On arrival at the Bandaranaike International airport, you will be warmly greeted by your very own chauffeur guide and transferred to Colombo. In the afternoon you can do a city tour in Colombo.
COLOMBO – is the business and commercial center and the new capital is Sri Jayawardhanapura Kotte, only a few miles away. Colombo was only a small seaport, which came into prominence in the 16th Century with the arrival of the Portuguese in 1505 and the development of it as a major Harbour took place during the British period. Colombo became the capital of Sri Lanka in 1815 after Kandyan Kingdom was ceded to the British. The remains of the buildings during the period of the Portuguese, Dutch and British rule are found in every area of the city. None of the Portuguese & Dutch fortifications are found today but some of their buildings and churches could be seen in the Fort & Pettah areas. Visit Fort, the former British administrative center and military garrison, Sea Street - the Goldsmith’s quarters in the heart of Pettah, the Bazaar area where there is also a Hindu Temple with elaborate stone carvings, the Kayman’s Gate with the Belfry at the original gate to enter the Fort, the Dutch Church of Wolfendhaal dating back to 1749, Also visit the BMICH (Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall) & see the replica of Avukana Buddha in front and the Independence Memorial.
Spend overnights at Ozo colombo. Accommodation is in dream room with ensuite facilities. Your stay is on Bed & Breakfast basis.
After breakfast you will be transferred to kandy. En route visit Pinnawala elephant orphanage and Spice garden.
PINNAWALA ELEPHANT ORPHANAGE - Off the Colombo - Kandy road is Pinnawela, where an orphanage was started in 1975 to house the abandoned and the wounded elephants. The number of elephants has increased to more than 65 now; including Baby Elephants brought from various parts, as well as some of the more than 25 babies born, as a result of the captive breeding programme. The best time to visit is the feeding times and the bathing times when all the elephants are taken to the river close by.
Thereafter you can visit spice garden
SPICE GARDENS- For centuries, spices have been one of Sri Lanka’s most celebrated exports and are used for medicines and cosmetics as well as to flavour foods. We will sample scents and flavours such as cinnamon, ginger, pepper, vanilla and cardamom. Batik is the ancient art of mixing colours using wax as the main component and Sri Lanka is one of the world’s leading exponents. Examples range from simple, single coloured designs to multi-coloured masterpieces
Spend overnights at Mahaweli reach hotel. Accommodation is in deluxe room with ensuite facilities. Your stay is on Bed & Breakfast basis.
Full day leisure in Kandy including visit of Peradeniya Botanical garden, upper lake drive, Gem Lapidary, Wood caring center.
PERADENIYA BOTANICAL GARDENS - It is situated about 5.5 km to the west from the city of Kandy in the Central Province of Sri Lanka It is renowned for its collection of a variety of orchids. It includes more than 4000 species of plants, including of orchids, spices, medicinal plants and palm trees. The total area of the botanical garden is 147 acres.
Spend overnight in Kandy on Bed & Breakfast basis.
After breakfast drive to Nuwaraeliya. (Approx. 2 hrs and 30 mins drive) En route visit tea plantation and tea factory.
TEA PLANTATIONS - Tea was first planted in Sri Lanka in 1824 at the Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya, when a few plants were brought from China. More were introduced from Assam in 1839. In 1867, a Scottish Planter named James Taylor planted tea seedlings in 8 hectares of forestland, in the Loolkondura Estate. In 1873, the tea export industry of Sri Lanka began with a modest 23 lbs. being shipped to London. Tea will grow only on rolling terrain and is classified by elevation into low grown, medium grown and high grown into 3 main groups. Today more than 200,000 hectares in highlands and other areas are under Tea and around 300 million Kilograms, with a 25% of world tea exports are done by Sri Lanka as the World’s largest Tea exporter.
There after you can visit Ramboda water fall.
Ramboda Falls is 109 m (358 ft) high and 11th highest waterfall in Sri Lanka and 729th highest waterfall in the world. It formed by Panna Oya which is a tributary of Kothmale Oya. Altitude of the falls is 945 m (3,100 ft) above sea level.
Spend overnight in Nuwaraeliya on Bed & Breakfast basis.
After breakfast. do city tour in Nuwaraeliya
NUWARAELIYA CITY TOUR - Surrounded by hills and tea plantations, the town of Nuwara Eliya enjoys spring-like weather throughout the year. A favourite retreat of the British during colonial times, the town is dotted with English country style houses and half-timbered bungalows. In this city tour you can visit Victoria Park. It is an attractive and well-used oasis. It is popular with birdwatchers at quieter times because of the good opportunities it gives to see various species, and also you can visit Gregory Lake, as well as you can visit Golf courses in Nuwara Eliya Town.
Spend overnight in Nuwaraeliya on Bed & Breakfast basis.
After breakfast drive to Bentota (Approx. 6 hours’ drive) and spend the day at leisure in the hotel near Bentota beach.
Spend overnight in Bentota on Bed & Breakfast basis.
After breakfast you will do a boat ride in Madu river
BALAPITIYA BOAT RIDE (MADU GANGA) - Balapitiya is famous for Madu river boat safari. It is located in Mangrove vegetation lines the riverbeds, and occasional islets emerge as the river flows into the sea. Further upstream, we see kraal-fishing constructions and fishermen making their way in rowing boats to collect their day's catch. The occasional blue kingfisher flits in the vicinity of the kraal, a pond heron stands tall in the water, and other wetland birds have arisen from their slumber. A relatively unspoiled lagoon, the Madu ganga estuary is a 915-hectare complex coastal wetland ecosystem that opens to the Indian Ocean. 770 hectares of the total area consist of open water, while the remaining 145 hectares are the islands. The site is an ecological asset that harbours many wetland vegetation types as well as a variety of fauna, including a number of globally and nationally threatened or endangered species.
In the evening you can visit turtle hatchery
TURTLE HATCHERY - Kosgoda is famous for its sea turtle conservation project operated by the Wild Life Protection Society of Sri Lanka. It was established in 1988 to protect Sri Lanka’s turtles from extinction. Since then it has released about 3.5 million baby turtles into the wild. The hatchery pays fishermen for eggs that they collect at night along the long sandy beach. Although October to April is the main laying season, some eggs (mostly green turtles) can be found at Kosgoda throughout the year. The hatchery buries the eggs in sand, and when they hatch around 50 days later the baby turtles are released into the sea at night. Only about one in 1,000 turtles survive to maturity. Kosgoda turtle hatchery also has tanks for injured or disabled turtles, including albino turtles that would not survive in the wild. There’s also a small shop and café.
Spend overnight in Bentota on Bed & Breakfast basis.
Today after breakfast you will be transferred back to airport (Approx. 2 hours’ drive) for your flight back home.
