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Day 01
You will be met by a representative and
transferred to Sigiriya.
Rest of the day at leisure.
Dinner & Overnight stay at Sigiriya
Village Hotel - 4 STAR, Sigiriya.
Day 02
Morning - climb, crawl, walk or simply witness the magnificent
Sigiriya rock fortress from afar.
Sigiriya
Sigiriya is home to the 5th century "Fortress in the Sky" which
is perhaps the most fantastic single wonder of the Island. It
is also known as Lion Rock because of the huge lion that used
to stand at the entrance of the fortress. Within its' triple-moat
defense the huge rock rises to a massive height of almost 500ft.
On its' summit are the foundations of what was once a great
and sumptuous palace, complete with gardens and with swimming
pools. On one of the stairways is the only known ancient work
of Sinhala secular paintings, survived in the form of frescoes
-life sized damsels, in all the freshness and delicacy of their
original color.
Afternoon - visit Polonnaruwa where you will be guided through
a sightseeing tour of the ancient ruins.
Polonnaruwa
Once the capital of Sri Lanka from 11th - 13th century, this
archaeological site contains some splendid and spectacular statues.
The ruins of Lankatileke, Tivanka and Thuparama are the most
beautiful and largest of the shrines and be sure to see the
frescoes on Tivanka - they are the best examples of the Polonnaruwa
period. Gal Vihare - a rock shrine that has four Buddha statues,
two seated, one standing and one reclining and Parakrama Bahu
statue are fine examples of the unique work of the Sinhalese
stone carvers.
Dinner & Overnight stay at Sigiriya
Village Hotel - 4 STAR, Sigiriya.
Day 03
Enjoy breakfast, leave to visit to the rock temple at Dambulla
Caves.
Dambulla
Dambulla is an isolated rock mass 500ft high and a mile around
the base. Here the famous Rock Temple is found, dating back
to the first century BC. The caves of Dambulla once sheltered
King Walagamba during the time of his 14 year in exile from
Anuradhapura. When he regained his throne he built the most
wondrous Rock Temples that has ever been discovered on the island.
The first cave is a recumbent image of Buddha, 47ft long, chiseled
out of rock. There are images of deities associated with Buddhism
all around. The frescoes on the ceiling date back to the 15th
- 18th centuries.
In the second cave, the finest and the largest of all, there
are 150 life-size statues of Gods from the Buddhist religion
along with numerous images of the Buddha himself. The ceiling
is also covered with frescoes which depict great events in the
life of the Buddha and landmarks in the history of the Sinhala
people.
Thereafter leave for Elkaduwa visiting a spice garden en route.
Dinner & Overnight stay at Hunas
Falls Hotel - 4 STAR, Elkaduwa.
Day 04
Morning - Trek along the Shaheen Trail.
Shaheen
Trail
This trail takes a birdwatcher to 'Mount Shaheen'. The highlight,
as its name implies is viewing the local race of Peregrine Falcon
known as Shaheen. This rare bird prefers isolated precipitous
hills where it waits patiently on rocky hedges in search of
prey. Therefore the Shaheen trail gives nature lovers a fantastic
opportunity to both view and photograph this unique bird in
its habitat, as well as witness the stunning sights of the scenery
around.
Dinner & Overnight stay at Hunas
Falls Hotel - 4 STAR, Elkaduwa.
Day 05
Enjoy breakfast, city tour of Kandy, including Upper Lake Drive,
Market Square, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic & Royal
botanical gardens at Peradeniya.
Kandy
The country's hill capital and venue of annual Perahera (August
festival). The last stronghold of the Sinhala Kings was finally
ceded to the British in 1815. Kandy is an example of the Buddhism's
influence in Sri Lanka today. Temple's shrines and monasteries
keeping alive Buddhist traditions are everywhere. Explore colourful
art and craft markets, take a stroll by the lake, visit temples,
shrines and churches amongst the hilly terrain of Sri Lanka's
second largest city.
Sacred
Tooth Relic Temple
Ever since 4th Century A.D, when the Buddha's Tooth was brought
to Sri Lanka hidden from sacrilegious hands in an Orissan princess'
hair, the Relic has grown in repute and holiness in Sri Lanka
and throughout the Buddhist world. To the people if Sri Lanka,
it is considered the country's most prized possession.
Royal Botanical Gardens, Peradeniya. Sixty seven hectares of
exquisite beauty and botanical treasurers containing more than
4000 species of wild and wonderful plants, animals and birdlife.
This is haven is not only for scientists but be enjoyed by all
those who appreciate natures wonders.
Dinner & Overnight stay at Hunas
Falls Hotel - 4 STAR, Elkaduwa.
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Day
06
Enjoy breakfast leave for Nuwara Eliya en route visiting
a tea plantation & a factory.
Tea
Plantation
Tea was first planted in Sri Lanka in 1824 at the Botanical
Gardens at 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
on 8 hectares of forested land, the Loolkandura Estate.
In 1873, the tea export industry of Sri Lanka began with
a modest 23lbs being shipped to London. Tea will only grow
on rolling terrain and is classified by elevation into three
main groups; low grown, medium, grown, high grown. In 1996
Sri Lanka had produced 244 million kgs of tea for export
and has earned in excess of Rs. 34,000 million.
Nuwara
Eliya
Rest of the day at leisure to see the sights of Nuwara Eliya
- set against beautiful backdrops of mountains, valleys,
waterfalls and tea plantations. It is one of the coolest
climatic places on the island, rather reminiscent of an
English spring day, although the temperature does drop at
night. All around Nuwara Eliya you will see evidence of
the British settlement. Houses are like country cottages
or Queen Ann style mansions.
Dinner and overnight stay at Grand
Hotel - 4 STAR, Nuwara Eliya.
Day 07
Enjoy breakfast leave for Ella.
Ella
127 miles from Colombo and 8 miles from Bandarawela, on
the leeward side of the central mountains. The view from
Ella Gap is one of the most spectacular scenic sights in
Sri Lanka - the landscape falls away in a dizzy drop of
3000ft to the eastern plains.
Dinner & Overnight stay at Ella Adventure Park - 3 STAR+,
Ella.
Day 08
Enjoy breakfast, leave for Yala.
Afternoon - Take part on an adventure safari at Yala national
park by Jeep.
Yala
Yala is a haven for fauna both indigenous and migrant. Bird
concentrations can be seen by the lagoons/salvers. Here
are thousands of flamingoes, assemblies of spoonbills, spotted
billed pelicans, cormorants and various species of herons.
Countless numbers of pheasants, pea fowl, peacock and the
jungle fowl are also found. Wild Buffalo and herds of wild
elephants are a common sight. Whether it is birds, animals
or plantlife, you have them all at Yala.
Dinner & Overnight stay at Yala
Safari Game Lodge - 4 STAR, Yala.
Day 09
Enjoy breakfast leave for Colombo & commence city tour of
Colombo.
Colombo
A drive through the city takes you to the busy commercial
areas as well as the tree-lined residential Cinnamon Gardens.
The historic Dawatagaha Mosque and the former Eye Hospital
are two buildings in Cinnamon Gardens worth a look. Visit
Fort, the former British administrative center and military
garrison, Sea Street - the Goldsmith's quarters in the heart
of Pettah, the colourful bazaar area where you'll also find
a Hindu Temple showing elaborate stone carvings, the Dutch
Church of Wolfendhal dating back to 1749. Also visit the
BMICH (Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall),
see the replica of Avukana Buddha and the Independence Square.
Shop at the exquisite Mlesna tea boutique, visit the Majestic
City & Liberty Plaza shopping malls, House of Fashions and
Odels Unlimited for readymade garments and also the Lanka
Ceramics Centre, a place where you can buy "Noritake" or
other ceramic items.
Dinner and overnight stay at Galadari
Hotel - 4 STAR, Colombo.
Day 10
Enjoy breakfast, transfer to the airport for departure OR
transfer to the preferred beach resort.
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Tours presented by Penthouse
Concepts Australia (Private) Limited. Incorporated under
the Companies Act 17 of 1982 and the company is limited.
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