Sri Lanka > Leisure Tour > Sri Lanka on your Plate
In this 7 days tour, we shall visit Kandy, Sigiriya, and Negombo apart from Colombo. On our way to Sigiriya, we shall be stopping by Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage and the spice garden in Mawanella. Thereafter, we shall be visiting the Dambulla rock temple which has become famous for its paintings across walls and ceilings. While we are in Anuradhapura, we shall drop by Sri Maha Bodhi (Sacred Bo-Tree), the Brazen Palace and view the stunning Buddha statue in the state of meditation. At Kandy, we shall drop by the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens, the Temple of the Tooth Relic and the Geragama Plantation. Besides, we shall stroll around Buddhist temples such as Seema Malaka and Gangaramaya soon after a city tour of Colombo.
Note: The tour can be customized further with the interest of the traveller. Please do write to us to know more options and special interest tours.
As soon as you arrive in Colombo, a local team member shall welcome you and will also usher you at the hotel in Bentota. If you are visiting Negombo for the first time, then it’s a major city in the island nation and situated towards the start of The Negombo lagoon. As you settle down, you shall stay at the hotel in Negombo.
Post breakfast, we shall be departing for Sigiriya and shall be visiting The Elephant Orphanage in Pinnawala. While this place is the habitat for almost 60 elephant, the Wildlife Authority is taking care of the elephants since years. To watch the elephants bathing, you could simply step out to visit the river in the surrounding region. Once we set off for Dambulla, we shall take a look at various spices in the Spice Garden located in Mawanella. Moreover, you can also observe closely the way in which the spices are processed before they are sold in the market. A bit later, when you arrive in Dambulla, you shall be checking in at the hotel. After a lip-smacking meal, we shall proceed to The Dambulla Rock temple which was offered to the Buddhist monks by the king, Walagambahu. While this temple is listed under the World’s Heritage Sites, it is famous for cave temples with paintings across the ceilings and the walls. While the caves have more than 15 images of Buddha, it also has a rock carved figure of the Buddha as tall as 14 meters. During the night, we shall later be staying at a hotel in Dambulla.
As you wake up early morning we shall proceed to the Sigiriya rock fortress soon after savouring a cup of coffee / tea. When you come across the ‘Lion Rock’, you would be fascinated with the rock as high as 200 meters from the jungle. Above all, the mere objective of this rock is fortify the town spanning 70 hectares. A bit later, right at the base, we shall take a stroll around the gardens and further visit the “Heavenly Maidens’ of Sigiriya. If you’re like art, then you should certainly not miss checking out the frescoes in natural pigments on plaster. After having our breakfast, we shall proceed to Polonnaruwa, the second capital city of Sri Lanka. Additionally, we can also view the remnants of the Royal Palace along with the statues of the Buddha in different poses at The Gal Viharaya. Apart from everything else, we shall explore the area around The Parakrama Samudraya, The Lotus Bath,The Audience Hall, and the statue of The king Parakramabahu. You shall also come across several monuments like The Kiri Vehera, the Lankathilake, the Galpotha, and The former Temple of The Tooth Relic. Later, you shall be resting for the entire day and staying at night in Dambulla.
As we finish off with our breakfast, we shall move on to Anuradhapura, which is one of the ruined cities in Sri Lanka. While we explore the city, you will come across two World Heritage Sites and many places worth visiting. You can also check out The Sri Maha Bodhi (Sacred Bo-Tree) which is nothing but a sapling under which Prince Siddhartha accomplished enlightment. While the tree is 2200 years old, it is also the oldest tree in the world. Way ahead, you will get to see The Brazen Palace which boasts 1600 columns. These were the remnants of the multi-storied residence where the monks used to stay earlier. Soon after lunch, we shall be visiting Ruwanweliseya which is form of a shape of a bubble and hasn’t be replicated accurately till date. Later, you could visit the ‘Samadhi’ Buddha statue which depicts the state of deep meditation and The Isurumuniya rock temple built in the 3rd Century. Afterwards, we shall proceed to Mihintale, the place where the Sri Lankans were introduced to Buddhism. While you can view many rock dwellings and shrines, you can climb up the 1840 steps stairway, reach the summit and capture the magnificent view of the surrounding area. At night, we shall be staying at Anuradhapura itself.
As we depart from the hotel, we shall embark on a journey to Kandy. On our way, we shall stop by The Peradeniya Botanical Gardens and The Geragama Tea factory & plantation. Situated near to Kandy, the Geragama Plantation, established in 1903, is known to a place for producing Long Leaf and Low Grown tea. It is also the centre where tourists may spend time to purchase Ceylon tea. The Peradeniya Botanical Gardens is a garden which was built for the pleasure of a Sinhala King. Later on, the British had expanded the garden to more than 100 acres with various types of flowers, plants and trees. Soon after arriving Kandy, we shall be going to The Temple of the Tooth Relic. While this holy place was the dwelling place for the “Dalada Maligawa”, it has been protected by a terrain. A bit later, you could go out for shopping at the local market and even visit the gem lapidary and the arts & crafts center. Towards the end of the day, you could spend some time to watch people performing the Kandyan Dance, which had become very much popular from the 16th to the 19th centuries. In the current era, this dance is considered as the national dance of the island nation. As night sets in, we shall be staying at the hotel in Kandy.
Post breakfast, we shall leave for Colombo. Once we arrive at the hotel, we shall catch some sleep and then move on with an orientation drive with photo shoots here and there. As we drive across the entire city, you can grab an opportunity to visit The Cinnamon Gardens and a few commercial areas. Moreover, you can also visit The Sea Street-the Goldsmiths quarters, the fort, military garrison, an administrative centre and the market. Once you’re at the Cinnamon Gardens, you will surely be interested in seeing the former Eye Hospital and The Dewatagaha Mosque. Besides, we shall be visiting The Independence Square, and the BMICH where you shall get to see the BMICH. In the evening, our tour guide will lead to The Beira Lake. You will also be more than happy to view The Buddhist Temple, Seema Malaka. You will surely find the place to be peaceful once you enter the temple. As you avail the entry pass, we shall also visit The Gangaramaya, which is another Buddhist temple. It’s here where you can experience the ambiance in a different way. Later, you can step out for shopping to one of the supermarkets of Sri Lanka or shops namely, Paradise Road and Barefoot. While the Paradise Road is known for things you can think about for home décor ideas, Barefoot has a café along with a gallery and a bookstore. As the day the draws to an end, we shall be roaming around Marine Drive and having our meal at night in one of the most popular restaurants. At night, we shall be staying in the hotel in Colombo and relaxing for the entire night.
Today, we shall be going to the airport and take our flight soon after a sumptuous breakfast.
