DAY 01 –AIRPORT / NEGOMBO / KANDY (N)

On arrival you will be picked up by the local representatives and proceed to Negombo.

 

Negombo - a famous fishing village North of Colombo, with a Dutch built Canal. The canal itself is a hive of activity with all the fishermen traveling up and down in their gaily-painted boats. On the shores of the canal you will find many homes and churches and many species of birds including spectacular Kingfishers and also Parrots. Catamaran trips in the sea and boat trips in canal can be organized. From November to April, diving facilities are available in this quaint village. The streets on either side of the Hotels are dotted with Souvenir Shops, Restaurants etc.

 

Proceed to Kandy. En-route visit Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage which is one of the best in the world.

 

PINNAWELA ELEPHANT ORPHANAGE - App. 55 miles from Colombo, off the Colombo - Kandy road is Pinnawala, 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 program. The best time to visit is the feeding time from 1330-1400 hrs and the bathing time from 1400-1430 hrs when all the elephants are

taken to the river close by. (Entrance fees directly by the clients)

 

On arrival to Kandy, check-in at the hotel. Overnight stay at Earl's Regent Hotel, Kandy

*Evening witness the cultural dance show featuring various dancing types of Sri Lanka...*

 

DAY 02 – KANDY / DAMBULLA / SIGIRIYA / KANDY (B)

After breakfast, proceed to Dambulla (Entrance fees directly by the clients)

 

Dambulla is a vast isolated rock mass 500ft high and a mile around the base. Here is found the famous Rock Temple dating to the First Century BC. The caves of Dambulla sheltered the 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 on 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 ceiling date back to the 15th - 18th Centuries. In the Second Cave, the finest and the largest of all, there are 150 life-size statues of Gods from the Buddhist religion along with numerous images of the Buddha himself.

 

Sigiriya - a massive monolith of red stone rises 600 feet from the green scrub jungle to accentuate the lucid blue of the sky. How overpowering, then, this rock fortress of Sigiriya must have been when a palace crowned it 15 centuries ago. Sigiriya (say see-gih-REE-yah) was no gloomy and forbidding fortification, as many other citadels are. At the brief height of its glory, a flowering of only 18 years in the late 5th Century, it was one of the loveliest royal cities that ever graced the earth.



Drive back to Kandy. Overnight stay at Earl's Regent Hotel, Kandy

 

DAY 03 – KANDY / NUWARA ELIYA (B)

After breakfast at hotel, Commence the city tour of Kandy including the visit of the Kandy Temple.

 

KANDY - the hill capital. Venue of the annual Perahera. The last stronghold of the Sinhala Kings was finally ceded to the British in 1815. Kandy is an example of Buddhism’s influence in Sri Lanka today. Temple’s shrines and monasteries keeping alive Buddhist traditions are everywhere. Kandy, which is a world heritage sight. 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.

 

TEMPLE OF THE TOOTH RELIC - ever since 4th Century A.D, when the Buddha’s Tooth was brought to Sri Lanka hidden from sacrilegious hands in an Orissan princess’ hair, the Relic has grown in repute and holiness in Sri Lanka and throughout the Buddhist world. It is considered Sri Lanka’s most prized possession

Afterward proceed to Nuwara Eliya, en-route visit a Tea Plantation, Factory / Sri Bhaktha Hanuman Temple / Seetha Amman Temple. Also enjoy the nice sceneries water falls.

 

NUWARA ELIYA - Nuwara Eliya is known as, “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 coldest places on the island, but is really just like an England spring day

although the temperature does drop at night. All around Nuwara Eliya you will see evidence of the British influence. Houses are like country cottages or Queen Ann style mansions.

 

SRI BHAKTHA HANUMAN TEMPLE - The Sri Lanka branch of the Chinmaya mission, commited to promoting the Ramayana philosophy as well as Ramayana Trail pilgrimages, has built a temple with Hanuman as a presiding deity in Ramboda at the Kandy to Nuwara Eliya mainroad. There is a new five metres tall granite statue of Rama's devote supporter. Hanuman is believed to have started his searching for Sita in the Baroda hills. Hanuman traditionally was not as popular among Sri Lankan Tamil devotees as he indeed is in India, because he devastated parts of the island with his burning tail. But in recent times Hindu missionaries and local Tamil spiritual leaders began building shrines for worshipping Hanuman in Sri Lanka, too. The Tamil word for Ramboda, Rampadai, means "Rama's force", this is why Ramboda is believed the area where Rama collected his troops.

 

SITAÂ AMMAN TEMPLE - The Sita Amman Temple, located halfway between the highland village Sita Eliya and the Hakgala Botanical Gardens, has become the most venerated of all Ramayana Trail sites in Sri Lanka, because it is believed to be the place where Sita lived most of the time of her captivity on the island of Lanka.

Check-in at the hotel. Overnight stay at Araliya Green Hills, Nuwara Eliya.

 

DAY 04 – NUWARA ELIYA / KITULGALA / BENTOTA - (B)

After breakfast, proceed to bentota via Kitulgala, Check-in at the hotel, Evening 01 1⁄2 hour Boat Safari at Madu River en-route visit a Turtle Hatchary at Kosgoda.

 

BENTOTA - on the South coast of Sri Lanka lies the city of Bentota. The general area of Bentota is interesting for birds. On the shore, Sea birds and Wanders are often found. Including the rare Indian Heron and the Vegetation along the river harbor many local species as well as winter migrants. Many interesting sightseeing tours are possible from here. Overnight at The Surf Hotel, Bentota.



DAY 05 – BENTOTA / COLOMBO / AIRPORT - (B)

After breakfast leave for Colombo and commence a small City tour of Colombo followed by shopping at famous ODEL & House of fashion OR any desired shopping complex in Colombo.

 

COLOMBO - a drive through the city taking you to the busy commercial areas as well as the tree-lined residential, Cinnamon Gardens. Visit Fort, the former British administrative center and military garrison, Sea Street - the Goldsmith's quarters in the heart of Pettah, the Bazaar area, where is also a Hindu Temple with elaborate stone carvings and the Dutch Church of Wolfendhal dating back to 1749. The historic Dawatagaha Mosque and the former Eye Hospital are two buildings in Cinnamon Gardens worth looking at. Also visit the BMICH, see the replica of Avukana Buddha and the Independence Square. Proceed to airport for your connecting departure flight.