The flight from LHR to CMB takes approximately 10 hours (Via Sri Lankan Airline)

COLOMBO AIRPORT-COLOMBO
22 Miles Approx 30 Minutes over the express highway

Relax On Arrival At Colombo
The Mount Lavinia Hotel (1877) is an ideal place to relax upon arrival in Sri Lanka. The hotel has a private stretch of beach for its guests and wonderful Indian Ocean sunsets can be seen from its Terrace Bar.

YOUR CHOICE OF HOTEL:

First Class Hotels :
Jetwing Beach , Negombo

Special Choice :
Villa Hundira , Negombo

COLOMBO – DAMBULLA
94 Miles Approx 4 Hours

Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage
Pinnawela is Sri Lanka’s most visited attraction, and provides a very relaxed place to spend a few hours watching elephants. Set in a pretty riverside location, this is home to about 70 Elephants- the largest group of orphaned Elephants in the world! Most have been found injured or abandoned in the wild. Baby calves, some only a few weeks old are fed by bottle and the whole herd is then bathed in the adjoining river. A tour highlight for many visitors to Sri Lanka.

YOUR CHOICE OF HOTEL:

First Class Hotels :
Habarana Village By Cinnamon

Special Choice :
Thilanka Resort And Spa , Dambulla

DAMBULLA – KANDY
44 Miles Approx 2.5 Hours

The Magnificent Sigiriya Rock Fortress
The amazing rock fortress of Sigiriya is often listed as 8th Wonder Of The Ancient World and is easily the most impressive historic sight in Sri Lanka. You enter through The Royal Pleasure Gardens with a series of ponds and landscaped terraces until the ascent of the rock fortress begins through a series of dramatic staircases.

Hidden half-way is a cave that reveals the Sigiriya Frescoes. This is Sri Lanka’s premier artistic treasure and is a must for all visitors. If you have a head for heights, you can reach the top via the gigantic Lions Paws, which are the remnants of a huge stone lion that used to guard the entrance. There are stunning views of the forested plains below from the top.

Temple Of The Buddha’s Tooth
Delightfully located in a valley surrounded by hills, Kandy was the last capital of the ancient kings. The UNESCO protected Old Town area is a lovely place for an afternoon walk along a maze of streets leading to the Temple Of The Buddha’s Tooth and the Kandy Lake, magnificently framed against forest clad hills in the background.

Visit The Temple Of The Buddha’s Tooth in the evening, for the ‘’pooja ceremony’’ that starts around 6:30 pm. At this time crowds gather to offer flowers and prayers to the sacred relic in the inner sanctum and the temple drummers are in full swing – a magical experience.

YOUR CHOICE OF HOTEL:

First Class Hotels :
Cinnamon Citadel , Kandy

Special Choice :
Hotel Thilanka , Kandy

KANDY – HILL COUNTRY
A Train Journey Of Approx 5 Hours

By Train Through The Hill Country
The Highland Queen leaves Kandy Railway Station for a spectacular journey through the Hill Country. There are lovely views of waterfalls and tea estates among the glorious scenery of the Great Western mountain range.

We include the full-length railway journey through pine and cloud forests near Horton Plains as well as the mind-boggling views of the Eastern Hill Country at Haputale. Clients are booked on the super luxury Expo Carriage or Rajadhani or the Observation Car when available.

The Magnificent Views At Ella And Haputale
The most beautiful views in the entire island can be seen from the so called Ella and Haputale Gap – spectacular breaks in the mountains with views all the way down to the coast from the edge of the southern escarpment.

YOUR CHOICE OF HOTEL:

Luxury Hotels :
98 Acres , Ella

Special Choice :
Mountain Heavens , Ella

HILL COUNTRY (HAPUTALE) – YALA
44 Miles Approx 3 Hours

Horton Plains Cloud Forests And World’s End
A strange windswept plateau at 6500ft with moss covered forests of rhododendron and sweeping grasslands crossed by crystal-clear streams. A path leads to World’s End - a sheer precipice of some 3000ft! and the enchanting Baker’s Falls.
EARLY START REQUIRED

YOUR CHOICE OF HOTEL:

Luxury Hotels :
Jetwing Yala

Special Choice :
The Safari ,Yala

Encounters With Leopards And Wild Elephants At Yala
The jewel among Sri Lanka’s wildlife reserves and one of Asia’s premier sanctuaries is justifiably famous for its population of Leopards that can easily be observed hunting and lazing around during daylight hours. The island’s big cat is attracted by the presence of large herds of Spotted Deer, Sambar (Elk) and Wild Boar that comprise its staple diet.

Apart from the wildlife, the stunning landscapes at Yala consist of strange shaped rock outcrops that are the ideal habitat of the aggressive Sloth Bear and a coastline dotted with beautiful lagoons harbouring migratory flamingoes and ferocious Marsh Crocodiles.

Around 100 Elephants are also found in and around the park. Today there are said to be 18 to 20 ‘tuskers’ in the reserve, including some huge ‘cross-tuskers’.

YOUR CHOICE OF HOTEL:

Luxury Hotels :
Jetwing Yala

Special Choice :
The Safari ,Yala

Day 8 - SRI LANKA’S BEACHES
YALA – BEACH RESORTS
A Journey Of Approx 3 - 4 Hours

The South Coast Road And The Stilt Fishermen Of Koggala
A lovely coast road passes through a succession of picture-postcard beaches and idyllic bays such as Weligama, widely acknowledged as one of the most beautiful in the world.

The island’s unique Stilt Fishermen can be seen in this area during the late afternoons.

The Old World Town Of Galle
Galle has a charming old Dutch Fort (1640) which is the best preserved in Asia. Huge ramparts enclose an Old Town of great historical and architectural value. The labyrinth of streets and alleyways contain about 200 old colonial buildings that are a UNESCO World Heritage Site of prime importance.

Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery
See turtle hatchlings prepared for release back in to the sea. If you are lucky you may be allowed to release some yourself.

Sri Lanka’s Beach Resorts
A beach stay on Sri Lanka’s famous palm fringed coastline combined in addition to this tour will make for an excellent 2 week holiday on the island.

Depart Sri Lanka – Daytime flights arrive back in UK the same day.