Airport / Colombo / Anuradhapura / Sigiirya / Polonnaruwa / Kandy / Dambulla / N’Eliya / Yala / Beach or Colombo
DAY 01
Arrival and transfer to Colombo.
Dinner & overnight stay in
Colombo
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DAY
02
Pickup from the hotel at 0630
hrs. and proceed to visit
Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage.
* Pinnawela Elephant
Orphanage - Started in 1975
to house the abandoned and the
wounded, the orphanage has
grown to be a big family
today. A unique experience
never to be missed.
Thereafter proceed to
Anuradhapura and commence
excursions.
Dinner & overnight stay in
Anuradhapura.
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DAY 03
In the morning proceed to
Sigiriya and climb the
Sigiriya
Rock Fortress.
Afterwards visit a Batik Factory where you can see
the manufacture of beautiful
Batik prints.
Sigiriya
is home to 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 fortress.
Within it triple-moated defence
the huge rock rises almost to a
sheer height of 500ft. On its
summit are the foundations of
what was once a great and
sumptuous palace and gardens
complete with swimming pool. On
one of the stairways the only
known ancient work of Sinhala
secular painting survived in the
form of frescoes of life sized
damsels in all the freshness and
delicacy of their original
color. Sigiriya was never
conquered by any of the invading
forces that had such an affect
on the island of Sri Lanka It
was however, ceded to the
British during the colonial rule
without force.
Afterwards commence an elephant
back safari in Habarana.
Dinner & overnight stay in
Dambulla.
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DAY 04
After breakfast proceed to
Polonnaruwa and commence
excursions. En-route visiting a
wood carving factory.
Polonnaruwa
- the Capital of
Sri Lanka from 11th - 13th
Century, contains some splendid
and spectacular status.
Lankatilake, Tivanka and
Thuparama are the most beautiful
and largest shrine ruins and
Tivanka has the best example of
frescoes of the Polonnaruwa
period. Rankot Vihara and
Kiriwehera 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 Sri Lankan
artists.
Dinner & overnight stay in
Polonnaruwa.
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DAY 05
After breakfast proceed to
Kandy. En
route visit the
Dambulla cave temple
and a spice garden in
Matale.
Spice Garden at Matale
and see the luscious Cinnamons,
Cardamons, Pepper plants etc. You
can also purchase your requirements
of spices.
Dambulla - Dambulla is famous for the five cave Temples on a
rock. The first 03 caves are
better, older and larger than the
other two. Some caves dates to 1st
C.B.C. All the 5 cave walls and
ceilings are covered with Buddhist
murals and there are more than 130
Buddha statues, statues of Gods and
Kings are also found here.
In the afternoon commence a city
tour of Kandy including visiting a
gem laboratory and a silk factory.
* 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 the
Buddhism’s influence in Sri Lanka
today. Temple’s shrines and
monasteries keeping alive Buddhist
traditions are everywhere.
In the evening watch a cultural show
featuring the exotic traditional
dances of Sri Lanka.
Dinner & overnight stay in
Kandy
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DAY 06
After breakfast visit temple of the
tooth relic.
* Temple of the Sacred 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.
Thereafter proceed to Nuwara Eliya,
visiting a tea estate and a factory
en route.
* 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 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.
Dinner & overnight
stay in Nuwara Eliya .
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DAY 07
After breakfast proceed to Yala.
4X4 Jeep safari at Yala National
Park.
* Yala is a haven for Fauna
both indigenous and migrant. Bird
concentrations are by the
Lagoons/Salvers. Here are thousands
of Flamingoes, Assemblies of spotted
Billed Pelicans, Spoonbills,
Cormorants and various species of
Herons. Pheasants, Pea Fowl,
Peacocks and the Wild Fowl are
found in hundreds. Wild Buffalo and
herds of wild Elephants are a common
sight. Whether it is birds or
animals you have them all at Yala.
Dinner & overnight
stay in Yala
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DAY
08
After breakfast transfer up to the
down south beach or up to
Colombo. En route visit the
Dutch Fort in Galle, stilt fishermen
in Weligama and turtle hatchery in
Kosgoda.
The Fort of Galle - The South Coast’s major city is Galle, whose oldest
landmark is the massive Portuguese
and Dutch fort in which the central
city is contained. But the city may
be much older.Some scholars believe
it to be the ‘Tarshish’ of the Old
testament, to which King Solomon
sent his merchant Fvessels, and to
which Jonah fled from the Lord.
Today, the 90 acre Galle Fort who’s
no evidence of the Portuguese
founders. The Dutch incorporated
the Portuguese northern wall in a
great rampart in 1663. A second,
taller wall was build inside of it.
Between the two walls, a covered
passage connected the central
bastion with the fort’s two half
bastion’s overlooking the sea. The
Dutch also installed a sophisticated
drainage system, complete with
brick-lined underground sewers that
were flushed twice a day by the
rides. The original gate to the
fort was by the harbor. It is still
there, marked by the old Dutch V.O.C
( for ‘Verenigde Oost Indische
Compagnie) arms with a rooster
crest.
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