SRILANKA - 5 Night 6 Days

EX AHMEDABAD

JUNE 2011

Pinnawela ElephantOrphanage, Sigiriya, Dambulla, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Bentota, Colombo

SUGGESTED TENTETIVE DAY TO DAY ITINERARY

Day 01 :- Arrival and transfer to elephant orphanage in Pinnawala Which is home for about 90 elephants, out of which some are baby elephants found abandoned or orphaned in the wild. The best time to visit is during the feeding time at 9.15 a.m. or 1.15 p.m.

Near Kegalle on the Colombo Kandy road is the Pinnawela Elephant orphanage, a riverside sanctuary which cares for elephants displaced from wild habitats. The Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage, established in 1975, commenced with seven orphans. The orphanage is home to hundreds of abandoned or injured elephants who are looked after with warmth, love and affection. The elephants at the orphanage are bathed daily in a river located nearby. The original objective of establishing the orphanage was more towards promoting tourism, but soon became a conservation and educational centre. With the help of local and foreign elephant experts, Pinnawela started a scientific captive-breeding programme for elephants.  Lunch at a restaurant.

Dinner & overnight stay in Kassapa Lion Rock in Sigiriya

Day 02 :- After breakfast proceed to Kandy. Enroute visit Dambulla cave temples and a Botanical garden visit.

Dambulla is a world heritage site in Sri Lanka, located north of Kandy in Matale district. The town of Dambulla is built around a large granite outcrop, concealing an impressive Buddhist cave complex, Raja Maha Vihara, dating from the 1st century BC. It is the largest and best preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. The murals, covering an area of 2,100 square metres, include depictions of Buddha's temptation by Mara, and Buddha's first sermon. Statues of the Hindu gods Vishnu and Saman are also present, reflecting the arrival of Hinduism in Sri Lanka during the 12th century.  Lunch at a restaurant. Commence a city tour of Kandy including visiting a gem laboratory and arts and crafts factory. Kandy - (the Sacred City of Kandy) - is a city in the centre of Sri Lanka. It lies in the midst of hills of rare vegetal species. The Kandy Valley crosses an area of tropical plantations. The monumental ensemble of Kandy is an example of construction that associates the Royal Palace and the Temple of the Tooth. It was one of a series of temples built in the places where the relic, the actual palladium of the Sinhalese monarchy, was brought following the various relocations of the capital city. The Temple of the Tooth, the palace complex and the holy city of Kandy are associated with the history of the dissemination of one of the most important religions of humanity, Buddhism. The Temple of Kandy is the product of the last peregrination of the relic of the tooth of Lord Buddha and the testimony of a cult which continues to be practiced today. Kandy has now grown out to encompass Peradeniya, home to the Botanical Gardens. Kandy is also particularly famed for the great Kandy Esala Perahara (a Pageant of Elephants and Dancers), which is over ten days in the month of Esala (August) having many attractions to justify.

In the evening visit Kandy temple, witness a cultural show .

Dinner & overnight stay in Devon in Kandy

Day 03:- After breakfast proceed up to Nuwara Eliya. En route visit tea plantations/ tea factory and waterfalls.

Also known as the “City of Lights” and “Little England”, Nuwara Eliya was the favourite hill station of the British who tried to create Nuwara Eliya into a typical English Village. The old brick Post office, country house like hill club, with it's hunting pictures, mounted hunting trophies and fish, and it's strict formal dinner attire; the 18 hole golf course, race course etc., all remind you of 'England'. Blessed a with salubrious climate, breathtaking views of valleys, meadows, mountains and greenery; it's hard to imagine that Nuwara Eliya is only 180 Km from the hot and humid Colombo. The areas around Nuwara Eliya also provide the main output of tea in Sri Lanka. A trip to the highlands of Sri Lanka is never complete without witnessing the age-old traditional tea plucking and sipping a cup of “Ceylon Tea”. Visitors to Nuwara Eliya can also taste the freshly plucked strawberries and purchase fresh fruits and vegetables. Lunch at a local resturant

Dinner & overnight stay in Windsor in Nuwara Eliya

DAY 04:- After breakfast proceed to Bentota. En route lunch at KIthulgala. Kitulgala where the film ‘Bridge over the River Kwai’ was filmed and you will have the chance to see the St. Clair’s and Devon waterfalls en route
Relax at the hotel in the afternoon.
Dinner and overnight stay in Induruwa Beach resort in Bentota

Day 05:- After breakfast transfer upto Colombo. Commence sightseeing tour of Colombo and free for shopping.

Colombo, Sri Lanka’s chief city and sea-port and until recently its capital, is a blend of old and new, east and west. It is a modern city, which has many reminders of its European colonial past. Bustling bazaars, Buddhist and Hindu Temples and Muslim Mosques contrast with high rises, smart modern Shopping Malls and multi- national chain hotels. Sightseeing highlights include the Colombo National and Dutch period museums, old and new parliament houses, the Dehiwala Zoo, Gangarama Buddhist Temple, Town Hall, and the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall. Apart from excellent shopping, Colombo offers visits to one of the worlds leading tea auctions, an 18 hole Golf Course, seasonal Buddhist and Hindu pageants, international cricket tournaments, plush casinos, enjoyable evening entertainment and excellent restaurants. State-of-the-Art communications and Cyber services are available in the hotels and other outlets. Good road and rail transport links are possible from Colombo to all tourist resorts. A number of cruise lines also call at the Colombo Port. The Pettah area, which is in the heart of the Colombo, is a beehive of activity

Lunch at a local restaurant.

Dinner & overnight stay in Sovereign in Colombo

Day 06

Breakfast at the hotel
Check out from the hotel and have lunch at a local restaurant in Colombo
Thereafter transfer up to the airport.