Day 1 – Arrival & Dambulla: Your wonderful adventure will start once your plane lands at Colombo International Airport. You will be welcomed by a friendly guide who will be your travel buddy for the rest of your stay in Sri Lanka. You will then be transferred to your hotel in Dambulla, which is around 5 hours away. Along the way, you will have the option to stop at Ambepussa Rest House, which is around 2 hours away from the airport. Feel free to freshen up with a cup of tea and sandwiches or cool off with a dip in the streamlet nearby. Once you arrive in Dambulla, you will be welcomed with a glass of tropical fruit juice, before check-in. After you have unpacked your luggage, you will be free to relax and make the most of the hotel’s facilities.
Day 2 – Dambulla, Polonnaruwa, & Minneriya: Get ready to explore the vibrant culture and nature of Sri Lanka with a trip to the beautiful walled city of Polonnaruwa. Once you arrive, you will embark on a city tour to Polonnaruwa to witness the cultural richness of the Colonial Island. You will discover how Polonnaruwa, was established as the capital by King Vijayabahu I after Anuradhapura had been invaded in the late 10th century. It now boasts a vast reservoir, Parakrama Samudra, which means the Sea of Parakrama, Amazingly, it is still in use today. It is still home to monasteries, temples, palaces, bathing pools and Buddhist statues, which are all set in a forested park surrounded by moats. After a fascinating start to the day, you can stop for an optional lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, you will go on a game drive at the Minneriya National Park. If you are visiting between July to September, then you will be able to view one of the most spectacular wildlife events in Sri Lanka known as the ‘The Gathering’. This occurs during the dry season, when the water supplies starts to diminish, which means various animals, including elephants, congregate around the Minneriya reservoir for several months at a time. This is also because the grass here is rich and fertile. It is possible to witness up to 400 elephants at a time. Keep your eyes peeled as you are bound to see these gentle giants socialize, bathe, feed and possibly mate. Minneriya National Park is also a great place to spot Sri Lankan leopards and sloth bears. In fact, it is also home to 26 species of mammals, 160 species of bird, 9 species of amphibians, 25 species of reptiles, 26 species of fish and 75 species of butterfly. As the safari comes to an end, you will be transferred back to your hotel in Dambulla to spend the rest of the day at leisure.
Day 3 – Dambulla, Hiriwadunna, Matale & Kandy: Wake up early and get yourself energized with the delicious breakfast before leaving the hotel for an exciting village excursion in Hiriwadunna. Once you arrive, you will experience the real ambiance of the local community. You will be served lunch at a local house, and tour through the village. This will include a walk through the countryside, along mud-thatched village huts, flourishing paddy fields, streamlets, rivers, springs and banana plantation. The tour will also include a visit to the scenic reservoir in Hiriwadunna, which is crossed by a boat. After a fun day you will set off to Kandy but stop along the route to visit famous landmarks and sites. You will first stop at the religious heritage monument of Cave Temple, which is also known as “Golden Temple of Dambulla”. You will be awe-inspired by this vast isolated rock mass, which is where King Valagambahu took refuge in the 1st century B.C. This landmark is a complex of five caves with over 2000 square meters of painted walls and ceiling. The caves contain over 150 images of the Buddha including a colossal 14-metre figure, which has been carved out of rock. Afterwards, you will visit Matale Spice Garden, which provides a wonderful opportunity to view the spices that are used for cooking and medicinal use. After an eventful day, you will arrive in Kandy and check-in at your hotel. Then simply unpack your bags and unwind.
Day 4 – Kandy & Peradeniya: Enjoy a delicious breakfast before heading to the stunning Peradeniya Botanical Garden. You will treat your eyes to an amazing, wide and rare collection of tropical flowers as soon as you step foot inside the garden. This was originally the King’s own royal pleasure garden but was later converted into a botanic garden and later opened up to the public. The garden also boasts an orchid house with the largest collection in Asia. This is a perfect spot to enjoy a relaxing stroll or pull out your camera and snap stunning photos. Next, you will have a chance to explore Kandy, which is an exciting place for shopping. Head to the market and buy souvenirs made of wood, copper, ceramics, and reed-ware at bargain prices. Then, you will visit the Temple of the Tooth to witness the traditional blessing known “Thewawa”. After the ceremony, you will be able to explore the Temple of the Tooth Relic, which is located in the royal palace complex. The palace temple stands surrounded by a moat. You will be wowed by its golden roof, which gleams in the sunlight. Inside, it houses the relic of the tooth of Buddha. The relic is kept in a two-storey inner shrine fronted by two large elephant tusks. According to legend at the time, the tooth that was taken from the Buddha as he lay on his funeral pyre. Since ancient times, the relic has played an important role in local politics because it is believed that whoever holds the relic holds the governance of the country. Kandy was the last capital of the Sinhalese kings and is a UNESCO world heritage site partly due to the temple. After such an eventful day, you will have the chance to unwind by watching a traditional cultural show of Kandyan dances. Sit back and be amazed as you watch the performance, which dramatically depicts the movements of birds, and animals. You will finally return to your hotel, where you can unwind.
Day 5 - Kandy to Kosgoda: Get ready for the last leg of your getaway, when you check-out of your hotel and travel to Kosgoda to enjoy a beach stay along the golden sandy sea shores of the coastal belt. It takes around 5 hours to travel from Kandy to Kosgoda, but along the way, you will visit Turtle Hatchery, Kosgoda. The beaches of Kosgoda are the nesting grounds for five species of marine turtles. This includes the Green turtle, the Leatherback, the Hawksbill, the Loggerhead and the Olive Ridley. Today, you will visit The Turtle Hatchery, which opened in 1996. It buys turtle eggs from fishermen in an attempt to discourage them from poaching and selling the eggs for food. During your visit, you will be able to witness how newborn turtles are cared for until they are ready to be released back to the ocean. Keep your eyes peeled as you are bound to easily spot Loggerheads and Leathery turtles. Be sure to pull out your camera and snap a selfie with these beautiful creature, before completing the drive to Kosgoda. Once you arrive, you will check-in at the hotel and start enjoying this enchanting getaway where adventures are as limitless as the sea that stretches far into the horizon.
Day 6 to 9 - Kosgoda Beach stay: It is not every day, where you can step into a world where infinite pleasures await. But at Kosgoda, you really can. Here you can experience the warmth of the azure waters of the ocean that lie beside the mangrove fringed lagoon. You can spend your days doing as little or as much as your heart desires. Your hotel is the perfect place to experience the joys of Sri Lanka as it is just steps away from the beach. Just imagine waking up to sweeping sea views from your modern room. The hotel also has an pool, which is the perfect place to enjoy a relaxing soak. Free wi-fi is also available, which is great for anyone who loves to post holiday selfies online. The air-conditioned rooms are fitted with a flat-screen TV and have a large balcony, which will no doubt become your favourite spot to watch the sunrise or sunset. If you love adventure, then you can also go whale and dolphin watching nearby or enjoy a range of water sports in the ocean. What better way to have fun than to feel the sun on your skin and the sea breeze in your hair.
Day 10 -Departure: After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport to catch your flight back home. As you jet off, you will be accompanied with many happy memories of the tropical isle. If you would like to extend your stay or travel in a premium class, then please speak with our Travel Specialist who will be happy to assist you.
