Sri Lanka -

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Day 01  – Airport / Colombo. 

 

Arrival at the Colombo international airport, a warm welcome by Vedas Tours Sri Lanka. There after proceed to Colombo.  

 

Check in at the hotel. 

Evening do a City tour in Colombo.

Colombo - like many capital cities in developing countries Colombo is fast changing its face. Almost overnight, skyscrapers arise from where old buildings once stood, yet in some parts, the old world charm is retained. A 100-year-old c lock tower and several British built, colonial buildings are still to be seen in the city.  The Pettah bazaar – where one can shop for bargains, a Hindu and a Buddhist temple, residential areas where you find the stately homes of the affluent, the Colombo museum, the Bandaranaike memorial international conference hall – an outright gift to Sri Lanka from the people’s republic of china, the new parliament in Sri Jayawardenapura and the folk art center are some of the places of interest that one can visit to.

 

Overnight stay at the hotel.

 

 

Day 02   -  Colombo /Pinnawala / Habarana   (182Kms Approx.  4Hrs)

 

Breakfast at the hotel & proceed to Habarana. En Route visit elephant orphanage in Pinnawala.   

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage - is a home for about 60 elephants (out of which around 50 are baby elephants) found abandoned or orphaned in the wild. They are being cared, fed and trained by the wild life authority. The best time for your visit is at 9 in the morning, when you will have the opportunity of seeing these ‘babes’ being bottle-fed.  You could also see the elephants having their daily baths at a river close by.

Contune towards Habarana

Arrive in Habrana for dinner & overnight stay .

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Day 03   -  Habarana  / Sigiriya / Polonnaruwa /Habarana

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Habarana – Polonnaruwa  50Kms Approx. 1 Hr

Polonnaruwa – Sigiriya  57 Kms Approx. 1 Hr

 

Breakfast at the hotel & proceed to  Polonnaruwa.

Polonnaruwa - is the 2nd capital of Sri Lanka. Built in the 11th and 12th centuries A.D, and is a world heritage site. Here you can see the ruins of the Royal Palace, the Gal Viharaya (3 splendid statues of the Buddha in upright, sedentary and recumbent postures carved out of rock). The audience hall, the lotus bath, the Polonnaruwa statue (12th century) and the Parakrama Sam udra tank (lake) built by king Parakramabahu the great.  There are also ruins of famous places of worship such as the Shiva temple, the Lankatileka, the Watadage, the Galpotha, the Kiri Vihare Dagoba and the remains of a former temple of the tooth.

Afterwards proceed to Sigiriya and climb and sightseeing of the UNESCO World Heritage Sigiriya Rock fortress.

Sigiriya sometimes also referred to as the eighth wonder of the world dates back from over 7,000 years ago, through Pre-Historic to Proto-Historic to Early Historic times, then as a rock-shelter mountain monastery from about the 3rd century BC, with caves prepared and donated by devotees to the sangha. The garden city and the palace was built by Kasyapa 477 - 495 AD. Then after Kasyapa's death it was a monastery complex upto about the 14thcentury. Sigiriya is a unique witness to the civilization of Ceylon during the years of the reign of Kassapa I. The site of the 'Lion Mountain' was visited from the 6th century AD, by passionate admirers. The frescoes of Sigiriya inaugurated a pictorial style which endured over many centuries. Halfway up the rock, within an inaccessible rocky shelter in the vertical wall of the western face these rock paintings can be seen which have brought universal acclaim to the site of Sigiriya - 'The Maidens of the Clouds', 21 non-identified female figures, comparable to the most beautiful creations of Ajanta. Though traces of plaster and pigments occur all over this area, only two pockets of paintings survive. These are in a depression of the rock face, about 100 meters above the ground level. These paintings represent the earliest surviving examples of a Sri Lanka school of classical realism, already fully evolved by the 5th century, when these paintings had been made. Earlier the Sigiri style had been considered as belonging to the Central Indian school of Ajanta, but later considered as specifically different from the Ajanta paintings. The ladies depicted in the paintings have been variously identified as Apsaras (heavenly maidens), as ladies of Kasyapa’s court and as Lightening Princess and Cloud Damsels.

Return to the hotel for overnight stay

 

Day 04   -  Habarana  / Anuradhapura /Mihintale  /Habarana

 

Habarana to  Anuradhapura  - (56 Kms)  Approx 1 Hrs

Anuradhapura to Mihintale – (15 Kms) Approx 10 Mins

 

Breakfast at the hotel  & Proceed to  Anuradahpura

Anuradhapura - is located in the north central part of the Island, it was the first capital and undoubtedly the grandest city of ancient Sri Lanka. It is the home of two world heritage sites. Many places of historical and archeological interest could be visited.  Sri-Mahabodhi (sacred Bo-tree), brought as a sapling of the tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment, it is over 2,200 years old and is the oldest historically documented tree in the world. Brazen palace (2nd cent. B.C.) the 1600 stone columns you see are all that is left of a magnificent multi-storied residence for monks. RuwanweliSeya (2nd cent. B.C). This is the most famous of all the Dagobas. It originally depicted the perfect “water-bubble” shape that modern restoration has not been able to accurately reproduce. Samadhi Buddha (3rd cent. b.c.),  one of the most famous statues, depicting the Buddha in a state of “Samadhi” or deep meditation. Isurumuniya rock temple (3rd cent. b.c.) Well known for its rock carving of “the lovers”. Kuttam Pokuna - twin ponds (3rd cent. b.c.) used by the monks of old as a bathing pool. Thuparama Dagoba (3rd cent. b.c.),  the oldest Dagoba in the island. It enshrines a relic of the Buddha.

Mihintale - was where Buddhism was first introduced to Sri Lanka and is therefore regarded as the cradle of Buddhism. On this rock are many shrines and dwellings, originally used by monks. A grand stairway of 1,840 steps made of granite slabs 15 feet wide, leads to the summit from where one could get a splendid view of the surrounding countryside.

 Return to the hotel for dinner & overnight stay.  

 

Day 05   -  Habarana  / Dambulla / Matale / Kandy  (104 Kms -  Approx. 2 2/1 Hrs)

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After breakfast at the hotel proceed to Kandy.  En route visit Dambulla Rock Temple - was built by king Walagambahu in the 1st century B.C.  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. meters of painted walls and ceilings is the largest area of paintings found in the world. The caves contain over 150 images of the Buddha of which the largest is the colossal figure of the Buddha carved out of rock and spanning 14 meters.

 

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Day 06 Full Day kandy 

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Kandy, founded in the 14th century, is the southern tip of Sri Lanka's 'Cultural Triangle'. The city became the capital of the kingdom in 1592, during a troubled time when many of the islanders were fleeing to the interior, away from the coastal areas the European powers were fighting over. Although taken several times, the city remained one of the bastions of Sinhalese independence until the British troops entered it on 14 February 1815. From Vimala Dharma Suriya I (1591-1604) to Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe (1798-1815), it was the last seat of royal power. It remains the religious capital of Buddhism and a sacred city for millions of believers. Enshrined in the Dalada Maligawa is the relic of the tooth of Buddha which has long been greatly venerated.

In Kandy witness a traditional Sri Lankan dance show. Kandyan dance takes its name from Kandy, the last royal capital of Ceylon, which is situated about 72 miles (120 kilometers) from the modern capital at Colombo. This genre is today considered the classical dance of Sri Lanka. In Sanskrit terminology it is considered pure dance (natta); it features a highly developed system of tala (rhythm), provided by cymbals called thalampataa. There are five distinct types; the ves, naiyandi, uddekki, pantheru, and vannams.The usual instruments used in the Kandyan dancing was Getaberaya the traditional drum of the hill country & a small cymbal like instrument called as 'Thalampota'. Regardless of the changes the country & its culture went through Kandyan dancing still leads the arena as the national dance form of Sri Lanka.

Dinner & overnight  stay at the hotel. 

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Day 07  - KANDY / NUWARA ELIYA (77 Kms  Approx. 3 Hrs)

 

Breakfast at hotel and proceed to Nuwara Eliya. En route visit a Tea factory in Nuwara Eliya.

Tea Plantation - visit a tea plantation and a tea factory where one the best tea 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.

 

 

Upon arrival in Nuawara Eliya check-in to the hotel.

Do a city and sightseeing tour in Nuwara Eliya.

 

Nuwara Eliya - is 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 50% of the world’s best tea. Sri Lanka's highest mountain Pidurutalagala (8282 ft) is located here. Nuwara Eliya is the location for one of the finest 18 hole golf courses in Asia.

 

Dinner & Overnight stay at the hotel. 

 

Day 08 – Nuwara Eliya/ Kataragama / Yala National Park (180Kms Approx.  4 Hrs)

 

Breakfast at hotel and proceed to Kataragama and visit kataragama 

after visit proceed to yala national park 

Dinner & overnight stay at the hotel.

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Day 09  -/Yala National Park

Early morning do a Jeep Safari in Yala National Park.  

Yala - Situated 309 kms south of Colombo, Yala is approximately 1259 kms in extent and is located in the southeastern corner of the Island. The terrain is varied, flat plains alternating with rocky out crops. The vegetation ranges from open parkland to dense jungle. The specialty here is the large numbers of Elephants. 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. Visitors can also see large flocks of migratory and indigenous birds.

Afternoon Safari.

Dinner and Overnight stay at the hotel.

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Day 10 -/Yala  / Galle Fort/ Hikkaduwa

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Breakfast at hotel and proceed to Hikkaduwa or beruwala.

Proceed to  Hikkaduwa

Enroute visit the Dutch Fort of Galle. The Galle Fort, also known as the Dutch Fort or the "Ramparts of Galle", withstood the Boxing Day tsunami which damaged part of coastal area Galle town. It has been since restored. The Galle Fort also houses the elite Amangalla resort hotel, located near the Dutch Reformed Church. It was originally built in 1684 to house the Dutch Governor and his staff. It was then converted into a hotel and named then as the New Oriental Hotel in 1865, which catered to the European passengers traveling between Europe and Galle Port in the 19th century.

Also you will be taken to witness "stilt fishing" which can be only seen in South Sri Lanka. It is visible from the road and makes a very unique way of fishing practice. The fisherman sit on a stick planted about 200 meters from the beach fish with a rod made out of seasoned dry palm leaf. The fishing is done either early morning or evening.

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Dinner & overnight stay  in Hikkaduwa

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Day 11 – Hikkaduwa  or Beruwala

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Leisure on the beach on  HB basis.

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 DAY 12  -  HIKKADUWA or BERUWALA  /  AIRPORT  (105Kms Approx.  1Hrs)

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After breakfast  proceed to the airport  for the departure

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****END OF TOUR ****

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*Note:All flight details and timings are subject to change

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