Secrets of Sri Lanka

Upon arrival at Colombo Bandaranayake International Airport in Sri Lanka you will be greeted and transferred to your hotel Jetwing Blue Negombo in nearby Negombo (approx. 20 minutes) for rest and relaxation. 

Negombo to Wilpattu Nature Reserve

After breakfast this morning  set off in the minibus and head north for Wipattu National Park, taking a fascinating route through the countryside passing small villages, farmland and lakes.

The driving time is around 4 hours and yoiu might want to break your journey for light refreshments and to admire any scenic spots that you might come across along the way.

Once you arrive at Cloud Nine Resort, your home for the next 3 nights, have the afternoon to settle into your surroundings, maybe have a dip in the pool, and enjoy some downtime.

Wilpattu Nature Reserve

Over the next two days you have one full day and one half day of game drives in Wilpattu National Park, exploring the beautiful landscapes, and hoping to catch sight of the elusive Sri Lankan Leopard.

Wilpattu is Sri Lanka’s largest and oldest national park with an area of 130,000 hectare. Wilpattu was once the most popular National Park for leopards, but this changed after several years of closure due to the armed conflict in the area. A unique feature of the park is that the entire reserve is dotted with large sand rimmed natural lakes known as “Villus”. The Villus collects rain water and tends to attract wildlife especially during the times of drought. The main draw in Wilpattu is the leopard and sloth bear. It is also one of the better parks to see Barking Deer.

Wilpattu is not only famous for its wildlife but also for its archaeological and historical importance. About 500 years BCE, it is believed that Prince Vijaya from India and his followers landed in a place called Thambapanni in the Northwest corner of Wilpattu and formed the Sinhalese kingdom. There are still many archaeological ruins and stories to be told about this and many other fascinating historical events that took place within the borders of what we now call the Wilpattu National Park.

Wilpattu to Habarana

After breakfast this morning you will be transferred to your next destination, Habarana. The journey will take  you into the lush interior of Sri Lanka and will be approximately 3 hours.

Habarana is a small city in the north central area of the country. It is popular with tourists owing to its close proximity to the ancient rock fortress of Sigiriya, and the nearby national parks of Minneriya, Hurulu, and Kaudulla which are heavily populated by Asian elephants.

You can spend the rest of the day at leisure at your hotel. There is a spa onsite, as well as a bird and butterfly trail, and cycle paths that meander through the grounds.

Habarana

Today, you may wish to explore a remote village on a bicycle!

Not only will you8 get to appreciate the colours and sounds of the Habarana locale, but also get hands on and experience and learn about the livelihood, culture and way of life in a typical Sri Lankan village.

You can find a nice spot and settle in for some painting time, before enjoying lunch prepared for you by one of the ladies in the village in her own home.

After lunch, return to the hotel and relax.

Habarana

After a leisurely breakfast, explore one of the island’s most spectacular sights. A UNESCO World Heritage site, Sigiriya is a majestic ancient rock fortress that was carved out in the 5th Century for King Kashyapa.

For those feeling fit, there is an optional excursion to climb to the top of the rock fortress, where ancient water gardens, beautifully preserved frescoes, and stunning panoramic views await. It is considered a ‘moderately difficult’ climb that takes on average between 1.5 to 3 hours up a series of stone and metal staircases. NB. Please consult with your local guide in advance if you would like to do this.

In the afternoon you might wish to spend time at the hotel for rest and relaxation after your morning's exploration!

Early evening, venture out in search of elephants on a Jeep safari in one of the three nearby National Parks.

Minneriya, Hurulu, and Kaudulla National parks are famous for observing large wild herds of Asian Elephants in their natural habitat. The ideal National Park to visit would depend on the Elephant Herds movements at the particular time period. Encountering these giants at close range would definitely be an unforgettable experience.

Apart from the Elephants, Minneriya and Kaudulla parks often present sightings of bird-flocks such as painted storks, pelicans and little cormorants, which are an added bonus. Depending on the elephant sightings on this particular day, your chauffeur guide will liaise with our regional experts and will take you to one of the following parks in the area, which are situated adjoining each other and allows the Elephants to roam around any of them – Minneriya National Park, Hurulu National Park or Kaudulla National Park.    

Habarana to Kandy

Set off this morning from Habarana to Kandy, making a stop off at the ancient cave temple of Dambulla. The journey takes around 3 ½ hours, not including stops.

Dambulla’s origins as a place of worship date back to the reign of King Valagamba in the 1st century BCE, who took refuge in these caves when driven out of Anuradhapura by Chola invaders. Once he regained the throne, the king had the interior of the caves transformed in to magnificent rock temples. More paintings and statues were added over time by later kings. One of the most notable modifications was made by King Nissanka Malla, who had the caves’ interiors gilded giving it the name ‘Ran Giri’ or ‘Golden Rock’ Temple.   

Afterwards, proceed to The Trees Resort in Kandy and spend the afternoon at leisure, perhaps exploring the local area.

Kandy

Spend the day exploring Kandy, the island’s hill capital. Kandy was established as a city by King Wikramabahu III from the Kingdom of Gampola in the 13th Century CE and was given the name ‘Senkadagalapura Siriwardhana Maha Nuwara’, which was shortened to ‘Maha Nuwara’ and means ‘Great City’ or ‘Capital’.

Today, Kandy is Sri Lanka’s second largest city after Colombo and is given UNESCO World Heritage status as a sacred city due to the importance of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. Kandy was the capital of the last Sinhalese Kingdom under King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe which finally succumbed to British rule in 1815 after repelling several other invasions from the Portuguese and the Dutch. The King was also responsible for building the Kandy Lake which sprawls across the central area of the city.

This morning, you can visit the Royal Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya, the largest in Sri Lanka with over 4,000 different species of plants, and is regarded among the finest in Asia.  The origins of the Botanical Gardens date to 1371 when King Wikramabahu III took to the throne and kept his court at Peradeniya near the Mahaweli, where the gardens were reserved exclusively for Kandyan Royalty.

The highlights include the Orchid collection, an avenue of Royal Palm Trees and a Javan Fig Tree on the great lawn covering 2500 square kilometres. In addition to a multitude of flowering plants, there is also an expansive collection of medicinal plants and spices which can be seen during a stroll across the gardens. Make time to enjoy the serenity and peace of the gardens.

In the afternoon, walk around Kandy Lake and visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. Referred locally as the Sri Dalada Maligawa, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is the most revered site in the country. The Temple was built in the 16th century AD and is located adjacent to the Royal Palace complex of the former Kingdom of Kandy and overlooks the expanses of the Kandy Lake. Housing the sacred tooth relic of the Lord Buddha, the building has held a significant role in local politics since ancient times, with a belief that whoever holds the relic has the right to govern the country.

The sacred tooth was smuggled into Sri Lanka from India by a princess in the 4th century AD and was initially kept in Anuradhapura and then moved across the country over time before being housed in Kandy. This sacred temple attracts thousands of white-clad pilgrims on a daily basis bearing lotus blossoms and frangipani for their offerings which are known as pujas.

Kandy to Nuwara Eliya

This morning, you might wish to travel to the town of Nuwara Eliya by train and enjoy sweeping views of the mountains laden with tea fields, cloud forests, numerous streams and waterfalls during this scenic railway journey through the central highlands (approx. 3-hour train journey).

Nuwara Eliya, meaning ‘city on the plain’ (table land) or ‘city of light’ is located in central Sri Lanka and is most famous for its tea production. Row upon row of sloping tea fields, as well as majestic mountain ranges make up the beautiful countryside that surround the city, making it a very picturesque location to spend a couple of nights.

Upon arrival at Nuwara Eliya, transfer to Langdale by Amaya and spend the remainder of the afternoon at leisure.

Nuwara Eliya

Today you have the opportunity to paint amongst the gently climbing fields of a tea plantation, capturing the neat curves of row-upon-row of the lush green plants.

You can then go on to explore Horton National Park in the central highlands (approx. 1 hour’s drive from your hotel), a diverse area made up of grassland, forest and plateaus. This is one of the most scenic areas in Nuwara Eliya with a vast array of stunning flora and fauna unique to the park.  

You can hope to see herds of Sri Lankan sambar deer, Indian muntjacs and maybe toque macaques and purple-faced langurs swinging amongst the trees.

Rarer fauna to look out for are Sri Lankan leopards, wild boar, stripe-necked mongooses and the red slender loris.

There is a plethora of bird life for us to spot including the Sri Lanka white-eye, blue magpie, spurfowl, bush warbler, yellow-eared bulbul, black-throated munia, and the orange-billed babbler to name but a few.

You also have the opportunity to make a stop on the way back to your hotel to the moon plains. From this vantage point you will have breath-taking panoramic views of the surrounding countryside and tea plantations, as well as views of 9 of the 11 highest peaks in the country (on a clear day!). This is the only point in Sri Lanka where these mountain ranges can be seen from one place and it is truly spectacular.

Nuwara Eliya to Galle

This morning make the journey to your final destination on the tour – Galle – approximately 5 hours away, stopping en-route for comfort breaks. Check-in at your hotel and relax after the long journey.

In the late afternoon, see the stilt fishermen at work. This ancient technique of fishing unique to this region is still practiced to date by fishermen hailing from the towns bordering Koggala to Weligama.

The fishermen are precariously perched on stilts with one hand holding on to the fishing rod and balancing themselves on the poles itself with the other.

Seated at an elevation of 2 metres above the water to minimize the disturbance to the fish, they hold on patiently for hours to get their catch and the fish once caught are stored in a plastic bag tied around their waist or the pole itself.

Galle

Today, spend the full day exploring the Galle Fort taking a leisurely stroll along the Ramparts with its panoramic views. The once sleepy Galle Fort is now a vibrant and bustling area with a distinctively Mediterranean feel to it and is abuzz with activity.

Explore its narrow streets and laneways bustling with jewellery shops, numerous cafes, restaurants and luxurious villas. The Galle Fort Mosque, the Lighthouse, the Anglican and Dutch-reformed Churches and the Maritime Museum are must-see sites.

In the late afternoon, you can set up in the community square within the fort for some lifestyle sketching, capturing the forms of locals and tourists going about their business.

Tonight, gather one last time to share memories of your time together in this magical land.

Galle – Departure Day

This morning you will be transferred back to Bandaranayake International Airport in time to board your flight back home. Airport security has been heightened so allow plenty of time for passing through.