DAY 1
Arrival at Colombo Airport and transfer to Mount Lavinia
Lunch at the hotel.
Dinner at the hotel.
Overnight stay in Mount Lavinia
Mount Lavinia – A peaceful yet lively beach resort just 12 kilometers south of Colombo with a maze of narrow lanes, small beachside restaurants and wayside boutiques. This township will also appeal to an adventurous spirit.
DAY 2
After breakfast, leave for Nuwara Eliya
Lunch at a Restaurant in Kitulgala
Overnight stay in Nuwara Eliya
Kitulgala - Where the Oscar Winning ‘Bridge on the River Kwai’ was filmed by David Lean in 1957. you can walk down a paved pathway to the site where the film took place along the banks of the Kelani Ganga. The pathway is signposted on the main road.
Drive through stunning scenery to Nuwara Eliya, set 6,200 feet above sea level and filled with tea plantations and lush rolling hills, and enjoy a brief stop at St. Clair’s and Devon waterfalls before enjoying two nights in beautiful Nuwara Eliya.
Nuwara Eliya - The ‘Little England’ of Sri Lanka, is set against beautiful backdrops of mountains, valleys, waterfalls and tea plantations and is 6,200 feet above sea level. In 1826 some British Officers out on hunting, discovered Nuwara Eliya plains, and Sir Edward Barnes developed it. In 1828 a road was constructed over the ridge at Ramboda Pass and a station for convalescent soldiers was established. It was Sir Samuel Baker who fell under the spell of Nuwara Eliya, brought hounds, horses, cattle, sheep etc. and started a typical English farm here. Flowers and vegetable were brought from England and planted. It is supposed to be one of the coldest places on the Island, but is really just like an England spring day although the temperature does drop at night. The Victoria Park, in the middle of the town, is a lovely place for a stroll or a picnic. Seasons may be absent elsewhere in Sri Lanka, but here you can read them by the flowers, which bloom during spring (March to May) and the fall (August and September).
Tea Plantations - Tea was first planted in Sri Lanka in 1824 at the Royal Botanical Gardens in 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. Today more than 200,000 hectares in highlands and other areas are under tea and around 300 million kilograms (25% of world tea exports) are exported by Sri Lanka as the world’s largest tea exporter. Tea grows only on rolling terrain and is classified by elevation into Low Grown, Medium Grown & High Grown.
DAY 3
Early morning, excursion to Horton Plains.
Breakfast, Picnic breakfast
Lunch at the hotel.
Dinner at the hotel.
Overnight stay in Nuwara Eliya
Horton Plains – With a Picnic breakfast leave for Horton Plains the highest plateau in the country which is one of the very important National parks in Sri Lanka especially for its topographical variations.
It has unique vegetation and is famous for many rare and endemic birds. The most awesome physical feature of the Horton Plains is the escarpment that falls 880 meters to the lowlands of the southern region of the island. Aptly known as the “Worlds End” the view from the precipice of the countryside below towards the south coast is spectacular. Dawn or early morning is the best time to observing it.
Horton Plains National Park harbors 12 species of endemic birds. The following birds are recorded only at Horton Plans, the Sri Lankan Blue Magpie, Dusky Blue Fly Catcher and Sri Lankan Wood Pigeon.
DAY 4
After breakfast, leave for Tissamaharama.
Lunch at a restaurant.
After lunch, jeep safari at Yala National Park.
Dinner at the hotel.
Overnight stay in Tissamaharama / Yala
Tissamaharama - The ancient capital of the province of Ruhuna, to which Sinhalese patriots rallying support against Indian invaders fled. No systematic excavation of the known (and unknown) archaeological sites of Ruhuna has yet been undertaken. The exposed monuments consists of Menik, Yatala, Tissamaharama and Sandagiriya dagobas and the large-pillared hall close to Yatala Dagoba supposed to be the temple where the Sacred Forehead Relics of the Lord Buddha was kept until it was enshrined at the Tissamaharama Dagoba.
Yala National Park - Yala National Park is famous for big herds of elephants, large number of leopards, spotted deer, sambar, crocodiles, mongoose, wild boars, wild buffaloes and many other animals. More than 130 bird species have been recorded which include the resident birds and winter visitors. The common birds found here are spot-billed pelicans, cormorants, egrets, spoonbills, herons, storks, ibises, bitterns, Indian moorhens, white-breasted water hens.
DAY 5
After breakfast enjoy optional excursions, another day amongst the wild animals, with AM and PM jeep Safari in the Yala National Park or enjoy a full day at leisure to relax.
Lunch and Dinner at the hotel
Overnight stay in Tissamaharama or hotel in Yala.
DAY 6:
After breakfast, leave for Bundala National Park
Lunch at a restaurant.
Dinner at the hotel.
Overnight stay in Tissamaharama or hotel in Yala
Debarawea Tank - Take a walk on Debarawea tank bund for the chance to spot a plethora of birds, and stop off at the Buddhist Dagabas and learn about the history and culture of this area. After lunch at a Restaurant, you will continue on to Bundala National Park.
Bundala National Park - where you have chance to spot wild elephants, spotted deer, crocodile, many bird species, Bundala National park harbors 197 species of birds the highlight being the greater flamingo, which migrate in large flocks.
DAY 7:
After breakfast, leave for Udawalawe National Park, and Elephant Transit Home in Embilipitiya en-route.
Lunch at a restaurant.
Dinner at the hotel.
Overnight stay in Embilipitiya
Elephant Transit Home - where orphaned baby elephants are raised before being released back into the wild. Afternoon head off on a jeep safari into Udawalawe National Park.
Udawalawa National Park - This Park is rich in Elephant population as the Park has about 500 Elephants. Wild Buffalo, Spotted Deer, Barking Deer, Wild Boar, Sambhur, Hare, Mongoose, Crocodile and 30 species of Snakes are recorded.
50 species of Butterflies and many species of Birds are found in the Park.
DAY 8:
After breakfast, leave for your Beach Stay or Airport for your onwards journey
Lunch at a restaurant.
Dinner at the hotel
Optional leave for Galle visit the Dutch Fort and enjoy lunch before transferring to your chosen beach resort.
Galle - The south coast’s major city is Galle, whose oldest landmark is the massive Dutch Fort which is a ‘World Heritage Site’ in which the central city is contained. But the city may be much older. Some scholars believe it to be the ‘Tarshish’ of the Old Testament, to which King Solomon sent his merchant vessels and to which Jonah fled from the Lord. Today, the 90-acre Galle Dutch Fort shows no evidence of its Portuguese founders. The Dutch incorporated the Portuguese northern wall in a great rampart in 1663. A second, taller wall was built inside of it. Between the two walls, a covered passage connected the central bastion with the fort’s two half bastions overlooking the sea. The Dutch also installed a sophisticated drainage system, complete with brick-lined underground sewers that were flushed twice a day by the high and low tides. The original gate to the fort was by the harbour. It is still there, marked by the British Coat-of-Arms on the front and the Dutch V. O. C. (Vereenigde Oost indische Compagnie) with the Coat-of-Arms with a rooster crest on the inner side of the fort.
END OF TOUR