Hills and Beaches Tour Of Sri Lanka

Itinerary

• Day 01 : Arrive Colombo

  Arrival & transfer to Colombo P.M. City tour of Colomboincluding visits to the residential, commercial and bazaar areas. The tour also includes visits to well known Departmental stores such as “House of Buddha Statues ColomboFashion” and “ODEL”, which has Internationally recognized “Designer” brands of clothing at an unbelievable price Overnight in Colombo.

• Day 02 : Colombo to Kandy

  Transfer direct to Kandy. Nestled amidst lush mountains in the north of the island's hill country, the Royal City of Kandy, 116km from Colombo, was home to Sri Lanka.s last independent kingdom, surviving two centuries of colonial incursions by the Portuguese and the Dutch before falling to the British in 1815. The legacy of this proud tradition lives on today in the form of the city's distinctive architecture, art and dance. Home to the sacred relic of the tooth of the Buddha, a visit to the Dalada Maligawa or Temple of the Tooth, is an experience no tourist should miss said to have been snatched from the Buddha's funeral pyre and smuggled to Sri Lanka in the hair of a princess, the tooth relic is of great spiritual significance. Each year in July or August is the Kandy Esala Perahera (perahera means 'procession') a spectacular display of medieval pageantry that includes caparisoned elephants, fire dancers and Kandyan drummers.
  Evening visit the Temple of the Tooth and late evening witness a cultural performance. Overnight in Kandy

• Day 03 : Kandy

  Full day sightseeing of Kandy including visits to the Royal Botanical Gardens Sri Lanka’s botanic gardens have a long and proud history, punctuated bycolonialism, and industrial change & throughout this period the gardens have continued to flourish, and the plant collections and herbarium grown. Here, exotic crops such as coffee, tea, nutmeg, rubber and cinchona (quinine) - all of Royal Botanical Gardens Kandywhich later became important to Sri Lanka's economy – were tested. Sights include a palm avenue planted by the British in 1905. Another British import was the enormous spreading Java fig which sprewls across the lawn, grown from a sapling brought from the East Indies. The gardens also have stands of towering bamboos from Burma, Japan China and the East Indiaes, and a fine collection of orchids from Sri Lanka and further afield. Also, explore the Arts & Crafts workshops, Market Places and Bazaar areas. Overnight in Kandy

• Day 04 : Kandy to Nuwara Eliya

  After breakfast leave Nuwara Eliya visiting a Tea Plantation to see how tea is plucked and a Factory to witness the processing of the raw green leaf to the final graded product. At the heart of the southern hill country is Nuwara Eliya (Colombo 180km), Sri Lanka’s highest town and a favourite hill station during British colonial times. The town is still touted as ‘Little England’, an illusion maintained by the presence of the Nuwara Eliya Golf Club, a racecourse, the Victoria Park and excellent trout fishing in nearby lakes and rivers. You will find the temperature can drop close to freezing at nights and log fires are a common feature of the many Tudor-style houses.

  Adding to the atmosphere is the spectacle of its townsfolk wrapped up in winter jackets and woolly hats, carting great bundles of turnips, leeks, marrows and cabbages to the markets. Nuwara Eliya is a great base to explore the surrounding countryside: there are Rafting Tour at Bentotamany walks on offer, including hiking around the lower slopes of the thickly-forested Mount Pidurutalagala, at 2,555m the island’s highest peak. A visit to the Hakgala Botanical Gardens, a short distance from Nuwara Eliya, is also recommended. Overnight in Nuwera Eliya

• Day 05 : Nuwara Eliya to Bentota

  Proceed to Bentota via Kithulgala, the famous film location site “The Bridge on the River Kwai” Optional white water rafting excursion and transfer to beach hotel of choice. This short but exhilarating excursion is “level 03 “ and is suitable for most people between the age 08 to 60. This can be booked and paid direct at site. Overnight in Bentota

• Day 06 : Bentota Beach

  Full day at leisure by the beach / relax by the pool. Overnight in Bentota

• Day 07 : Departure

  Departure transfer to the Airport.