Tour Description

Tour Description

Experience the best of what Sri Lanka has to offer in this amazing journey capturing the most attractive sights in the emerald isle. For such a small country, Sri Lanka has a lot to offer in terms of culture, heritage, wildlife, and of course, beaches.

The ancient Sigiriya Rock Fortress will dazzle you with its impressive size, and even more remarkable story. A climb to the top includes a number of wonders, from the “Mirror Wall” to the magnificent frescoes. The view from atop the monolith is unlike any other.

The Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy is the most sacred of places for Buddhists all over the world, for it is there that a fragment of a tooth recovered from the funeral pyre of the Buddha himself, is enshrined.

Take one of the most scenic hillside train rides from Kandy to Nanu Oya near the garden city of Nuwara Eliya. This train ride will give you the opportunity to pass by tea plantations, mountainous terrain, waterfalls, and small villages.

Sri Lanka is a wildlife hotspot, with a biodiversity index that is higher than most countries of its size. Yala National Park is the most visited area for wildlife in Sri Lanka, and with good reason – it is the best place anywhere in the world to see wild leopards. Among the other inhabitants of Yala are sloth bears, elephants, and a great variety of bird life.

Beach lovers will embrace the south of Sri Lanka, as it provides some of the best beaches in the country. The picturesque Unawatuna, rated one of the best beaches in the world, is located in close proximity to the southern bastion of Galle. Galle’s Dutch Fort is a World Heritage Site that is not to be missed.

Just off Galle is Mirissa, a hotspot for whale and dolphin watching. Relatively unknown until a few years ago, Mirissa now offers what experienced dolphin and whale watchers say is the best opportunity to see these magnificent and intelligent marine mammals.

Colombo is Sri Lanka’s largest, most populated, and busiest city. The mix of colonial-era buildings and rapid modernisation over the past few years has made it a colourful yet charming metropolis. Take a tour of the sights and sounds of Colombo, and engage in some banter with the locals as you go on a shopping tour.

Wildlife Tours Sri Lanka promises that this tour will be among the greatest and most memorable escapes to a tropical island that you have taken in your life.

Tour Itinerary

Tour Itinerary

Day 1 –Airport to Sigiriya

Schedule:

• Arrive at the Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) and transfer to Sigiriya
• Relax at the hotel after the long journey
• Stay overnight at Sigiriya

You will be given a warm welcome to Sri Lanka at the airport. Sigiriya, where you will be spending the night at the hotel of your choice, is a 4-5 hour road trip. The first night will be spent relaxing at the hotel near Sigiriya to recharge your batteries for a busy tour over the next few days.

Accommodation Options:

Heritance Kandalama Hotel – 5 Star

Aliya Resort – 4 Star

Kassapa Lion’s Rock Hotel – 3 Star

Comparable accommodation options available

Day 2 – Sigiriya and Kandy

Schedule:

• Visit Sigiriya Rock Fortress after breakfast
• Transfer to Kandy
• Visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic
• Experience Sri Lankan traditional cultural dances in the evening
• Overnight stay at Kandy

Day 2 is all about culture and heritage. The morning will include a tour of the Sigiriya Rock Fortress, a monolith converted into a secure fort by king Kashyapa, who, during his 22-year reign, worried about losing his throne to his older brother, the rightful heir. The highlights of Sigiriya include drawings of “Apsaras” or Celestial Nymphs, of which about 20 remain to this day. It is believed that the entire rock was covered in these drawings, making it the largest single work of art ever created. The mirror wall, where visitors from the 6^th to the 14^th centuries have put down in their own languages the feelings they got when they saw the damsels, is a unique collection of graffiti anywhere in the world. The ruins of the king’s palace at the top of the rock constitute the final destination, where the entire area comes into view, giving you the feeling of being on top of the world.

From Sigiriya, you will move on to Kandy, where more history and culture await you. The Temple of the Tooth Relic (Sri Dalada Maligawa) is the most sacred site for Buddhists the world over, as this is where the most important object in the Buddhist world, a tooth fragment recovered from the funeral pyre of the Buddha, is located. The relic itself is kept in a golden casket amid heavy security in the Inner Chamber of the temple. The temple complex is adorned with paintings and sculptures depicting the life of the Buddha.

Kandy also offers the opportunity to see a few traditional Kandyan dances at one of the city’s cultural performance centres. A team of dancers, accompanied by drummers, will give you a spectacular display which will leave you mesmerised.

Accommodation Options:

Earl’s Regency Hotel – 5 Star

Amaara Sky Hotel – 4 Star

Thilanka Hotel – 3 Star

Comparable accommodation options available

Day 3 – Nuwara Eliya

Schedule:

• Breakfast in Kandy
• Scenic train ride from Kandy to Nanu Oya
• Transfer to Nuwara Eliya
• Visit Gregory Lake Park in the evening
• Overnight stay in Nuwara Eliya

Day 3 is dedicated to the natural beauty of Sri Lanka, and the morning’s highlight is the scenic hillside train ride from Kandy to Nanu Oya. See the beautiful landscape open up before you, as you get to see Mountains, waterfalls, rivers, lakes, and how civilisation has intertwined with nature in this remarkable area of the country. Tea Plantations are aplenty, as this area is famous for producing the world’s best tea. You reach Nanu Oya, the final destination, which is 5 miles (8km) from the picturesque town of Nuwara Eliya. Look out for a very nice view of the famous Adam’s Peak, about 1½km from the station.

Nuwara Eliya, nicknamed “Little England” by locals, is a town that has a sub-temperate climate. As it is situated at a high altitude, the town is colder than anywhere else in Sri Lanka. The colonial-era buildings, the impressive Royal Nuwara Eliya Golf Club – dating back to 1889 –, the beautiful parks and Gregory Lake give Nuwara Eliya a unique feel in Sri Lanka.

Accommodation Options:

Heritance Tea Factory Hotel – 5 Star

The Grand Hotel – 4 Star

St. Andrews Hotel -3 Star

Comparable accommodation options available

Day 4 – Yala

Schedule:

• Breakfast at Nuwara Eliya
• Transfer to Yala, visiting Ravana Falls in Ella en route
• Evening safari at Yala National Park
• Overnight stay in Yala

The Yala National Park is the most visited and second largest national park in Sri Lanka. Made up of five areas – known as blocks – of which two are now open to the public. Situated in the south-eastern dry zone of Sri Lanka, it is famous as the best place in the world to see leopards in the wild. Wildlife Tours Sri Lanka promises the best leopard safari experience, as our experienced naturalists and guides will take you to the areas known for leopard activity. Leopards are nocturnal, so the best chance of seeing one in the wild is either at dawn or at dusk. This experience gives you an evening safari, enabling you to see leopards as they come out of their daytime slumber. Leopards may be the star attraction at Yala, but elephants, sloth bears, deer, jackals, wild boar, and a few hundred varieties of birds can be found throughout the national park.

Accommodation Options:

Cinnamon Wild Hotel – 5 Star

The Safari Hotel – 4 Star

Priyankara Hotel – 3 Star

Mahoora Safari Camps

Big Game Camps

Tree Houses

Comparable accommodation options available

Day 5 – Galle/Unawatuna

Schedule:

• Breakfast at Yala
• Transfer to Galle, visiting Galle Fort en route
• Relax at the beach in Unawatuna
• Overnight stay at Unawatuna/Galle

Situated in the heart of the Southern Province, Galle is the largest city, and for all purposes the capital, of the South of Sri Lanka. The main attractions in Galle include the 17^th Century Dutch Fort, a World Heritage Site with a culture and style all its own. Rustic houses and shops in the Dutch colonial style still exist within the Fort’s walls. Galle city itself is a bustling metropolis, and due to its location on the coast, is a major hub of fishing, transport, and culture in Sri Lanka.

In the afternoon to the evening hours, enjoy a relaxing time at one of the best beaches in the world. The calm waters of Unwatuna Bay and Thalpe offers you a chance to lie down and catch some sun, go for a long walk on a beautiful beach, or just dive in to the still waters. Unawatuna is great for diving and snorkelling.

Accommodation Options:

The Lighthouse Hotel – 5 Star

Calamander Beach Hotel – 4 Star

Closenberg Hotel – 3 Star

Comparable accommodation options available

Day 6 – Mirissa/ Colombo

Schedule:

• Early morning whale and dolphin watching at Mirissa (Seasonal: Nov - April)
• Transfer to Colombo
• Colombo City and shopping tour
• Overnight Stay in Colombo

Your last full day starts in earnest in the small town of Mirissa, a few kilometres from Galle.It is the perfect place to get an organised whale and dolphin watching tour. Wildlife Tours Sri Lanka provides you the opportunity to see these marine mammals up close in their natural habitat. Several species of dolphin and whale inhabit these waters. Sri Lanka’s coast has the largest colony of blue whales anywhere in the world, and Mirissa gives you the opportunity to see these giants of the ocean.

From Mirissa, you transfer to Colombo. The largest, busiest, and most populated in Sri Lanka, Colombo is a colourful city that grew from a small port town to being the most important centre for finance, trade, transport, education, and everything else in the country. A tour of Colombo city is a must, and shopping opportunities are aplenty – from street vendors to the more glitzy shopping malls – and bargains are to be had everywhere. Colombo city is a mix of colonial era and modern buildings, and rapid development over the past few years.

Accommodation Options:

Cinnamon Grand Hotel – 5 Star

Galle Face Hotel – 4 Star

Cinnamon Red Hotel – 3 Star

Comparable accommodation options available

Day 7 – Colombo to Airport

On Day 7, you will be transferred to the airport after breakfast for departure from Sri Lanka