Classic Tour – Sri Lanka

Day 1 Airport – Sigiriya

Meeting and Greeting at the Airport. Transfer from Airport to Hotel in Sigiriya

Golden   Cave Temple

The area is   thought to be inhabited from as early as the 7th to 3rd century BC. Statues   and paintings in these caves date back to the 1st century BC. But the   paintings and statues were repaired and repainted in 11th, 12th, and 18th   century AD. The caves in the city provided refuge to King Valagamba (also   called Vattagamini Abhaya) in his 14 yearlong exiles from the Anuradhapura   kingdom. Buddhist Monk meditating in the caves of Dambulla at that time   provided the exiled king protection from his enemies. When King Valagamba   returned to the throne at Anuradhapura kingdom in the 1st century BC, he had   a magnificent rock temple built at Dambulla as a gratitude to the monks in   Dambulla. Dinner and Overnight stay at Hotel in   Sigiriya

Day 2 Sigiriya - Kandy

Breakfast at the Hotel. Transfer from Sigiriya to Kandy

Sigiriya

Sigiriya is an   amazing geological formation in Sri Lanka that encompasses an important   archaeological site. Sigiriya lies 22 km north-east of Dambulla in the North   central province of Sri Lanka. The tourist site of Sigiriya has been declared   as a UNESCO world heritage site since 1982 and is part of the seven world   heritage sites of Sri Lanka. Sigiriya is located in the middle of the tourism   cultural triangle formed by connecting the world heritage sites of   Anuradhapura, Kandy and Polonnaruwa in Sri Lanka.

Temple   of Tooth Relic

Located in   Kandy, long a center of the Buddhist faith, the stunning 17th-century Temple   of the Tooth (Sri Dalada Maligawa) is believed to house the left upper canine   tooth of the Lord Buddha himself. This precious relic attracts white-clad   pilgrims, bearing lotus blossoms and frangipani, every day.

According to   legend, the tooth was taken from the Buddha as he lay on his funeral pyre. It   was smuggled to Sri Lanka in 313 AD, hidden in the hair of Princess Hemamali   who fled the Hindu armies besieging her father's kingdom in India.

It immediately   became an object of great reverence and was enshrined in a series of nested   jeweled reliquaries. The tooth was brought out for special occasions and   paraded on the backs of elephants, which are sacred to the Buddha. Where it   survived numerous attempts to capture and destroy it.

When the   capital was moved to Kandy, the tooth was taken to the new city and placed in   temples built to honor it. The temple was originally built under Kandyan   kings between 1687 and 1707

Cultural Show at Kandy

Dinner and Overnight stay at Hotel in   Kandy

Day 3 Kandy – Nuwara   Eliya

Breakfast at the Hotel. City Tour at Kandy (Lake drive, Gem   Museum, Silk shop, Batik etc…..)

Transfer from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya

Visit   Hanuman Temple

The Ramboda   area is believed to be where Rama's forces were gathered against Ravana.   Rampadai means Rama's Force. The hills of Ramboda are also   believed to be where Hanuman was searching for   Sitadevi.  A Chinmaya mission has built an   Anjaneyar temple in Sri Lanka with Hanuman as its presiding deity. The temple is called Sri Baktha   Hanuman temple and the image of Hanuman here is 16 Feet tall. The service times at the Sri Baktha Hanuman Temple are between   7:00 am to 12:00 noon & again 30.30 to 6.30 pm

Ramboda Falls

Ramboda Falls is 109 m (358 ft)   high and 11th highest waterfall in Sri Lanka and 729th highest waterfall in   the world. It is situated in Pussellawa area, on the A5 highway at Ramboda   Pass. It formed by Panna Oya which is a tributary of Kothmale Oya. Altitude   of the falls is 945 m (3,100 ft)

above sea level

Tea   Factory

Sri Lanka is an island made for tea. The   country produces tea throughout the year and the total tea production is   about 340 million kilograms per annum. Sri Lanka’s tea-growing areas are   mainly concentrated in the central highlands and southern inland areas of the   island.

At present, a larger portion of the   country’s tea is exported as Ceylon Black Tea, while the country also   produces Ceylon Green Tea, a type developed from Assamese seedlings. Ceylon   White Tea, namely silver and golden tips is celebrated around the world for   their finest flavour and are among the most expensive tea varieties in the   world. Dinner and Overnight stay at Hotel in Nuwara   Eliya

Day 4 Nuwara Eliya –   Bentota

Breakfast at the Hotel

Gregory Lake

Named after Sir William Gregory in 1873,   this is a prominent attraction used for water sports and recreational   activities. Lake Park, Boat Rides are available. Travellers can be reached by   sea plane which takes only 30 minutes from Colombo. At the southern end of   the town is Gregory Lake where the holiday makers can enjoy a leisurely walk on   the paved walk ways, with swan shaped paddle boats for the more adventurous.   There are pony rides round the lake for the kids and even adults, with plenty   of fast-food stalls located in a separate area where one can enjoy a meal or   a snack.

Seetha   Amman Temple

With reference to the Ramayana proof of Sri   Lanka it is believed that the Seetha devi was kept captive at this site by   King Ravana. There is a stream by the side of the temple where that runs from   the hill, catered to the needs of Seetha Devi during her stay at Ashok   Vatika. She is also said to have bathed in this stream. About centuries ago,   of three idols were discovered in the stream.

Transfer from Nuwara Eliya to Bentota. En – Route Visit Spice Garden

Spice Garden

Sri Lanka is   world renowned for its valued spices and healing herbs. Our lush spice and   herbal gardens feature many important herbs such as Sandalwood, Margosa,   Cocoa, Citronella, Almond, Jasmine and Coconut. When visiting us, make the   most of the chance to experience first-hand how cloves, pepper, ginger,   nutmeg, cinnamon and saffron are grown in their natural surroundings.

At Regent   Spice and Herbal Garden, you can learn of their medicinal healing properties   and how to use them in your day-to-day needs. Used worldwide in many   medicines, the healing powers of spices have been respected from the time of   the Pharaohs and Chinese Dynasties, while our herbs are used in Ayurvedic   concoctions.

Pinnawala   Elephant Orphanage

Pinnawala   orphanage is situated in Rabukkana, northwest of the town Kegalla, half ways   between the present capital Colombo and the ancient royal residence Kandy in   the hills of central Sri Lanka. It was established 1975 by the Sri Lanka   Wildlife department. This 24-acre large elephant orphanage is an also   breeding pace for elephants, the first elephant baby was born in 1984, and it   has the greatest herd of elephants in captivity in the world. Between 1975   and 2012, 67 animals were born here.

Leisure at the beach. Dinner and Overnight stay at Hotel in   Bentota

Day 5 Bentota

Breakfast at the Hotel. Visit Turtle Hatchery

Kosgoda Sea Turtle Conservation   Project ("KSTCP")

Dudley   Perera's project has been underway since 1988. The main aim of the project is   to monitor local sea turtle activity and conserve the local nesting sites. We   aim to make the public more aware of how endangered these beautiful creatures   are and just how important it is to help protect them before it is too late.

One of the   most important activities of the project is its hatchery. Within the   sanctuary of the project, collected and rescued eggs can hatch safely away   from predators before being released into the sea at night-time. In addition,   a certain number from each hatching are kept back for a short period for   'head starting' before release. The hatchery program is designed to maximize   the number of hatchlings reaching the sea and surviving through the critical   stages of their early life. Only a few hatchlings from each batch will ever   make it to adulthood. Therefore, every nest-ground, every egg, every   hatchling and every turtle is crucial to the survival of the species.   Unfortunately, sea turtles face many dangers

Madu   River Safari

Madu ganga   flows across Balapitiya (approx. 80kms down south of Colombo) and is one of   the rarely visited, unspoiled attractions any nature lover can find in Sri   Lanka. She boasts of having a cluster of 64 small islands scattered along her   path and the most of which are covered with mangroves and uninhabited. The largest   island is known as "Ma Doowa" is the largest inhabited island   within the country where about 300 families live. The smallest islet of the   lot is called "Satha Paha Doowa" where there is a tiny shrine with   a statue built in respect of the gods of Kataragama.

Water Sport at Bentota

Dinner and Overnight stay at Hotel in   Bentota

Day 6 Bentota – Colombo

Breakfast at   the Hotel. Transfer from   Bentota to Colombo

Colombo   city tour & shopping

The largest   city and commercial capital of Sri Lanka is Colombo which is located in the   western province adjacent to Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (the capital city of   Sri Lanka ) Colombo is a vibrant city with a mixture of modern life ,   colonial buildings and ruins. Due to its   very large harbor and its position along the East-West Sea trade routes   Colombo was very popular among ancient traders 2000 years ago.

Colombo houses   a majority of the Sri Lanka's corporate offices, restaurants and   entertainment venues. Famous land marks in Colombo include the National   Museum, World Trade Center, Vihara Maha Devi Park and the Galle Face Green.

Gangarama Temple

Colombo Museum

The Colombo Museum as it was called at the beginning was   established on 1st January 1877. Its founder was Sir William Henry Gregory,   the British Governor of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) at the time.

The Royal Asiatic Society (CB) was instrumental in   bringing to the notice of Gregory on his appointment as Governor in 1872 the   need for a public museum with much difficulty the approval of the legislative   council was obtained within a year. The Architect of the Public Works   Department, J.G. Smither was able to prepare the plans for new structure on   Italian architectural style. The construction was completed in 1876 and the   Museum commenced it functions in the following year.

The Authorities of the museum took various steps to   display the cultural and natural heritage of the country for this purpose.

Evening at the Galle face green area

Dinner and Overnight stay at Hotel in   Colombo. They might attend for nightlife (Client   Own Transport)

Day 7 Colombo-Airport

Breakfast at the Hotel. Transfer from Colombo to Airport for Departure flight