A 15 night/16 day wildlife, beach and culture tour of Central and Southwest Sri Lanka encompassing all the best of this exotic country – in your own private a/c car with personal driver guide.
Negombo Beach > Minneriya National Park > Habarana > Sigiriya > Polonnaruwa > Dambulla > Matale > Kandy > Peridenya > Nuwara Eliya > Horton Plains > Ella > Udawalawe National Park > Yala National Park > Bundala National Park > Koggala Beach > Galle > Colombo
This sensational 16 night wildlife, beach and culture tour of Central and Southwest Sri Lanka encompasses all the best of this exotic country including cultural centres, temples, wildlife parks, spice and botanical gardens, as well as beach time and city life – all in your own private a/c car with personal driver guide.
You’ll be met on arrival at the airport by our representative and transferred to Negombo.
Check in at Jetwing Blu for your overnight stay.
Private safari by jeep into Minneriya National Park where wild elephants, various amphibians, local and immigrant bird species are plentiful.
Check into Cinnamon Lodge.
Visit and climb the ‘Lion Rock’ Fortress, a citadel of unusual beauty rising 200 metres from the scrub jungle. The rock was the innermost stronghold of the 70 hectare fortified town. Evening at leisure.
Polonnaruwa, which was the 2nd capital city of Sri Lanka built in the 11th and 12th centuries AD, is now a World Heritage Site, where amongst many attractions, 4 splendid statues of the Buddha in ‘Upright’, ‘Sedentary’ and ‘Recumbent’ postures are carved out of solid rock.
Dambulla is, not surprisingly, also a World Heritage site – the most impressive of Sri Lanka’s cave temples with a complex of five caves with over 2000 sq. metres of painted walls and ceilings.
Also visit Matale Spice Gardens to learn of the multitude of spices and their growing/application process.
In Kandy many Sri Lankan legends, traditions and folklore are still lovingly kept alive. Spend a day sightseeing and enjoy the colourful evening ‘pooja’ at The Temple of the Tooth Relic.
Also visit the stunning Peridenya Botanical Gardens.
Board the Expo Rail train for a scenic ride through Sri Lanka’s paddy fields, lush forests, farms and tea estates, up into the hills to Nuwara Eliya.
Check into a deluxe room at the Grand Hotel for overnight stay. Explore Nuwara Eliya.
Explore the plains and visit ‘World’s End’, considered to be the finest view in all of Sri Lanka. The awesome escarpment drops vertically for about 4,000 feet. Enjoy a ‘Ceylon’ tea estate visit and sampling to see and taste how tea should be at source.
Head off for Udawalawe National Park. Stop en route and view the breathtaking Ella Gap and the beautiful Ravana Falls. Afternoon safari in Udawalawe National Park, the third most visited national park in Sri Lanka and home to a host of diversified flora and fauna.
After breakfast leave for Yala and check into Cinnamon Wild Hotel. Afternoon jeep safari in Yala, a diverse and varied landscape bordering the sea, offering Leopard, Bear, Sambar, Wild Boar and Elephant.
Morning in Yala National Park, afternoon in Bundala National Park; to give you a superb cross section of landscapes and wildlife from crocodiles and turtles, flamingos and eagles to the larger and more majestic predators.
A last chance to tick off the remaining species you haven’t yet seen or to discover or revisit some of your favourites. Your last night in the wonderful Cinnamon Wild Hotel.
Stay at The Fortress, Koggala, an imposing and impressive traditional hotel right on the beach.
Relax and unwind after your exhilarating tour of Sri Lanka
Explore the town and its curios or simply chill on the extensive flat sand beaches to top up your tan.
During your beach stay, a sightseeing tour of Galle, the multi-cultural colonial fortress town, can be taken on either of your two days at leisure, with a vehicle at your disposal.
Spend the last day investigating the city, its restaurants and attractions, elegant residential and parliamentary buildings, whilst based at the imposing, luxury, Kingsbury Hotel. Home tomorrow!
