Internationale groepsreis Sri Lankan Highlights

The group flight arrives at Colombo's Bandaranaike Airport and transfer to our hotel at Wattala on the coast. The rest of the day is free to relax at the hotel and recover from the flight. Those not flying with the group will meet us at the hotel. Pegasus Reef Hotel or similar

Today we travel to Giritale, where we will stop in one of three parks, either the Kaudulla or Minneriya National Park or the Hurulu Eco Park for a game drive. We will take to jeeps to explore the park and observe elephants in their natural habitat.We then continue onto Giritale where we stay overnight. Our hotel overlooks the Giritale Tanks – the island’s early inhabitants solved the dual problem of heat and lack of water in this dry area by constructing these large tanks to act as reservoirs and to help cool the air. Nowadays these provide an important habitat for birdlife, particularly between April and August. Giritale Hotel or similar

Today we cycle at a leisurely pace through a series of small villages to Dambalawewa Lake. We should see plenty of birdlife including Egrets, Brahmany Kites, Kingfishers, Bulbuls. We stop for lunch in a traditional village which will break up the journey. In the late afternoon we return to our hotel in Giritale. If you do not wish to participate you can hire a tuk tuk locally for approximately £10 and follow the group but not cycle.Giritale Hotel or similar

After breakfast we take a short drive to Polonnaruwa, the ancient capital of the Sinhalese. There are many Buddhist relics and ruins dating from a thousand years ago when Sinhalese culture reached its zenith. Polonnaruwa flourished in the 12th century after the decision was made to move the capital from Anuradhapura so it was further away from the incursions from southern India. We visit many of the temples, palaces, huge dagobas and remarkable Buddhist sculptures. After lunch we drive to Sigiriya about an hour away. This impressive 5th century rock fortress rises 180m from the plains overlooking the surrounding countryside giving far-reaching views. Used as a safe haven from invaders, the route to the top is up a series of steep steps and gangways. From the base, where a moat surrounds impressive water gardens, we ascend 200m, passing an overhanging rock under which superb portraits of native maidens holding flowers and temple offerings still adorn the rock wall. Crowning the flat-topped summit of the rock are remains of the King's Summer Palace from where there are breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside. The descent is much easier and you can cool off in the hotel pool at dusk. Hotel Sigiriya or similar

Today we head into the hills to the picturesque town of Kandy. On the way we stop at Dambulla, famous for its cave temple, one of Sri Lanka’s most impressive sights. There are colourful, well preserved paintings and statues of the Buddha inside, some of which date back as far as the 1st century BC. Kandy is located on a small lake and we spend time in and around the town. Visiting the Temple of the Tooth, which houses Sri Lanka's most important Buddhist relic. The Tooth of Buddha which was taken from the funeral pyre in 543 BC and only found its way to Sri Lanka in the 4th century AD. There are literally hundreds of worshippers who visit the temple each day and in July/August the most spectacular ceremony takes place. Some of our trips in July/August should coincide with the Kandy festival, but the exact dates, decided by priests (depending on the auspicious time), are not known until 5 months prior to the event. We drive to a beautiful viewpoint to get a great view of Kandy and its environs that are overlooked by a huge Buddha and visit a gem museum where you can see the products of the traditional methods of gem extraction. In the evening we may have the chance to attend a performance of the athletic Kandian Dancing and fire walking. Hotel Topaz or similar 

This morning we drive approx. 2.5 hours to discover central Sri Lanka and its picturesque tea country hills for a day trip.  Our destination is Nuwara Eliya or 'Little England' which was a favoured cool escape for the early British and Scottish pioneers. At 1868m above sea level this town is located in the area of Sri Lanka which is most famous for tea production.  On route we visit a tea plantation arriving in Nuwara Eliya in time for lunch.  There is time to explore the town with its colonial era bungalows and Tudor Style hotels. The area is very picturesque with lush green hillsides and small waterfalls. We return to Kandy in the evening.Hotel Topaz or similar 

After breakfast we depart to Bandaragama where we will take a tuk tuk ride through the Agro village. This is a chance to step inside local village life and learn about the agricultural practises in this area. We have our lunch cooked by a local family who will also introduce us to village life and show us how they make coconut oil and cinnamon rolls. There is also a short tour of their farm where we have the chance to see their impressive collection of 70 varieties of banana trees, pineapple and rubber plantations. In the afternoon we drive to our hotel in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia.Mt. Lavinia Hotel or similar

The trip ends after breakfast. Those on the group flights will be taken to the airport in time for their flight home.