Trip Itinerary
Day 1
Arrival / Columbo Arrive in Columbo, the trade and commercial capital has long been the traditional gateway to the Orient. Sri Lanka’s largest city is located on the west coast and draws together the many cultures, religions and influences that foreign trade have brought into a kaleidoscope of sounds and colour. The original traders and settlers, the Arabs, Portuguese, Dutch and the British have left churches and monuments, names and costumes, food and parts of their languages. Explore and enjoy the afternoon and dinner at your leisure. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 2
Columbo Explore the city on a drive around its many influences including Parliament House designed by Geoffrey Bawa, Asia’s most celebrated and influential 20th century architect. Local favourite Barefoot Café for an alfresco lunch and shopping. Return to the hotel for an afternoon at your leisure followed by a walking tour to visit the heritage part of Colombo City, including the Dutch Fort and Old Dutch Hospital now host to high end restaurants, bars and shops. Move on to the lighthouse and Galle Face Green promenade, home of the famed ‘Ministry of Crab’, one of one of the best restaurants in Asia. Dinner time. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 3
Columbo / Habarana Breakfast time. Drive to Habarana, in the heart of what is referred to as the Cultural Zone featuring Sri Lanka’s ancient kingdoms. These include the original capital of ancient Sri Lanka, ‘Anuradhapura’ a UNESCO world heritage site and centre of the island's Buddhist civilisation. The oldest historically documented tree on earth, over 2,200 years old, is the ‘Sri Maha Bodhi’ (sacred tree), brought as a sapling of the tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment. The island's oldest Buddhist shrines dating back to the 3rd century BC, impressive white 'dagabas' (relic chambers) and monuments embellished with stone carvings, pleasure gardens, stone baths, ponds and reservoir canals. Also in the region is ‘Mihintale’, a forest clad mountain of great spiritual significance to Buddhists, including the 1,840 ancient granite steps, meditation rock and caves. Leisure time. Optional evening activities: ‘Kap-Ela’ exclusive, private evening with a Sri Lankan elephant with an opportunity to feed & bathe your new friend OR a private 4x4 game drive at Kaudulla or Minneriya National Parks, both famous for observing large wild herds of Asian Elephants. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 4
Habarana / Sigiriya Breakfast time. Drive to Sigiriyaworld heritage site built in the 5th century as a bastion and palace of King Kasyapa. The complex has geometrically laid water gardens, frescoes of beautiful maidens and a mirror wall. The whole face of the hill appears to have been a gigantic picture gallery. It’s around 1,200 steps to the summit of the Rock Fortress which reveals a spectacular panorama of the surrounding jungle and Sigiriya village. Refreshments and free time for lunch. Afternoon unique visit to meet Hearthhami, a ‘venomologist’ specialising in a range of therapies, passed down through generations to treat snake bites. Enjoy the evening and dinner at your leisure. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 5
Habarana / Kandy Breakfast at the hotel. Journey to Dambulla world heritage site known for its richly painted cave temples. Dambulla is a vast isolated rock mass and it was here that King Valagam Bahu took refuge from invasions in the 1st century BC, later turning the caves into a rock temple. Some of its frescoes are over 2,000 years old. The highlight is a colossal figure of the recumbent Buddha carved out of living rock some 15 meters long. The caves have a mixture of religious and secular paintings and sculptures with ceiling frescoes depicting scenes from Buddha’s life and Sinhalese history. Spice visit and tour to learn about how different spices are grown at a farm in Matale. Sri Lanka has a rich variety of spices, including fragrant clove, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, mace, pepper, cocoa and vanilla used in a diversity of cooking styles and applications. Lunch at the farm. Drive onto Kandy, this hill station is remarkable for its peaceful natural beauty and wooded valley overlooking a vast lake. The palace, shrines and British period buildings give it a special defining character, while ‘Buddha’s Tooth Relic’ lends a religious importance to the historic highland capital. Check in to the hotel. Early evening visit to the Temple of the Tooth, which holds the sacred tooth relic of Buddha, encased in seven caskets, adorned with a large number of gold ornaments. For evening ‘Puja’, we will provide you with white temple clothing, incense sticks and oil lamps. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 6
Kandy Breakfast time. Panoramic Kandy town tour and visit market square featuring Kandy’s renowned Batik & Gem stores. Continue to Pilimatalawa ancient temple and visit Suriyakantha Centre for Art and Culture, including traditional Kandyan dance & drumming. Lunch talk about the Kandyan and Gampola kingdoms in an 18th century Dutch mansion that belonged to a Village Chief. Late afternoon and early evening at your leisure. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
