth Relic. Visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic. It is located in the royal palace complex which houses the Relic of the tooth of Buddha. Since ancient times, the relic has played an important role in local politics because it is believed that whoever holds the relic holds the governance of the country. Kandy was the last capital of the Sinhalese kings and is a UNESCO world heritage site partly due to the temple. Thereafter you will have the time to do some shopping in Kandy, where you could fetch souvenirs in wood, copper, silver, brass, ebony, bronze, ceramics, lacquer work, handlooms, batiks, jewelry and reed-ware at bargain prices!! Next- Sightseeing of Kandy with Upper lake drive, Market square etc. Visit The British Garrison Cemetery. This well-maintained cemetery contains 163 graves from colonial times. Perhaps the most striking aspect of a visit here is learning just how young most people were when they died – if you made it to 40 you were of a very ripe old age. Some of the deaths were due to sunstroke, elephants or 'jungle fevers'. You'll probably be shown around by the highly informed caretaker, who once guided the UK's Prince Charles here, and who seems to have a tale for every tomb. Also, visit the National railway museum, Kadugannawa.
Sri Lanka Railways Declared to open National Railway Museum at Kadugannawa on 27th December 2014 to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the first train run. The first Train of the Ceylon Railway operated from Colombo Terminus station to Ambepussa conveying the Duke of Brabant of Belgium on 27th December 1864, This Museum Opening was held with the presence of Gathering of Special Guests and Public. A Memorial Stamp, Memorial First Day Cover, Souvenir for the 150th celebration, a coffee table book and DVD was also issued in this occasion A Replica Steam Train was also operated from Colombo fort to Kadugannawa conveying special invitees memorizing the first train run which held 150 years ago. Many old locomotives, carriages, Machineries, and Equipments have been exhibited at Railway Museum and the public can now visit it. **Museum is closed on Poya Days.

On completion, return to the hotel and relax. Enjoy a cultural show in the evening.
Overnight accommodation and dinner at Amaya Hills, Kandy.

Day 04: Kandy / Matale / Dambulla
After breakfast, proceed to Dambulla via Matale. Stop at Matale and visit a spice garden. (Approx. transfer time: 011/2-2hrs) For centuries, spices have been one of Sri Lanka's celebrated exports. Spices are mostly grown in home gardens (as a home industry) and used not only to flavor food but also for medicine and cosmetics. Also, enjoy a 15minutes head & shoulder massage. On completion, continue to proceed to Dambulla. And visit the Dambulla Rock Cave Temple (Approx. transfer time: 011/2hrs)

Dambulla Cave Temple is a vast isolated rock mass and it was here that king Valagambahu took refuge in the 01st century B.C. He later turned the caves into a rock temple. 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 ceiling found here are over 2000 years old and is the largest area of painting 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. On completion, check-in to the hotel and relax. Overnight accommodation and dinner at Amaya Lake.

Day 05: Dambulla/ Sigiriya/ Polonnaruwa/ Dambulla
Today after an early breakfast, proceed to Sigiriya Rock Fortress. (Approx. transfer time: 30mins) 
Sigiriya the rock monolith which stands almost 200 meters high was a monastery from the 3rd century BC to the 5th century AD. The 5th century AD saw this monastery transformed into a unique combination of urban planning, natural and imaginatively landscaped gardens, ingenious ancient hydro-engineering and management, the arts of painting, sculpture, poetry, and architecture. This was during the rule of one of Sri Lanka’s most controversial rulers, King Kasyapa.

Referred by locals as the Eighth Wonder of the World this ancient palace and fortress complex has significant archaeological importance and attracts thousands of tourists every year. It is probably the most visited tourist destination in Sri Lanka.

The palace is located in the heart of the island between the towns of Dambulla and Habarane on a massive rocky plateau 370 meters above the sea level. Sigiriya rock plateau, formed from magma of an extinct volcano, is 200 meters higher than the surrounding jungles. Its view astonishes the visitors with the unique harmony between nature and human imagination. The fortress complex includes remnants of a ruined palace, surrounded by an extensive network of fortifications, vast gardens, ponds, canals, alleys and fountains. The surrounding territories of Sigiriya were inhibited for several thousand years. Since the 3rd century BC, the rocky plateau of Sigiriya served as a monastery. In the second half of the 5th-century king Kasyapa decided to construct a royal residence here. After his death, Sigiriya again became a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century, when it was abandoned.
On completion, proceed to Polonnaruwa. (Approx. transfer time: 1hr) Once reached, embark on a sightseeing tour of the Ancient City by cycle.

The architect of this lovely city is known to be King Parakrama Bahu - The Great. The remains of the Royal Citadel council chamber, prince’s bathing pool and the Gal Vihare, a stone temple with its colossal sculptures of the Buddha in a quiet grove of trees as well as the still-functioning Parakrama Samudra, a man-made reservoir, larger than our Colombo harbor, are on easy distance from each other. The new museum has an excellent scale model of the ancient city as it was. On completion, return to the hotel and relax. Overnight accommodation and dinner at Amaya Lake.

Day 06: Dambulla / Kandy - Nanu Oya Rail Journey / Nuwara Eliya
Today, proceed to Kandy by road and board your train in Kandy railway station. (Approximately 2hrs drive) Enjoy the rail journey to Nanu Oya. (Approximately 3hrs journey) Once reached, proceed to your hotel in Nuwara Eliya and check-in. Overnight accommodation and dinner at The Blackpool, Nuwara Eliya.

Day 07: Nuwara Eliya Sightseeing / Ella / Tissamaharama
Today after an early breakfast, embark on a sightseeing tour of Nuwara Eliya. 
Nuwara Eliya is set in the heart of tea-country is a beautiful town where the British succeeded in creating a replica of the English countryside, with homes in styles from Georgian to Queen Anne. Well-kept lawns with hedges, an Anglican church, a famous golf course, and beautiful parks give the place an air of nostalgia. Situated 6,200 feet above sea level, the air is cool and fresh – a serene retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city life.
Pony and Horse riding is available at the turf club of Nuwara Eliya to facilitate you with some sports and adventure. On completion, proceed to Ella and explore. (Approx. transfer time: 1.5hrs)
Ella is blessed with some of the most beautiful views, you could find in Sri Lanka. Only 8 km from Bandarawela, this small town is used as a base for plenty of trekking expeditions to the surrounding countryside. A taste of the breathtaking scenery of Ella could be had, if you just walk into the Garden of the Grand Ella Motel (Formerly Ella Rest House), where you seem to be standing at the edge of the world, and everything around you seems to disappear at your feet. On completion, proceed to Tissamaharam and check-in to the hotel. Stop at a local vegetable market and enjoy a cup of Sri Lanka’s favorite dessert – Curd & Treacle. (Approx. transfer time: 2hrs) Overnight accommodation and dinner at Chaarya Resort, Tissa.

Day 08: Tissamaharama / Yala Safari / Tissamaharama/ Weligama/ Beruwala
After breakfast, proceed to Yala National Park and indulge on a Jeep safari. The elephant is undoubtedly the best-known attraction at Yala, seen in small & large herds. Herds of spotted deer are seen all over the park. Monkeys the pinkish rhesus and the grey-faced Langur monkey, live and play on the treetops and the ground below. Wild buffalo & wild boar could give a good surprise & the sight of a leopard sunning itself or drinking water at a water hole could be a memorable experience. The peacock is easily the most famous of the birds at Yala. The painted stork, many varieties of heron, the spoonbill, the bee-eater, parakeets, and king-fisher & woodpecker are some of the birds can be seen in the park. On completion, proceed to Beruwala for your beach stay. En-route stop at Weligama and witness the famous stilt fishermen of Sri Lanka. (Approx. transfer time: 3hrs)

Weligama is where you would see the famous stilt fisherman of Sri Lanka. Each fisherman has a long pole with a crossbar that is stuck in the seabed close to the shore.

The fishermen wade or swim out to these poles at times when the sea and fish are running in the right direction. They then perch on the crossbar, cast out their lines, and wait patiently for a nibble. The origin of this unusual fishing technique is unknown, but it is so successful that each stilt position is highly prized and handed down from father to son. Proceed to your hotel in Beruwala and check-in to the hotel. Overnight accommodation and dinner at Cinnamon Bey, Beruwala.

Day 09 & 10: Beruwala Beach Stay
Enjoy the beach stay and relax on the golden beaches. Overnight accommodation and dinner at Cinnamon Bey, Beruwala.

Day 11: Beruwala / Airport
Today you will be transferred to the Colombo Airport to catch your flight home, accompanied with all the happy memories of the Resplendent isle; Sri Lanka is once known as TAPROBANE. (Approximately 02hrs drive)

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