Authentic Sri Lankan Experience

On arrival you will be met by your Walkers driver guide who will greet you at the airport for your transfer to Habarana for your first night’s stay. Dinner included.

Accommodation:
Habarana Village by Cinnamon or similar

After breakfast take an excursion to Sigiriya in the morning – this UNESCO World Heritage Site, a spectacular Rock Fortress, and one of Sri Lanka’s major attractions. The most impressive facets of the unique complex are the Water Gardens, the Frescoes of beautiful maidens, the Mirror Wall with ancient graffiti, the Lion platform and the Summit of 1.6 hectares, which was completely covered by buildings during the period of Sigiriya’s glory. Built by King Kashyapa (477-495 A.D), the “Lion Rock” is a citadel of unusual beauty rising 200m from the scrub jungle. Afterwards drive back to your hotel and relax until evening. That evening you will be driven to Minneriya National Park for an evening jeep safari.

Minneriya National Park - Located between Habarana and Polonnaruwa, the 8,890 hectares of Minneriya National Park consists of mixed evergreen forest and scrub areas and is home to favourites such as sambar deer, leopards and elephants. However, the central feature of the park is the ancient Minneriya Tank (built in 3 rd century AD by King Mahasena). During the dry season (June to September), this tank is an incredible place to observe the elephants who come to bathe and graze, as well as the huge flocks of birds.

Accommodation:
Habarana Village or similar

Early morning, you will drive to Dambulla to visit the Dambulla Dedicated Economic Centre. One of the largest dedicated economic centres in the country with 155 trade stalls, the Dambulla Dedicated economic centre stands off the competition. This place is meant for wholesales and hundreds of buyers gather each morning to bargain, purchase large quantities of vegetables, fruits, fish, groceries,  etc. The place itself is loud with the terms and servers of the sales over 26,500 Mt per week in sales. Join the crowds and visit each shop and learn interesting items that are for sale inside this Dedicated Economic Center at Dambulla.

After drive back to the hotel for a late breakfast.

Thereafter you will enjoy an easy walk for 2.5 hours around the small villages to see the daily life of locals and  farmers. The guided walk goes alongside Hiriwadunna lake giving chance to spot birds and land monitors and cross a little jungle rivulet by Catamaran and reach a farmers simple “wattle and daub” house to enjoy your lunch cooked by the villagers of this rural area. The bullock cart ride through the paddy fields is an interesting experience and feels like travelling back in time where the early Sri Lankans used the bullock cart rides as a main mode of transportation here in Sri Lanka. After your day out transfer back to your hotel.

Accommodation:
Habarana Village or similar

After a leisurely breakfast, you will drive to Kandy (approx 4 hour drive), on the way you will be visiting Dambulla Cave Temples & a spice garden in Matale.

Dambulla Cave Temple is located in the North Central Province. This UNESCO World Heritage Site which dates back to the 01st century BC is an amazing complex of 05 caves, first used as a refuge by an ancient king who on regaining his throne, commissioned magnificent carved images within the living rock. Later kings made further improvements and the caves contain over 150 images of the Buddha of which the largest is a colossal figure spanning 15 meters. Cave inscriptions from the 2nd Century BC are found and on the walls are many paintings most of which belong to the Kandy period (early 19th century). This temple is a perfect location to view the evolution of ancient Sri Lankan art and is an important historical site due to the amalgamation of the material from many eras.

Matale Spice Gardens. Walk into a garden full of spices and herbs. The spice gardens are a fine specimen to observe various types of herbs and plants that could be used for different purposes. The guide will walk you through the spice garden, showing the plants and explaining the uses and the products that could be produced from them. The shop would be a great location to purchase different types of products that are produced from plants and herbs. Thereafter you will engage with a Sri Lankan Cooking Demonstration and lunch.

Continue your drive to Kandy, upon arrival you will do a city tour in Kandy including a visit to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic.

Kandy is a city in the centre of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an administrative and religious city. It is the capital of the Central Province (which encompasses the districts of Kandy, Matale and Nuwara Eliya) and also of Kandy District.

The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, which houses the Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha, is an important landmark in Kandy. The Tooth is kept in a two-storey shrine fronted by two large elephant tusks and rests on a gold lotus flower, encased in a jewelled casket that sits on a throne. The temple is decorated with beautiful local paintings and architectural features.

Accommodation:
Cinnamon Citadel Kandy or similar

After breakfast at the hotel, you will be driven to Nuwara Eliya. Enroute stop at a Tea Plantation & a Tea Factory. Tea is a huge industry in Sri Lanka. Ceylon Tea is world-famous for its taste, quality and health benefits as well. You will see how the tea pluckers with their baskets and bags pluck tea leaves from the plantations. With women of various ages engaging in this activity, seeing the tea plucking activity is fun and exciting. The trick is to pluck the right tea leaves with the correct properties. Thes e tea leaves are then taken into the factories where the selection process starts. The fresh and best leaves are put into the machines for the processing. The rolling, withering, processing is all done with the help of the machines and a lot of helping hands gather around to do the packaging, storing activities as well. You will also get the chance to taste a fresh cup of tea straight from the factory and you will love it.

Continue your drive to Nuwara Eliya. Upon arrival, your chauffeur will take you around this scenic city. Nuwara Eliya, the famous Hill country town which formed with the Summer Retreat of the British is now visited by all when in Sri Lanka. The route from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya is one of the most scenic routes in the country. With the roads passing side by side on the mountains, you will be going up over 1400 meters during this 3 ½  hrs journey. With tea plantations on the sides and even in the far-away mountains, the beautiful Ramboda Falls waterfall being seen from a distance, the children run all over the roads trying to sell colourful bundles of flowers and fruits as well.

Accommodation:
The Grand Hotel Nuwara Eliya or similar

Today you have a full day at leisure to relax at your hotel or discover Nuwara Eliya. Your driver will be on hand for up to 8 hours to discover the city limits at your pace.

Accommodation:
The Grand Hotel Nuwara Eliya or similar

This morning, you will be driven to Colombo for your last night in Sri Lanka. Transfer Time:  Approximately 5 ½ hours. Upon arrival, you will have the option of doing a Colombo City tour (No charges will be applicable)

Accommodation:
Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo or similar

This morning after breakfast, you will be transferred to Colombo’s international airport for the flight back home. Or continue on to your beach resort if you chose to stay on in Sri Lanka. Breakfast is included.

Transfer Time: Approximately 50 minutes.