SRI LANKA DELIGHTS TOUR
3 STAR CATEGORY SEMI LUXURY TOUR
12 DAYS/11 NIGHTS
ITINERARY
Day 01
Arrive by flight. Upon arrival, please clear immigration & visa formalities, collect your baggage and proceed to the arrival lounge through the green channel if you do not have goods to be declared to customs. The local representative of AIRBOUND will page you by your name. Thereafter you will be assisted to the Car park/ Coach Park to begin you journey as per the booked itinerary. Pick up from the airport and proceed to Negambo. You may spend the rest of the day at leisure.
Lunch & Dinner at places of own choice.
Overnight stay at THE BLUE OCENIC BEACH HOTEL (3*) – Negambo
Day 02
After breakfast at around 07.30 hrs you may proceed to visit the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage.
PINNAWELA ELEPHANT ORPHANAGE- App. 55 miles from Colombo, off the Colombo – Kandy road is Pinnawela, where an orphanage was started in 1975 to house the abandoned and the wounded elephants. The number of elephants has increased to more than 65 now; including Baby Elephants brought from various parts, as well as some of the more then 25 babies born, as a result of the captive breeding programme. The best time to visit is the feeding time from 0930-1000 hrs and 1330-1400 hrs and the bathing time from 1000-1030 hrs and 1400-1430 hrs when all the elephants are taken to the river close by.
There after you may proceed to climb the Sigiriya Rock.
SIGIRIYA – is a “World Heritage Site” and the 5th Century “Fortress in the Sky” which is perhaps the most fantastic single wonder of the Island. It is also known as Lion Rock because of the huge lion that used to stand at the entrance to the Palace on the summit of the 600-foot high rock. On its summit are the foundations of the Royal Palace, Water Tanks to supply water and all other buildings and at the edges the guardhouses. On one of the stairways the only known ancient work of Sinhala secular painting survived in the form of Frescoes of 21 life sized damsels still shining in their original colours. The Water Gardens, Fountain Garden, Summerhouses, Boulder Gardens and the Caves within the enclosed area should not be missed. Spend the rest of the day at leisure. Lunch & Dinner at places of own choice.
Overnight stay at SIGIRIYA VILLAGE (3*) – Sigiriya
Day 03
After an early breakfast at around 08.00hrs proceed to visit the remains of the Polonnaruwa ancient kingdom.
POLONNARUWA – is another “World Heritage Site” was the Capital of Sri Lanka from 11th – 13th Centuries, contains some splendid and spectacular statues.
Lankatilake, Tivanka and Thuparama are the most beautiful and largest Image Houses and Tivanka has the best examples of frescoes of the Polonnaruwa period. Rankoth Vehera and Kirivehera are well preserved large stupas, and Gal Vihare – a rock shrine, has four Buddha statues, two seated, one standing and one reclining and Parakrama Bahu statue are examples of Sinhalese stone carver. The Vata-da-ge is a unique creation of the Sri Lankan artists.
The medieval capital, Polonnaruwa was fortified with inner & outer moats and inner & outer walls. The Parakrama Samudra is on the western side of the city. The Royal Palace, Audience Hall and other buildings in the inner city were enclosed by another tall wall.
In the evening you may proceed to do a jeep safari at the Minneriya National Park.
MINNERIYA NATIONAL PARK- This National Park with 8889 hectares in extent is famous for its large population of elephants in herds of 100 to 150 roaming in the jungle and seen in the catchment area of the lake.
Entrance is at Ambagaswewa about 6 km from Habarana on the main Habarana Polonnaruwa road. Office is by the side of the main road.
Elephants, about 300 wild elephants, wild buffaloes, wild boar, spotted deer, sloth bear, Sambhur, leopards, crocodiles, jackals, 9 kinds of amphibians, 25 kinds of reptiles, 160 species of birds, 26 varieties of fishes, 78 varieties of butterflies are recorded from the Minneriya National Park.
Return to Sigiriya and spend the rest of the day at leisure. Lunch & Dinner at places of own choice.
Overnight stay at SIGIRIYA VILLAGE (3*) – Sigiriya
Day 04
After an early breakfast you may proceed to visit the Dambulla Cave Temple.
DAMBULLA CAVE TEMPLES – is a vast isolated rock mass 500 feet high and a mile around the base. Here is found the famous Rock Temple dating to the First Century B.C. The caves of Dambulla sheltered King Walagamba during his 14 years of exile from Anuradhapura. When he regained the throne he built the most magnificent of Rock Temples to be found in the Island.
In the first Cave is a recumbent image of the Buddha 47ft long cut out of the Rock. There are images of deities associated with Buddhism all around. The frescoes on the walls and the ceiling are the oldest here but they are over painted in the Kandy period. In the Second Cave, the finest and the largest of all, there are 150 life-size statues of the Buddha in various postures with few statues of Gods and Kings. The ceiling is also covered with frescoes, which depict great events in the life of the Buddha and landmarks in the history of the Sinhalese people.
There after you may proceed to Kandy. You may begin a brief city tour in Kandy with a visit to the Temple of the Tooth Relic.
KANDY – the hill capital is another “World Heritage Site”. It was the last stronghold of the Sinhalese Kings during the Portuguese, Dutch and British rule and finally ceded to the British in 1815 after an agreement.
To the Buddhists of Sri Lanka and the World, Kandy is one of the most sacred sites as it is the home of the “Dalada Maligawa” – Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha.
Close by are the remains of the Royal Palace (“Maha Wasala”), “Palle Wasala” – where the Queens stayed-now used for the National Museum, “Meda Wasala” where other close relatives lived, Audience Hall, Natha Devala and Vishnu Devala are situated close by. The Bathing Pavilion (“Ulpenge”) is by the Lake and in the Center of the lake is the Island called “Kiri samudraya” (Milk white ocean) used by the kings as the summerhouse.
Today it is the center of Buddhism, Arts, Crafts, Dancing, Music and Culture.
Visitors can see these Dance & Music at the daily Cultural Performances held at several places in the city.
Lunch & Dinner at places of own choice.
Overnight stay at HOTEL TOPAZ (3*) – Kandy.
Day 05
After breakfast you may visit the Peradeniya Royal Botanical Gardens.
Royal Botanical Gardens – Peradeniya – 147 acres in extent; Started in 1374 as a pleasure garden of the Kings of Gampola and Kandy. There are more than 5,000 species of trees, plants and creepers. Some rare and endemic as well as flora from the tropical world are found in the gardens. Spice Garden and Orchid House are popular with tourists.
There are 5 Palm Avenues beautifying the gardens, the earliest and tallest Palm Avenue (Royal Palm Avenue) was planted in 1905 and the Double Coconuts from the Seashells Island, with the largest seed of all plants in the world is one such avenue
In the evening you may witness a beautiful Sri Lankan Cultural Dance.
Lunch & Dinner at places of own choice.
Overnight stay at HOTEL TOPAZ (3*) – Kandy.
Day 06
After breakfast may proceed to Nuwara Eliya. You may spend the day at leisure and witness the tranquil environment around you. You may also visit a Tea Factory & a Tea Plantation in the evening.
NUWARA ELIYA – The “Little England” of Sri Lanka, is set against beautiful backdrops of Mountains, Valleys, Waterfalls and Tea Plantations. It is supposed to be one of the coolest places in the Island, but it is really just like an English spring day, although the temperature does drop at night. All around Nuwara Eliya you will see evidence of the British influence, houses like country cottages or Queen Ann style mansions.
The Victoria Park, in the middle of the town, is a lovely place for a stroll or a picnic and is also good for Birding as you get some rare birds in this Park.
Seasons may be absent elsewhere in Sri Lanka, but here you can read them by the flowers, which bloom in the spring (march to May) and the fall (August and September). These are the “seasons” when low-country folk flock to Nuwara Eliya to escape the sea level heat and humidity.
Lunch & Dinner at places of own choice
Overnight stay at the ST. ANDREWS HOTEL (3*) – Nuwara Eliya.
Day 07
After breakfast at around 07.00hrs you may proceed to visit the Horton Plains National park.
HORTON PLAINS NATIONAL PARK – 20 miles (32 km) from Nuwara Eliya via Ambewela and Pattipola, is the Horton Plains only 3160 hectares in extent. Known to Sri Lankans as Mahaeliya, it became Horton Plains after Sir Robert Horton, British Governor from 1831- 1837.
Horton Plains became a Nature Reserve in 1969 and upgraded as a National Park in 1988 due to its unique watershed and bio-diversity values.
Its flora has high level of endemism. The hills are covered with diverse wet low evergreen forest with even large trees grown flattened to the ground on the higher windswept slopes.
Horton Plains harbours 52 species of resident birds and 11 species of migrant birds.
More then 2,000 to 3,000 Sambhur, Bear Monkey, Leopard, Barking Deer, Giant Squirrel, Fishing Cat, Wild Boar and Hares roam in the forests and grasslands but only seldom they could be seen other than the Sambhur in the evening and morning.
For accommodation Ginihiriya Bungalow (Anderson Lodge) with 4 DBL rooms and 2 separate dormitories (Vana Nivahana) serve for groups.
Two escarpments – “World’s End” and “Little World’s End” falling from the Horton Plains 1000 feet and 3000 feet respectively, to the land below and the Baker’s Falls are places you should visit.
This is the only National Park where visitors could walk on their own in the designated tracks.
You may return to Nuwara Eliya & spend the rest of the day at leisure.
Lunch & Dinner at places of own choice
Overnight stay at the ST. ANDREWS HOTEL (3*) – Nuwara Eliya.
Day 08
After breakfast at around 08.00hrs you may proceed to Bandarawela. You may witness the beautiful environment and spend the rest of the day at leisure.
Lunch & Dinner at places of own choice
Overnight stay at THE BANDARAWELA HOTEL (3*) – Bandarawela
Day 09
Another day in Bandarawela at leisure.
Lunch & Dinner at places of own choice
Overnight stay at THE BANDARAWELA HOTEL (3*) – Bandarawela
Day 10
After breakfast you may proceed to Ratnapura. Spend the day at leisure.
Lunch & Dinner at places of own choice.
Overnight stay at RATNALOKA TOUR INNS (3*) – Ratnapura
Day 11
After an early breakfast you may proceed to visit the Singharaja Rain Forest.
SINHARAJA RAIN FOREST RESERVE – Sinharaja is the only “World Heritage Site” Rain Forest in Sri Lanka, with a very high rate of bio-diversity. The vegetation is tropical wet evergreen forest and the area under the reserve is 11,187 hectares. Out of the 331 woody trees and lianas identified 192 (60%) are endemic at Sinharaja.
Regarding Fauna 141 bird species recorded here and about 28 are endemic (34 for the entire country), Butterflies 65 species (1 endemic), Fishes 10 (07 endemic), Amphibians 19 (08 endemic), Reptiles & Snakes 29 (14 endemic), and Mammals 40 (07 endemic).
Sinharaja is the only relatively undisturbed rain forest of any considerable size and many of the plants are very rare and are represented by only one individual of its kind in a large area.
Sinharaja can be reached from Colombo via Matugama (174 km) or Ratnapura (154 km)
to Kalawana, Weddagala and up to Kudawa Base Camp. From Galle to Deniyaya and Mederpitiya (10 km) and from there to Pitadeniya Camp and enter the Reserve from the Southern side of the country.
The best period to visit is between December to early April and from August to September.
There after return to Ratnapura.
Lunch & Dinner at places of own choice.
Overnight stay at RATNALOKA TOUR INNS (3*) – Ratnapura
Day 12 – Day 15
After breakfast you may proceed to Bentota for a beach stay.
Lunch & Dinner at places of own choice.
Overnight stay at HOTEL SERENDIB (4*) – Bentota
Day 15
Leave for the departure flight from Bentota.