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DAY 01: DEPARTURE UK
Board a flight from UK to Sri Lanka.
DAY 02: ARRIVAL TRANSFER / COLOMBO
Met on arrival at the Bandaranayake International airport & transfer to Colombo -
Check in at Hotel - Rest of the Day at leisure - Overnight stay at Hotel.
DAY 03: COLOMBO
Breakfast at leisure - Morning at leisure - Afternoon proceed on sightseeing Tour of Colombo driving through the Commercial area of the " Fort" so named, because both the Portuguese and Dutch had a Fort at this point. Drive passed "Pettah" - a noisy Oriental bazaar with a hotchpotch of Humanity, ancient vehicles, bargains, mosques & temples. Visit Hindu temple & drive pass Jumi-UL Alfar Jumma Mosque, Continue the tour through the Wolvendaal Dutch Church, Hultsdorf Law courts, to the residential area of Cinnamon Gardens and on to the Independence Square and Bandaranayake Memorial International Conference Hall. And also visit the national museum with its fine collection of antiques and local art. ( Fridays the museum is closed) Return to hotel for overnight stay.
DAY 04: COLOMBO
Following breakfast leave for Kelaniya and visit the "Kelaniya Raja Maha
Vihara", graced by Buddha on one of his three visits to Sri Lanka. Return to
Colombo and drive to Dehiwela to witness the Zoological Gardens Also visit a
Hindu temple - Return to hotel for overnight stay.
DAY 05: COLOMBO / ANURADHAPURA
Following breakfast leave for Anuradhapura visiting Dambadeniya, capital of
The island after the fall of Polonnaruwa in the 13th century. Its principal surviving ruins are a two-story Dalada Maligawa temple and the dagoba revered by the locals for the 60 corporeal relics of the Buddha it is said to contain. Also visit Panduvas Nuwara, featuring a well-preserved walled citadel, Padeniya, Arankele, and Yapahuwa, a rock fortress - the stone ruins of the steps are reminiscently Cambodian.
Check in at Hotel for overnight stay.
DAY 06: ANURADHAPURA
Breakfast at hotel - visit Anuradhapura. which was the first capital and
undoubtedly the grandest city of the ancient Sri Lanka. It is the home of
two World Heritage sites. visit many places of historical and archaeological interest could be visited. Sri Maha Bodhi (Sacred Bo-Tree) was brought as a sapling of the tree under which prince Siddhartha attained to enlightenment and it is over 2,200 years old and is the oldest historically documented tree in the world. At Brazen Palace (2nd century B.C), the 1600 stone columns you see are all that is left of a magnificent multi-storied residence for monks. Ruwanweliseya (2nd century B.C) is the most famous of all the Dagobas. It originally depicted the perfect 'bubble shape" that modern restoration has not been able to accurately reproduce.
'Samadhi' Buddha statue (4th century AD) is one of the most famous statues,
depicting the Buddha in a state of 'Samadhi' or deep meditation. Isurumuniya rock temple (3rd century B.C) is well known for its rock carvings of 'The Lovers'. Kuttam Pokuna - twin ponds (6th century AD) was used by the Buddhist monks as a bathing pool. Thuparama Dagoba (3rd century B.C) is the oldest Dagoba in the island, which enshrines the right collarbone of the Buddha. Return to hotel for overnight stay.
DAY 07: ANURDHAPURA/ DAMBULLA / GIRITALE / POLONNARUWA /
GIRITALE
After breakfast at Hotel, proceed to visit Polonnaruwa en route visit Aukana Buddha statue is undoubtedly the most magnificent preserved image on the island.
The 5th century statue, ascribed to King Datusena, is 13 metres high and the Dambulla Rock Temple. Climb up to the temple, which was donated by king Walagambahu in the 1st century BC to Buddhist monks. Dambulla is a World Heritage site and is the most impressive of Sri Lanka's cave temples. The complex of five caves with over 2000 sq. metres of painted walls and the ceiling is the largest area of paintings found in the world. These caves contain over 150 images of the Buddha of which the largest is the colossal figure of the Buddha carved out of rock spanning 14 metres.
Afternoon visit Polonnaruwa which was the 2nd capital city of Sri Lanka, built in the 11th and 12th centuries AD, and which is a world heritage site - Here you can see the ruins of the Royal Palace, the Gal Viharaya - where 4 splendid statues of the Buddha in 'Upright', 'Sedentary' and 'Recumbent' postures carved out of rock, the Audience Hall, the Lotus Bath, king Parakramabahu's statue, and the Parakrama Samudraya lake built by King Parakramabahu the great. There are also monuments of famous places of worship such as the Shiva Temple, the Lankathilake, the Watadage, the Galpotha, the Kiri Vehera and the remains of a former Temple of the Tooth Relic. Return to hotel or overnight stay.
DAY 08: GIRITALE / SIGIRIYA / KANDY
Following breakfast leave for Sigiriya - climb the 5th century Sigiriya rock
fortress which is a world heritage site, built by King Kashyapa (477-495 AD). The 'Lion Rock' is a citadel of unusual beauty rising 200 metres from the scrub jungle.
The rock was the inermost stronghold of the 70 hectare fortified town. A moat, rampart, and extensive gardens including the renowned water gardens ring the base of the rock. Visit the world-renowned frescoes of the 'Heavenly Maidens' of Sigiriya, which are in a sheltered pocket of the rock approached by a spiral stairway. These frescoes are painted in earth pigments on plaster. proceed to visit a spice garden in Matale to see the different spices, which Sri Lanka is famous for. You will be introduced to different spices and shown how some of these spices are grown and processed. Drive to Kandy for overnight stay at hotel.
DAY 09: KANDY / PINNAWELA / KANDY
After breakfast at Suisse hotel, visit the elephant orphanage in Pinnawala. This orphanage is the home for about 60 elephants, out of which some are baby elephants found abandoned or orphaned in the wild. They are being cared, fed and trained by the wild life authorities. The best time to visit is during the feeding times, when one will have the opportunity of seeing the baby elephants being bottle-fed. Also could accompany the elephants to a river close-by and see them having their daily bath. visit the ruined temples of Embekke, Gadaladeniya and Lankatilleke. Return to Kandy enroute visit the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens.
This botanical garden was first built as a pleasure garden by a Sinhala king and was expanded by the British. It is 147 acres in extent and provides an amazing variety of trees, plants and flowers. Do a city tour of Kandy. Kandy was the last capital of the Sri Lankan kings, and is a World Heritage Site. The name Kandy Conjures visions of splendour and magnificence. Many of the legends, traditions and folklore are still lovingly kept alive. Drive around the Kandy Lake built by the last Sinhala king Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe in 1798. Visit the Kandy town and Bazaar, the arts & crafts centre and a gem museum and a lapidary. In the evening visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic and thereafter witness a cultural show featuring traditional Sri Lankan dancing. Return to hotel for overnight stay.
DAY 10: KANDY / NUWARA ELIYA
After breakfast at Suisse Hotel, proceed to visit a tea plantation and a tea
factory, where the best tea in the world is produced. You will be told all about the process of manufacturing tea. You can also see how tea is graded. Taste a cup of pure Ceylon tea in the factory. On completion, proceed to Nuwara Eliya, because of its invigorating mountain climate and scenery, is Sri Lanka's most popular hill resort. Nuwara Eliya is also the heart of Sri Lanka's tea country producing a significant share of the world's best tea. Sri Lanka's highest mountain Pidurutalagala (8282 feet) is located here. Nuwara-Eliya also has one of the finest 18 hole golf courses in South Asia. Check in at hotel / lodge -
Evening leave on a sightseeing tour of Nuwara Eliya including the Hakgala Gardens - Drive through "Little England " Return to hotel for overnight stay.
DAY 11: NUWARA ELIYA / HORTON PLAINS / NUWARA ELIYA
Following breakfast leave for Horton Plains by jeep early in the morning. Horton Plains is located on a high windswept saddle at 2134 meters. These Plains are hard to reach but the scenery is well worth the effort. At Horton Plains hike to the Bakers Fall, passing en route the Gem Pit Pool, the Chimney Pool, and the Leg of Mutton Pool. Return to hotel for overnight stay.
DAY 12: NUWARA ELIYA / YALA
Breakfast at hotel - Leave for Yala enroute visiting the Mahayana Buddhist
rock sculptures at Buduuvagala - Check in at Hotel - Evening do a
safari of the Yala National Park by jeep. Yala is the largest National Park in Sri lanka and is the home of wild elephants, wild boar, wild buffalo, leopard, bear, deer and crocodiles. You can also see large flocks of migratory and indigenous birds. Return to hotel for overnight stay.
DAY 13: YALA / BUNDALA / RATANPURA / BERUWELA
Breakfast at Hotel - visit the Bundala Bird Sanctuary by private jeep. Later
Leave for Beruwela via Ratanpura visiting Gem Mines and Museum - Check in at Hotel for overnight stay.
DAY 14: BERUWELA
Breakfast at Hotel - Day at leisure in the Beach - overnight stay at Hotel
DAY 15: BERUWELA
Breakfast at hotel - Day at leisure in the Beach - overnight stay at the hotel.
DAY 16: BERUWELA / DEPARTURE TRANSFER
Breakfast at hotel - Day at leisure - Evening transfer to the Katunayake airport to connect with the departure flight to UK at the end of your Sri Lanka Tour.
SERVICES END
 Sri Lanka Tour Packages
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