Holiday
BOUTIQUE SRI LANKA TOUR
12 DAYS 10 NIGHTS BOUTIQUE SRI LAKNA TOUR
A collection of luxury boutique hotels of approximately 3-15 rooms set on the Coast, the hills and in cities. Characterful hotels of high standards of service, stunning architecture, home comforts and delicious food. These small Hotels offer individual room tariffs and our Sri Lanka specialists can recommend an itinerary of various styles and luxury to meet your needs and budget. Many boutique hotels have a resident host, often members of the ancestral family who own and once occupied the boutique hotel as a family home. Some coastal villas will offer individual room rates in low season and are included below
Day 01 - Departure from London Heathrow.
Fly on SriLankan Airlines direct to Colombo.
Day 02 - Upon arrive, meet & greet by our representative at Bandaranaike International Airport.
Proceed to Colombo.
Rest of the day free and leisure at the hotel.
Overnight stay at PARK STREET HOTEL, COLOMBO.
Classy boutique hotel and former colonial home with all the mod cons - an oasis of tranquility in the heart of
hectic Colombo.
Greeted by a grand hallway and a wall of paintings of eminent people (including Gandhi), your entrance into The Park Street Hotel couldn’t be more impressive. The former home of flamboyant society couple Sheikh and Zarina Moosajee is a 19th-century delight: cream and beige furnishings, delicate touches, spacious bedrooms and an air of refinement throughout.
Day 03 - After breakfast sightseeing tour of the capital a flourishing seaport.
A city of contrast it boasts a traditional heritage, strong colonial overtones and vibrant modern city centre.
Overnight stay at PARK STREET HOTEL, COLOMBO
Day 04 - After breakfast proceed to Sigiriya, en route visit Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage
* Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage - started in 1975 to house the abandoned and the wounded, the orphanage has grown to be a big family today. The number of elephants has increased to more than 40 now, including baby Elephants brought from various parts, as well as the babies born, as a result of the captive-breeding programme. A unique experience never to be missed.
Also visit * Dambulla Rock Temple. Climb up to the temple, which was donated by king Walagambahu in the 1st century BC to Buddhist monks. Dambulla is a World Heritage site and is the most impressive of Sri Lanka’s cave temples. The complex of five caves with over 2000 sq. metres of painted walls and the ceiling is the largest area of paintings found in the world. These caves contain over 150 images of the Buddha of which the largest is the colossal figure of the Buddha carved out of rock spanning 14 metres.
Overnight stay at VIL UYANA, SIGIRIYA.
Vil Uyana, the one-of-a-kind lifestyle hotel set amid wetlands in the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka, with a view to Sigiriya Rock, is nature and family friendly.
Day 05 - After breakfast visit & climb Sigiriya.
Sigiriya Rock Fortress - which is a world heritage , built by King Kashyapa (477-495 AD). The ‘Lion Rock’ is a citadel of unusual beauty rising 200 metres from the scrub jungle. The rock was the innermost stronghold of the 70 hectare fortified town. A moat, rampart, and extensive gardens including the renowned water gardens ring the base of the rock. Visit the world-renowned frescoes of the ‘Heavenly Maidens’ of Sigiriya, which are in a sheltered pocket of the rock approached by a spiral stairway. These frescoes are painted in earth pigments on plaster.
Thereafter proceed to Polonnaruwa.
Commence sightseeing tour of * Polonnaruwa, which was the 2nd capital city of Sri Lanka, built in the 11th and 12th centuries AD, and which is a world heritage site. Here you can see the ruins of the Royal Palace, the Gal Viharaya â€"where 4 splendid statues of the Buddha in ‘Upright’, ‘Sedentary`’ and ‘Recumbent’ postures carved out of rock, the Audience Hall, the Lotus Bath, king Parakramabahu’s statue, and the Parakrama Samudraya lake built by King Parakramabahu the great. There are also monuments of famous places of worship such as the Shiva Temple, the Lankathilake, the Watadage, the Galpotha, the Kiri Vehera and the remains of a former Temple of the Tooth Relic.
Overnight stay at VIL UYANA, SIGIRIYA.
Day 06 - After breakfast proceed to Kandy via Matale.
Visit * Spice Garden in Matale to see the different spices, which Sri Lanka is famous for. You will be introduced to different spices and shown how some of these spices are grown and processed.
commence sightseeing including the Upper Lake Drive, Market Square Arts & Crafts Centre and Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic.
* Kandy - the hill capital. Venue of the annual Perahera. The last stronghold of the Sinhala Kings was finally ceded to the British in 1815. Kandy is an example of the Buddhism’s influence in Sri Lanka today. Temple’s shrines and monasteries keeping alive Buddhist traditions are everywhere.
Visit * Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic - ever since 4th Century A.D, when the Buddha’s Tooth was brought to Sri Lanka hidden from sacrilegious hands in an Orissan princess’ hair, the Relic has grown in repute and holiness in Sri Lanka and throughout the Buddhist world. It is considered Sri Lanka’s most prized possession.
Evening witness a cultural show featuring various dance types of Sri Lanka.
Overnight stay at CLINGENDALE, KANDY.
Clingendael, part of the Sri LankaInstyle collection, offers colonial splendor and spectacular golf in stunningly beautiful surroundings. Clingendael is a large stately home built in Dutch Sri Lankan style with materials dating back to 1782. This small charming hotel is known for its colonial atmosphere, exceptional location and outstanding service. With spacious and cool verandahs and sitting rooms there are plenty of places to relax, read a book or enjoy a snooze. The Clingendael can be taken over on a daily basis lending itself to gatherings of family and friends and for a group golf holiday par excellence.
Day 07 - After breakfast proceed to Nuwara Eliya by TRAIN.
* Nuwara Eliya - The ‘Little England’ of Sri Lanka, is set against beautiful backdrops of Mountains, Valleys, Waterfalls and Tea Plantations. It is supposed to be one of the coldest places on the island, but is really just like an England spring day although the temperature does drop at night. All around Nuwara Eliya you will see evidence of the British influence. Houses are like country cottages or Queen Ann style mansions.
* Tea Plantation - Tea was first planted in Sri Lanka in 1824 at the Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya, when a few plants were brought from China. More were introduced from Assam in 1839. In 1867 a Scottish Planter named James Taylor planted tea seedlings on 8 hectares of forest land, in the Loolcondura Estate. In 1873, the tea export industry of Sri Lanka began with a modest 23lbs being shipped to London. Tea will grow well only on rolling terrain and is classified be elevation into low grown, medium grown, high grown, into 3 main groups. In 1996 Sri Lanka has produced 258 million kgs. Of tea and has earned Rs. 34,068 million by exporting 244 million kgs. of tea.
Overnight stay at CEYLON TEA TRAILS, NUWARA ELIAYA.
In central Sri Lanka, just 4 hours from Colombo by car to the Castlereagh Lake, lies the Bogawantalawa Valley, known as the Golden Valley of Tea and home to old Ceylon, replete with rolling green hills, plantation bungalows, high tea and exquisite service.
Here in solitude, at an elevation of 4000 feet above sea level, lies Ceylon Tea Trails, 4 colonial tea planters' bungalows , infused with a new and decidedly gourmet vibe. Each villa, built between 1890 and 1939, offers a taste of colonial living thanks to butler service & authentic period furnishings, accompanied by gourmet meals.
Guests are absorbed into life on a working tea estate, whilst reveling in five-star luxury. Tea Trails will teach you everything you need to know about the perfect brew. The unique Tea Experience tour with the tea planter in residence will show you the wonders of Camellia Sinensis (the botanical name for tea).
A typical rave review of Tea Trails at tripadvisor.com says "If you stay in one place when in Sri Lanka, make sure this is it!"
The four bungalows offer the upscale traveller both traditional and modern comforts in a "non-hotel" atmosphere. Each bungalow has a Manager, Chef, Butler and support staff to welcome guests as at a planter's home. Meals are based on fresh produce, cooked to order and range from western fare to tea infused dishes and of course traditional Sri Lankan classics.
Scenic walking trails link the properties [which are from 5 to 15 km apart], offering views in all directions. Trekking along the Tea Trails takes you through the heart of the magic Ceylon tea country.
A wide variety of activities and excursions are available including climbing the famed Adams Peak mountain, day trips to the ancient hill capital Kandy and golfing in Nuwara Eliya.
At Ceylon Tea Trails every day is an adventure!
Day 08
Breakfast at the hotel.
Full day at leisure.
Overnight stay at CEYLON TEA TRAILS, NUWARA ELIAYA.
Day 09 - After breakfast proceed to Balapitiya via Kithulgala.
Overnight stay at THE RIVER HOUSE, BALAPITIYA.
This exclusive luxury property contains five suite rooms, all air-conditioned. Each suite has a private garden or terrace with indoor/outdoor showers or Jacuzzi or plunge pool. The rooms are exceptionally large and open with polished cemented floors resembling traditional Sri Lankan architectural styles.
Each suite is carefully decorated mixing various colours in combination to set your mood and mind in harmony with its surroundings. Caring for the most minute of details is what seems to have made this property so perfect. River House is perfect for honeymoon couples looking for privacy and space of their own.
The five suites are named after the Star Signs and are designed to complete your holiday experience in Sri Lanka.
Day 10 - After breakfast proceed to Bentota.
Rest of the day free & leisure at the hotel.
Overnight stay at TARU VILLAS TAPROBANA, BENTOTA.
Taru Villas Taprobana is a fantastic boutique hotel, which exudes style and sophistication. It is sihttp://www.sensesholidays.co.uk/admin/?area=UpdateHoliday-Itinerary&id=158tuated just outside of Bentota and is a perfect romantic getaway.
Taprobana is far removed from the large resort hotels - this nine room beachside villa can be found tucked down a by-lane of Bentota on the beautiful South Western Coast on a superb stretch of golden beach. Each of Taru Villa’s individually designed rooms and public areas are furnished with carefully selected pieces of objects d’art and antiques from Sri Lanka’s rich European colonial heritage. All rooms look out to the lily ponds and frangipani trees in the garden or across towering coconut palms toward the ocean.
Tara Villas Taprobana is a fantastic boutique hotel, which exudes style and sophistication. It is situated just outside of Bentota and is a perfect romantic getaway.
Day 11
Full day at leisure.
Overnight stay at TARU VILLAS TAPROBANA, BENTOTA.
Day 12
After breakfast transfer to Colombo Airport for Sri Lankan Airlines direct flight to London.
