Tour Highlights
- Bentota Beach
- Turtle Hatchery in Kosgoda
- Boat Ride at Madu River
- Galle City
- Kataragama temple
- Jeep Safari at Yala National Park
- Little Adam’s Peak, Ella
- Horton Plains
- Nuwara Eliya City
- Tea Plantation & Factory
- Udawattakale
- Peradeniya Botanical Gardens
- Kandy City & Cultural Show
- Spice Garden in Matale
- Pasikudah Beach
- Jeep Safari at Minneriya National Park
- Dambulla Cave Temple
Day 01 – Bentota
Meet and assist on arrival at Airport by Sri Lanka Christi Tours representative.
Transfer from Airport to Bentota. Dinner and overnight stay hotel at Bentota.
Day 02 – Bentota Beach
After breakfast at hotel, full day leisure at the beach. Dinner and overnight stay at Bentota Beach Hotel.
Day 03 – Bentota Beach
After breakfast at hotel, full day leisure at the beach. Dinner and overnight stay at Bentota Beach Hotel.
Day 04 – Turtle Hatchery / Madu River / Galle
Breakfast at Bentota Beach Hotel.
Transfer from Bentota to Kosgoda. Visit to a Turtle Hatchery in Kosgoda.
Both locals and international volunteers battling it out for “Sea Turtles’ Sake” is a common sight at Kosgoda. This vibrant tourist destination sitting calm along the southern coast of Sri Lanka – apart from its traditional industries of fisheries and cinnamon cultivation – was later recognized by the Wildlife Protection Society who studded the region with a Sea Turtle Conservation Project which operates on a formidable scale today. Indirectly, this has become a watering hole of flipper & shell enthusiasts!
Transfer from Kosgoda to Balapitiya. Carryout a boat ride at Madu River.
Balapitiya is where one could just sit back and observe how ecology and culture combines under the sun. Cut through the clear water of Madu River – a lifeline of Balapitiya – and head towards Kotu Duwa, the small island housing a temple that dates back to ancient Sinhalese kings. Or sail through tunnels of shady mangroves swaying alongside Madu River – hiding an ecological treasure – to witness the tranquility of this biodiversity hot spot which boasts of reptiles, mollusks and over 70 species of fresh water fish. Today the region – which is strong in observing rural folk life in the island – does not only boast of cinnamon plantations in abundance, but also has a fine ‘Fish Pedicure Center’ – one of the most potent & last rejuvenation techniques. Apart from these amenities Balapitiya has also become a household name in the minds of bird watchers ensuring a thrilling offshore experience.
Transfer from Balapitiya to Galle. Visit to Galle City.
Galle, the epic southern capital, is the intersection where classic Dutch architecture meets a tropical setting creating a vivid atmosphere in beauty. Walk the Dutch haunted streets listening to the creaks of wooden saloon doors and observe how European architecture mingles with South Asian traditions today flooding cultural enthusiasts on a global scale. Its original ramparts and bastions preserved up to date showcase evidences of a heritage preserved for more than 3 ½ centuries. Walk clockwise within the fort to observe the ‘old gate’ carrying the British coat of arms. Flanking the old gate is the Zwart bastion – the oldest of all – and the lighthouse standing 18 feet in its glory next to the Point Utrecht Bastion. This Dutch bliss is painted with streets that spread in a rectangular grid pattern pierced with houses carrying Dutch colonial style verandas. Hop into the Dutch Hospital Shopping Complex to be mesmerized by an array of souvenir selections. However, its hallmark stands a reality where the Dutch Fort remains a working community with its usual buzz of administrative offices, court complex, commercial buildings, churches and southern folks frequenting its streets bracing the air of the Elysium of architecture, Galle!
Transfer from Galle to Tissamaharama. Overnight stay at Tissamaharama.
Day 05 – Kataragama / Yala
Transfer from Tissamaharama to Kataragama. Visit to Kataragama temple.
Walking on blazing fire, drums clattering away flanking the whistling music of brass flutes and men with their cheeks, arms and chest covered in ash chanting ‘Haro Hara’ echoing the sky are common sights at the holy land of God Skanda, Kataragama. As the mysteries that surround this ‘land of vows’ float in clouds of incense, people irrespective of their religion flock together to venerate this pilgrimage site. However, the town becomes busiest during the months of July – August as the Kataragama Festival begins flashing the streets with swiftly moving fire dancers, exotic ‘Kawadi’ dancers as well as majestically caparisoned elephants swaying their heads from side to side, as exotic drums are pounded away side by side.
Transfer from Kataragama to Yala.
Do a jeep safari at Yala National Park. Spreading into a vast 1259 sq km Yala – with its glory spinning around vast grasslands, shrubs, tanks and dunes – rightfully is the heartland of wildlife in Sri Lanka. As your jeep rumble through the giant gates of Yala, you are not only stepping into the most visited national park in the country, but also the lands of a civilization which thrived during the reign of Sri Lankan kings. You name it, and Yala has it! Its usual inmates cover herds of elephant, sloth bear, spotted deer, jackal, extensively populated bird life as well as the highest density of leopards in the world that garnish the park to be one of the finest destinations in the country. Feel the rough track as your jeep thunders over rocks and swish passing narrow bends for an exhilarating experience blended with the cries of wilderness under the tropical sun.
Transfer from Yala to Tissamaharama. Overnight stay at Tissamaharama.
Day 06 – Ella / Nuwara Eliya
Transfer from Tissamaharama to Ella. Carryout a trek to Little Adam’s Peak, Ella.
A quaint hill side village offering the most amazing view in all of Sri Lanka, Ella is ideal for leisurely treks. Trudge through tea plantations, temple sites and waterfalls through the day. Welcome the night with clear skies, twinkling stars and the distant glow of light houses in the southern coast. Through there are just a handful of guesthouses and hotels here, Sri Lankan’s warm and friendly signature hospitality is more than available at every place.
Transfer from Ella to Nuwara Eliya. Dinner and overnight stay hotel at Nuwara Eliya.
Day 07 – Horton Plains
Early morning take a picnic breakfast and transfer from Nuwara Eliya to Horton Plains. Carryout a trek to Horton Plains.
Horton Plains, UNESCO World Heritage Site, trekking paradise and Eco tourism hideout in the heart of the isle, painted with unending stretches of green pastures marks one of the healthiest wet evergreen forests in Sri Lanka. With an altitude above 7000 ft, the plateau sweeps to a robust 3169 hectares sheltering flora and fauna varieties that may be found nowhere else on earth. As the tributary of Belihul Oya – Bakers Falls – thunders down rocks head along the 9km trekking path – across frost – covered grass – to feel the icy cold wind against your face. You may even gaze down World’s End, a head-spinning 3700 ft drop towards the southern end or drive carefully through herds of sambar deer, shy to human touch & bird life chirping across the plains. If you’re cautious enough you may be greeted by the sights of a grunting wild boar, a pouncing fishing cat, otters or even the ‘Spotted Ghost that haunts the plains’ the Sri Lankan Leopards!
Transfer from Horton Plains to Nuwara Eliya. Visit to Nuwara Eliya City.
Misty steep roads, twisting through lush green blankets of tea bushes in a cool climate, remind visitors that they are within the range of the renowned British colonial retreat, Nuwara Eliya. Augmented by an English countryside atmosphere, the city of light – once governed by English & Scottish planters – is still studded with colonial bungalows, hedgerows & one of the finest 18-hole golf courses in the world. A hike through the green grass and red-brick walls should present breathtaking views of a buzzing countryside hamlet. Drive through green valleys of the hill country pierced by endless waterfalls & dotted by tea pluckers draped in bright-colored saris. Or rent a bike for a gentle ride along the banks splashed by the waters of Lake Gregory.
Dinner and overnight stay hotel at Nuwara Eliya.
Day 08 – Tea Plantation & Factory / Kandy
Breakfast at hotel. Transfer from Nuwara Eliya to Tea Plantation & Factory. Visit to a Tea Plantation & Factory.
Sri Lanka, Tea and Tourism are words which cannot be separated. Take a tour to the cold & misty hills that take pride of an ultimate tea tour, covering lush green blankets of tea plantations. Or just step into a tea factory processing the prestigious brand of Ceylon Tea, to observe a rich tradition kept alive up to date. As you observe the hissing and swishing of machines, inhaling the heavenly scent arising from these facilities, make sure to end your day in style over a perfectly blended cup of pure Ceylon Tea.
Transfer to Kandy. Rest of the day, leisure at the hotel. Dinner and overnight stay hotel at Kandy.
Day 09 – Udawattakele / Peradeniya / Kandy
Breakfast at hotel. Transfer from Kandy to Udawattakale.
Morning carryout a village trek at Udawattakele. Udawattakele’s location itself highlights this destination as ‘unique’. Expanding within the heart of Kandy, the sanctuary brags history blended with ecological treasures. Take a walk along the track and you won’t even know until you’re wrapped in the chirps of birds. Even though it is a paradise for bird lovers, the sanctuary – housing three monasteries – today is also home for mouse deer, boars, bats, giant flying squirrels as well as monkeys in abudance.
Transfer from Udawattakele to Peradeniya. Visit to Peradeniya Botanical Gardens.
First developed as a pleasure garden under royalty and later harmonized by the British, the Royal Botanical Garden of Peradeniya – today bundled with the most welcoming facilities located just 4 miles off Kandy – is a flourishing national asset in the Wonder of Asia. Walk in to this 147 acre bliss of an experience, passing well tended lawns, pavilions & an octagon conservatory to be greeted by the vast expanse of a magnificently landscaped lush green turf which will encourage you for an exhilarating break. Towards the north of the entrance rests a cafeteria that one might come across before stepping into some of the highlights – the orchid house & giant Javan fig tree – of this place which overflow in grace.
Transfer from Peradeniya to Kandy. Visit to Kandy Temple, Kandy City & witness a Cultural Show.
Last ruled by king Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe – before it was brought under the British rule in 1815, Kandy – the World Heritage Site and last royal capital of Sri Lankan kings – crafts an array of culture, history and heritage in the minds of visitors across the globe. Experience an ancient Kandyan legacy engraved its crown jewel, the temple of the sacred tooth relic of Lord Buddha. A stroll across this small lakeside town – cradled among the misty hills – will feature the Kandy City Center – bundled with latest and world class brands, bazaar, an arts & crafts center, as well as a gem museum and lapidary. Walk in color as you glide through fresh fruits and vegetables in the Kandy market. Fine tube your evening by stepping to the beat of traditional music & drumming amplified by a cultural show enhancing the rich and vibrant culture of the Wonder of Asia, Sri Lanka.
Dinner and overnight stay hotel at Kandy.
Day 10 – Matale / Pasikudah
Breakfast at hotel. Transfer from Kandy to Matale.
Visit to a Spice Garden in Matale.
An agricultural zone in the central province, Matale seldom drops off the maps due to its remarkable contribution through flagship crops of the island extending from tea, rubber & vegetables to spices. Spearheading the Rebellion back in 1848, Matale today takes immense pride in its story woven around spices. Stop by the side of a spice garden – into which you will be most welcome – and observe the therapeutic values of spices & processes over a refreshing cup of herbal tea! Or spend sometime idling on the hardened streets if you mean a real town adventure filled with voices and colors.
Transfer from Matale to Pasikudah. Dinner and overnight stay hotel at Pasikudah.
Day 11 – Pasikudah Beach
Breakfast at Beach Hotel, Pasikudah.
Full day leisure at the beach. Dinner and overnight stay at Beach Hotel, Pasikudah.
Day 12 – Pasikudah Beach
Breakfast at Beach Hotel, Pasikudah.
Full day leisure at the beach. Dinner and overnight stay at Beach Hotel, Pasikudah.
Day 13 – Pasikudah Beach
Breakfast at Beach Hotel, Pasikudah.
Full day leisure at the beach. Dinner and overnight stay at Beach Hotel, Pasikudah.
Day 14 – Minneriya / Dambulla
Breakfast at Beach Hotel, Pasikudah.
Transfer from Pasikudah to Minneriya. Evening carryout a jeep safari at Minneriya National Park.
If you’re up for a serious rumble in the jungle, then Minneriya is your Colosseum! Spreading over 8800 hectares, this is a sanctuary for elephants. Minneriya is home to herds of deer and ample bird life, but its spotlight remains between swaying trunks & flapping ears. Park your jeep on the bank of reservoir and switch off its engine. Watch carefully as herds of elephants – one by one – roll on to the grass-covered banks, to feed on tender shoots. In fact, this is the largest elephant gathering in the world – over 300 at a time – which has garnished the park to become a magnet for wildlife enthusiasts across the globe.
Transfer from Minneriya to Dambulla. Dinner and overnight stay hotel at Dambulla / Sigiriya.
Day 15 – Dambulla / Negombo
Breakfast at hotel. Visit to Dambulla Cave Temple.
In the city of Dambulla lies a hub which has been treasured by many kings since the 1st century BC. Located at an elevation of 1118 feet from the sea level rises a massive rock from the surroundings plains of Dambulla of 600 feet high and over 2000 feet in length. It is home to the World’s most acclaimed Cave complex of magnificent Buddha images and Rock Paintings of vivid colors and shapes constructed and painted from around 2nd Century BC and continued up to the Kandyan era of the 18th Century. Sinhalese people call it as ‘Dambulla Gala’ and the Temple is called as the ‘Rangiri Dambulla Viharaya’ (Golden Rock Dambulla Temple).
Transfer from Dambulla to Negombo. Dinner and overnight stay at Negombo Beach Hotel
Day 16 – Departure
Breakfast at Negombo Beach Hotel.
Transfer from Negombo to Airport for departure.
— Tour End —