17 days for discovering the local Sri Lanka

Departure for Sri Lanka

Welcome at the airport and transfer to your hotel.

You will leave early in the morning to visit the fish market and then head to Galle and its UNESCO listed fort and Ahangama to join your hosts for a local experience.

You will take a boat trip on the river, or discover the city by tuk tuk (extra charge).

In the afternoon, you will leave for Morawaka to share the daily life of a Sri Lankan family. 

 You will go to the village centre to buy fruit and vegetables for the evening meal which you will then prepare with your hosts.

In the morning activity with the family (small improvised tuk-tuk driving course, rice harvesting (depending on the season), walk in the tea fields or bathing in the river if you didn't do it the day before...). 

You will then drive to Udawalawe National Park to visit an orphanage that strives to reintroduce elephants to their natural habitat, and to watch the elephants feed.

Early morning game drive in Udawalawe National Park. You will be able to see many species coming to drink around the reservoir which is truly the heart of this park which takes its name from it.

You will then take the road to Ella and the highlands.

In the morning, a tuk tuk will be waiting for you to take you to Lipton Seat, the promontory from which Sir Lipton loved to admire his tea plantations. 

 On the way you will stop to walk to a beautiful viewpoint where you can admire the surrounding plantations and the different valleys. You will pass through a small village and visit the local temple.

You will then reach the top to enjoy the breathtaking view and enjoy a small prepared picnic lunch and a cup of tea. 

 Afternoon free to walk around or continue exploring the area.

After breakfast, you will drive (30mn to 1h) to the starting point of the 6h trek to Medipokuna monastery.

Before starting your trek, you may visit a very old Buddhist temple.

Then walk through beautiful forest and rice field landscapes where you will have the opportunity to see farmers at work. Picnic by the river. 

After having regained your strength, you will go to a Buddhist temple to spend the night, you will enjoy the beautiful site in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by vegetable gardens and rice fields.

You will meet a monk who will introduce you to the Buddhist philosophy and initiate you to a small meditation session.

After breakfast, go for a walk through the rice fields and tea plantations, accompanied by a guide who knows the flora and fauna inside out. You will be able to bathe and refresh yourself in a river and you will cross a long suspension bridge.

Picnic on the edge of the tea plantations. Return to the family in the afternoon and end the day at leisure.

In the morning, transfer to Ella station to take the local train to Nuwara Eliya and the tea plantation region, known as "Little England". On the way, you will be able to admire the beautiful landscapes of the region.

You can walk around Lake Gregory, have tea in the old governor's palace or walk through the tea plantations.

Early in the morning, about 30km from Nuwara Eliya, you can trek to the Horton Plains Nature Reserve where you can see the wildlife of the area. You can admire the Backer's Falls before reaching World's End where you can enjoy a breathtaking view.

You will take the road to Kandy.

On the way you can stop to admire the Ramboda Falls.  You have two options: walk 30 minutes to a viewpoint overlooking the upper part of the waterfall or enter the Ramboda Falls Hotel to see the lower part.

In Kandy, you will discover the Peradeniya botanical garden, one of the most beautiful in Asia, designed in 1370.

In the late afternoon, for the 6:30 pm ceremony, you can visit the famous Temple of the Tooth of Buddha which attracts hundreds of pilgrims every day with arms full of lotus and frangipani flowers. You will also see the palace of the last King of Ceylon which adjoins the temple. 

The ancient city of Kandy is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In the morning, trek to the three temples. You will walk to the three main temples around Kandy. You will cross rice fields, villages and meet the Sri Lankans in their daily life. A real off-the-beaten track experience.

Departure from Gadaladeniya temple dating from 1344. You will then take the path to the Lankathilaka Vihara temple which offers its visitors a panoramic view of the surrounding hills and rice fields (approx. 1h30 walk). You will then head to the Embekke temple, which is home to centuries-old wood carvings of great finesse (1 hour walk).

 After lunch, you will leave for the cultural triangle.

End of the day free to relax at the hotel and enjoy the pool.

Early morning climb the 8th Wonder of the World, the Lion Rock at Sigiriya. Famous for its frescoes, the former royal fortress is one of the most captivating sites on the island. From the top, you can enjoy an exceptional view of the surrounding jungle. Sigiriya Fortress is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

You will then drive to Passikudah, for the beach part of your stay.

Beach stay at Passikudah Beach. You can simply relax on the beach or by the pool of your hotel or take a catamaran trip to explore the sea bed.

In the late morning, you will leave for Negombo, to sleep near the airport for your next morning flight. 

On the way, visit Dambulla Temple, a cave temple dating back to the 1st century BC, whose five cave shrines are entirely decorated with Buddhist murals. The Dambulla cave temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Free day and transfer to the airport.