Tour 2 : 10 Days / 9 Nights
Day 1
After beeing picked up at the airport or your hotel in Colombo you leave for Pinnawela to visit the Elephant orphanage. This orphanage was set up by the government to take care of baby elephants lost or abandoned in the wild. Witness the feeding of the elephants. Thereafter observe them as they take their daily bath in the river nearby, which offer marvellous photo opportunities. Bath time is enjoyed by all elephants, young and old alike and it is a good time to closely observe their tightly knit family structure. Daily feeding times - 9.15 am, 1.15 pm, and 5.00 pm. bathing times – 10.00 am, 2.00 pm, and 4.00 pm.
Afterwards head for Dambulla and explore the famous Golden Rock cave temple which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Recognised as a sacred pilgrimage site for approximately 22 centuries, this cave monastery is the largest best preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka.
Overnight Stay : Hotel in Dambula
Day 2
Day two begins with a hearty breakfast, and a tour to the Sigiriya Rock Fortress. Built by the young king Kashyapa, this 5th century fortress in the sky was a royal citadel for more than 18 years. Combining baffling architectural feats and sensual artistic values, the lion rock is a UNESCO world heritage site as well as nominated to be the eighth wonder of the world.
The journey continues on to one of the ruins of ancient Ceylon - the UNESCO World Heritage City of Polonnaruwa, which was the Capital of Sri Lanka from 11th to 13th century. A well-planned medieval city defended by enclosing walls (around 5 km. which still remain), graced by palaces, shrines, monasteries, pavilions, parks, ponds and irrigation lakes. Polonnaruwa is strewn with ruins in a resplendent state of preservation.
The "Gal Vihara" which consists of statues of the recumbent, standing and seated Buddha have been cut from a single granite wall and rank among the true masterpieces of Sri Lankan Art.
Overnight Stay : Hotel in Dambulla
Day 3
Today we will take you to Trincomalee located at the Eastcoast of the Island. There you can visit Thiru Koneswaram Kovil. the most famous Hindu Temple of Trincomalee.
In the afternoon you can take a boat to Pigeon Island, which is an ideal location for swimming, surfing and snorcheling. (from April till October)
Onernight stay: Hotel in Trincomalee
Day 4
After breakfast set off to Anuradhapura. Visit the sacred ancient city of Anuradhapura founded in the 04th century B.C and named as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1982. It has the largest number of ancient monuments of the great Sinhala civilization which flourished in this region.
You will see some of the most famous as well as the tallest Stupas of Sri Lanka and the Ruins of ancient royal palaces. Another amazing site would be the "Sri Maha Bodhi" or the sacred Bo tree which is over 2200 years old, grown from a branch of the very tree under which "The Buddha" attained enlightenment; it is also the oldest historically documented tree in the world.
Overnight Stay : Hotel in Anuradhapura.
Day 5
Continue on to Kandy. En route you will visit a spice garden in Matale.The day entails a Kandyan Cultural show at the Kandyan Arts and Cultural Centre, which features the graceful and rhythmic dancers and drummers culminating in an impressive fire walking display.
Overnight Stay : Hotel in Kandy
Day 6
After breakfast head for Kandy, the bustling hill country capital is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The sacred ground of the city also home the much venerated tooth relic of Lord Buddha, in the Temple of the tooth relic which is a focal point for Buddhist veneration. Apart from that the city still projects an aura of royal beauty, echoing the grandeur of Sri Lanka’s last royal kingdom through iconic features such as; the Kandy Lake (built in 1807) and the Peradeniya Botanical Garden.
Overnight Stay : Hotel in Kandy
Day 7
After breakfast, travel deeper into the tea-growing hills and have the option to wind through the mountains with magnificent views. En-route to Nuwara Eliya you will visit Ramboda waterfall and a factory of the popular Sri Lankan Tea.
Arrive in Nuwara Eliya to be greeted by the fresh wintry atmosphere, the cottage type bungalows and the colonial air. ( Nuwara Eliya is also known as “Little England”)
The beautiful town of Nuwara Eliya, set in the heart of Tea country and situated 1890 meters above sea level, is where the British succeeded in creating an English countryside with homes in styles from Georgian to Queen Anne.
Overnight Stay : Hotel in Nuwara Eliya.
Day 8
Early in the motning you head to Horton Plains, where you will hike to World´s End. There the rock drops about 1000 metres deep and enables you a stunning view to the mountains and the sea. On your hiking tour you also visit Baker´s Falls, a wild romantic waterfall.In the afternoon you will explore “Little England” a city tour with option to walk around the streets.
Overnight Stay: Hotel in Nuwara Eliya
Day 9
Today, we take you to the train station of Nanu Oya . The train takes three hours to go from Nanu Oya to Ella. In actual kilometers it's a pretty short journey but the train has to cross a lot of mountain ranges and descends from 1800m down to 1000m, passing through tea plantations, eucalyptus forests, mountains, villages and more tea plantations. Much of the track snakes it way along the edge of the mountains overlooking huge valleys of firstly tea plantations and small villages, then forests and waterfalls, before crossing to the other side of the range and being greeted with more valleys of tea plantations and small villages the scenery was stunning. In the afternoon you hed for Tissamaharama. On the way you visit the Ella water fall .
Overnight stay: Hotel in Tissamaharama
Day 10
Today you start to a Safari in Yala NP, early in the morning. Yala is famous for ist population of elefants, lepards, bears, mungos, birds.......(instead you can co to Udawalawe NP or Lunuganwehwera NP)
Afterwards we will take you to the airport or your beach hotel
Prices:
The prices include:
- Travelling in airconditionded cars
- English speaking Driver/Guide
- Overnight stay including halfboard
- All entrance fees
The prices don't include:
- Beverages and meals during the day
- Tips