8 Day Highlights 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 Goldisands Hotel*, Negombo.

Day 2

You will drive to Dambulla and 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. After lunch, you will drive to Habarana where there is an opportunity to do an elephant ride (optional) which will take about 2 hours.The elephant camp is situated next to Habarana Lake, a really beautiful spot where over 130 species of birds have been recorded. The elephants will walk beside the lake for a while and will then cross the river which as you can imagine, is quite an experience and go in to the forest. The trekkers will spot some birds, lizards and if you are lucky, crocodiles, for you.  After the elephant ride you will drive to your hotel.  Overnight at Pelwehera Hotel*, Dambulla.

Day 3

After breakfast, you can climb the Lion Rock at Sigiriya which stands about 650ft high and was a capital of Sri Lanka in the 5th century. This was a rock fortress of a king who was hiding away from his brother. From the base, you walk through the royal pleasure gardens comprising the magnificent water gardens, and moat. You then make your ascent, seeing the Boulder Garden, mirror wall and oldest unpreserved frescoes (dating from the 5th century AD), to mention but a few. Arriving at the two huge lions paws, this is all that is left of a gigantic lion statue which was the final staircase to the summit containing the Royal Palace and ramparts. The views from the top are stupendous and will take your breath away.  After lunch, you can visit Polonnaruwa which was the 2nd indigenous capital of Sri Lanka. The temples, stupas and other monuments here date back to the 10th century AD. Polonnaruwa is the most visited ancient city in Sri Lanka. Everything here was built between the 10th and the 12th century and includes some of the Island’s most famous monuments. The ruins are well preserved and offer a fascinating snapshot of medieval Sri Lanka when Sri Lankan civilisation was at a real highpoint. You can spend over two and a half hours here, and then drive to your hotel. Overnight at Pelwehera Hotel*, Dambulla.

Day 4

After breakfast, you will leave for Kandy. 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. Then, you will drive on to Kandy and visit the Gem Museum where you can see the products of the traditional (and rather scary) methods of gem mining, especially the famous Sri Lankan sapphires of cornflower blue. 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. From the Gem Museum, there is the opportunity to 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! Overnight  at Thilanka Hotel*, Kandy.

Day 5

Today is a visit to 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.There is then about 2 hours 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. You will then 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 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 6

Today, you will drive to Nuwara Eliya 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! On the way, you can stop and view two waterfalls. Nuwara Eliya is 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 the late morning 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! On the way to Nuwara Eliya, you can visit a tea factory to have a fascinating tour to see just how your English cup of tea is produced. Much of the machinery is as it was in the 19th Century when it was first installed! You will then drive onto Ella Gap which 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 can see the sea which is about 50 miles away. Overnight at View Point Villa, Ella Gap.

Day 7

Today you will drive to Yala National Park. After lunch, is the 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 on to your hotel. Overnight at Priyankara Hotel *, Tissamaharama.

Day 8

Drive to Galle to visit the Dutch Fort. This was originally built by the Portuguese in 1589 to store spices. You can walk around the fort within an hour and a half  visiting the New Oriental Hotel (now called Amangalla), National Museum, the Dutch church, the clock tower, the lighthouse, the ramparts and some old colonial buildings. It's worth having refreshments at Amangalla - its one of the best boutique hotels in Sri Lanka! Then, you can drive to a turtle hatchery to see one, two and three day old turtles in different tanks. These turtles will be released in the sea at night.

You can extend your stay for one or more weeks and relax at a nice beach hotel on the south or west coast of Sri Lanka. Please call  0845 417 9052 to discuss your requirements.