Charismatic Lanka 7N/8D

On arrival you will be met and welcomed by our representative and transferred to Dambulla
(Travel time from Airport to Dambulla is approx. 2 ½ hours)
Check in at hotel
Evening climb and visit Sigiriya Rock Fortress and enjoy the beautiful panorama of sunset from the top of the rock Sigiriya.

SIGIRIYA – is a “World Heritage Site” and the 5th Century “Fortress in the Sky” which is perhaps the most fantastic single wonder of the Island. It is also known as Lion Rock because of the huge lion that used to stand at the entrance to the Palace on the summit of the 600-foot high rock. On its summit are the foundations of the Royal Palace, Water Tanks to supply water and all other buildings and at the edges the guardhouses. On one of the stairways the only known ancient work of Sinhala secular painting survived in the form of Frescoes of 21 life sized damsels still shining in their original colors. The Water Gardens, Fountain Garden, Summerhouses, Boulder Gardens and the Caves within the enclosed area should not be missed.

Dambulla is a large town, situated in the Matale District, Central Province of Sri Lanka, situated 148 km (92 mi) north-east of Colombo and 72 km (45 mi) north of Kandy. Due to its location at a major junction, it’s the Centre of vegetable distribution in the country.
Ibbankatuwa prehistoric burial site near Dambulla cave temple complexes is the latest archaeological site of significant historical importance found in Dambulla, which is located within 3 km (1.9 mi) of the cave temples providing evidence of the presence of indigenous civilizations long before the arrival of Indian influence on the Island nation.

Breakfast at hotel After breakfast you will be transferred to Polonnaruwa. (Travel time from Sigiriya to Polonnaruwa approx.: 1 ½ hrs) Upon arrival proceed on a City Tour in Polonnaruwa

Polonnaruwa, the 2nd most ancient kingdom of Sri Lanka is an interesting mix of Buddhist and Hindu structures that are a testament to the different kings who reigned over this ancient kingdom. Polonnaruwa rose to prominence between the 11th and 13th centuries and thrived during the reign of the famous monarch, King Parakramabahu I, who did much to create a resplendent city. His greatest achievement was the construction of the sea of Parakrama, a huge water reservoir spanning an area of 6280 acres. The ruins at Polonnaruwa are within walking distance and many of them set in tree-shaded areas, a welcome refuge from the tropical sun. This ancient city is one of the best planned archeological relic sites in the country, standing testimony to the discipline and greatness of the Kingdom’s first rulers. Duran, Duran used Polonnaruwa as a back drop to their music video ‘Save a Prayer’ in 1982.
(Entrance fees included) Dinner & Overnight stay at hotel in sigiriya.

Morning breakfast at the hotel and transfer to Kandy, en route visit Pinnawala elephant orphanage then proceed for a city tour of Kandy including the Temple of Tooth Relic and the Royal Botanical garden.
Overnight stay at hotel – Kandy.
Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage – set amongst the verdant hills of Kegalle is a unique orphanage, where the tiny tots weigh 60 kg or more. This is the Pinnewela Elephant Orphanage, the world’s first and only elephant orphanage established to feed, nurse and house young elephants lost or abandoned by their mothers. Other occupants are elephants displaced from their natural environs by development projects or those found wounded. Visitors could see the baby elephants being fed milk from gigantic feeding bottles or bathed in the river which flows nearby – an unforgettable sight! Established in 1975, by the Wildlife Department and National Zoological gardens which subsequently led to a breeding programme through which more than twenty five elephants have been born since 1984.
Time table of the Elephant Orphanage
08.30am Opening the orphanage for visitors
09.15am Bottle-feeding the baby elephants
10.00am Morning bath at ‘Ma Oya’
12noon Elephants return to the orphanage after the bath
01.15pm Bottle-feeding the baby elephants
02.00pm Afternoon bath at ‘Ma Oya’
04.00pm Elephants return to the orphanage after the bath
05.00pm Bottle-feeding the baby elephants
06.00pm closing the orphanage to visitors

Kandy – a lovely exotic city, the Hill Capital and last stronghold of the Sinhala Kings is a UNESCO World Heritage Site which retains an aura of grandeur, time has not affected. Encircled by hills, with a tranquil lake in its centre, it is the site of the renowned temple that enshrines the Tooth Relic of the Buddha and the Royal Botanical gardens – home to one of the world’s best collections of Orchids. A cultural sanctuary where many legends, traditions and folklore are still lovingly kept alive, Kandy and its satellite villages are the centre of the islands handicraft industry (items of wood, brass & silver) exquisite silver or gold jewellery and precious gems of many varieties including the world’s best blue and star sapphires. The highlight of the city’s calendar is the Esala Perahera, when a replica of the casket enclosing the Tooth is taken in procession for ten glittering nights in July/August by exotically costumed dancers, drummers and approximately 100 Elephants.
Temple of the Tooth Relic, Kandy
The Temple of the Sacred Tooth relic of the Buddha Is the most important temple for the Sri Lankan Buddhists and was built in the 16th Century A.D. by king Wimaladharmasooriya, solely for the purpose of housing the tooth relic.

Opening hours:
Temple 5.30am-8pm,
Puja 5.30-6.45am, 9.30-11am & 6.30-8pm
Dress code: Wear clothes that cover your legs and your shoulders, and remove your shoes outside the temple.
Places to be covered in Kandy
• Pinnawala elephant orphanage
• Spice Garden (on the way to Kandy)
• Temple of Tooth Relic
• Royal Botanical Gardens
• City tour

Breakfast at the hotel, and transfer to Nuwara Eliya, enroute visit the tea plantation, Evening do a city shopping at Nuwara Eliya.
Overnight stay at the hotel– Nuwara Eliya.

Tea Plantation – visit a tea plantation and a tea factory where one the best teas in the world is produced. You will be told all about the process of manufacturing tea and also see how tea is graded. Taste a cup of pure Ceylon tea in the factory.

Nuwara Eliya – Sri Lanka’s premier hill resort with a fine bracing mountain climate, Nuwara Eliya is also the heart of Sri Lanka’s tea country, producing some of the world’s best tea. The mountain slopes and valleys are a carpet of velvety green tea plantations, interspersed with gushing streams and tumbling waterfalls. Red or green roofed plantation bungalows, English country style homes and hotels with lovely flower gardens, a fine 18 hole golf course and a racecourse gives Nuwara Eliya a decidedly British character.

Places to be covered in Nuwara Eliya
• Tea Plantation (on the way to Nuwara Eliya)
• Tea Factory
• Sita Amman Kovil
• Nuwara Eliya City tour
• Water Falls

After breakfast proceed to Bentota then enroute visit to Kitulgala white water rafting per adult (2000-2500) proceed to do a Madhu river boat ride. Enroute visit turtle farm in Kosgoda.
Rest of the day at leisure
Overnight stay at hotel– Bentota

Bentota – situated on the south west coast, at the confluence of the sea and the Bentota river, the sun drenched location and its golden, palm-fringed beaches which border the warm, sparkling waters of the Indian Ocean made it a natural choice for development as the first tourist resort. Today it is known in Sri Lanka’s global tourist markets as a highly attractive holiday resort with a wide and varied choice of distinctive hotels to suit every taste and purse. Bentota has a complete range of tourist facilities, great seafood and very popular water sports centres which provide boating, water skiing, jet skiing, snorkelling and wind surfing.

Bentota
Madu river boat ride
Turtle farm
Water sports activities

After Breakfast fast proceed to galle, day trip to galle, local sightseeing,
Overnight stay at hotel– Bentota

Galle is a major city in Sri Lanka, situated on the southwestern tip, 119 km from Colombo. Galle is the administrative capital of Southern Province, Sri Lanka and is the district capital of Galle District. Galle is the fifth largest city in Sri Lanka after the capital Colombo.
Important natural geographical features in Galle include Rumassala in Unawatuna, a large mound-like hill, which forms the eastern protective barrier to the Galle harbour. Local tradition associates this hill with some events of Ramayana, one of the great Hindu epics. The major river in the area is the Gin River (Gin Ganga), which begins from Gongala Kanda and passes villages such as Neluwa, Nagoda, Baddegama, Thelikada and Wakwella, reaches the sea at Ginthota. The river is bridged at Wakwella by the Wakwella Bridge

After breakfast proceed to colombo evening do city tour and shopping.
Overnight stay at hotel–Colombo
Colombo – the trade and commercial capital has long been the traditional gateway to the Orient. Sri Lanka’s largest city, it is located on the west coast and draws together all the cultures, religions and influences of foreign lands into a pot-pourri of sounds, smells and a kaleidoscope of colour. The original traders and settlers – the Arabs, Portuguese, Dutch and the British have left in their wake churches and monuments, names and religions, costumes and food and smatterings of their languages which have been absorbed into the speech of the Sri Lankan. Today, Colombo is a fascinating city – a happy blend of east & west, past & present, with a charm of its own. A less known but amazingly true fact is that Colombo has a superb range of high quality restaurants serving food from all over the world and some of the best shopping opportunities in Asia. The main seaport of Sri Lanka is in Colombo & adjoining it, is Pettah, a local bazaar & trading area. Other places of interest are the beautiful Buddhist temples, Hindu temples, mosques, the historic Wolfendhal church, (1749) residential areas where you find the stately homes of the affluent, , the Ceramic Corporation famous for its well-known brand “Noritake” and ODEL the renowned shopping centre.
City Tour: While on your city tour in Colombo you may visit famous places including Galle Face Green, the Viharamahadevi Park, National Museum, Twin World Trade Center towers, Old Parliament Building, Fort district, Independence Hall at Independence Square, and prominent Buddhist, Hindu, Islam and Christian places of worship. (Entrance fees to sites not included). For shopping, you may visit Odel, House of Fashion, Beverly Street, Majestic City, Noritake, etc.

After Breakfast in Bentota Transfer from Bentota/Beruwala to Airport.