Day 01: Arrival / Negombo
Meet and assist at the airport by company representatives and transfer you to Negambo the coastal town which is only 20 minutes away from the International Airport. After a long journey, today you will be relaxed at the hotel.
Spend your first night enjoying the coastline. Perhaps go out for a meal together for your first taste of Sri Lankan cuisine.
Overnight stay at a hotel in Negombo.
Day 02: Negombo / Dambulla
In the morning, wake early and catch the action at the Negombo fish market.
NEGOMBO -
Negombo is a famous fishing village North of Colombo, with a Dutch built Canal. The canal itself is a hive of activity with all the fishermen traveling up and down in their gaily-painted boats. Weave through stalls piled with shark, squid and unheard of sea creatures as the sellers call out their wares, and get a great insight into local commerce.
Continue on to a coconut plantation to discover why this ‘superfood’ is so central to life in Sri Lanka. Learn how all parts of the tree play an important part in daily life, sip the water of a king coconut, watch ‘toddy tappers’ extract the palm wine from the coconut sap and taste the results.
Enjoy Sri Lankan rice and curry lunch.
Continue your journey to Dambulla. In the evening visit to Dambulla Golden cave temple.
Dambulla Cave Temple
Dambulla is a vast isolated rock mass 500ft high and a mile around the base. Here is found the famous Rock Temple dating to the First Century BC. The caves of Dambulla sheltered the King Walagamba during his 14 years of exile from Anuradhapura. When he regained the throne he built the most magnificent of Rock Temples to be found on the Island.
Notes: There are numerous steps to get to the caves. You will need to remove your shoes and be dressed appropriately, with shoulders and legs covered, to enter.
In the evening is free to explore. Enjoy street foods “short eats” including hoppers and the famous Kottu roti.
Overnight stay at a hotel in Dambulla.
Day 03: : Dambulla / Sigiriya / Dambulla
AAfter breakfast proceed to Sigiriya. Here you will have the opportunity to climb to the top of the rock to witness its elaborate ancient fortress complex. The 200 metre high ancient remains of a defensive capital built by a fearful king, ‘Lion’s Rock’ houses dynamic 5th century frescos, terraced gardens and splashing fountains.
After decent you will transfer to local restaurant. Lunch with tropical vegetables and fried fish caught in the nearby lake.
In the late afternoon explore the wholesale market in Dambulla. This is the perfect place to get a sense of Sri Lanka's agricultural diversity.
There are plenty of restaurants surrounding the markets. The rest of the evening is free for your own food adventures.
Overnight stay at a hotel in Dambulla.
Day 04: Dambulla / Matale / Kandy
After breakfast proceed to Kandy via Matale. On the way we will visit to Matale spice garden. Lunch at spice garden. Sri Lankan’s are the masters of spice and here you can learn how spices aren’t just used in food, but also cosmetics and ayurvedic medicine. This is the ideal place to learn about the best Sri Lankan spices.
We will continue your journey to Kandy and arrive late afternoon.
KANDY
Kandy is a pleasant city surrounded by lush green countryside, and it’s home to a picturesque lake, old shops, a bustling market and some great restaurants. This evening observe locals worshiping in Kandy’s Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Tooth), one of Sri Lanka’s most sacred shrines that houses a tooth relic of the Lord Buddha. Contrast the holy hush of the temple with the booming, energetic drums that accompany the elaborately costumed performers of a Kandyan dance show.
Overnight stay at a hotel in Kandy.
Day 05: Dambulla / Matale / Kandy
After breakfast visit to Peradeniya royal botanical garden.
ROYAL BOTANICAL GARDEN
Royal Botanical Garden, Peradeniya attracts 2 million visitors annually. 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. Attached to it is the National Herbarium. The total area of the botanical garden is 147 acres (0.59 km2), at 460 meters above sea level, and with a 200-day annual rainfall. It is managed by the Division of National Botanic Gardens of the Department of Agriculture. Visit a Gem Museum, an arts and Craft center etc.
In the early evening join with the Sinhalese family for cooking class and Sri Lankan dinner. Try your hand at crafting the perfect hopper. Try a chicken curry made with spice-infused coconut milk.
Overnight stay at a hotel in Kandy.
Day 06: Kandy /Bandarawela
This morning you will take a picturesque train ride to the town of Bandarawela.
Your Journey will past waterfalls, little villages and up through the mountains on the scenic railway to this town in the cool highlands.
Proceed to Bandarawela.
Check in to the hotel.
Evening you are invited to a local home for a tea and meal.
Overnight stay at a hotel in Bandarawela.
Day 07: Bandarawela
After early breakfast we will walk through the tea plantations. Learn about the country’s most important export at the Dambetenna tea factory, one of the oldest in the areas. Meet plantation makers and you can try for “Tea Plucking” as well
After that travel to local house for home cooked Lunch with a Tamil family. Taste traditional Tamil cuisine with Dosa, a crispy rice pancake, and idli, a savoury steamed rice cake served with curry sauces or chutneys.
Late afternoon walk around the town and explore beautiful landscapes.
Overnight stay at a hotel in Bandarawela.
Day 08: Bandarawela / Yala
After Breakfast you’ll drive to the wilderness of Yala National Park. Encompassing a variety of diverse ecosystems, the park has an impressive array of wildlife, including sloth bears and lots of birds.
In the evening take a safari tour and get the binoculars out to search for the leopards that lounge in trees or stalk through the brush, crocodiles that patrol the river or wild elephants that graze across the savanna.
(You can try buffalo curd, big block of dodol, a toffee-like delicacy made of coconut milk and Kithul jiggery)
Overnight stay at a hotel in Yala.
Day 09: Yala / Mirissa
After Breakfast proceed to Mirissa for your beach stay. Spend the rest of the day relaxing or exploring the golden sands of Sri Lanka’s southern coastline. The beach is a long curve of sand and has lovely calm clear waters for swimming, and the sunsets are great too.
This is a paradise that you won't want to leave. Perhaps consider taking a bicycle ride or tuk tuk to nearby Weligama, where colourful fishing boats bring back their loads of fresh fish to sell along the shore.
(En route to the beautiful beach village of Mirissa, discover the Muslim influence on Sri Lankan food with dishes like biryani and watalappam)
Overnight stay at Hotel in Mirissa.
Day 10: Mirissa / Departure
After breakfast visit a whale watching cruise in the early Morning.
After that Witness the art of stilt fishing, a method unique to Sri Lanka. Meet with a local fisherman and learn about their craft, and how their lives have changed after the tsunami. Eat with the fisherman's family for the freshest seafood lunch possible – a wonderful crab curry is likely to be on the menu. You may even get the chance to taste the local drop, toddy (or coconut arrack), a popular drink made from palm tree sap.
Continue on to the perfectly preserved colonial township of Galle and its blend of European architecture and South Asian traditions. In the evening take a tour of the Royal Dutch Fort, exploring the winding passageways, maze of gallery-filled narrow streets and 400 years of rich history.
After that you will transfer to Airport.
All good things must come to an end, your chauffeur guide with comfortably take you to the international airport in time for your return flight.