This is a fully guided private tour (You will have your own air-conditioned vehicle and a personal services of a driver/guide) the tour can be fully customised according to your requirements (Your choice of accommodation, attractions etc) you can start the tour at a preferred date
This is a fully guided private tour (You will have your own air-conditioned vehicle and a personal services of a driver/guide) the tour can be fully customised according to your requirements (Your choice of accommodation, attractions etc) you can start the tour at a preferred date.
Day 01 AIRPORT – PINNAWALA-DAMBULLA
Upon arrival at the Colombo airport, you will be greeted and met by one of our friendly driver/guide. You will then be transferred to Pinnawala
As you enter the 25 acre coconut property, do not be surprised to witness baby elephants being bottle fed or moving around freely causing absolutely no harm to anyone. It is rightly a sincere sight to observe how these gentle giants - orphaned and sometimes three-legged - are taken care of since 1975 at Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. Up to date, over 20 calves have been born here, and it is surprising to hear that some of its inmates have even seen their grand children during the past few decades!
Continuation to Dambulla…
A hub which has been treasured by many kings since the 1st century B.C. Today, an icon in the face of Sri Lanka Dambulla Rock Temple houses some of the most unique drawings in magnificently constructed 5 cave temples flanking the golden temple of Dambulla. Observe how exquisitely cave paintings are done along walls that shelter 150 statues of Lord Buddha. As you enter the retreat look straight up to the gigantic Buddha statue glittering in gold over a land which today houses an important junction in the country's economic and cultural uplifting
Dinner and overnight stay at Hotel in Dambulla
(Accommodation will be based on your budget 3/4/5Star or Boutique Hotel)
Day 02 DAMBULLA-SIGIRIYA-POLONNARUWA-DAMBULLA
Breakfast at the Hotel,Then visit Sigiriya Rock Fortress.
The 5th century rock citadel of King Kasyapa and World Heritage Site. Sigiriya - doesn't only boasts of ancient Sri Lankan engineering & urban planning supremacy but also acclaims to be one of the finest monuments of art & culture. Step through the gigantic 'Lion Paws' - overlooking the symmetrical royal gardens below - to comprehend the absolute splendor that once dominated this rock fortress. Surrounded by ramparts & moats the Lion Rock - resembling the mythological 'City of Gods' - is coated by frescoes that relate to Gupta style paintings found in Ajanta caves of India. Walk in the shade of an eminent 'mirror wall' embracing the Western face of Sigiriya representing an artistic hundred meters laminated with graffiti. Wander into the well-fabricated museum downstairs for an epic journey of yesteryears to realize how the citadel floated above citizens with the castle, ponds and irrigation systems that pumped water right onto its summit with an ingenious hydraulic system describing a colossal masterpiece of the great king which remained a wonder in Asia for centuries.
Proceed to Polonnaruwa...
Walk across its scattered walls of the World Heritage Site - blessed by stupas, resting Buddha statues, irrigation canals and fantastically carved Hindu sculptures - while observing the relic house - Watadage - which boasts of beautiful stone carvings. Take a close glance and you will realize a subtle Hindu influence on architecture and statues found in Polonnaruwa. Or sit by the side of Galviharaya and observe the absolute beauty gushing out of every bend of its huge Buddhist statues. Nissankamalla Council Chamber is however, a head-spinning beauty to just sit back and observe with its swaying pillars reminding the aesthetics of a powerful kingdom which rests beside Parakrama Samudraya - sea of Parakramabahu & masterpiece of irrigation!
Dinner and overnight stay at Hotel in Dambulla
(Accommodation will be based on your budget 3/4/5Star or Boutique Hotel)
Day 03 DAMBULLA-KNUCKLES MOUNTAIN RANGE
Breakfast at the Hotel,
Dambulla Rock Temple
A hub which has been treasured by many kings since the 1st century B.C. Today, an icon in the face of Sri Lanka Dambulla Rock Temple houses some of the most unique drawings in magnificently constructed 5 cave temples flanking the golden temple of Dambulla. Observe how exquisitely cave paintings are done along walls that shelter 150 statues of Lord Buddha. As you enter the retreat look straight up to the gigantic Buddha statue glittering in gold over a land which today houses an important junction in the country's economic and cultural uplifting.
Proceed to Knuckles for a light trekking….
Visit the Knuckles Mountain Range. Knuckles, the mist-laden mountain range - resembling knuckles of a clenched fist - stretching within Matale & Kandy is nothing but a subtle habitat of flora and fauna, most of them being endemic to Sri Lanka. Knuckles is also considered to be a watering hole for hikers across the globe. Most of all, you are more likely to forget the rest of the universe once you sit back on a cliff that offers an absolutely spectacular sight of surrounding dense forests, tea plantations, terraced paddy fields and waterfalls. Meanwhile, fine tune your evening by listening to the crickets' cry as lanterns sway in the wind while you sit in content, in the comfort of your canvas tent!
Dinner and overnight stay at Hotel in Knuckles
(Accommodation will be based on your budget 3/4/5Star or Boutique Hotel)
Day 04 KNUCKLES MOUNTAIN RANGE-NUWARA ELIYA
Breakfast at the Hotel, and Proceed to a Tea Plantation.
Visit a tea plantation and a tea factory, Sri Lanka, Tea and Tourism are words which cannot be separated. Take a tour to the cold & misty hills that take pride of an ultimate tea tour, covering lush green blankets of tea plantations. Or just step into a tea factory processing the prestigious brand of Ceylon Tea, to observe a rich tradition kept alive up to date. As you observe the hissing and swishing of machines, inhaling the heavenly scent arising from these facilities, make sure to end your day in style over a perfectly blended cup of pure Ceylon Tea. Taste a cup of pure Ceylon tea in the factory.
On completion proceed to Nuwara Eliya
Misty steep roads, twisting through lush green blankets of tea bushes in a cool climate, remind visitors that they are within the range of the renowned British colonial retreat, Nuwara Eliya. Augmented by an English countryside atmosphere, the city of light - once governed by English & Scottish planters - is still studded with colonial bungalows, hedgerows & one of the finest 18-hole golf courses in the world. A hike through the green grass and red-brick walls should present breathtaking views of a buzzing countryside hamlet. Hop into a rattling train smoking and hissing its way through green valleys of the hill country pierced by endless waterfalls & dotted by tea pluckers draped in bright-colored saris. Or rent a bike for a gentle ride along the banks splashed by the waters of Lake Gregory. Nuwara Eliya also has one of the finest 18 hole golf courses in South Asia.
Dinner and overnight stay at Hotel in Nuwara Eliya (Accommodation will be based on your budget 3/4/5Star or Boutique Hotel)
Day 05 NUWARA ELIYA-HORTON PLAINS-YALA
Proceed to Horton Plains
Horton Plains, UNESCO World Heritage Site & Eco-tourism hideout in the heart of the isle, painted with unending stretches of green pastures marks one of the healthiest wet montane evergreen forests in Sri Lanka. With an altitude above 7000ft, the plateau sweeps to a robust 3169 hectares sheltering flora and fauna varieties that may be found no where else on earth. As the tributary of Belihul Oya - Bakers Falls - thunders down rocks head off the beaten track - across frost-covered grass - to feel the icy-cold wind against your face. You may even gaze down World's End, a head-spinning 3700ft drop towards the Southern end or drive carefully through herds of sambar deer, shy to human touch & birdlife chirping across the plains. If you're cautious enough you may be greeted by the sights of a grunting wild boar, a pouncing fishing cat, otters or even the 'Spotted-Ghost that haunts the plains', the Sri Lankan Leopard!
On completion, transfer to Yala
Dinner and overnight stay at Yala
(Accommodation will be based on your budget 3/4/5Star or Boutique Hotel)
Day 06 YALA-SINHARAJAYA
Proceed to Horton Plains
Spreading into a vast 1259 Km2 Yala - with its glory spinning around vast grasslands, shrubs, tanks and dunes - rightfully is the heartland of wildlife in Sri Lanka. As your jeep rumble through the giant gates of Yala, you are not only stepping into the most visited national park in the country, but also the lands of a civilization which thrived during the reign of Sri Lankan kings. You name it, and Yala has it! Its usual inmates cover herds of elephant, sloth bear, spotted dear, jackal, extensively populated birdlife as well as the highest density of leopards in the world that garnish the park to be one of the finest destinations in the country. Feel the rough track as your jeep thunders over rocks and swish passing narrow bends for an exhilarating experience blended with the cries of wilderness under the tropical sun.
Proceed to Sinharaja
Dinner and overnight stay at Sinharajaya
(Accommodation will be based on your budget 3/4/5Star or Boutique Hotel)
Day 07 SINHARAJAYA-KALUTARA
With an average annual rainfall between 3000-6000 mm Sinharaja proves to be one of the finest examples of tropic rain forests in the world. Declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site & biosphere reserve Sinharaja, treasures an absolute variation of both flora & fauna with most of them being endemic. Walk in through for a refreshing treat covering fauna varieties extending from spotted deer, hog deer, golden palm cive, stripe necked mongoose as well as butterflies & reptiles sheltered by the striking evergreen vegetation. Even though there haven't been elephant sightings in the recent past, constant leopard trails prove that the 'King of Games' still haunts this tropical stage.
Dinner and overnight stay at Kalutara
(Accommodation will be based on your budget 3/4/5Star or Boutique Hotel)
Day 08KALUTARA
Rest and relax in the resort with enjoying hotel facilities.
Dinner and overnight stay at Kalutara
(Accommodation will be based on your budget 3/4/5Star or Boutique Hotel)
Day 09 KALUTARA – EXTEND THE STAY OR TRANSFER TO AIRPORT
Dinner and overnight stay at Kalutara
(Accommodation will be based on your budget 3/4/5Star or Boutique Hotel)