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

COLOMBO AIRPORT-NEGOMBO
5 Miles Approx 15 Minutes

Relax On Arrival At Negombo
Arrive at the beach resort of Negombo and relax at your hotel or villa after your long flight. The beach at Negombo is wide and long with many fishing catamarans to be seen out at sea. There are some lovely sunset boat rides that are easily arranged locally on the Negombo Lagoon. The marshes and mangroves on the fringes contain a wealth of wildlife, including ferocious crocodiles!

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.

The Golden Cave Temple At Dambulla
The 5 Cave Temples Of Dambulla are a series of rock temples that have been hewn from a gigantic boulder that contain a very beautiful collection of sculptures, paintings and frescoes from various periods of the island’s history.

Cave No 2 – The Temple Of The Great Kings is the biggest and most spectacular cave temple with over 150 statues and 1500 paintings! The ceilings and walls are covered by the finest murals to be seen in Sri Lanka.

YOUR CHOICE OF HOTEL:

First Class Hotels :
Habarana Village By Cinnamon

Special Choice :
Sigiriya Village , Dambulla

The Ancient City Of Polonnaruwa
The Medieval capital of Polonnaruwa has the feeling of a city that was once ‘lost in the jungle’ – which indeed it was, until it was ‘rediscovered’ by colonial administrators in the 19th Century. Ruins of royal palaces, stupas and monasteries are scattered over several square kilometers around a vast lake known as the Sea Of Parakrama.

The Inner Quadrangle area of the ancient city contains the most exquisite historical remains in the whole of Sri Lanka. The highlight of any visit to Polonnaruwa is The Gal Vihare (Temple Of The Rock) consisting of 4 rock cut Buddhas that are among the masterpieces of Buddhist Art, and one of the world’s great artistic treasures.

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.

Kandyan Dance Performance
Spend the evening in Kandy watching a colourful Kandyan Dance and Cultural Performance, to the sound of rhythmic temple drums.

YOUR CHOICE OF HOTEL:

First Class Hotels :
Cinnamon Citadel , Kandy

Special Choice :
Hotel Thilanka , Kandy

Peradeniya Gardens And Its Beautiful Orchid Houses
The gardens at Peradeniya were one of the jewels of colonial era Ceylon. Initially developed to try out introduced tropical crops like rubber in the island, it soon expanded to become one of the great tropical collections of the world.

During WW2, the Supreme Headquarters of Lord Mountbatten Of Burma were hidden inside the gardens. The Orchid House at Peradeniya contains 300 varieties of orchids that are wonderfully displayed.


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.

KANDY – HAPUTALE
A Train Journey Of Approx 6 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 or Rajadhani Carriage 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 :
Waterfalls Homestay , Ella

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

Diyaluma Falls
Easily seen on the roadside on the way to the southern plains is Sri Lanka’s second highest waterfall at 562 ft.

YOUR CHOICE OF HOTEL:

First Class Hotels :
Grand Udawalawe Safari Resort , Udawalawe

Special Choice :
Elephant Safari Hotel , Udawalawe

The Elephant Herds At Uda Walawe National Park
The Uda Walawe National Park has some 500 elephants that often gather in large herds to eat ‘Mana’ grass by the edge of the large lake. Elephant watching is also helped by the fact that much of the park consists of semi-open glades and abandoned teak plantations. The scenery is very picturesque as it is framed against the backdrop of the mist laden Hill Country.

This is also a great park for birds, especially raptors such as the Crested Serpent Eagle and the Grey Headed Fishing Eagle.

The Transit Camp For Baby Elephants
The Uda Walawe Transit Centre specialises in the release of orphaned baby elephants back to the wild. Some 13 baby elephants are presently handled by this centre. You can see the highly absorbing sight of bottle-feeding of the young elephants at 12 O clock feeding time.

YOUR CHOICE OF HOTEL:

Special Choice :
Hibiscus Garden , Yala

Eco :
Big Game Safari Camp , 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’.

YALA – BEACH RESORTS
A Train 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.