Cultural Sri Lanka

14 Days, NEGOMBO to COLOMBO

What's Included

12nights accommodation at the hotels mentioned or similar.. 1 night in tented camping. Overseas Medical Insurance for the duration of the tour (Sum of US$ 2,50,000 covered) Meals included: 13 breakfasts, 1 lunch Fishing village walking tour (Negombo). Dutch canal boat ride. Dambulla Cave Temple visit (Sigiriya). Sigiriya Rock Fortress tour. Village tour with local lunch. Spice plantation visit. Temple of the Tooth guided tour (Kandy). Cultural dance performance. Tea factory visit. Uda Walawe Wildlife Reserve visit. Wilderness walking tour (Hikkaduwa). Galle Fort tour and stilt fishing demonstration. Beach time in Hikkaduwa Beach. Colombo orientation walk. All transport between destinations and to/from included activities. Services of Chief Experience Officer (CEO) throughout the tour.

VERY IMPORTANT: Please ensure that you print a final copy of your Trip Details toreview a couple of days prior to travel, in case there have been changes that affect yourplans.

Itinerary

DAY 1 Negombo

Arrive at any time today, keeping in mind that the welcome meeting will be at6:00pm. Please look for a notice from your Chief Experience Officer (CEO) forthe location of the meeting and any other important instructions. This will befollowed by an optional group dinner which will help us get to know the othermembers of the group.

DAY 2 Negombo

Negombo first flourished as the center for cinnamon export, which is native toSri Lanka. Portugese and Dutch settlement in the area led to the construction

of beautiful churches and several architecturally stunning buildings. There areplenty of fish markets in town and several canals that link estuaries andlagoons around the region together.

Fishing is the main export of Sri Lanka and nothing better than to go to theseaside and watch the fishermen bring in their boats, clean the nets, dry thefish and trade with the buyers. We then take a serene boat ride through theDutch canal lining the marshy lands of Negombo. Getting a closer look at thelives of people living here; toddy tapping, cultivations, coconuts beingcollected by the locals. The area is great for bird watching as many species liketo frequent the canal waters.

DAY 3 Sigiriya

Driving through the countryside we arrive at Dambulla in the central provinceof Sri Lanka, an area inhabited as early as the 3rd century. Here we visit thethe World Heritage Site, the Golden Cave Temple of Dambulla . The 7thcentury caves have Buddhist mural paintings and hundreds of statues of LordBuddha in different poses. This is one of the most well-preserved temple andcave sites in Sri Lanka. In the evening we hope to witness a beautiful sunsetover the Kandalamma Lake.

Negombo - Sigiriya Traveldistance: 156 Km Estimatedtravel time: 4.5 hours

DAY 4 Sigiriya

On the morning of Day 4 we will go on a walking tour of a Sri Lankan village tolearn about the local way of life while getting a chance to try the local cuisineat a lunch prepared by the families of the community. After the culturaltete-a-tete with the villagers we will visit Sigriya Rock Fortress. Built by KingKasyapa in 5th century, this Rock fortress mesmirizes every visitor, lined withwell-laid out gardens, caves, monasteries, and palaces with beautiful wallmotifs. This was surely a heaven in yonder years. The rock itself is supposed tobe old volcanic magma rock. Rising 370m above sea level with a shear drop onall sides. The climb of more than 1200 steps to the top starts in the watergardens, passing caves with frescoes and boulders, to the ruins of a palace onthe flat surface at the top.

In the afternoon you have the option to go for a tour of Puwareliya, the ancientcapital of Sri Lanka, where you can cycle through the ruins of Puwareliya.

DAY 5 Kandy

En route to Kandy we will stop at a herbal centre of spices where we have aninteractive session with students of Ayurveda giving us an account of themedicinal uses of various herbs used by the people of Sri Lanka in theirmassages and treatments. We arrive to Kandy in the afternoon. The CEO willtake you for a stroll around Kandy Lake and you'll visit the famed Temple ofTooth relic which houses a tooth of Lord Buddha in a well-preserved goldencasket.

Sigiriya - KandyTravel distance: 139 KmEstimated travel time: 3 hours

DAY 6 Kandy

On Day 6 the morning can be spent exploring the town with your CEO. Opt totake a walk in the Royal Botanical Gardens in Peredeniya, exploring the 300varieties of orchids of Sri Lanka, or visit Ayurvedic Hospital in Kandy to learnabout Ayurvedic Oil Massage treatments.. Explore the well-laid out walkwaysand don't miss the famed Palm Avenues. In the evening enjoy the Kandyancultural dance performance at the Cultural Centre.

DAY 7 Nuwara Eliya

Nuwara Eliya is a town founded by Sir Samuel Baker, a British Officer whoexplored of Lake Albert and the Nile. The town produces the finest OrangePekoe Ceylon tea and is inhabited mainly by tea planters and plantationworkers. En route we will visit one of the factories to learn about the processesof tea.

The town, also known as Little England, offers a lot of options to its visitors.Plenty of nature trails, walks in the plantations, golfing, horse riding, etc. Avisit the tea plantations with the workers to learn how to pick the tea. Theplantation families will allow us to visit their homes as they explain thehardships of the industry.

Kandy - Nuwara Eliya Traveldistance: 87 Km Estimatedtravel time: 4 hours

DAY 8 Nuwara Eliya

You also have the option of going on an early morning 9 kms trek into theHorton plains as you literally walk thorugh the clouds to the majestic dropoverlooking the plains into the sea. If you are an avid golfer you can hire a

caddy and try golfing the 18 holes golf course of Nuwara Eliya Golf Club nearthe Victoria Lake or just wander around the lake to take in the views.

DAY 9 Uda Walawe

As we drive down from the hill district back towards beach country we crossthe famous Uda Walwale reserve where elephants are in abundance and comestrolling alongside the roads. We make several stops to observe these mightycreatures. Tonight we stay at an eco-lodge in a tented camp near the reserveon the banks of Kiriodiya river. You may be lucky to see elephants walkingalong the river.

Nuwara Eliya - UdawalwaleTravel distance: 170KmEstimated travel time: 5 hours

DAY 10 Hikkaduwa Beach - Galle

After breakfast enjoy a walking tour through the wilderness with your CEO andwatch a wide variety of birds and wildlife. Also for a countryside experiencemeet local farmers at their farms. We later drive about 3-4 hours to Hikkaduwabeach to relax.

Unawatuna - GalleTravel distance: 33 KmEstimated travel time: 30 minutes

Hikkaduwa is the perfect beach destination for whale watching tours, surfingand other water sports.

DAY 11 Galle/Hikkaduwa Beach

We start the day by going to see the stilt fishermen in the Kathaluwa regionnear Galle. The fisherman, already on their poles, will be waiting patiently tocatch the fish. Stilt fishing is an age old practice still being followed by about500 families. Later in the day we visit the famous Galle Fort. The 16th centuryfort was first built by the Portugese, but was later occupied by Dutch. TheRamparts of Galle has withsood many vagaries of weather including thefamous 2004 Asian Tsunami. Late in the afternoon we drive to HikkaduwaBeach.

Galle - HikkaduwaTravel distance: 19 KmEstimated travel time: 30-45 minutes

DAY 12 Hikkaduwa Beach

The day is free to explore the beaches of Hikkaduwa further. You can go forwater sports and surfing if you desire at Hikkaduwa or other water sports atBentota nearby.

DAY 13 Colombo

Today we drive to Colombo, a trading town with 2000 years of history.Colombo was at the mouth of River Kelani crating a natural harbour known toChinese, Arabs, Greeks, Persian and European seafarers. Your CEO willprovide an orientation tour of the fort area and Pettah Bazaar in the afternoon.

Hikkaduwa - Colombo Traveldistance: 100 Km Estimatedtravel time: 2.5 hours

DAY 14 Colombo

Depart at any time.