Sri Lanka - Culture and Heritage

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  Colombo – Habarane

  Welcome at Colombo airport, meet your local guide and transfer to Habarane. Arrival and check-in at the hotel. In the afternoon, visit the Dambulla temple: discover the caves, the rock temples, and the many Buddhas, including the magnificent 14-meter-long reclining Buddha. Return to the hotel for the night.

• day 2

  Habarane - Polonnaruwa

  Short transfer to the second major archaeological site of Sri Lanka: the magnificent royal site of Polonnaruwa. Once the capital of the country, Polonnaruwa is well preserved. Possibility to discover by bicycle the many buildings (ruins of the palace, temples, and the wonderful Buddhist complex, including a magnificent Buddha in gneiss dating from the 13th century) as well as the park surrounding the site. At the end of the day, return to Habarane, dinner and overnight at the hotel.

• day 3

  Habarane - Matale

  In the morning, visit of the Sigiriya fortress (the “Lion Rock”), the short-lived capital of a treacherous prince who built a fortress on top of this inaccessible granite rock (400 m). An ingenious hydraulic system brought water to the summit; pools and fountains were supplied thanks to the pressure thus obtained. The entire rock symbolized a huge reclining lion, and visitors had to pass through its mouth before the final ascent. Discovery of the famous “maidens” (extraordinary frescoes of beautiful young women painted under a rock shelter halfway up the rock). Continue towards Matale, visit a spice plantation and the Hindu temple. The road winds between tea fields and then rises towards the Knuckles Mountains. Overnight stay on site in a simple lodge.

• day 4

  Kandy

  Walk through the tea plantations, along the tracks that allow vehicles to come and collect the harvests. Here, the workers are mostly of Tamil origin. They live on site, in the plantations (estates), in small villages built especially for them. Transfer to Kandy at the end of the afternoon. In the evening, you can attend a local dance performance. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 5

  Kandy

  Morning, visit to the botanical garden — more than 4,000 species of plants or trees are listed. After the visit, departure for the elephant orphanage in Pinnawela, on the banks of the Maha Oya river. A very pleasant moment: this orphanage was created to take in abandoned baby elephants (for example, after the death of their mother). Return to the city center. In the afternoon, visit to the Dalada Maligawa, the Temple of the Tooth of Buddha, which houses the most sacred relic. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 6

  Nuwara Eliya - Ella

  In the morning, continue to Nuwara Eliya while visiting a tea factory. Arrival in Nuwara Eliya and visit of the English town. A quiet stroll in the town and lunch on site. In the afternoon, from Nanu Oya station, board the small train coming from Kandy, once used by the British to serve all the tea plantations. Arrival at Ella station, transfer by car to the Guest House and overnight stay.

• day 7

  Udawalawe

  The road to the south, towards Udawalawe National Park. Stop at Ravana Falls and Buduruwagala Temple. We leave the mid-mountain region and arrive in Udawalawe for lunch. We visit Udawalawe National Park by 4x4 jeep in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight in Udawalawe.

• day 8

  Mirissa

  After breakfast, continue along the coast to Mirissa. Check-in at the hotel located on the beach. Overnight at the hotel.

• day 9

  Galle - Airport

  Morning, drive to Galle. Visit of Galle, the former Dutch trading post listed by UNESCO. Afterwards, drive to Colombo and transfer to the airport for check-in formalities.