Welcome to Sri Lanka! You will be met upon arrival at the airport and transferred to your hotel in the city of Negombo. Here you will have the rest of the afternoon to settle in and explore the highlights at your own leisure.
Overnight: Negombo
After breakfast, we bid farewell to Negombo and set off for the town of Dambulla, home of the famous Dambulla cave temples and Sigiriya ancient rock fortress. Spend the rest of the afternoon getting better acquainted with this lovely town. Sit back, relax and try some of the local traditional foods including pittu.
Overnight: Dambulla
Sigiriya Rock and Village. Our first stop this morning is to the ancient Sigiriya rock fortress of the 5th Century King Kasyapa, undoubtedly one of the most iconic sights of Sri Lanka. Let the kids’ burn off some energy with the climb up to the ruins of the palace and penthouse. Once we reach the ruins we have time to wander through some of the oldest landscape multi-tiered gardens in the world, and revel in the breathtaking landscape of the surrounding jungles.
After descending from the ruins we make our way along the village path to a typical village lake, known as a “Wewa”, passing by homes surrounded by green woods and watch huts which the locals use at night to keep a lookout for wild elephants and boar. Here we cross the lake by canoe arriving at a local farm where we meet the owners and spend some time watching them share the secrets of Sri Lanakan cuisine before we sit down to enjoy the delicious meal which has been prepared using a traditional hearth. Upon our return to Dambulla we have the evening at leisure to spend however we wish.
Overnight: DambullaAfter breakfast we make our way to the medieval capital of Sri Lanka, Polonnaruwa. Here we take time to wander along the shimmering waters of the man-made lake, the Parakrama Samudra and uncover intricately carved lotus pillars, meditative halls, ceremonial towers, as well as magnificent royal baths and palace ruins before stopping at the famous Gal Vihara Temple.
This afternoon we head to Minneriya National Park where we search for wildlife by Jeep Safari. Despite its relatively small size there is an unusually wide range of habitat types, from dry tropical forest to wetlands and grasslands found here which is home to Elephants, sambar, spotted deer, macaque and purple-faced langur monkeys, sloth bears and if we are incredibly lucky we may spot a leopard on our game drive. An adventure for all ages! After an exciting day we return to our hotel in Dambulla for a relaxing evening.
Overnight: DambullaThis morning we discover the famous Golden Cave Temple; one of the most impressive of Sri Lanka’s cave temples. Dating back to the 1st Century BC, this stunning complex of 5 caves contains over 150 images of Buddha including an impressive 14-meter statue carved out of the cave rock.
The afternoon finds us at a local spice garden where we can wander through the fields and learn about the country’s famous spices.
Overnight: KandyKandy, the last capital of the Sri Lankan kings is ours to unravel today. We start our tour with a tuk tuk ride around the scenic artificial lake made by the last king of Kandy and the Bazaar. This afternoon we find ourselves at a local tea plantation and factory in Giragama to learn about the secrets of making one of the worlds’ most famous hot drinks. After freshening up at the hotel we end our day with a visit to the Temple of the Tooth Relic, to watch some traditional Sri Lankan dancing – a highlight for the whole family!
Overnight: Kandy
All aboard the train to Colombo this morning where we continue our day with a sightseeing tour of the capital stopping at some of the cities highlights including the 100 year old clock tower, Pettah bazaar and the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall – a gift to Sri Lanka from the people of China. After checking into our hotel the rest of the day is at leisure to take a stroll along the beach or Paradise Road for some souvenir shopping.
Overnight: Colombo
This morning we check out of our hotel and make our way to the airport to head home. We hope you enjoyed your holiday!
