Breakfast at the hotel proceed to Habarana enroute visit Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage and Dambulla Rock caves 

Overnight stay at Hotel-Habarana

 

Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage – set amongst the verdant hills of Kegalle is a unique orphanage, where the tiny tots weigh 60 kg or more. This is the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage, the world's first and only elephant orphanage established to feed, nurse and house young elephants lost or abandoned by their mothers. Other occupants are elephants displaced from their natural environs by development projects or those found wounded. Visitors could see the baby elephants being fed milk from gigantic feeding bottles or bathed in the river which flows nearby – an unforgettable sight! Established in 1975, by the Wildlife Department and National Zoological gardens which subsequently led to a breeding programme through which more than twenty five elephants have been born since 1984.

 

Dambulla Rock Temple - was built by king Walagambahu in the 1st century B.C.  Dambulla is a world heritage site and is the most impressive of Sri Lanka’s cave temples. The complex of five caves with over 2000 sq. meters of painted walls and ceilings is the largest area of paintings found in the world. The caves contain over 150 images of the Buddha of which the largest is the colossal figure of the Buddha carved out of rock and spanning 14 meters.

 

After breakfast proceed to do an excursion to Polonnaruwa up on completion return to the hotel

Overnight stay at Hotel-Habarana

 

Polonnaruwa - is the 2nd capital of Sri Lanka. Built in the 11th and 12th centuries A.D, and is a world heritage site. Here you can see the ruins of the Royal Palace, the Gal Viharaya (3 splendid statues of the Buddha in upright, sedentary and recumbent postures carved out of rock). The audience hall, the lotus bath, the Polonnaruwa statue (12th century) and the Parakrama Samudra tank (lake) built by king Parakramabahu the great.  There are also ruins of famous places of worship such as the Shiva temple, the Lankatileka, the Watadage, the Galpotha, the Kiri Vihare Dagoba and the remains of a former temple of the tooth.

 

Day 03-: 

After B' fast proceeds to Kandy, enroute visit the Sigiriya rock fortress, 

late evening witness the cultural show.

Overnight stay at the Hotel – Kandy.

 

Spice Gardens - visit a spice garden to see the different spices that Sri Lanka is famous for. You will be introduced to different spices and shown how some of these spices are grown and processed. The Indian Ocean tropical island of Sri Lanka formally known by names such as Taprobane, Serendib and Ceylon has been famous for its quality spices since time immemorial. The story of spices from Ceylon dates back to 14 th century and evidence has been uncovered of spice trade being conducted through roman period. The western nations such as the Portuguese, Dutch and the English with maritime powers were attracted to the island mainly for its riches in spices, precious stones and ivory that was to be found here. As the botanical name stands “ Cinnamomum zeylanicum ” the cinnamon plant is an endemic plant to our island and we still continue to enjoy over 90% of the world market for true cinnamon. Sri Lanka being a tropical island close to the equator, the fertile and diverse soil types, varying micro climates and the favourable temperature variations, enhances the intrinsic value of most crops grown on this island. 

 

Sigiriya Rock Fortress - which is a world heritage site, built by king Kashyapa (473 – 491 A.D).  The “lion rock” is a citadel of unusual beauty rising 200 meters from the scrub jungle. The rock was the innermost stronghold of the 70 hectare fortified town. The base of the rock is ringed by a moat, rampart, and extensive gardens including the renowned water gardens. The world-renowned frescoes of the “heavenly maidens’ of Sigiriya which are in a sheltered pocket of the rock approached by a spiral stairway is one of the main attractions. The frescoes are painted in earth pigments on plaster.

 

Day 04-: 

Breakfast at the Hotel and proceed to do a city shopping tour of Kandy City Tour including temple of the tooth relic

Overnight Stay at Kandy 

 

Kandy – a lovely exotic city, the Hill Capital and last stronghold of the Sinhala Kings is a UNESCO World Heritage Site which retains an aura of grandeur, time has not affected. Encircled by hills, with a tranquil lake in its centre, it is the site of the renowned temple that enshrines the Tooth Relic of the Buddha and the Royal Botanical gardens – home to one of the world’s best collections of Orchids. A cultural sanctuary where many legends, traditions and folklore are still lovingly kept alive, Kandy and its satellite villages are the centre of the islands handicraft industry (items of wood, brass & silver) exquisite silver or gold jewellery and precious gems of many varieties including the world’s best blue and star sapphires. The highlight of the city’s calendar is the Esala Perahera, when a replica of the casket enclosing the Tooth is taken in procession for ten glittering nights in July/August by exotically costumed dancers, drummers and approximately 100 Elephants.

 

Day 05-: 

After B' fast proceed to Nuwara Eliya, rest of the day at leisure

Overnight stay at the hotel – Nuwara Eliya.

 

Tea Plantation - visit a tea plantation and a tea factory where one the best teas in the world is produced. You will be told all about the process of manufacturing tea and also see how tea is graded. Taste a cup of pure Ceylon tea in the factory.

 

Nuwara Eliya – Sri Lanka's premier hill resort with a fine bracing mountain climate, Nuwara Eliya is also the heart of Sri Lanka's tea country, producing some of the world’s best tea.  The mountain slopes and valleys are a carpet of velvety green tea plantations, interspersed with gushing streams and tumbling waterfalls. Red or green roofed plantation bungalows, English country style homes and hotels with lovely flower gardens, a fine 18 hole golf course and a racecourse gives Nuwara Eliya a decidedly British character.

 

Day 06-

After breakfast leisure at the hotel, in the evening do a city shopping tour of Nuwara Eliya

Overnight stay at the hotel – Nuwara Eliya.

 

Day 07 – 

Breakfast at the Hotel and proceed to Yala. proceed to do a Jeep Safari at Yala

Overnight Stay at– Yala.

 

Yala – Sri Lanka’s most known National Park is popular for Elephant, Leopard, Bear, Crocodile and Wild Boar. 97,800 hectares in extent, this is the second largest of Sri Lanka’s National Parks. Its open undulating terrain made it famous for elephants for many years, but recently the park has also received much fame through publicity by National Geographic and the Discovery TV channels, which focused on a leopard research/conservation and identification project. Claims have subsequently been made that Yala National Park has the world’s highest concentration of leopard per square kilometre. Vegetation is primarily grassland and shrub jungle with patches of dense growth while several salt and fresh water lagoons are a haven for a large variety of resident and migrant birds. Areas popular with leopard are rock strewn hillocks with dense shrub in which the animals hide.

 

Day 08– 

After breakfast leisure at the hotel

Overnight Stay at– Yala.

 

Day 09– 

After breakfast proceed to Bentota

Full day leisure at the hotel, 

Overnight stay at– Bentota.

 

Bentota – situated on the south west coast, at the confluence of the sea and the Bentota river, the sun drenched location and its golden, palm-fringed beaches which border the warm, sparkling waters of the Indian Ocean made it a natural choice for development as the first tourist resort. Today it is known in Sri Lanka’s global tourist markets as a highly attractive holiday resort with a wide and varied choice of distinctive hotels to suit every taste and purse. Bentota has a complete range of tourist facilities, great seafood and very popular water sports centres which provide boating, water skiing, jet skiing, snorkelling and wind surfing.

 

After Breakfast fast proceed to do a boat ride in Madhu River

Overnight stay at– Bentota.

 

After breakfast proceed to Colombo’ do a city shopping tour of Colombo

Overnight at - Colombo

 

Colombo – the trade and commercial capital has long been the traditional gateway to the Orient.  Sri Lanka’s largest city, it is located on the west coast and draws together all the cultures, religions and influences of foreign lands into a pot-pourri of sounds, smells and a kaleidoscope of colour. The original traders and settlers - the Arabs, Portuguese, Dutch and the British have left in their wake churches and monuments, names and religions, costumes and food and smatterings of their languages which have been absorbed into the speech of the Sri Lankan. Today, Colombo is a fascinating city - a happy blend of east & west, past & present, with a charm of its own. A less known but amazingly true fact is that Colombo has a superb range of high quality restaurants serving food from all over the world and some of the best shopping opportunities in Asia. The main seaport of Sri Lanka is in Colombo & adjoining it, is Pettah, a local bazaar & trading area.  Other places of interest are the beautiful Buddhist temples, Hindu temples, mosques, the historic Wolfendhal church, (1749) residential areas where you find the stately homes of the affluent, , the Ceramic Corporation famous for its well known brand “Noritake” and ODEL the renowned shopping centre. 

 

 Day 12 –AIRPORT.

After breakfast proceed to the airport for the departure