Mystical Sri Lanka Tour

Day - 01 - Arrive in Sri Lanka

You will be met by a representative of Senses Holiday and transferred to Colombo.
PM " Leisure at hotel OR city tour of Colombo.
Colombo a drive through the city taking you to the busy commercial areas as well as the tree-lined residential, Cinnamon Gardens. Visit Fort, the former British administrative center and military garrison, Sea Street - the Goldsmith’s quarters in the heart of Pettah, the Bazaar area, where is also a Hindu Temple with elaborate stone carvings and the Dutch Church of Wolfendhal dating back to 1749. The historic Dawatagaha Mosque and the former Eye Hospital are two buildings in Cinnamon Gardens worth looking at. Also visit the BMICH, see the replica of Avukana Buddha and the Independence Square.
Overnight stay at Trans Asia Hotel, Colombo

Day - 02 - Leave for Sigiriya en-route visiting Dambulla Cave Temples

Dambulla is a vast isolated rock mass 500ft high and a mile around the base. Here is found the famous Rock Temple dating to the First Century BC. The caves of Dambulla sheltered the King Walagamba during his 14 years of exile from Anuradhapura. When he regained the throne he built the most magnificent of Rock Temples to be found on the Island. In the first Cave is a recumbent image of the Buddha 47ft long cut out of the Rock. There are images of deities associated with Buddhism all around. The frescoes on the ceiling date back to the 15th - 18th Centuries. In the Second Cave, the finest and the largest of all, there are 150 life-size statues of Gods from the Buddhist religion along with numerous images of the Buddha himself. The ceiling is also covered with frescoes which depict great events in the life of the Buddha and landmarks in the history of the Sinhala people. Rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight stay at Sigiriya Village Hotel, Sigiriya

Day - 03 - Early morning Climb Sigiriya rock fortress

Sigiriya is home to the 5th Century “Fortress in the Sky” which is perhaps the most fantastic single wonder of the Island. It is also known as Lion Rock because of the huge lion that used to stand at the entrance to the fortress. Within its triple-moated defence the huge rock rises almost to a sheer height of 500ft. On its summit are the foundations of what was once a great and sumptuous palace and gardens complete with swimming pool. On one of the stairways the only known ancient work of Sinhala secular painting survived in the form of Frescoes of life sized damsels in all the freshness and delicacy of their original color.
Back to the hotel and enjoy the breakfast. Afternoon visit Polonnaruwa for sightseeing.
Polonnaruwa - the Capital of Sri Lanka from 11th - 13th Century contains some splendid and spectacular statues. Lankatileke, Tivanka and Thuparama are the most beautiful and largest shrine ruins and Tivanka has the best example of frescoes of the Polonnaruwa period. Rankot Vihara and Kiriwehera are well preserved large stupas, and Gal Vihare - a rock shrine, has four Buddha statues, two seated, one standing and one reclining and Parakrama Bahu statue are examples of Sinhalese stone carver. The Vata-da-ge is a unique creation of the Sri Lankan artists. Overnight stay at Sigiriya Village Hotel, Sigiriya

Day - 04 - Excursion to Anuradhapura for sightseeing

Anuradhapura is the most celebrated of Sri Lanka’s ancient ruined cities. The city’s greatest treasures are its dagabas constructed of small sun-dried bricks and hemispherical in shape. The most notable of these dagabas are the Ruvanveli which dates back to the 2nd Century BC and is 300ft in diameter, the Jetawanarama is 370ft and the Thuparama which enshrines the collarbone of the Buddha. The city’s most renowned relic is the sacred Bo-Tree which is said to have grown from a branch of the tree under which the Buddha gained enlightenment. It was planted 2250 years ago and is the oldest historic tree in the world.
Return to Sigiriya in the late afternoon for overnight.
Overnight stay at Sigiriya Village Hotel, Sigiriya.

Day - 05 - Leave for Kandy visiting a Spice garden & a batik factory

After breakfast leave for Kandy visiting a Spice garden & a batik factory en-route.
Spice Garden at Matale and see the luscious, Cinnamons, Cardamons, Pepper plants etc. You can also purchase your requirements of spices & Batik Factory where you can see the manufacture of beautiful Batik prints. The shop contains a wide variety of Batik items.
Afternoon commence city tour of Kandy, including Upper Lake Drive, Market Square and the 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.
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 view a cultural show featuring various dance types of Sri Lanka.
Overnight stay at Mahaweli Reach Hotel, Kandy

Day - 06 - Visit Royal Botanical Gardens

After breakfast visit Royal Botanical Gardens, Peradeniya, Sixty Seven hectares of exquisite beauty and botanical treasurers containing more than 4000 species, this is haven not only for Scientists but to every nature lover as well. Thereafter leave for Nuwara Eliya en-route tea Plantation and tea factory.
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 an 8 hectares of forest land, in the Loolkandura Estate. In 1873, the tea export industry of Sri Lanka began with a modest 23lbs being shipped to London. Tea will grow 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. Rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight stay at Grand Hotel (Governor’s Wing), Nuwara Eliya

Day - 07 - Leave for Kalawana

After breakfast leave for Kalawana. Rest of the day at leisure
Overnight stay at The Boulder Garden, Kalawana.

Day - 08 - Excursion to Sinharaja forest reserve & Trek up Waturawa Trail or Mulawella Trail

AM " Excursion to Sinharaja forest reserve & Trek up Waturawa Trail or Mulawella Trail.
Sinharaja Forest - Sinharaja reserve is the only rain forest in Sri Lanka and in the whole sub-continent of India and it provides the best rain forest study area in Asia. there about 231 species of flowers that have been classified and of which 53 species are used for medicine, food and oil etc. wild ginger, vateria copalhfirm, calmus rotang are some of these, the fauna of the forest is limited to sambhur, wildboar, purple-faced monkeys and leopards.
Overnight stay at The Boulder Garden, Kalawana.

Day - 09 - Leave for Negombo

Breakfast at the hotel, late morning leave for Negombo.
Rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight stay at Jetwing Beach, Negombo.

Day - 10 - After breakfast transfer to the airport

After breakfast transfer to the airport for departure OR transfer to the preferred beach resort.