Nature and villages of Sri Lanka

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  AIRPORT - NEGOMBO: Welcome to Sri Lanka!

  

  Upon your arrival, you are welcomed at the airport by your driver-guide, who adapts to your wishes. Depending on your arrival time and your fatigue, you can – or not – choose to visit the city of Negombo, spend time on its beach, or take the time to acclimatize to the new sounds, colors, and scents. Active or not, you choose your own pace for this first day. Welcome to Sri Lanka! You spend the night in Negombo.

• day 2

  NEGOMBO - KANDY: With our elephant friend...

  

  Here we go for the adventure! And we start in style by heading to the city of Kandy, after spending half a day in a small group taking care of an elephant. Note, there is no elephant-back riding on the program, but a wonderful experience of a long walk by its side, all the way to the river for your pachyderm companion's bath of the day. You spend the night in Kandy.

• day 3

  KANDY: Heritage and Botany Day

  

  Here we are in Kandy, with a beautiful day to discover some of its must-see places. First, a morning walk in the Udawatakelle forest sanctuary, a former royal domain, to enjoy the shade of its impressively tall trees and other giant vines. Then, you experience a bit of the buzz of the lively city of Kandy and can stroll around its markets and historic buildings. In the afternoon, it's another walk in the Peradeniya botanical gardens, discovering its thousands of plant species, from centuries-old trees to ephemeral orchids, including medicinal plants and other giant bamboos. Take a short break on the central lawn and observe the schoolchildren in uniform as well as the local life around you. The day ends with a visit to the Temple of the Tooth of Buddha, where, as its name suggests, a relic of Buddha's tooth is kept, and where, at 7 p.m., the last offering ceremony of the day takes place, which you can attend. This is also our last visit to a very popular place before leaving the city for the countryside. You spend the night in Kandy.

• day 4

  KANDY - Around ELLA: Goodbye city... Agroforestry and train travel

  

  Goodbye city! Here we are, setting off for the surroundings of Ella and its tea fields, which you will reach at the end of the day. No more traffic jams, the road climbs in altitude and winds between tea plantations with their busy pickers. On the way, you visit an organic agroforestry project and can therefore enjoy the beauty and tranquility of the place, while learning to recognize the different spices present, the flowers, and the kithul trees… Lunch on site is made up as much as possible of organic and locally produced ingredients. After lunch, you will take the train to reach the town of Ella. Tea plantations and vegetable-growing areas as far as the eye can see, hills flanked by forests, and villages one after another—this is your scenery for the afternoon. Overnight near Ella.

• day 5

  Around ELLA: peasants of the day...

  

  Today, we slow down the pace, letting the vehicle rest for a day of immersion in the grounds of your ecolodge. Farmers for the day, you will take part in various daily tasks. With local pickers, you will discover and participate in tea picking, which you will then need to dry and roll by hand. You are also expected in the vegetable garden to harvest the vegetables needed for lunch preparation. A lovely walk around the estate with its owner, a nature and organic farming enthusiast, is also on the agenda, among the coffee and cinnamon trees. There are always shrubs to replant as well... A wonderful day of connection with the fertile lands and Sri Lankan farmers. Overnight stay near Ella.

• day 6

  Around ELLA: tea plantation, hiking and river

  

  After a magnificent sunrise between the hills to get you out of bed, you are invited to join an organic tea plantation, with a visit to the plantation as well as its traditional factory. No big machines here, but a great time to learn about the history of tea in Sri Lanka, understand the different types of teas, the manufacturing processes... You are now well informed to enjoy the final tea tasting and recognize its different colors and flavors. After lunch, it's off for a good hour and a half hike in a surprising landscape of hills and bushes. Far from the crowds of Ella, you are alone with your local guide, climbing a rock to reach its summit where an incredible view of the surrounding mountains and rocks rewards your effort. In the late afternoon, if you feel like it, a short additional walk to reach the river and take a refreshing and invigorating dip in the heart of nature. Night around Ella.

• day 7

  Surroundings of ELLA - BATTICALOA: boat safari

  

  We get back in the vehicle to head to Batticaloa on the East coast. On the way, we stop in a natural park, and the naturalist guides take you on their motorboat for their afternoon tour on the lake. In this nature reserve, which is home to many species of birds, you can also enjoy the magnificent scenery of this vast lake bordered by hills and will probably encounter its inhabitants, such as crocodiles and elephants. Shh... The engine is turned off, you take out your camera, and you watch a wild elephant peacefully eating in the tranquility of its natural habitat. You arrive in Batticaloa at the end of the day and are welcomed by a local family. Dinner with the family.

• day 8

  BATTICALOA: By bike, local cooking and fishing

  

  Now that you have arrived in Batticaloa, a small peaceful coastal town surrounded by a beautiful lagoon, where we are settled, we invite you to stay there for 4 nights with two different families. Today, we start gently with a bike ride called "Let's Cook and Fish," where, in the morning, you go to the market with a local guide, before joining by bike a family who will teach you in just 2 hours how to cook a delicious "rice and curry." After lunch, a short bike ride along the lagoon and a traditional local fishing session with nets, aboard a small catamaran with the village fishermen. You spend the night in Batticaloa.

• day 9

  BATTICALOA: By tuktuk, arid nature and civil war

  

  We leave the bicycle behind to venture into the wild lands by tuk-tuk, heading towards Kudumbimalai rock, a former stronghold of the Tamil rebellion during the civil war that ravaged Sri Lanka for several decades. On the way, the rice fields quickly give way to an arid landscape, where goats, cows, and buffaloes try to find their food for the day. After climbing the rock, you have lunch in the nearest village, can observe the simplicity of living conditions, the shy smile of our hostess's children, before visiting the military museum and heading back in the middle of the afternoon. You spend the night in Batticaloa.

• day 10

  BATTICALOA: By bike, Muslim culture and weavers

  

  We get back on the bikes for a 23-kilometer ride south of Batticaloa. After a colorful stop at the Hindu temple in a village we pass through, the small huts of the fish market on the beach offer you a picturesque scene, with multicolored boats and vendors happy to show you the biggest catch of the day. Back in the saddle, you cross Kattankudy, a densely populated Muslim city, and continue towards the village of Palamunai, where the call to prayer guides you to the village mosque. You are kindly invited to observe the midday prayer and can then chat with the imam and the believers present. Lunchtime is approaching: with a family, a small feast awaits you to help you recover from the morning's emotions. In the afternoon, you visit a weavers' workshop, with the different steps involved in making soft fabrics in shimmering colors. On the way back, a visit to the Kattankudy museum, which traces the history of Islam in Sri Lanka, concludes this day of discovering Muslim culture. You spend the night in Batticaloa.

• day 11

  BATTICALOA - MAHA OYA: Our ancestors, the Veddhas

  

  Today, we head back inland, and the afternoon is dedicated to a meeting with a Veddha chief, who introduces you to the lifestyle of his community and the tools used by his ancestors, at the time when this aboriginal community of Sri Lanka lived by hunting and gathering in the thick surrounding jungles. With his contagious good humor, our Veddha chief takes you to the edge of the forest, teaches you his hunting techniques, and shows you the caves where his ancestors lived. You spend the night in Maha Oya.

• day 12

  MAHA OYA - SIGIRIYA: Animal encounters and Lion Rock

  

  Wake up at dawn today, and leave very early for a jeep safari in Maduru Oya National Park. No traffic jams here, deserted tracks, many species of birds, elephants on the move, deer, giant lizards, and a big dose of wild nature all to yourselves, with the kind explanations of your guides. Then, you head towards Sigiriya, passing through small villages in the middle of rice fields that so well depict rural life in Sri Lanka. In the late afternoon, you reach the main road and climb the mythical rock of Sigiriya, with its historical frescoes, royal gardens, and the remains of King Kashyapa's palace. You spend the night in Sigiriya.

• day 13

  SIGIRIYA - ANURADHAPURA: major Buddhist sites

  

  Today, the day begins with a visit to the Dambulla cave temples, with their many Buddhas, before making a short stop at the Dambulla market. On the agenda: colorful stalls, wholesale sales, and the constant ballet of small trucks supplying the whole country with tons of fruits and vegetables. Then, head to Anuradhapura, the ancient capital of Sri Lanka. On the way, you visit the Ritigala site, an ancient Buddhist monastery, whose ruins scattered in the middle of a dense forest give an idea of the past activity of this important spiritual place. You arrive in Anuradhapura at the end of the day and spend the night there.

• day 14

  ANURADHAPURA: royal remains and Buddhist spirituality

  

  One of the UNESCO World Heritage sites, the sacred city of Anuradhapura was for many centuries the political and spiritual capital of Sri Lanka. Many remains bear witness to a lost royalty: fortresses and palaces of bygone times, carved rocks, and Buddhist pagodas. There is also a religious fervor in this city where Buddhist pilgrims come to meditate around its sacred tree, a thousand-year-old branch of the Bodhgaya fig tree in India, under which Buddha attained enlightenment 500 years before B.C. You are thus invited to a day of discovery of historical and archaeological heritage, but also to an introduction to Buddhist spirituality by observing the pilgrims chanting around the sacred tree or making offerings and prayers at the foot of one of the many Buddhist pagodas in the city. You spend the night in Anuradhapura.

• day 15

  ANURADHAPURA - KALPITIYA: Relaxation and beach

  

  Today, heading West! After so many discoveries and moments of sharing, it's time for you to rest a little. Kalpitiya, a seaside resort on a peninsula surrounded by a lagoon, is a prime spot for kitesurfing, which you can observe upon your arrival. Then, a free day: beach, relaxation... at your own pace. You spend the night in Kalpitiya.

• day 16

  KALPITIYA: In search of marine mammals...

  

  This new day in Kalpitiya begins, weather permitting, with a boat trip in search of dolphins, or even whales, depending on the season. Then, you are free to rest for the day, enjoy your natural surroundings, and discover the area and its little preserved natural spots. In short... today is a day off! You spend the night in Kalpitiya.

• day 17

  KALPITIYA: Free day and wellness by the sea

  

  For this last day in Kalpitiya, the more adventurous can decide to treat themselves to a snorkeling or scuba diving session… Others will choose a morning of relaxation or an Ayurvedic treatment… Don’t forget to write your postcards to your loved ones… and to enjoy the beach, the lagoon, the breeze, and the sun… You spend the night in Kalpitiya.

• day 18

  KALPITIYA - AIRPORT: The story of the Ramayana on the way back

  

  It is now time to head to the international airport for your departure. On the way, your driver-guide tells you the story of Rama and his wife Sita, who was kidnapped in India and brought to Sri Lanka by King Ravana, before visiting the Munneswaram Hindu temple or the Manavari Sivan temple, both connected to this captivating story called the Ramayana, one of the two Sanskrit epics of ancient India, dear to Indian travelers on pilgrimage to Sri Lanka. Depending on your departure time, our driver-guide adapts the day's program and drops you off at the airport 3 hours before your flight's departure. Have a safe journey home, hoping to see you again another time to help you discover more of Sri Lanka's gems!