The most exciting Sri Lanka

Upon arrival at Colombo International Airport, meeting with the driver guide and proceed to Pinnawela. Check-in and lunch at the hotel. During the afternoon you'll visit the Millennium Elephant Foundation. It is located about 2 km from Pinnawela, on the Karandupona - Kandy road. You have the rare opportunity to feed and bathe the elephants. The working men will guide you to scrub the jumbos with a coconut shell. Perhaps you can enjoy an elephant ride. It appears that the elephants love to have baths as they are hardly scrubbed simultaneously. (90 km approximately 2,5 hours)

After breakfast, you'll depart to Sigiriya. Known as the centre of the cultural triangle, Habarana sits in the middle of the many cultural attractions in the island such as Sigiriya, the Rock Fortress, the ruins of the ancient city of Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura, the sacred city. The Minneriya National Park, famous for the Great Gathering of Elephants, and Ritigala, the ancient Buddhist monastery, are only 15 minutes away. The Cultural Triangle is rich in agriculture and fertile soil due to the many artificial bodies of water, rivers and canals and reservoirs connected by an elaborate network of canals designed by the ancient kings. These water infrastructures enrich the whole environment and have kept the biosphere sustainable for many years. There has been no confirmed idea about how the kings had made this epic tanks.

In the afternoon you'll transfer to Hiriwaduna for a Sri Lankan Village trek. It begins with a picturesque walk along a bund of a Wewa (man-made reservoir). En route it is possible to admire the rich and amazing birdlife, butterflies and spot crocodile. You'll learn something about the villagers dailylife, as they go about their early morning tasks of fishing or washing clothes at the periphery of the lake. You'll wade through a shallow stream and cross a wider tributary in a catamaran of an obliging farmer to inspect Chena cultivation. (105 km approximately 3 hours)

Breakfast at the hotel. In the morning you'll climb the Rock Fortress, in Sigiriya, a Unesco World Heritage Site. The fort is one of Sri Lanka’s most important attractions. The Water Gardens are the most fascinating aspect of the complex, as well as the Mirror Wall with ancient graffiti, the Lion platform and the Summit of 1.6 hectares, which was entirely covered by buildings during the period of Sigiriya glory. The so-called "Lion Rock" is a citadel built by King Kashyapa (477-495 A.D), its unusual beauty rising 200m from the scrub jungle. The rock was the innermost stronghold of the 70 hectare fortified town and the base is ringed by a moat, rampart, and extensive gardens. The frescoes (originally 500, of which only 19 remain today) are worldwide famous, they are sheltered by a pocket of the rock approached by a spiral stairway painted in earth pigments on plaster. The old stairway led through the mouth of a crouching lion, but today only the huge paws remain giving an indication of the great proportions of the head. Remains of the handsome royal citadel are on the summit and several caves for meditation, audience platforms and baths complete the unique site. (12 km approximately 10 minutes).

In the afternoon you'll reach Anuradhapura, an ancient city located in the north central part of the island. It was the hub of Sri Lanka’s Buddhist civilization, largest city and capital of the ancient country. It hosts the world's oldest historically documented tree, The Sri Maha Bodhi. Ancient Buddhist shrines considered the oldest in the island are found here making a visit to serene and soulful Anuradhapura. The ruins are complete with stupas, palaces, temples, sculptures and manmade reservoirs. Furthermore, the city boasts some of the most complex irrigation systems in the world. Despite it being the dry zone, the irrigation systems have ensured that the ground stays fertile, this is why the city could supply the country with a majority of vegetables. Anuradhapura also hosts many monasteries and temples, visitors may speak to a monk and understand the sacrifice one takes to follow the path of the enlightened one. (85 km approximately 2 hours)

After lunch at a local restaurant, you'll go back to the hotel. The rest of the day is free at leisure.

After breakfast, you'll move to Polonnaruwa, the capital city ages ago. It is surrounded by big artificial reservoirs designed and built during the 10^th century and is considered one of the best planned archaeological sites in the country. Nowadays, it is possible to enjoy the ruins that give information about the organisational structure of the ancient kingdom such as the Kings Palace, the Audience Hall, the Quadrangle the former Temple of the Tooth as well as the Gal Vihare complex paying homage to Buddhism with 4 large statues of Buddha. The site, declared Unesco World Heritage Site in 1982, can be discovered by bicycle, a great way of traversing the large complex. The city also hosts the Polonnaruwa Nature Sanctuary where the Smithsonian Institute has been conducting research into primates for over forty years. (65 km approximately 1,5 hours)

Lunch at a local restaurant. Afterwards, you'll proceed to Passikudah. It is a seaside resort, boasting the safest beaches in Sri lanka and an amazing crystal-clear sea. Travelers never miss this beach as it is known as an ideal destination for a sea bath, even small children can dive in the sea. Back to the hotel and free time at leisure. (75 km approximately 2 hours)

Enjoy your breakfast at the hotel: the whole day is free at leisure. You can take part in several optional activities, such as water sports, snorkelling and scuba diving. Lunch, dinner and overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast, leave for Mahiyanganaya to visit Mahiyanganaya Temple. The latter is an ancient Buddhist temple believed to be the site of Gautama Buddha's first visit to the country, and is one of the Solosmasthana, the 16 sacred religious locations in Sri Lanka. Then, you'll visit Dambana, home to indigenous Vedda community, which counts around 1,000 inhabitants. These people once survived only thanks to the hunt, now they are in a slow transformation into Chena dry land for cultivation. Over and above the transition, these aborigines of Sri Lanka have begun to intermarry with the Sinhalese villagers living in the region surrounding Dambana. (115 km approximately 3 hours)

Lunch at a local restaurant. Then, you'll move to Kandy. It is the fortress of the Sinhala Kings and the most beautiful city of the country. The main attraction of the town is the golden roofed Dalada Maligawa. The highlight of the year is the Esala Perahera, when a replica of the relic casket is taken in procession accompanied by exotically costumed dancers, drummers and elephants during ten glittering nights in July/August. Here, there are also several shrines and temples, where you will see rare paintings, frescoes, wood and stone carvings. (78 km approximately 2 hours)

After breakfast, you'll enjoy a visit to the Tea Museum in Hantana. Its four floors host very old items of machinery, a library, an auditorium with facilities for audio visual presentations. The third floor is allocated to tea sales outlets, where a selection of Sri Lanka's fine tea is available, while the entire top floor is a restaurant. A breath-taking view of Kandy town surrounded by the amazing Hunasgiriya, Knuckles Range and the Matale range of hills can be enjoyed through a telescope mounted on the last floor. The grounds surrounding the Tea Museum host different varieties of teas.

Further sightseeing of Kandy city including visit to the Royal Botanical Garden. It is located in a stunning setting with the longest river of Sri Lanka, Mahaveli, bordering on one side. This attractively laid out garden shows several kinds of floral and green plants. Moreover, the Orchid House also displays a fine collection of Sri Lankan orchids, the fernery, spice garden, and the trees planted by distinguished visitors to the Island.

Lunch at a local restaurant. The afternoon is dedicated to the visit of the Temple of the Tooth Relic followed by the cultural show. This temple is the most venerated place of worship for Buddhists throughout the world. It was built during the 16^th century and during these last years the complex has been enlarged.

Breakfast at the hotel, then you'll go on to Bandarawela by train. It is a large town, located in Badulla District, Uva Province. Due to high altitude, Bandarawela has a mild weather condition throughout the year hence, it is popular among the citizens to spend the vacations with their family. Bandarawela boasts colonial past resting among lush forestation and has found its niche among its visitors as a base for eco-tourism.

Check in to the Orient Hotel where you'll enjoy your lunch. The afternoon is dedicated to a sightseeing tour of the city.

After breakfast, visit to Demodara Bridge through Ella, a sleepy village located in a valley of the central highlands. Ella boasts the healthiest and most refreshing refreshing climate in the world and is surrounded by mountains, plantations and waterfalls, with breath-taking scenery and landscape perfect for walks. Demodara Bridge is very high and also called “Ahas namaye palama” (Nine skies bridge) in Sinhala. When one stands below it and looks up there is a beautiful sight of ‘nine skies’ through the nine arches, hence the Sinhala name. This bridge is also called ‘The Bridge in the sky’ due to the sheer height.

Lunch at a local restaurant. Then, the tour continues to Yala. (120 km approximately 3 hours)

After breakfast, visit Yala National Park on board of a 4 x 4 Jeep. It is the largest national park in the country and it's thought to boast the world’s highest concentration of leopards. The Leopard conservation projects conducted in Yala have gained international recognition from the likes of National Geographic and Animal Planet. The rocky landscapes provide leopards with a place to hide; flat grasslands allow elephants to graze while the lagoons are home to crocodiles and birds. With over 98,000 hectares and only 2 blocks of the park open to visitors, seeing a Leopard in Yala is a milestone that every visitor to Sri Lanka must achieve.

At the end of the safari game, you'll move to Galle, where you'll visit its Fort and the city. The Galle Fort has been the prize of the southern coast to both the Portuguese who landed here and the Dutch who captured and fortified it later. Bustling with merchants and traders, it is said to be where King Solomon obtained gems and spices. The fort was built in 1558 and spans over 90 acres whilte its ramparts overlook the Indian Ocean, a Dutch Church, a mosque and age old houses inhabited by families of old. Here it is possible to walk among the ramparts, eat in many of the little cafes and stroll down pristine Dutch lanes with old homes that belong to late generation locals or boutique villas. (175 km approximately 4,5 hours)

Lunch at a local restaurant. Then, you'll proceed to Waskaduwa and reach its attractive beach called the “Golden Mile”. It is an untouched beach of golden sand, well protected by palms that spread along the coastal stretch. The wide beach that basks in the glorious tropical sun from the direction of the ocean is well shaded with the lush greenery of the landside. (85 km approximately 2 hours)

Enjoy your free time in the amazing Waskaduwa.

After breakfast, you'll be transferred to the airport. (102 km approximately 2,5 hours)