Sri Lanka- A Country Full of Cultural Traditions and Landscapes

Day 1 : EUROPE – COLOMBO

International flight. Night and meals served on board.

 

Day 2 : COLOMBO (AIRPORT) / NEGOMBO

Welcome at the airport. Travel to Negombo, a city marked by the Portuguese and then Dutch presence. Boat trip on the canals.

 

Day 3 : NEGOMBO / PUTTALAM / ANURADHAPURA / HABARANA

Departure towards Anuradhapura via Puttalam by a picturesque road. About 3 km from Puttalam: the village of Sirambiadiya, a community of Africans called “Ceylon African Caper”. Visit of the village and small show. Visit of the archaeological site of Anuradhapura with its numerous monuments, palaces and temples, home of art and Buddhism in the island. Continuation of the visits: the gardens of the royal palace, the temple of the Rock. The Vihara of Isurumuniya, Buddhist sanctuary.

 

Day 4 : HABARANA / SIGIRIYA / POLONNARUWA / HABARANA

Visit of the Sigiriya Citadel or “Lion Rock”, a grandiose ancient site with the frescoes of the “Damsels of Sigiriya”. Traditional lunch at the inhabitant. Departure to the archeological site of Polonnaruwa for an easy visit by bike: royal palace, terrace of the Tooth, Dagoba, sanctuary of the Rock, visit of a woodcarver and a rice cooperative.

 

Day 5 : HABARANA / DAMBULLA / GEDIGE / MATALE / KANDY

Dambulla: Visit the caves that houses the historic temple, one of the oldest Buddhist shrines in Sri Lanka and Mahavamsa, the most important chronicle of the island’s history. To Nalanda: exciting visit of its Hindu Gedige temple (7th century). Towards Matalé: visit of a “batik” factory, spice gardens with their store followed by a typical lunch in a rice field. Continue to Kandy, the cultural center of the country, and visit the Temple of the Tooth.

 

Day 6 : KANDY / PERADENIYA / LANKATHILAKE / KANDY

Towards Peradeniya and its famous botanical garden, visit of a museum and a workshop of precious stones. Walking tour of the city of Kandy with its market and shops. In Lankathilake: meeting with a teacher of traditional Kandyan dances for a small learning of these dances with demonstration. Visit of the “Suriyakantha Center” of Art and Culture.

 

Day 7 : KANDY / NUWARA ELIYA / BANDARAWELA

Transfer by tuk tuk to Kandy station for the train to Gampola in the heart of a mountainous region with its tea plantations and its rice fields in stairs. Departure by bus to Nuwara Eliya, a mountain resort, the “tea country”: visit of a tea factory and plantation with tea tasting. Lunch at Ramboda, facing the falls. Night in Bandarawela.

 

Day 8 : BANDARAWELA / LIPTON’S SEAT / BANDARAWELA

Lipton’s Seat, Sir Thomas Lipton’s 19th century plantation with its breathtaking view of the picturesque mountains, tea plantations and southern plains. Climb to the tea factory with a short walk in the fresh air. Afternoon relaxation in the town and its local market.

 

Day 9 : BANDARAWELA / BUDURUWAGALA / TISSAMAHARAMA

Drive through a great diversity of landscapes: rice terraces, rubber, coffee, cashew and cocoa plantations. Preview of the waterfalls of ”Rawana”. On the way, visit of Buduruvagala, high place of Mahayana Buddhism with its giant Buddha. Lunch at the hotel in Tissamaharama, then Safari in 4WD in the park of Yala, national reserve, rich by its ecosystems: varied forests, deserts and bushes, meadows, beaches and by its elephants and other animals.

 

Day 10 : TISSAMAHARAMA / KATARAGAMA / TISSAMAHARAMA

Visit a local school. Drive to Tissamaharama to share a lunch with the locals and monks. Visit the Hindu shrine of Maha Devala and the “Boddhi tree”. In the evening, the “pujas”, rituals of offerings and prayers in this place, sacred to Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims.

 

Day 11 : TISSAMAHARAMA / GALLE / WEST COAST

Towards Galle, former Dutch trading post: it is one of the most charming old city of Ceylon with its old lanes enclosed between the walls of the fort. Visit of the fortress of 1754 with its lace makers, its church and its colonial houses. Stop at Kosgoda to visit a sea turtle farm, release of small turtles into the Indian Ocean.

 

Day 12 : WEST COAST/ COLOMBO

Visit the city of Colombo, political and economic capital of the country. The Portuguese fort district (15th century), the lighthouse-clock, the Pettah district, a Hindu temple and a Buddhist temple, the residential district, the new parliament.

 

Day 13 : COLOMBO AIRPORT – EUROPE

Departure to the airport and flight to Europe

 

01 night at Suriya Resort  4*

02 nights at Habarana Village by Cinnamon  4*

02 nights at Earl’s Regent OU OZO Kandy     4*
02 nights at l’hôtel Orient OU Bandarawela Hotel    4*

02 nights at Mandara Rosen                          4*

01 night at Tangerine Beach OU Hikka Tranz by Cinnamon    4*

01 night at Cinnamone Grand Colombo 5* 

This Package Includes :

 

* Full board accommodation in the hotels mentioned below starting with lunch on day 02 and ending with breakfast on day 13.

* Transportation in an air-conditioned bus for the entire trip.

* The services of a qualified French-speaking guide for the entire trip.

* Entrance fees and tips at the hotels and at the airport.

 

* All excursions + visits mentioned in the program. (Except Optional)

* The current state taxes.

 

 

 

Not include:

 

* International air tickets and domestic flights: (If you wish, flights will be booked by INDIA WITH MATHEW and charged separately).

* Personal expenses, photo permits in the sites, tips to the guide, driver and driver’s helper.

* Drinks during meals except tea/coffee * Services not mentioned above

* E-Visa via www.eta.gov.lk

* PCR test less than 72 hours before arrival in Colombo in English.

* Travel Insurance which includes COVID-19.

* Original Paper Health Pass Certificate with QR Code in English.