Kandy

Upon arrival at the Colombo International Airport, our tour representative will welcome and guide you to the hotel. After a well-deserved rest, proceed to the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, where you can spend time with abandoned elephants. The orphanage was started in 1975 to care for wounded and abandoned elephants. You can work with local volunteers feeding and bathing the elephants.

Check into a luxury hotel in Dambulla to spend the night in the city.

After breakfast, head to explore Sigiriya, one of Sri Lanka’s most iconic monuments, often called the Eight Wonders of the World. Tourists visit the place to explore the Sigiriya Fortress, built by King Kashyapa during the 5th century. The fortress is built on a monolithic rock–visitors must climb 1200 steps to reach the citadel. Besides exploring the fortress and its gardens, tourists also visit the museum to learn more about artefacts and videos related to Sigiriya.

The frescoes of life-sized damsels, still preserved at the fort, are equally famous. After exploring Sigiriya, return to Dambulla.

Spend the night in Dambulla.

After breakfast, check out of your hotel and head to Kandy. On the way, visit the National Spice Gardens in Matale to see the different spices and learn about their culinary and medicinal uses. You can sign up for Ayurvedic treatments, purchase spices, and even join a culinary lesson to learn more about spices and their uses.

Some other places you will visit in and around Kandy include Upper Lake Drive, Gem Museum, Market Square, and the most famous of all, the Temple of Tooth Relic. If you’re lucky, you could experience the Kandy Perahara firsthand. This annual 9-day festival culminates in a parade where the tooth relic of Buddha is carried on an elephant in a procession along with cultural dance and song.

Spend the night in Kandy.

Today, you will explore places in and around Kandy. This includes the Royal Botanical Gardens, the Kandy Lake, the Bahirawakanda Temple, and the Ceylon Tea Museum. The Royal Botanical Garden was established in 1821 and includes over 147 acres of plants, including orchids, spices, medicinal plants, and palm trees. The garden was believed to have been established since 1371 when King Wickramaabahu III.

Today, after breakfast, head to Bentota. You can either visit directly or stop at Kithulgala, a small town famous for its water sports activities, including whitewater rafting and abseiling. Some of the other attractions in Kithugala include Belilena Caves and Handun Ella. The Belilena Cave is a famous cave believed to have been inhabited over 32,000 years ago, while Handun Ella is famous for its waterfalls. The place gets its name from the Handun or sandalwood trees that grow abundantly around it.

Today, you can spend the day leisurely exploring places around the town or opt for a ride on the Madu River in the 915-hectare Madu Ganga Estuary. The wetland covers 64 islands, including Madagaga, the third Ramsar Wetland. Another popular attraction in Madu Ganga is the Kokaduwa Vihariya. The main treasure of Madu Ganga is the mangroves that protect various plant and animal life, including crocodiles, crabs, and various fish.

You can also visit the Marine Turtle Conservation in Kosgoda, which houses endangered marine turtle species. There, you can observe the turtles nesting and hatchlings being born.

Spend the night in Bentota.

Bid adieu to Sri Lanka as you check out of the hotel and head to the Colombo International Airport to catch your return flight home