9 Days Sri Lanka – Tea Country & Tropical Beach

Trip Highlights:

• Negombo Fishing Town
• Negombo Fishing Town
• Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage
• Dambulla Cave Temple
• Sigiriya Rock Fortress
• Kandy Tooth Relic Temple and Cultural Triangle
• Sri Lankan Traditional Fire Dancing
• Nuwara Eliya Tea Estate
• Ceylon Tea Tasting

Arrival at Bandaranaike International Airport. A warm welcome by a Divine Representative and transfer to your hotel and check in. Enjoy your day at leisure in Negombo, a nice relaxed time with lovely food, relaxation, sea plus hot sun and or book a fishing tour on the traditional catamaran.

After breakfast make city tour of Negombo. Visit the remaining of the Dutch period, a Buddhist temple and a Catholic church. See a fishing village, the fish market, and the bazaar. Leave for visit Polonnaruwa (a World Heritage Site), the second capital city of Sri Lanka built in the 11th and 12th centuries.

Visit the ruins of the Royal Palace, Gal Viharaya where the splendid statues of the Buddha in ‘Upright’, ‘Sedentary’ and ‘Recumbent’ postures are carved out of rock, Audience Hall, Lotus Bath, statue of king Parakumbahu and Parakrama Samudraya – a lake built by King Parakumbahu.

There are also monuments of famous places of worship such as the Shiva Temple, Lankathilake, Watadage, Galpotha, Kiri Vehera and the remains of a former Temple of the Tooth Relic.

After breakfast proceed to climb the 5th century Sigiriya Rock Fortress which is a world heritage site, built by King Kashyapa (477-495 AD). It’s also known as the Lion Rock, because of the large sculpture of a Lion, at the entrance to the rock fortress. Afternoon make a jeep safari at Minneriya National Park to see the wildlife.

Breakfast at hotel. Visit Dambulla rock temple built by King Wlagambahu, in the 1st Century B.C. it is a world heritage site, and the most impressive of Sri Lanka’s cave temples. The complex of five cave caves with over 2000 sq. meters of painted walls and ceilings is the largest area of paintings found in the world. It contains 150 images of the Buddha of which the largest is the colossal figure of the Buddha carved out of rock and spanning 14 meters.

Leave for Kandy. En route at Matale visit a Hindu temple, a batik factory and a spice garden. See how the different spices grown and processed in Sri Lanka. Kandy was the last kingdom of Sri Lanka, and the hill capital. Kandy is also the venue for annual perehera, a pagent with over 150 elephants, dance troops, etc., parading the city.

Visit the temple of the tooth relic, lake, upper lake, Kandy Market area. In the evening witness a cultural dance show featuring traditional Sri Lankan dances including fire dancing.

Breakfast at hotel. Visit royal botanical gardens in Peradeniya and proceed to visit the elephant orphanage in Pinnawela. See the elephants in nature, being fed, working & bathing in the nearby river.

Leave for Nuwara Eliya, known as “Little England” of Sri Lanka. En route see the mountains covered with tea bushes and cascading waterfalls. The town is set against a beautiful backdrop of mountains, valleys, waterfalls and tea gardens.

Nuwara Eliya is one of the coldest places in the island, with a weather of almost like a spring day in England. The temperature will drop at night and taking a warm jersey is recommended. Visit a tea factory and a plantation to see the tea manufacturing process. Enjoy a freshly brewed cup of “Ceylon Tea”. Later make a city tour of Nuwara Eliya.

After breakfast leave South west beach resort. Travel through a beautiful landscape & see the widest waterfall of Sri Lanka, “St. Clair’s”. Enjoy the rich nature. Make a stop at the Tea Kiosk passing the “Devon” waterfall. Drive through Kithulgala where the Oscar winning movie “Bridge on the River Kwai” was filmed.

Breakfast at the hotel. Day at leisure by the beach.

After breakfast leave for Colombo. Make a city tour of Colombo. Colombo like many capital cities in developing countries is fast changing its face. Almost overnight, skyscrapers arise from where old buildings once stood. Yet in some parts, the old world charm is retained. For example, there is a 100-year-old clock tower and several British built colonial buildings.

Other places of interest are the Pettah bazaar where one can shop for bargain, a Hindu and Buddhist temple, residential areas where you can find the stately homes of affluent, the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall an outright gift to Sri Lanka from the People’s Republic of China.

Thereafter, do a shopping tour of Colombo.Noritake Showroom, a leading manufacturer, exporter and retailer of high quality porcelain and ceramic products. Noritake export quality / grade porcelain tableware available in tea or dinner sets of various designs. Goldmark (fine China) porcelain or handpainted ceramic tableware and collectables are also available. Take a visit to Paradise Road for a final scavenge for souvenirs before heading to dinner.

After breakfast at the hotel. Transfer for onward flight.