Island Explore Tour – 10 Days / 9 Nights
Complete sightseeing tour in Sri Lanka that includes visit of all major tourist attractions followed by a beach holiday. Tour is ideal from October through April when the monsoon moves north east and the sea becomes calm with blue skies.
Your Sri Lanka Holiday Highlights
| Period | Packages | 1 Adult | 2 Adults | 3 Adults | Child (Age 3-12) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12.12.2011 - 01.04.2012 | Standard Tour | USD 1,965.00 | USD 2,321.00 | USD 2,840.00 | USD 580.00 |
| Superior Tour | USD 2,442.00 | USD 2,850.00 | USD 3,580.00 | USD 715.00 | |
| Deluxe Tour | USD 3,165.00 | USD 3,772.00 | USD 4,775.00 | USD 945.00 |
Cost includes:-
Cost Excludes:-
Day 1: Airport – Colombo (40 Km/1 hours)
Meet at the Colombo airport and be transferred for check in to hotel. Spend the rest of the day at your own leisure.
Your itinerary begins in the afternoon with a city tour, taking in the delights of this vibrant and fascinating city, which contrasts its blend of east and west and its colonial past and thriving present. Meander through the commercial and city centre area known as the “Fort”, built by the Portuguese in the 16th century. Tour the bustling markets of Pettah. The former capital Colombo, the only gateway to the splendid island and the commercial and business centre is the city of happening in Sri Lanka. Colombo is dotted with many interesting and important tourist attractions including colonial era buildings.
The main shopping center for the locals is Pettah where the markets are busy and bustling. The main branch of Laksala, Sri Lanka’s largest handicrafts shop is at Fort. More up market shopping destinations are towards the south of the city center along the Galle Road. Majestic City, Liberty Plaza and Crescat are popular among the locals where you could find handicrafts, tea and garments. Odel at Lipton Circus offers good quality items such as clothes, shoes, tea, books and leather goods in a fashionable setting. Sri Lanka is one of the largest producers of garments. There are many locations dotted around the city selling good export quality garments. Shoppers should be aware of cheap imports that has flooded some of these outlets recently.
Be careful with gem buying. The State Gem Corporation will examine, free of charge, gems purchased elsewhere, but if they prove to be fakes the Corporation can do nothing to help you get your money back. Sri Lanka mines sapphires, rubies, garnets, aquamarines, zircons and alexandrites, but has no diamonds or emeralds.
Dinner and overnight hotel accommodation: Renuka City Hotel / Galle Face Hotel in Regency Wing / Colombo Hilton.
Day 2: Depart to Sigiriya (170 Km/5 hours)
After breakfast you will be heading towards Sigiriya along fascinating countryside. En route visit the interesting and amusing elephant orphanage Pinnawela; home to more than 70 elephant orphans. A place you will really enjoy and never forget. Most orphans are accustomed to their curious human visitors are harmless. Interesting time will be the bathing time when the herd is brought to a river flowing close by or at feeding time to see the babies being bottle-fed. You can also try out to bottle-feed a young one.
From Pinnawela you will be heading towards Dambulla Rock Temple. The temple holds a magnificent gallery of Buddha images. Wall and ceiling paintings are not seen anywhere else in the Island. It is a complex of five cave temples with its origin harking back to the Anuradhapura period (1st century BC). However due to refurbishments undertaken by various rulers over the past two thousand years what now remains is mostly work done in the Kandyan period (18th century).
On arrival check-in to your hotel for a good rest and peaceful evening.
Dinner and overnight hotel accommodation: Kassapa Lion Rock Hotel / Sigiriya Village Hotel / Amaya Lake Hotel
Day 3: Discover the Cultural Triangle of Sri Lanka
After your morning breakfast, climb the Sigiriya Rock Fortress a UNESCO World Heritage site built by King Kassapa in the 05thcentury A.D. which was a Royal Citadel for more than 18 years. The lion rock is a citadel of unusual beauty, rising 200 meters from the scrub jungle. The base of the rock is ringed by a moat and rampart and extensive gardens including the renowned water gardens. The majestic Lion’s Paw picturesquely guards the stairway of the palace on the summit. See the famous frescoes of the “Heavenly maidens” of Sigiriya in a sheltered pocket of the rock and the 10 foot high Mirror Wall.
In the afternoon, proceed to Habarana (25 Km/30 minutes) for an elephant ride. The feeling of stepping back in time, a time when kings rode on the backs of these magnificent mammals and the chance for you dear visitors to do the same is what we at the other corner offer. The tour will take you along the forest trail, across the river and through the village all on the elephant back ride.
On completion, visit the Polonnaruwa, a UNESCO World Heritage site (58 Km/2 hours). It was the Capital of Sri Lanka from the 11th to 13th century, a well-planned medieval city defended by enclosing walls (around 5 Km which still remain), graced by palaces, shrines, monasteries, pavilions, parks, ponds and irrigation lakes. Polonnaruwa is strewn with ruins in a resplendent state of preservation. Of these the Vatadage and the Thuparama Image house are the most spectacular. The Gal Vihara which consists of statues of the recumbent, standing and seated Buddha have been cut from a single granite wall and rank among the true masterpieces of Sri Lankan Art.
In the evening you will be coming back to Sigiriya for your dinner and overnight stay.
Dinner and overnight hotel accommodation: Kassapa Lion Rock Hotel / Sigiriya Village Hotel / Amaya Lake Hotel
Day 4: Depart to Kandy via Matale (95 Km/4 hours)
After your early breakfast, move on to Kandy: the hill capital of Kandy was the last bastion of the Sinhala Kings and is a charming city offering a living record of a magnificent past. The city established in the 15th century was the last royal capital where 2500 years of royal rule ended.
In Matale visit the exotic spice gardens to see different spices for which Srilanka is famous for. All see how these species are grown and processed as well as sights of some good cookery show.
After check-in to your hotel have a good rest as you will be going on a guided tour of Kandy in the evening. Visit the celebrated Temple of the Tooth and thereafter enjoy the Kandyan Cultural Show at the Kandyan Arts & Cultural Centre. The show features the graceful and rhythmic dancers and drummers culminating in an impressive fire walking show.
Kandy is known for its antiques, but anything made earlier than this century cannot be legally exported.
Dinner and overnight hotel accommodation: Hotel Topaz / The Richmond House / Amaya Hills Hotel
Day 5: Depart to Nuwara Eliya (80 Km/3 hours)
Following breakfast, you have a thrilling opportunity to take an optional train ride from the rail station at Kandy to Nanu Oya station and thereafter continue to Nuwara Eliya by road, 6,000 feet above sea level. As you gain elevation the vegetation of the region too changes as also the driving. Tea Gardens begin to appear on the slopes and waterfalls of various strengths appear frequently. The road to clings to the mountains as it twists and turn climbing all the way. The scenes of Terrace cultivation of tea and occasionally of Paddy are a very fascinating sight.
Visit a Tea Plantation and Tea Factory and witness how the best tea in the world is produced, processed and packed. Enjoy the cup of refreshing tea at the factory and savor the taste of the pure Ceylon tea.
Rest of the evening is leisure time for your independent activities. Take a walk around the town covered with mist. Your overnight stay will be in Nuwara Eliya.
Dinner and overnight hotel accommodation: Avion Breeze Hotel / Jetwing St. Andrews Hotel / Grand Hotel.
Day 6: Nuwara Eliya – Ella – Yala (195 Km/5 hours)
After your breakfast, you will commence on a sightseeing tour of Nuwara-Eliya. Like a misplaced bit of Europe set in the centre of a tropical island, the hill country resort town of Nuwara Eliya nestles in a cradle formed by three mountains at an elevation of 6,182 feet (1,884 meters) above sea level.
In the afternoon you will be heading towards Yala deep south of Sri Lanka. After a pretty long drive through barren countryside you arrive at your hotel.In the evening visit other attraction around including Kataragama a pilgrimage town popular with Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and indigenous Vedda communities of Sri Lanka and South India.
Dinner and overnight hotel accommodation: Priyankara Hotel / Rosen Renaissance Hotel / Chaaya Wild Hotel
Day 7: Yala – Galle – Bentota (245 Km/4 hours)
Leave the hotel at 5:30am (you can request the previous evening for a picnic breakfast to take along) for a Morning Safari of the Yala Park. The tour usually is around 3 to 4 hours and can take even longer if you have been lucky enough to see animal activity to spend more time in the park.
On completion you will be heading towards Bentota en route visiting erstwhile colonial city of Galle glittering with the Old Dutch Fort and unique structures native to the colonial era. Spend some hours strolling inside this old fort and enjoy the view of blue sea and waves crashing on its rampant walls.
Then proceed towards southwest to the coastal town of Bentota, which is a scenic region between the sea and the river. Being one of the most established beach resorts in Sri Lanka, Bentota is known for its professional touristic infrastructure. It is a fascinating drive along Sri Lanka’s coastline and several interesting fishing villages where the stilt fisherman precariously perched on a stick in the shallow of the ocean with a fishing chord in his hand is an interesting sight. Reach your hotel and take a rest.
Dinner and overnight hotel accommodation: Villa Ocean View Hotel / Privilege All Suite Beach Hotel / Heritance Ahungalla
Day 8: Bentota
Enjoy heartfelt breakfast at your hotel and enjoy rest of the day at your free will.
Dinner and overnight hotel accommodation: Villa Ocean View Hotel / Privilege All Suite Beach Hotel / Heritance Ahungalla
Day 9: Bentota – Colombo – Airport Hotel (101 Km/4 hours)
Enjoy the breakfast, later we transfer you to hotel near Katunayake airport. Check-in to your hotel and have a good rest.
Dinner and overnight hotel accommodation: The Tamarind Tree / St. Lachlan Hotel / The Getaway Hotel Airport Garden.
Day 10: Airport (10 Km/15 minutes)
Following breakfast, you will be driven back to the airport for your onward flight with happy Sri Lankan memories.
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