Unlike the regular Seat-In-Coach Tour – that covers interesting places of a particular destination – this is an experience which stitches nature, culture and the landscape of the island paradise together. Hence, ‘mingling with locals’ is a certain highlight of this tour which has been drawn up to offer you the ‘real taste’ through the Sri Lankan way of life. In fact, this will be a main reason why you will take home not just memories of picturesque places, but a bouquet of recollections that will ink delightful memories of the Wonder of Asia in times to come!
Pick up from Colombo hotel and transfer to Negombo.
Visit Lellama in Negombo.
Wake up to the tropical sunrise and head out to Lellama to observe the fishermen’s way of life. Watch how they spread out their nets with care hoping for that ‘big catch’. Then simply take few steps towards the busy fishermen pulling fishing nets ashore. After all, a little help wouldn’t mind, would it?
Preserve the fresh catch in cold boxes to take them across for your afternoon BBQ where you enjoy your lunch.
Then proceed to Dambulla while experiencing how busy roads change gradually to a flat terrain spreading miles ahead as the climate gets warmer. Surely, it will be fascinating to observe how the road starts to get carpeted between lush green paddy fields.
As the journey begins, you will witness coconut cultivations and while you drive towards Dambulla, you will see vast areas of paddy fields. It is really an amazing thing to see how the environment changes from the coastal line to paddy fields. As your journey deepens into the northern part of the island you will be able to witness exotic birds, Monitor Lizards, grey Buffalos, and overly friendly Monkeys.
On your way you will also witness beautiful pineapple plantations. Stop near a pineapple plantation and enjoy the fresh and tasty pineapple. It will open your taste buds and you will feel refreshed after a long drive.
Once you have reached Dambulla, you will feel the warm tropical weather, but the constant breeze will make you feel tireless.
Proceed to a local restaurant and line up to your own BBQ with the fresh fish you brought from the fishing village the very day, then learn the art of marinating and make your own BBQ meal. It will be a nice experience to make your own BBQ.
Check in to the hotel.
In the evening proceed to Minneriya National park for Safari by Jeep.
(Entrance fees + jeep hire directly by the guest)
Minneriya Park is a national park in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka. The park is a dry season feeding ground for the elephant population. Sri Lankan Leopard and Sloth bear which are rare and endangered species also inhabit this area. The park was declared as a wild life sanctuary in order to protect the watershed of Minneriya tank and the wildlife of the surrounding area. The tank is historically important for the country as it was built by King Mahasen in the 3rd century AD.
Breakfast at the hotel.
In the morning Visit Sigiriya Lion Rock (Optional – Entrance fee USD 30 per person to be paid direct by clients)
Hop off your vehicle at the base of the fresco-covered rock fortress sitting calm in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. As you walk through its well-trodden pathways do not be surprised to witness its symmetrical landscape which is still kept alive. Then take the stairway towards the gigantic paws of a resting lion and walk through its perfectly preserved frescoes and wonderful mirror wall to observe the brilliance of the ancient Sri Lankan artist. At the top you will be presented with nothing less than a mesmerizing living specimen of King Kasyapa’s 5th century citadel which will surely tempt you to explore the summit even more. Do not be surprised…. After all you are at the Eighth Wonder of the World!
Then proceed to Giritale Tank.
Sunrise in the morning will stay as an unforgettable picture. As you get up you will hear birds singing and it will be a different waking up experience.
After visit of Sigiriya, sit in the comfort of your vehicle as your chauffeur takes you to the Giritale tank, one of the finest landmarks in the Kingdom of Lakes! The tank is an initiative taken few centuries ago with the primary objective of cooling the environment while providing much
needed water for agricultural lands which today administers itself as one of the finest spoken attractions in Polonnaruwa.
This is where you get to hop on a bicycle and take a slow ride through scattered local villages. School children who run through the paddy fields will make this beautiful morning more colourful. Being captivated by the subtle beauty of the feathered – Egrets, Brahminy Kites and Bulbuls – while observing a Kingfisher making a nose-dive into sparkling water can never be a bad idea after all!
Proceed to Polonnaruwa.
Stop at a village market place and you can buy vegetables for your today’s lunch. You can bargain with the local vendors with the help of your tour guide and purchase vegetables on your own. Then transfer to a close by village house. You will have the opportunity to blend with the local family and prepare food jointly with the group. It will be an interactive cooking experience for the guests. Whilst sharing the Sri Lankan cookery secrets, the tour guide will introduce the village family to the group. After the joint preparation of the food clients can enjoy the typical Sri Lankan rice and curry lunch with the local family. For sure this will be another unforgettable experaince for all of the guests.
Visit Polonnaruwa ancient city.
Do not let the heat absorb your interest as you have just stepped into a mine of cultural and religious extravaganza. Stamping a remarkable era from the 11th century until 1310 CE. Polonnaruwa, represents one of the most important milestones in the history of Sri Lanka. Take a walk across this UNESCO World Heritage Site – a kingdom of the greatest kings that ruled the island – and witness how stone-carved Buddha statues as well as architectural and historic
Monuments add value to Polonnaruwa. Observe the glamour of Gal Viharaya, Lankatilaka, Rankot Vehera, Thivanka Image House as well as Thuparama before heading out from a remarkable royal capital of Sri Lanka!
Back to the hotel.
Breakfast at the hotel.
(Optional ) Visit Dambulla Cave Temple (Optional – Entrance fee USD 10 per person payable direct)
Leave your hotel and make a quick stop in Dambulla in the morning to witness the religious and cultural landmark embedded in Dambulla Cave Temples. Tracing its footsteps back to the 2nd century BC, the cave temple in Dambulla form an important pick in anyone’s bucket-list merely due to its magnificently carved 153 Buddha statues nestled in five caves. Step through the gateways trodden by millions of devotees and take a slow climb right to its summit to observe
Over 80 caves which were prime meditating grounds for Buddhist monks throughout phases of history. Then leave the premises with nothing less than ripe memories.
You will feel the climate change of the dry zone to wet zone as you pass by Dambulla and reach Kandy via Matale. You will witness how the flat paddy fields change into step down paddy fields beside the road. You will be reaching the up country surrounded with lot of greenery and mountains. When you pass by, either sides of the road there will be local vegetable sellers who will stop your vehicle to sell fresh vegetables. This is their day today income to look after their families.
Proceed to Kandy via Matale.
Stop in Matale – the cradle of spices in Sri Lanka – on your way to the Hill Capital to observe how Sri Lanka’s world-class spices are grown and processed. Start your spice garden tour under the watchful eyes of an in-house specialist who will take you through a journey entwining with spices and their herbal values. Then you will get a short head and shoulder massage before you leave the spice garden. Finally, enjoy a cup of herbal tea – something unique for a Sri Lankan at heart – before heading out to the all-important last royal capital of Sri Lanka, Kandy.
Feel the coolness of the surrounding climate as you drive into the limits of a city which is 500 meters above the sea level and that last-witnessed Royalty. Welcome to the Colosseum of Heritage! Take a walk through streets of Kandy and observe how life unfolds under the shades of Heritage. Pass the clock tower that stands tall for decades under the sun and rain before walking around the shady banks of the Kandy Lake.
Check in to your hotel.
In the evening, take part in a city tour in Kandy before witnessing a cultural show featuring traditional Sri Lankan dances. A drive around the Kandy Lake built by the last Sinhala king Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe in 1798 will give you a nice feeling about the culture in Kandy. Then proceed to explore the town, Bazaar area and the market place where locals come and buy their day to day goods.
Optional: For those who are interested in visiting a Gem Museum and Art & Craft center can visit those places as an option. Kandy is a great place for souvenir shopping and to learn about its rich culture.
As you walk through the doorways of a cultural center, stay prepared to be mesmerized by the beats of rattling drums and spinning dancers that spell out the Kandyan heritage to supremacy!
Sit back in the comfort of your seat and applaud to a series of performances unfolding before your eyes featuring traditional Sri Lankan dances.
After the cultural show transfer to the hotel and refresh and come back to the Kandy city to taste the Sri Lankan street food. You may taste the nice Kottu Roti, hoppers, egg hoppers & roti. After the dinner do not forget to taste the Masala Tea. (Clients pay direct)
After the dinner visit a local pub in Kandy to have some wine and beer there. This will be a very nice experience as you will witness the local way of socializing in the evenings. (Clients pay direct)
Return to the hotel.
If passionate towards local cuisine? Then learn it from those who know it by heart! Watch how locals garnish their culinary experience – the traditional way at the resort you stayed over. You may even lend a hand to prepare your signature Sri Lankan breakfast, an experience that will last a lifetime! You will experience this lovely breakfast in the morning room open to the garden with the pool view. Your chef will Demonstrate, how to prepare typical Sri Lankan food such as Pol roti, Milk Rice, Pittu or a curry. You also get an opportunity to get yourself involved in making this lovely dish.
Breakfast at the hotel.
Visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic
Leave your hotel and walk into the most sacred temple that enshrines the tooth relic of Lord Buddha where you will be able to witness Pooja – twice a day – showered by the blessings of devotees that account to few hundreds on any given day. After paying homage to the gods, visit the Kandy Museum which houses a tale of Kings and Queens entwined between the pillars of heritage.
(When you visit the temple of tooth relic please make sure that you wear the proper dress code to avoid any inconvenience at the entrance. You are not allowed to wear, shorts, Short Skirts, skinnies or sleeveless blouses)
Visit Peradeniya Botanical Garden
Head towards Peradeniya and walk through the gateways of the Royal Botanical Garden which enshrines an abundance of flora. Walk through the giant palms and be enchanted by rare orchids, spices and herbs which are sometimes found nowhere else across the island. In fact, this is not only a habitat for beautiful flowers, but also a library for an enthusiast of historic plants which date back across few decades.
The origins of the Botanical Gardens date as far back as 1371 when King Wickramabahu III ascended the throne and kept court at Peradeniya near Mahaweli River. This was followed by King Kirti Sri and King Rajadhi Rajasinghe. A temple was built on this location by King Wimala Dharma, but it was destroyed by the British when they were given control over the Kingdom of Kandy. Thereafter, the groundwork for a botanical garden was formed by Alexandar Moon in 1821. The Botanical Garden at Peradeniya was formally established in 1843 with plants brought from Kew Garden, Slave Island, Colombo, and the Kalutara Garden in Kalutara. The Royal Botanic Garden, Peradeniya was made more independent and expanded under George Gardner as superintendent in 1844. On his death in 1849 George Henry Kendrick Thwaites became superintendent. He served until 1879, when he was succeeded by Henry Trimen, who served until1895. The Garden came under the administration of the Department of Agriculture when it was established in 1912.
After visiting the Botanical Garden, you may have your lunch under a shady tree on the mats. You will enjoy lunch at Oak Ray Tea Bush Hotel (Clients Pay Direct)
Proceed to Nuwara Eliya.
En-route Visit Ramboda Falls.
Leave Peradeniya and take a winding road uphill into the heart of the tea country. Observe the surroundings and how the climate around you changes as busy roads studded with towns transform into pine-covered narrow roads that snake their way through lush green blankets of Ceylon Tea. Don’t be surprised if you pass a…. waterfall crashing down by the road as this is a common sight amidst the hills. Nuwara Eliya is situated 1868m above the sea level.
When you pass by the mountains you will see village children selling wild flowers besides the road. You may stop for a moment and purchase beautiful flowers from them. It will not cost you a lot. But for them that income will help them to go to school and study for their future.
As you approach Nuwara Eliya you will find out why it is called a visitor’s bliss. The misty hill country town is vastly renowned for unending acres of high-grown Ceylon Tea and suddenly springs out to light during its April season when golfers, horse-racers, motor racers and holiday makers flock into Nuwara Eliya to spend the best season of the year amidst Old-English style cottages and a heritage that dates back into Colonial Ceylon!
Visit Tea Factory.
Walk into a traditional factory processing fine Ceylon Tea, a world class brand which boasts of millions of servings each day across the globe. Be mesmerized by the process extending from plucking to processing and be guided by a team of experts who know it by heart! You can enjoy tea plucking session at the tea factory with the tea bucket hanging on your neck. After the tea plucking session enjoy the finest Ceylon tea at the tea lounge.
Check into the hotel.
Breakfast at the hotel.
Leave your hotel in the morning and head out to Nanu-Oya Railway Station. Catch a local train that will rattle its way to Ella and be mesmerized by the breathtaking views that will swish pass your window. This train will be stopped at the Pattipola railway station during your fascinating train journey, it is the highest station in Sri Lanka with an elevation of 1,897.5 m above the sea level. The Pattipola Station has that unique feeling of a British Village Station as you pass by you will feel that you are away from it all. You will witness the scenic beauty of cool up country.
Once you reach Ella climb up to the top of the mountain to view the unforgettable Ella-Gap.
Later on Trekking at Mini Adam’s peak.
This beautiful short walk up to the top of Little Adam’s Peak, would take about 45 minutes from the main road. The road is flat and wide and when you climb half way through the walk you would come across some concrete steps about 200-250 and these steps would take you to the top of the mountain where you can get a panoramic view of the southern coastal belt and on a clear day you may be able to see the ocean. The average day time temperature is between 23°- 27°.
Check into the hotel.
Packed breakfast at the hotel.
Start your hike to Nine Arch Bridge
The Nine Arch Bridge, also known as the Bridge in the Sky, is a remarkable railway bridge located near the town of Ella in the central highlands of Sri Lanka. It is renowned for its picturesque setting, impressive architecture, and the lush greenery that surrounds it. The Nine Arch Bridge is renowned for its architectural design, featuring nine arches that give it a unique and captivating appearance. The bridge is often referred to as one of the engineering marvels of the early 20th century. The Nine Arch Bridge is not only a marvel of engineering but also a cultural and historical landmark that attracts both locals and tourists interested in the rich heritage of Sri Lanka.
Then proceed to Yala.
Observe how the steep roads flatten into a speed-friendly terrain that stretches past acres across Wellawaya into the heart of wilderness, Yala National Park. Welcome to leopard country! Yala National Park has the highest density of leopards in the world.
In the land overlooked by the spotted and clawed, you will be in for a treat that blends well with wildlife and local smiles. Check into your hotel and take a good rest as the following day promises a bumpy ride in the island’s largest national park that often lives up to its promise of a lifetime experience.
Here you have two options for accommodation. If you are a nature lover and like small adventure you can stay in the Big Game Camp and if you wish to stay in a hotel accommodation you can stay at Grand Tamarind Lake.
Check in to the camp site.
Big Game Camp
All campsites are maintained as mini nature reserves that go deeper than homing wildlife; this is also a sanctuary for families with kids, couples, and wildlife enthusiasts looking for soulful magic and adventure in the wild, while on a budget. Enjoy a secret safari by simply sitting by your tent and getting better acquainted with everything from Giant Squirrels to Spotted Deer passing by. You might even have the best safari in Sri Lanka, without even trying!
You will enjoy the Garden BBQ Dinner near the camp site. (Clients pay Direct)
Leave to Yala National Park for Safari by private Jeep.
Ladies and gentlemen, you are about to enter the holy land of Sri Lankan wildlife! Enter the park and head inside through its bumpy roads and wide-open plains to witness an abundance of peacock, crocodiles, wild boar and spotted deer grazing across the scrub forest.
But keep your eyes wide open as a roaring leopard, a fuzzy sloth bear or a colossal tusker may be just few feet away. Spanning across 978km2 Yala is home to a large number of mammals and birds. So, do not be surprised even if you are presented with a spine-tingling cry of a deer, as A Hunt may be just seconds away!
Back to the camp site.
Breakfast at the hotel.
visit Ath Athuru Sevana (Elephant transit home)
Elephant Transit Home (ETH) takes care of orphaned elephant calves – until they are independent and able enough to be released back to the wild. Situated in the western border of the 33,000 hectares of Udawalawe National Park, ETH is adjacent to the “Udawalawe reservoir”. The elephant calves have no boundaries in the area and have freedom to roam wherever they want. Similarly, wild elephants also visit the ETH premises. Seasonal fluctuating water level of the reservoir creates a diverse environment for both the baby elephants and wild elephants. The Transit Home is a lively place. Feeding the calves with milk happens every three hours throughout the 365 days of the year. Public viewing of the feeding is permitted daily at 10.30 a.m., 2.30 p.m. and 6 p.m.
After brunch proceed to Ahangama where sky meets the sea under the sun (horizon).
Check in to the hotel.
It is a place to relax, rejuvenate and experience a tropical beach resort that will offer where you will enjoy sun, sea, sand and the way of life in the remote south of Sri Lanka. A resort located in an area where you can also surf, dive and view the movement of Whales and Dolphins off Mirissa. (Depending on the season)
The long quiet stretch of beach offers you peace in abundance and a dip in the warm Indian Ocean is rejuvenating. Lie under a palm tree and relax on this unpolluted stretch. Learn the art of stilt fishing – a mastery passed down from generation to generation and experience the insight of the only village of stilt fishing in the world. If it’s the season you can make a quite walk in the night to watch the turtles coming ashore to lay eggs.
If you are lucky enough a surprise will await in your room after the dinner. We like to be your bedtime storyteller.
Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to Galle to do a city tour.
Catch a public bus from Ahangama to Galle to get the hang of the local lifestyle. Experience how the locals get along with their daily means of transport as the bus will take you along the coastline to Galle. Simply act local and pay attention to the busy conductor who yells at the top of his voice at every halting place while your driver will steer the bus through coastline until you bid adieu to them in Galle. In public transport be vigilant of your pockets, valuables. For sure no one will attempt to take anything away from you by forcefully and it will also be an experience to go through.
Do a walking city tour in Galle
Walk through the Galle city, living museum of the Dutch architecture, which still boasts of its colonial heritage and historic fort. Walk into the gigantic gateways of the fort – first built by Portuguese and refined later by the Dutch and then later by the British– and observe how life goes by living inside a Dutch monument. You will be surprised to see how well the roads within the fort are aligned parallel to the fort’s ramparts. Take a walk along the well-paved roads of this UNESCO World Heritage Site that has remarkably held its ground throughout years of its living style by itself. After walking through the Galle Fort you’ll then step in to a nice restaurant with the colonial touch inside the Galle Fort to have lunch. (Clients Pay Direct)
After exploring the Galle City take a walk up to the train station and catch a public train to Ahangama. Hence it’s a nice feeling to witness typical southern Sri Lanka villages occasionally experiencing the train to the southern coastal line.
Walk back to the hotel through the little Ahangama village town.
After a fun filled exciting tour you will enjoy the nice Fare well dinner on the beach. (If weather permits)
Enjoy your mind, body, and soul with a Yoga session early in the morning which is guaranteed to seal your holiday with a stamp of perfection!
Breakfast at the hotel.
Transfer to Airport to connect the departure flight. (Only for the People departure after breakfast airport transfer will be provided, for the rest they need to book separately.)
Those who would like to stay few extra nights in this beautiful beach resort are most welcome to have their beach extension in Insight Resort.
You can enjoy the serene beach, sun and sand. Also, you can use the Ayurveda spa and get yourself refreshed unwind and be stress free before you finish your holiday. It’s also nice to make a day excursion from hotel to Sinharaja rainforest which is a UNESCO world heritage site and one of a kind. In an around Ahangama there are many lovely lakes to go on boating to see mangroves. Moreover, it’s a nice resort with a southern touch of Sri Lanka to relax and enjoy very nice food and drinks.
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