|
|
Ceylon Express
offered by supplier M15964 (view this supplier profile)
Key Information:
Tour Duration: 7
day(s)
Group Size: 2
- 12
people
Destination(s):
Sri Lanka
Specialty Categories:
Cultural Journey
Season: January - December
Airfare Included: No
Tour Customizable: Yes
Minimum Per Person Price: 725 US Dollar (USD)
Maximum Per Person Price: 725 US Dollar (USD)
|
|
Ayubowan! May you all live long and prosper! Says a traditional-warm Sri Lankan greeting. Five centuries before Christ, Sri Lanka was a land throbbing with vitality and a well-ordered civilization. Cities, palaces, reservoirs, parks, temples, monasteries, monuments and works of art bore testament to the character, imagination, culture, philosophy and faith of the people of Sri Lanka - the Resplendent Land. Vestiges of this ancient civilization are abundantly extant today, all ours to explore and wonder...
Your Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrival Colombo
We arrive at Bandaranaike International Airport, where we meet our local representatives and are transferred to Colombo for immediate check-in to our hotel. Later we start our visit of Colombo, the nations first financial hub, a diverse blend of colonial architecture and modern highrise buildings. The Pettah area, in the heart of the city is a hive of activity.
Traders and payment hawkers flock to Pettah and this is where the best bargains are available. The hustle and bustle of Pettah is in stark contrast to the Colombo Fort area where many highrise buildings are found. Colombo is the venue for the world’s famous ‘Tea Auction’. Gangarama Buddhist Temple, Wolfendall Kirk, Town Hall, Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall, Zoological Gardens and the new Parliamentary Complex are some attractions in Colombo we’ll encounter for. Later we return to the hotel for rest followed by some free activities.
Overnight: The Cinnamon Grand, Colombo (1 night) (D)
Day 2: Colombo / Anuradhapura / Dambulla (drive)
After breakfast we leave for Anuradhapura. This drive takes us through picturesque countryside with beautiful rice fields and vegetable plantations. The ancient and historical city of Anuradhapura dates back to the 4th Century BC. This was Sri Lanka's first capital city. It was a model of systematic planning set in rolling parkland. Here are Dagobas, pleasure gardens and reservoirs, indicating what a high level of civilization existed.
Places of interest include the Brazen Palace and the Sacred Bo Tree, considered to be the oldest historically documented tree on earth, grown from a sapling of the original tree under which the Lord Buddha attained enlightenment. The world's oldest tree on record, the "Sri Maha Bodhi" Bo tree and the "Ruwanweli Seya" Temple, which are two of Sri Lanka’s most sacred places, are to be found in
Anuradhapura. On completion of our visit here, we proceed to Dambulla and check-in at the hotel.
Overnight: Amaya Lake Resort, Dambulla (2 nights) (B,D)
Day 3: Dambulla / Sigiriya / Dambulla (drive)
After breakfast we proceed to Sigiriya and enjoy an interesting (and easy) climb to the famous Rock Fortress. Sigiriya, a massive rock in the green scrub jungle, is perhaps the most memorable place we’ll visit in Sri Lanka. The site was known from ancient times as a hermitage for Buddhist monks. A well- planned monastic complex includes caved temples, bathing pools, lovely ponds and Asia's oldest surviving landscaped gardens. Today Sigiriya is famous for its frescos painted in the pocket of the rock. The "Lion stairway", the "Mirror Wall" and the "Water Gardens" are the other highlights of Sigiriya.
Afternoon we proceed to Polonnaruwa to visit the ruins of the medieval capital of Sri Lanka. Today it is one of the most beautiful centers of our cultural heritage. With its comparatively brief history and a dozen rulers, it is a far more completely preserved ruin city than Anuradhapura. We visit here the ancient ruins and the Gal Vihara complex, where three very large Buddha statues are caved out of a single rock. Though smaller in scope, it is said to be aesthetically superior to Anuradhapura. The ruins of palaces, shrines, temples and Dagobas built by King Parakrama Bahu the Great, are as fascinating as the history they unfold. Thereafter, we return to the hotel in Dambulla. (B,D)
Day 4: Dambulla / Kandy (drive)
After breakfast, we leave for Kandy, en route visiting the World Heritage Site of Dambulla Cave Temples. Of all the cave temples in Sri Lanka, the five caves that form the Raja Maha Vihara at the village of Dambulla, by far is the most impressive. Dambulla is about 12 miles south west of Sigiriya, on the Matale-Anuradhapura Road. The largest cave carries some 48 statues of Lord Buddha alone, with statues of some Hindu gods, (Vishnu and Saman). The statues of the Hindu gods date back to the 12th Century, when Hinduism took root in Sri Lanka and started influencing the arts. The history of the caves themselves dates back to the 2nd or 1st century B.C., when King Valagam Bahu who was escaping the invading army that drove him out of Anuradhapura, took refuge in these caves.
From here we visit Matale with its spice garden and a batik factory. Batik is an ancient art of mixing colors by using wax as the main component and today Sri Lanka is among the world leaders in the design of batik. Batik galleries and factories offer batik from simple single colored designs to intricate multi-colored masterpieces. Also, for centuries, spices have been one of Sri Lanka's celebrated exports. Spices are grown mostly in home gardens (as a home industry) and used to flavor food as well as for medicine and cosmetics. Visit to a spice garden and to sample scents and flavors such as cinnamon, ginger, Pepper, Vanilla, cardamom, etc can be an exciting experience.
When we arrive in Kandy we check-in at the hotel first and later have a short sightseeing of the city of Kandy. The hill capital Kandy was the last stronghold of the ancient Sinhala Kings against the British Empire. The city known as ‘Senkadagalapura’ lies around picturesque mountains and rivers just 72 km away from Colombo and features the most sacred of all Buddhist shrines - the temple of the tooth or the 'Dalada Maligawa'. The Dalada Maligawa holds the
Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha and is surrounded by an artificial lake. In the evening we’ll witness a cultural dance performance.
Overnight: Amaya Hill (formerly Le Kandyan Resort) (1 night) (B,D)
Day 5: Kandy / Nuwara Eliya (drive)
After breakfast we visit the Royal Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya, located less than four miles from Kandy on the Colombo road. Being 1540 feet above sea level, it covers approximately 150 acres and well known for it’s large variety of plants and creepers. The best attraction is the orchid house, which houses more than 300 orchids and the nutmeg grove. Established in 1821 the garden receives an annual rainfall of 85” and has been recently highlighted in the New Strait Times of America as ‘One Of The Best Kept Secrets of Kandy’. Thereafter we proceed to Nuwara Eliya, en route visiting a Tea Plantation and a tea Factory.
The journey through narrow passes, beside deep ravines and over gushing streams takes us to the heart of Sri Lanka’s tea country, Nuwara Eliya. Located approximately 2000 meters above sea level this town resembles ‘English’ with its colonial architecture gaining prominence. The temperature averages 100C and high-mountain peaks - including Pidurutalagala - are within this district. Vegetable plantations, scenic flower gardens, strawberry nurseries, walkways and the Hakgala Botanical Gardens are places of interest.
Once we arrive in Nuwara Eliya will have a short visit of the city. Nuwara Eliya which means the "city of lights" is also known as the city of eternal spring, where the air is pure, cool and distilled up through 1,884 meters. Windswept peaks lie shrouded in mist, while gaily clad tea pluckers wind their way between the tea bushes. Listen to the wild music of the water falls. This is a holiday resort ideal for hiking, golfing and boating - the setting is a nostalgic reminder of the English country-side.
Overnight: Grand Hotel (Colonial – Golf Wing) (1 night) (B,D)
Day 6: Nuwara Eliya / Mt. Lavinia (drive)
After breakfast we’ll proceed to Mt. Lavinia, en route visiting the Elephant Orphanage at Pinnawela. The Orphanage was established to feed, nurse and house young elephants abandoned by their mothers and displaced from their natural environment due to development projects. Later we arrive in Mt. Lavinia and check-in to our hotel. Balance of the day is at leisure.
Overnight: Mt. Lavinia Hotel (1 night) (B,D)
Day 7: Mt. Lavinia / Homebound
This morning after our breakfast, we meet for the last time our guide and driver as we are taken to Bandaranaike International Airport, in time to reach our flight home. After this ‘express’ visit to Sri Lanka – one of the proud ‘jewels’ of the Indian Ocean Islands - we bid farewell and take home strong memories. (B)
Tour Price Includes:
• Accommodation in double rooms at the hotels indicated (or similar - all hotels are 4* & 5* category)
• Meals as indicated (B-breakfast, D-dinner)
• Transfers and sightseeing by luxury air-conditioned vehicle with an English speaking chauffeur and guide
• All Entrance fees at the places of visit as indicated in the itinerary
• Government Taxes
Tour Excludes:
• Lunch throughout itinerary
• Personal expenses such as beverages, laundry, telephone, etc
• Photographic and video permits
• Compulsory seasonal supplements for Christmas and New Year
• Tips and gratuities
• Services other than specified above
With compliments:
• Garland on arrival at the airport
• Souvenir on departure
Tour highlights and World Heritage Sites (WHS):
• Colombo & The Pettah area
• Sacred City of Anuradhapura (WHS)
• Ancient City of Sigiriya (WHS)
• Ancient City of Polonnaruva (WHS)
• Dambulla Cave Temple (WHS)
• Sacred City of Kandy (WHS)
• Nuwara Eliya - the ‘city of lights’
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Tour cost: USD: 725.00 / CAD: 780.00 per person in double occupancy. Single room supplement is USD: 225.00 / CAD: 240.00
Also see tour packages in:
Asia
Sri Lanka
Cultural Journey
Email it to a friend:
Click here to email this vacation to a friend
|
|
|
|
