Sri Lanka Grand Tour 16 nights from £2,445 per person
ABOUT THIS ITINERARY
A tour carefully prepared to take in as much as you can from your first visit to this wonderful island. You will be staying in some special hotels, ideally placed to see & experience the best sites this Island has to offer, all in the comfort of your own private car and a knowledgeable driver-guide. You have the option to upgrade to boutique style luxury hotels along the way to make this trip even more special.
Every day in Sri Lanka is a completely new experience and you soon get used to expecting a lot more from your trip to this magical land. This is bound to be a very special holiday found no where else in the world and a trip that will last a whole lifetime.
Price Includes
International flights
Private transfers
Activities and tours as mentioned
All accommodation
24/7 support while you're away
UK airport transfers (conditions apply)
DAY 1
COLOMBO
You will be met by Tailored Journeys representatives in Colombo and your driver-guide will transfer you to your hotel in central Colombo. The journey time is approximately 1 hour depending on local traffic conditions.
After checking in to your room and settling down, your chauffeur guide will return in the evening to take you on a brief tour of the city followed by dinner at a local restaurant. This will most likely be an authentic rice and curry meals but we can recommend other restaurants for anyone looking for different cuisine.
Accommodation: Galle Face Hotel
DAY 2-4
KANDALAMA
Your driver-guide will meet you at the hotel and accompany you to the central region of the island, also known as the cultural triangle. The total journey can take up to 4 hours including stops for sites along the way.
You can make the short journey to climb the Rock Fortress of Sigiriya. There are easy steps for the first half of the climb and then steps cut into the rock and with the help of a railing for the second half of the climb, it is a relatively easy climb to the summit to see the ruins of a palace that once proudly stood at the summit. If you are not fans of climbing or walking long distances then please let us know and we will suggest other sites in the area to visit. An ideal alternate is the ancient city of Anuradhapura, the first capital of Sri Lanka.
Lunch will be enjoyed at a local farmer's house.
You will also visit the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, the second capital of Sri Lanka in the 12th century.
Later in the afternoon, you will set off in an open-top jeep to see herds of wild Elephants (this can be done on any of the evenings during your stay in the area). There are two parks in the area and the park to visit will depend on local knowledge, this will increase the chances of seeing larger herd of elephants in the wild.
Accommodation: Heritance Kandalama
DAY 5-6
KANDY
Head to the hills of Sri Lanka but not before you visit one last cultural site in the area, the interesting cave temples of Dambulla. A sacred site for many centuries, these five cave sanctuaries are the best preserved cave temple complex anywhere in South East Asia.
The journey to Kandy today also includes a local cooking demonstration on how to cook the perfect Sri Lankan curry followed by sampling a delicious rice and curry meal in Matale.
Peradeniya Botanical gardens, just 25 minutes outside of the city limits is yet another excellent site to visit. You could also visit the British Garrison Cemetery (also known as the Kandy Garrison Cemetery) is a British cemetery in Kandy, for British nationals who died in Ceylon.
Later in the afternoon visit the Golden Temple of Kandy (around 5 pm, just before the temple "Pooja") followed by a cultural dance show at the local arts theatre. The area is also popular for souvenir shopping, blue sapphires and batik making workshops.
Accommodation: Earl's Regency Hotel
DAY 7-8
NUWARA ELIYA
You will be driving through acres of tea plantations and picturesque hills to the capital of tea country. You can visit the not so popular sites of Ambuluwawa tower and Ramboda waterfalls, along this route to Nuwara Eliya, both require short walks to respective sites.
Included in your stay is a picnic breakfast packed and ready for a walk in the Horton Plains. Also called the World's End, is a protected area in the central highlands of Sri Lanka and is covered by montane grassland and cloud forest. This plateau, at an altitude of 2,100–2,300 metres is rich in biodiversity and many species found here are endemic to the region.
The more serious walkers could continue on to Bakers Falls, which is a 60 feet high waterfall only a few miles beyond World's End.
Accommodation: Grand Hotel Nuwara Eliya
DAY 9-10
ELLA
Your chauffeur will drop you off at the Nanu Oya train station for a scenic train journey through miles of tea plantation, water falls and dramatic landscape! Your travel by train is in observation car.
Your chauffeur will continue with your luggage by car and meet you at the Demodara train station, the stop after the Nine Arches bridge. He will then take you to the fantastic 98 Acre hotel to spend the next 2 nights.
Some of the highlights in the area are the Nine Arches Bridge, Ella water falls and the Buduruwagala Temple, a beautiful, 1000-year-old, rock-cut Buddha figures. Buduruwagala Temple is better visited en route to Tangalle in order to avoid any extra journey times. The journey time from Ella to Tangalle is 3 hours (without any stops).
You could also make the short drive to Makulella and set off on a 4 hour/6 mile trek back to Ella. This is a short but extremely scenic trek considered moderately challenging and takes around 3-4 hours to complete and you will be climbing back down very close to your hotel. You will most likely be guided on this walk unless you wish to do this yourselves. This forms part of the famous Pekoe trail and the trail is clearly marked from start to finish. and can easily be navigated.
Accommodation: 98 Acres
DAY 11-12
YALA
You will start your descend through Ella down to the South coast. This route will bring yet more scenic locations including the country's highest waterfall in Ella and the giant Buddha carved into the rock at the Buduruwagala temple.
The next two nights will be spent at the Cinnamon Wild Yala hotel, perfectly positioned between the Indian Ocean and the entrance to the Yala Game Park.
Your safari jeep and tracker will meet you at the hotel and accompany you into the park to see if you could track the elusive leopard. Including Sri Lankan elephant & leopard, 44 species of mammals are resident in Yala National Park and known to have one of the highest leopard densities in the world.
Accommodation: Cinnamon Wild Yala
DAY 13-16
GALLE
The final leg of the tour is the drive along the south coast to your final hotel in Galle. The journey is made via a lunch stop at the Galle Fort and a visit to a turtle hatchery. You may also see the famous fishermen on stilts.
The next few days will be spent completely at lesiure.
Galle was extensively fortified by the Dutch in the 17th century and when you enter the old city gates of this World Heritage Site you can’t help but notice the grand colonial houses and boutique shops and of course the beautiful beaches on the fringes of town. Attracting many luxury travellers from around the world, the town is also a favourite with cricket fans who rate the Galle International Stadium to be one of the most picturesque cricket grounds in the world.
Your chauffeur will return to accompany you back to the airport in time for your flight home. Your pick up times will be sent to your room well in advance and your journey to the airport takes approximately 2 hours.
Accommodation: The Fortress
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