Duration : 6 Days / 5 Nights
Day 01 - Airport / Kandalama Arrival and transfer to Kandalama. Free for bird watching around Kandalama. The 55 acre forest around the Kandalama tank where the hotel is situated has a variety of trees - 100 years or more in age, with medicinal plants and a rich and varied bird life. Around 90 varieties of birds including migrants - babbler, blue flycatcher, oriole, paradise flycatcher, warbler, wagtail, barbet, bee-eater, Brahmin kite, owl, teal, pelican, make their home here. Overnight stay at Heritance Kandalama, Kandalama. Web Site : www.aitkenspencehotels.com
Breakfast at Heritance Kandalama. Thereafter transfer to Sigiriya. Climb the 5th century Sigiriya Rock Fortress which is a world heritage site built by King Kashyapa (477-495 AD). The 'Lion Rock' is a citadel of unusual beauty rising 200 metres from the scrub jungle. The rock was the innermost stronghold of the 70 hectare fortified town. A moat, rampart, and extensive gardens including the renowned water gardens ring the base of the rock. Visit the world-renowned frescoes of the 'Heavenly Maidens' of Sigiriya, which are in a sheltered pocket of the rock approached by a spiral stairway. These frescoes are painted in earth pigments on plaster. Then transfer to Polonnaruwa. Do a city tour of Polonnaruwa which is a world heritage site and the 2nd capital city of Sri Lanka built in the 11th and 12th centuries AD. See the ruins of the Royal Palace, the Gal Viharaya where four splendid statues of the Buddha in 'Upright','Sedentary' and 'Recumbent' postures carved out of rock, the Audience Hall, the Lotus Bath, the statue of king Parakramabahu, and the Parakrama Samudraya - a lake built by King Parakramabahu the great. There are also monuments of famous places of worship such as the Shiva Temple, the Lankathilake, the Watadage, the Galpotha, the Kiri Vehera and the remains of a former Temple of the Tooth Relic. On completion, transfer to Kandalama. Dinner and overnight stay at Heritance Kandalama, Kandalama.
Breakfast at Heritance Kandalama. Thereafter, transfer to Dambulla. Visit Dambulla rock temple which has been built by king Walagambahu in the 1st century B.C. It is a World Heritage Site. It is the most impressive of Sri Lanka's cave temples. The complex of five caves with over 2000 sq. metres of painted walls and ceilings, is the largest area of paintings found in the world. It contains over 150 images of the Buddha of which the largest is the colossal figure of the Buddha carved out of rock and spanning 14 metres. On completion, transfer from Dambulla to Matale. In Matale, visit a spice garden to see different spices for which Sri Lanka is famous for. Here, clients could see different spices and how some of these spices are grown and processed. Also, witness a Cookery demonstration. Then transfer to Peradeniya. Visit Peradeniya botanical gardens which was first built as a pleasure garden by a Sinhala king and has been expanded by the British. It is 147 acres in extent and provides an amazing variety of trees, plants and flowers. Thereafter, transfer to Kandy. Dinner and overnight stay at Earl's Regency Hotel, Kandy. Web Site : www.aitkenspencehotels.com
Breakfast at Earl's Regency Hotel. Thereafter transfer to Pinnawala. Visit the Elephant Orphanage at Pinnawala established in 1975 and commenced with seven orphans. Today, some of these orphans enjoy the fortune of seeing their grandchildren born in the same location. The original objective of establishing the orphanage inclined more towards tourism, but soon it became a conservation and an educational centre. With the help of local and foreign elephant experts, Pinnawala started a scientific captive-breeding programme for elephants. The free movement of the herd enhanced the chances for individuals of both sexes to get together and mate. The nearby river played a dominant role in this regard and in 1984, the first baby of Pinnawala was born. The success story of Pinnawala has drawn the attention of scientists from all over the world. A considerable number of books and research articles on Pinnawala have been published in several languages. The members of the Pinnawala herd have been filmed, videoed and photographed thousands of times by professionals. Then transfer to Kandy. Do a city tour of Kandy. Kandy was the last capital of the Sri Lankan kings and is a World Heritage Site. The name "Kandy" conjures visions of splendour and magnificence. Many of the legends, traditions and folklore are still lovingly kept alive. Drive around the Kandy lake built by the last Sinhala king, Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe in 1798. Visit the Kandy town and bazaar, the arts and crafts centre, a gem museum and a lapidary. Also visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy. Thereafter witness a cultural show. Dinner and overnight stay at Earl's Regency Hotel, Kandy. Web Site : www.aitkenspencehotels.com
Breakfast at Earl's Regency Hotel. Thereafter transfer to a Tea Plantation. Visit a tea plantation and a tea factory where the best tea in the world is produced. Here, you could observe the process of manufacturing tea. You can also see how tea is graded. Taste a cup of pure Ceylon tea in the factory. Then transfer to Nuwara Eliya. Do a city tour of Nuwara Eliya. Nuwara Eliya, because of its invigorating mountain climate and scenery, is Sri Lanka’s most popular hill resort. Nuwara Eliya is also the heart of Sri Lanka’s tea country producing a significant share of the world s best tea. Sri Lanka’s highest mountain Pidurutalagala (8282 feet) is located here. One of the finest 18 hole golf courses available in South Asia is also situated in Nuwara Eliya. Then transfer to Kandapola. Dinner and overnight stay at Tea Factory Hotel, Kandapola. Web Site : www.aitkenspencehotels.com
Breakfast at Tea Factory Hotel. Thereafter, transfer to Kitulgala. The Kelani River, the broadest river in Sri Lanka, flowing through Kitulgala was the main location where the Oscar winning movie Bridge on the River Kwai was filmed. On the hill above this town, a prehistoric cave was recently discovered containing large maiddens of shells from some unknown civilization. On completion, transfer to a Beach hotel in Ahungalla or Negombo.
** Please note that the extra bed in a triple room will be a foldable and rollaway bed.
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