Flavours of Srilanka
07 Days and 06 Nights
Destination Covered : Colombo, Kandalama, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya & Ahungalla
Arrive Colombo - Kandalama
Arrive at Colombo airport. You will be met by a local representative and transferred first to Dambulla. See the Dambulla Cave Temple with art and relics. It is a world heritage site. Then proceed to Kandalama. This place is a tranquil retreat perched on the hills offering panoramic views of the Sigriya rocks. Stay at the Heritance Kandalama – boasting a spectacular architecture amidst lush greenery covered by thick and dense forests, this unique design hotel has 3 impressive pools and exotic activities like bird watching. The hotel features tennis courts, a well-equipped gym and the well-known Six Senses Spa. To enjoy Sri Lanka’s breathtaking natural landscapes, the hotel offers various excursions like mountain cycling excursions and lake safaris. Start the day with breakfast on the lake or enjoy a memorable dining experience in the nearby cave. The Kanchana Restaurant offers daily themed nights with international cuisine. Views of the Sigiriya citadel and the Kandalama Lake accompany meals. The hotel has 152 timber paneled and decorated rooms which are unique and set in different angles enabling a different view from every room. The hotel is situated in the 230 acre Kandalama estate. Heritance Kandalama's main restaurant "Kanchana" offers guests an assortment of theme nights with cuisines from around the world with buffet spreads and barbeque nights while the hotel's A-la-carte restaurant "Kashyapa" can accommodate up to 125 guests. Offering elegance and set for the true romantic in you, the Fine Dining Restaurant "Kalu Diya" is located at the top most elevation of the hotel. The hotel houses the Kanchana Lounge and Bar as well as the Rashmi Pool Bar where guests can enjoy drinks and entertainment. For the more creative minded guest, unique dining options such as breakfast on the barge, dining at the cave and dining with the chef can be a remarkable experience. Overnight at Heritance Kandalama.
Kandalama
After breakfast, transfer to Sigriya. This is an ancient rock fortress referred by locals as the Eight Wonder of the World, this ancient palace and fortress complex has significant archaeological importance and attracts thousands of tourists every year. It is one of the most visited tourist destination in Sri Lanka. The palace is located in the heart of the island between the towns of Dambulla and Habarane on a massive rocky plateau 370 meters above the sea level. Sigiriya rock plateau, formed from magma of an extinct volcano, is 200 meters higher than the surrounding jungles. Its view astonishes the visitors with the unique harmony between the nature and human imagination.The fortress complex includes remnants of a ruined palace, surrounded by an extensive network of fortifications, vast gardens, ponds, canals, alleys and fountains. The surrounding territories of Sigiriya were inhibited for several thousand years. Sigiriya has water gardens, cave and boulder gardens, and also terraced gardens. Rest of the day relax at the hotel and enjoy optional activities / excursions – The ancient cities of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa as well as the Minneriya wildlife sanctuary are situated within driving distance. Heritance Kandalama offers guests more leisure activities surrounding nature which includes Eco Trails, Elephant Back Trekking, Horse Rides and Pony Rides, Lake Safari, Bird Watching, Butterfly and Dragonfly Watching, Boat Rides, Bird Watching by Boat and Mountain Bicycle Rides. Excursions can be made to Aligala Caves, Dambulla Cave Temple, Puranagama (Ancient Village), Kandalama Rock while Guided Bicycle Tours, Guided Night Hikes and Jungle trekking are more enjoyed by the adventurous traveler. Overnight at Heritance Kandalama.
Kandalama – Kandy
After breakfast, check out and transfer to Kandy via visit Spice Gardens in Matale. Here you will find different types of spices which Sri Lanka is famous for. The Matale spice gardens are the best on the island. You will be introduced to different spices and shown how some of these spices are grown and processed. A processing and training unit has been set up in the area and farmers are grouped in a cooperative to ensure fair prices and you will also be able to purchase spices. Gardens are open to visitors, a delightful place to stroll in fragrant greenery and learn about nutmeg, pepper vines, clovetrees and curry, cinnamon and the precious cardamom, a relative of ginger. It grows in the shade of high jungle trees and can only be harvested by hand. Visitors may buy spices, traditional remedies and cosmetics, taste a herbal brew and in some venues, enjoy the full flavors of Sri Lankan spices over lunch or an Ayurveda massage based on natural products from the garden. Then do a city tour of Kandy visiting the Tooth Relic temple and also witness a cultural show. Rest of the day at leisure. Overnight at Earls Regency Kandy.
Kandy – Nuwara Eliya
After breakfast, check out and transfer to Nuwara Eliya, en route visit a tea plantation - Visit a tea plantation and a tea factory. Sri Lanka, Tea and Tourism are words which cannot be separated. Take a tour to the cold & misty hills that take pride of an ultimate tea tour, covering lush green blankets of tea plantations. Or just step into a tea factory processing the prestigious brand of Ceylon Tea, to observe a rich tradition kept alive up to date. As you observe the hissing and swishing of machines, inhaling the heavenly scent arising from these facilities, make sure to end your day in style over a perfectly blended cup of pure Ceylon Tea. Taste a cup of pure Ceylon tea in the factory. Nuwara Eliya is Sri Lanka's premier hill resort with a fine bracing mountain climate. It is also the heart of Sri Lanka's tea estate, producing 50% of the world’s best tea. Nuwara Eliya is known as ‘Little England’ due to its climatic features and because the town has been designed and built to look like a typical English village. A Nuwara Eliya City Tour will typically take you past quaint buildings such as the red brick Post Office, the esteemed Hill Club, The Golf Club with its 18 hole course and the Race Course, where Horse Races are still conducted regularly. The flowers that bloom during the season add a splash of color to the landscape. Visit the Lake Gregory which is a picturesque, manmade lake nestled at the bottom of small hills, bordering the town of Nuwara Eliya in Sri Lanka’s mountainous, tea-growing region. A visit or tour of Nuwara Eliya would not be complete without a visit to this scenic lake, with perhaps a boat ride or a walk along its shores. Then visit the Hakgala Botanical Gardens - the second largest botanic garden in Sri Lanka and is located in a scenic part of Nuwara Eliya, steeped in legend, often cloaked in a soft mist and always filled with colour and the Gardens are open year-round, the best time to visit and enjoy the beautiful blooms are from April to August, during the relatively dry and warmer period of year. Overnight at Heritance Tea Factory Nuwara Eliya.
Nuwara Eliya – Ahungalla
After breakfast, check out and transfer to Ahungalla via Kitulgala. Kitulgala is in the wet zone rain forest, which gets two monsoons each year, and is one of the wettest places in the country. Optional visit to Belilena a well known large cave in Sri Lanka located 8 kms form the town. Evidence of prehistoric human presence as early as 32,000 years ago was recorded at the site. Also see Aberdeen Falls – waterfall along the Kehelgamu Oya river dropping from a height of 98 metres into the pool. Then continue to Ahungalla – a small coastal town located in Galle district. Check in at the Heritance Ahungalla – nestled on a tropical beach the hotel offers unmatched hospitality with luxury. The hotel has spacious and comfortable deluxe and premium deluxe rooms with balconies from where you can see the sunset. Hotel has some exciting dining options, bar and coffee shop. Besides this hotel has some unique places to eat in Galle - If you are with friends and family or in a large group and want a special theme night just for yourselves, they can set it up for you: anything from a fishermen’s village BBQ to a private beach party with a DJ (seasonal). The hotel has a luxury spa with an extensive spa menu with various treatments and massage therapies and an open air Jacuzzi. Rest of the day at leisure to enjoy the beach and the resort. Optional (on own cost) – Madu Ganga River Safari - A boat trip is a wonderful way of seeing some of the hundreds of species of plants and animals. There are around 64 islands in the river and lagoon, from a tiny speck housing a deserted shrine to one housing 250 families connected to the mainland with a very long footbridge world. Or one can go whale watching as early as around 4 a.m. to catch a boat from Mirissa at 0630 a.m. The whales usually start to appear after about an hour out to sea. Mostly blue whales, but sometimes killer whales also appear. Sightings of dolphins are also common on the way out and back. Overnight at Heritance Ahungalla.
Ahungalla – Colombo
After breakfast, check out and transfer to Colombo. En route do a city tour and shopping tour in Colombo. Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, is a bustling city and a hopping-off point for beaches in the island nation's south. It has a long history as a port on ancient east-west trade routes, ruled successively by the Portuguese, Dutch and British. That heritage is reflected in its spicy cuisine as well as its architecture, mixing colonial buildings with high-rises and shopping malls. Check in at hotel and then proceed for half day city tour of Colombo - We will pick you up at the hotel in the morning or afternoon. Tour will begin from the Fort area of Colombo which has been named fort because of it being a fort during the times of Portuguese and Dutch. Later we will take you to Colombo National Museum to see some of the great specimens of arts crafts and archeology of Colombo. You will drive past Pettah, a colorful Oriental bazaar with a mix of people, ancient vehicles, bargains, mosques and temples. You have a chance to see a Hindu Temple, Buddhist Temple and the Jami Ul Alfar Jumma Mosque of Colombo. Drive along the residential area of Cinnamon Gardens, and also visit the Independence Square and Bandaranayake Memorial International Conference Hall. Your tour will end here and we will bring you back to your respective hotel. Other optional sightseeings / attractions that you can do on own are - Galle Face Green, Jami Ul Alfar Jumma Mosque Gangaramaya (Vihara) Buddhist Temple, War Memorial, Viharamahadevi park, Seema Malaka Temple etc. Rest of the day free for some designer shopping at half the prices. Overnight at hotel in Colombo.
Colombo Departure
After breakfast, Check out from the hotel and transfer to Colombo Airport to catch your flights back to home. Our tour services will end here but sweet memories of tour will remain forever in your heart.