Ten Days in Beautiful Sri Lanka

10 Days/9 nights

Day 1

• Arrive at Katunayake International Airport.
  
• You will be met and greet by our Representative at the Airport & transfer to Habarana / Sigiriya
• Afternoon - climb Sigiriya rock fortress
• Climb the 5^th century Sigiriya Rock fortress that is a world heritage site, built by King Kashyapa (473-491AD), presently known as the eighth world wonder.
  
• The ‘Lion Rock' is a citadel of unusual beauty rising 200 meters from the scrub jungle. The rock was the innermost stronghold of the 70 hectare fortified town. A moat, rampart, & extensive gardens including the renowned water gardens ring at 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.
  
• Having climbed the rock you will encounter the remains of the Palace and its environs.
• Dinner and overnight stay at Habarana / Sigiriya

Day 2

• Breakfast at the hotel,
  
• leave for day excursion to Mihintale and Anuradhapura
• Mihintale is a rocky hill 11 kilometers east of Anuradhapura. It was here that in the year 247 B.C. King Devanampiyatissa became converted to Buddhism in his encounter with Mahinda. Mihintale, called the "Mountain of Mahinda" soon became a great monastic city composed of 4 rocky, forested hills.
  
• Today, an aura of seclusion still lingers here, despite a thriving bazaar at the foot of the hills and the thousands of pilgrims who flock there.
  
• Every person who wishes to reach the dagoba at the summit of this sacred mountain must climb 1,840 steps to do so.
• Thereafter, proceed with sightseeing in Anuradhapura
• This was Sri Lanka's first capital city founded in the 4th Century B.C. It was a model of systematic planning set in rolling park-land. Here are dagobas, pleasure gardens and reservoirs, indicating what a high level of civilization existed. Places of interest include the Brazen Palace and the Sacred Bo Tree, considered to be the oldest historically documented tree on earth, grown from a sapling of the original tree under which the Lord Buddha attained enlightenment
• On completion, back to Habarana/Sigiriya for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 3

• Breakfast at hotel,
  
• leave for sightseeing tour in Polonnaruwa ruins
• Polonnaruwa,, this city was considered the medieval capital of Sri Lanka. Though smaller in scope, it is said to be aesthetically superior to Anuradhapura. The ruins of palaces, shrines, temples and dagobas built by King Parakrama Bahu the Great, whose statue stands sentinel over the 5,940 acre Parakrama Samudra or "Sea of Parakrama", (an enormous reservoir built by him for irrigation, and supply of water) are as fascinating as the history they unfold.
• Afternooon - leave for Minneriya,
  
• jeep safari in Minneriya National park.
• The extent of this National Park is about 8889 hectares. There are wet lands in this National Park which have international importance. Animal and plant species which are plenty in the dry zone are found in this Park. Meanwhile wild elephants, samburs, donkeys, apes, Indian mouse, deer, mongoose, leopard, bats and reptiles like crocodiles, pythons, monitors and various amphibians and local and immigrant bird species are plenty in this Park. About 160 species of birds, 09 amphibians, 25 reptiles species, 26 fish species and more than 78 butterfly species have been found in this  area.
• Bamboo trees which are rare in other parks are found in plenty in this park and wild elephants can be seen conveniently.
  
• The significant feature is that these elephants can be seen by going close to them.
• Dinner and overnight stay at Habarana / Sigiriya

Day 4

• After breakfast leave for Kandy.
  
• En-route visit the Dambulla Rock Cave Temple, which was donated by King Walagambahu in the 1^st century BC to Buddhist monks. The complex of five caves with over 2000sq. meters of painted walls & the ceiling is the larges area of paintings found. These caves contain over 150 images of the Buddha of which the larges is the colossal figure of the Buddha carved out of rock spanning 14 meters.
• Visit an exotic Spice Garden in Matale.
• Arrive in Kandy.
  
• Check in at the hotel
• Evening, visit temple of tooth relic, witness cultural dance show in the city which shows traditional Sri Lankan dancing.
• Dinner and overnight stay at Kandy

Day 5

• Early breakfast at the hotel,
  
• leave for Pinnawela.
  
• Visit elephant orphanage at the time when bottle feeding of baby elephants. This Orphanage is the home for about 60 elephants, which some are baby elephants abandoned or orphaned in the wild. They are cared for, fed & trained by the Wild Life Authorities. The best time to visit is during feeding times when one can witness the baby elephants being bottle-fed. It is also possible to accompany the elephants to a river nearby to see them having a bathOn completion back to Kandy, en route visit the Royal Botanical Garden in Peradeniya
• Visit art and craft centre, upper lake drive, gem museum and factory, Kandy bazaar etc...
• Dinner and overnight stay at Kandy

Day 6

• After breakfast leave for Nuwara Eliya,
  
• en route visit tea factory and plantation to observe the process of tea leaves to become famous Sri Lanka Tea!
• Nuwara Eliya which means the "city of lights" is also the city of eternal spring, where the air is pure, cool and distilled up through 1,884 meters; windswept peaks lie shrouded in mist, while gaily clad tea pluckers wind their way among tea bushes. Listen to the wild music of the water falls.  
• This is a holiday resort ideal for hikes, golf and boating - the setting, a nostalgic reminder of the English country-side.  
• Evening brief city tour in Nuwara Eliya 
• Dinner and overnight stay at Nuwara Eliya

Day 7

• Early breakfast or with packed breakfast,
  
• leave day excursion to Horton Plains
• Located in the highest plateau of Sri Lanka at an elevation of 7,000 feet above sea level. Usually the Plains are visible before 10 a.m., as otherwise the mist covers the view.
  
• The highlight of the Plains is the terrific escarpment which drops vertically for about 1,000 feet. On a very clear day, one could view the east horizon too.
• Rare species of fauna and flora are found here.
  
• This Plain was once the hunting ground for the British Governor Mr. Farr. Today the home of Mr. Farr has been turned into a Rest House and is called "Farr Inn".
• On completion back to the hotel for a refreshment, then check out and leave for Kithulgala
• Dinner and overnight stay at Kithulgala

Day 8

• Breakfast at the hotel,
  
• visit Belilena cave by walk through the jungle,
• Belilena is a very large cave, in which the 12,000 year old skeletal remains of the prehistoric ‘Balangoda man' (Homo sapiens balangodensis) have been found. 
  
• In order to reach the cave you have to walk through the jungle, close to the Inoya estate (approx. 8 km from Kitulgala itself).
• Located 2000 feet above sea level, the Belilena Cave lies amidst picturesque environs close to Kitulagala. Recent archaeological excavations conducted at the cave have unearthed several fossils believed to be more than 32,000 years old.
• Thereafter back to the hotel,
  
• then enjoy with white water rafting session in Kithulgala.
  
• This activity is great fun for first-timers and experts alike, with a wide range and grading of rapids on some of Sri Lanka 's more turbulent waters such as the Kelani river. Kitulgala in the hill country, southwest of Kandy provides an ideal base from which many white water rafting tours take place.
• On completion, leave for your beach resort in Bentota / Beruwela
• Dinner and overnight stay at Bentota / Beruwela  

Day 9

• Full day at leisure in Bentota / Beruwela
• Idyllically located on an estuary, where river and sea meet, this is one of our loveliest spots.
• It is also the site of a 100 acre National Holiday Resort Complex, with its landscaped grounds.
• Enjoy the salty sea air mingled with the scent of Hibiscus and Frangipanni and let your eyes drink in the view of the sea, which is breathtaking. An ideal place for wind surfing and snorkeling. 
• Dinner and overnight stay at Bentota / Beruwela

Day 10

• After breakfast,
  
• leave airport en route proceed with sightseeing tour in Colombo, driving through the Commercial area of the ‘Fort' so named, because both the Portuguese & Dutch had a fort at this point. 
  
• Drive past ‘Pettah' a noisy Oriental bazaar with a hotchpotch of humanity. Ancient vehicles, bargains, mosques & temples.
  
• Visit a Hindu & Buddhist temple. Continue the tour through the Wolfendhal Dutch Church & to the residential are of Cinnamon Gardens
• On completion, leave for airport in time for departure flight

 

Preliminary price calculation per person:

Luxury accomodation (four star hotel):

2 participants without a guide from Europe 22 000,- CZK; with a specialized English speaking guide from Europe 33 000,-CZK

3 participants without a guide from Europe 20 000,- CZK; with a specialized English speaking guide from Europe 27 000,- CZK

4 participants without a guide from Europe 20 000,- CZK; with a specialized English speaking guide from Europe 25 000,- CZK

5 participants without a guide from Europe 20 000,- CZK; with a specialized English speaking guide from Europe 24 500,- CZK

6 participants without a guide from Europe 20 000,- CZK; with a specialized English speaking guide from Europe 23 500,- CZK

7-12 participants 20 000,- CZK (specialized English speaking guide from Europe included)

13 -18 participants 18 000,- CZK (specialized English speaking guide from Europe included)

19 - 25 participants 17 500,- CZK (specialized English speaking guide from Europe included)

Single room supplement:  6 000,-CZK

 

Standard accomodation (three stars hotel):

2 participants without a guide from Europe 19 500,- CZK; with a specialized English speaking guide from Europe  37 500,- CZK

3 participants without a guide from Europe 17 000,- CZK; with a specialized English speaking guide from Europe  30 000,- CZK

4 participants without a guide from Europe 17 000,- CZK; with a specialized English speaking guide from Europe  27 500,- CZK

5 participants without a guide from Europe 17 000,- CZK; with a specialized English speaking guide from Europe 26 500,- CZK

6 participants without a guide from Europe 17 000,- CZK; with a specialized English speaking guide from Europe  26 000,- CZK

7-12 participants 17 000,- CZK (specialized English speaking guide from Europe included)

13-18 participants 16 000,- CZK (specialized English speaking guide from Europe included)

19-25 participants 15 500,- CZK (specialized English speaking guide from Europe included)

Single room supplement:  5 500,-CZK

 

Included in the price:

Transfer from/to the airport

Hotel accomodation as mentioned in the tour itinerary

Half board

Transportation in an airconditioned vehicle

English speaking local driver for a group up to 6 participants, English speaking local guide for a group from 7 participants

Local taxes and 12% VAT

National parks entrance fees

Cost for jeeps in national parks

 

Not included in the price:

International air tickets

Drinks

Any personal expenses - telephones, laundry, etc.

Health insurance

Tips for driver and local guides