15 Day Discover Sri Lanka Trip Notes

		Day 1 Our airport representative will meet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel in Negombo which is on the beach. It would take only 20 minutes to get to your hotel. You can lie by the pool or beach for the rest of the day. Here as elsewhere on the coast, the seafood is fantastic – do try it if you can. Overnight at Villa Araliya*, Negombo.
		Day 2 Drive to Kithugala which is surrounded by thick rainforest type vegetation. This is a little village untouched by tourism next to the Keleni River where "Bridge Over The River Kwai" was filmed in 1956. Your Resthouse is situated next to the river with lovely views. Though it has been classified as a Resthouse, you even have your own private patio and lawn. After lunch, you can do a walk taking about 2 hours through thick rainforest type vegetation to the village which is a chance to see real Sri Lankan life. At the end of the walk, you can take the local ferry across the river and finish near the hotel. Overnight at Kithulgala Resthouse.
		Day 3 Enjoy white water rafting (optional) with the option of either Grade 1 or 3 rapids, going down the Keleni River with fantastic views of virgin rainforest on either bank. Leave to travel south to Uda Walawe Elephant Transit Camp funded by the Born Free Foundation. There are over 35 little orphan elephants that will be fed with milk while you watch.There used to approximately 20,000 elephants on the island. With the increasing human-elephant conflict, the numbers are now down to about 3,500 so this project is vital for the protection of this endangered species. Eventually, these elephants will be released into Uda Walawe National Park when they can fend for themselves. After lunch at Uda Walawe, you will drive to Kataragama which is close to Yala National Park. Overnight at Priyankara Hotel*, Tissamaharama.
		Day 4 Today is a game drive into Yala National Park, using jeeps, where you can see elephants, crocodiles, deer, wild boar, monitor lizards, water buffalo etc. There is also a very rich birdlife and there is always a chance of seeing a leopard or if you are lucky, a sloth bear. At Yala, you have the highest percentage chance of anywhere in the world of being able to see a leopard. Yala has a strikingly beautiful dry-zone landscape with an endless expanse of scrub and trees dotted with brackish lakes close to the coastline. After the game drive, you will drive to Ella Gap and have lunch at The Grand Ella Motel and enjoy the splendid views. After lunch, you can take a short walk up Small Adams Peak (about an hour and a half) through the tea plantations. Ella Gap has amazing views (some of the best in Sri Lanka) of the coastal plain over 3,000ft below. It's a really stunning sight with lots of lakes and isolated hills rising out of the plain. Almost all of the southern part of the island can be seen on a clear day. If you are lucky, you would see the sea which is about 50 miles away. Overnight at View Point Villa, Ella Gap.
		Day 5 You will take the train to Nuwara Eliya from Ella climbing steeply up to Horton Plains, This is the most picturesque train journey in Sri Lanka which lasts about two hours. As the train spirals around the mountains, you will get breath-taking views of valleys with picturesque terracing or hillsides covered in tea plantations as you pass quintessentially English looking stations. Horton Plains is a large plateau of over 7,500ft above sea level where you can walk for about 3hrs through very unusual sub-montane vegetation seeing on the way, World's End and the Baker's Waterfall. World's End is one of the most spectacular sights in Sri Lanka where the ground drops about 4,000ft to the plains below. There is unusual wildlife such as sambur deer, purple monkey, horned lizard etc. After the walk, you will drive to Nuwara Eliya described as a misplaced English village as many of the buildings are copies of English ones and were built by the English to escape the heat of the Sri Lankan summer.You have a free late afternoon to explore the colonial buildings, racecourse, golf course etc. The altitude is about 6,500ft so the climate is much cooler. Of particular note is The Hill Club which is based on an English country house and is a real step back in time where you can enjoy lunch, if you so wish! Overnight at Windsor Hotel, Nuwara Eliya.
		Day 6 Visit a tea factory to have a fascinating tour to see just how your English cup of tea is produced. It is a fascinating visit as much of the machinery is as it was in the 19th Century when it was first installed. You will have chance to try a fantastic cup of tea. You will then drive to Kandy through thousands of acres of beautiful tea plantations that blanket the hillsides. You can see the brightly clothed tea pickers moving over the hillsides with their huge sacks strapped to their heads! The royal city of Kandy was the last indigenous capital of Sri Lanka which resisted capitulation for over 300 years despite the coastal areas having surrendered to European dominance. It is said to be the most picturesque town in Sri Lanka as it nestles in the hills beside a small lake. Visit the Royal Botanical Gardens which contain many of the indigenous trees of the country. The highlights being the orchid house and the amazing Ficus Benjamina, said to be the largest specimen in the world. You will have commonly seen this as a houseplant in the UK! After the gardens, you can visit the Gem Museum to see the products of the traditional (and rather scary) methods of gem mining, especially the famous Sri Lankan sapphires of cornflower blue. Visit The Temple of the Tooth which houses the tooth relic of Lord Buddha and is the most secret of the Buddhist temples. The visit coincides with the Ceremony (of offerings accompanied by drumming) so you can see the Casket of the Tooth. The tooth of Buddha was taken from the funeral pyre in the 5th century BC and thousands of worshippers visit the Temple every day to pay homage. Overnight at Thilanka Hotel*, Kandy.
		Day 7 This morning you will drive to Pinnewala Elephant Orphanage where you can see over 75 elephants playing in the river. These elephants have been rescued by the wildlife department and had it not been for the Orphanage, most of these elephants would have died. You can watch the elephants for about two hours and return to Kandy where you will have the rest of the afternoon to explore Kandy either walking by the beautiful lake enjoying the views or perhaps enjoying the hub-bub of the market and haggling for some prized purchase. In the late afternoon, there is a visit to see the Cultural Show with its magnificent costumes accompanied by amazing drumming. The Kandyan dancing dates back to the 3rd century BC and was performed by witch doctors to cure patients. There will also be some self-mortification activities like fire walking! There are lots of little restaurants in town to have dinner. Overnight at Thilanka Hotel*, Kandy.
		Day 8 You will leave Kandy and drive towards Dambulla. On the way, the drive will take you through a fertile spice growing area with plantations of coffee, cacao and rubber. You can visit a Spice Garden where there is the opportunity to see how Sri Lankan spices and herbs grow. You can also learn about Ayurvedic medicine and buy some spices, if you so wish. After lunch, the drive takes you to Dambulla, to visit the magnificent Dambulla Cave Temple. This is the largest painted cave temple in the world which was built in the 1st century BC. There are 5 caves that were transformed by a Sinhalese king when he was forced into hiding here. There are over 200 statues of Lord Buddha and just about every surface of the caves (including the roof) are covered in the most intricate murals, the finest in Sri Lanka. There are over 200 statues of Lord Buddha. Dambulla temple is one of the few living world heritage sites in the country. Overnight at Pelwehera Hotel*, Dambulla.
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