Sri Lanka Luxury Tour

Day - 01 - Arrive in Colombo

You will be met by SENSES representative and driven to Sigiriya which is a 4 hour drive from the Katunayake Bandaranaike International Airport. Evening at leisure Or (Optional) elephant back safari through the jungles of Habarana Or Jeep safari to Minneriya National Park to witness the Wild Elephants.
Overnight stay at Vil Uyana(Mash or Paddy Dwelling), Sigiriya

Day - 02 - Leave for Sigiriya to climb the Sigiriya rock fortress

Breakfast at hotel & then leave for Sigiriya to climb the Sigiriya rock fortress
SIGIRIYA" is a “World Heritage Site” and 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 Palace on the summit of the 600-foot high rock. On its summit are the foundations of the Royal Palace, Water Tanks to supply water and all other buildings and at the edges the guardhouses. On one of the stairways the only known ancient work of Sinhala secular painting survived in the form of Frescoes of 21 life sized damsels still shining in their original colours.
The Water Gardens, Fountain Garden, Summerhouses, Boulder Gardens and the Caves within the enclosed area should not be missed.
Return to hotel and leisure by the pool. Late afternoon visit Dambulla Cave Temples
DAMBULLA CAVE TEMPLES - is a vast isolated rock mass 500 feet high and a mile around the base. Here is found the famous Rock Temple dating to the First Century B.C. The caves of Dambulla sheltered 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 in 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 walls and the ceiling are the oldest here but they are over painted in the Kandy period.
In the Second Cave, the finest and the largest of all, there are 150 life-size statues of the Buddha in various postures with few statues of Gods and Kings. The ceiling is also covered with frescoes, which depict great events in the life of the Buddha and landmarks in the history of the Sinhalese people.
Overnight stay at Vil Uyana (Mash or Paddy Dwelling), Sigiriya

Day - 03 - Excursion to Polonnaruwa for sightseeing

After breakfast Excursion to Polonnaruwa for sightseeing
POLONNARUWA" is another “World Heritage Site” was the Capital of Sri Lanka from 11th - 13th Centuries, contains some splendid and spectacular statues.
Lankatilake, Tivanka and Thuparama are the most beautiful and largest Image Houses and Tivanka has the best examples of frescoes of the Polonnaruwa period. Rankoth Vehera and Kirivehera 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. The medieval capital, Polonnaruwa was fortified with inner & outer moats and inner & outer walls. The Parakrama Samudra is on the western side of the city. The Royal Palace, Audience Hall and other buildings in the inner city were enclosed by another tall wall.
Evening at leisure, Overnight stay at Vil Uyana (Mash or Paddy Dwelling), Sigiriya

Day - 04 - After Breakfast proceed to Kandy

After Breakfast proceed to Kandy, en-route visit a Spice Garden and Batik Factory in Matale.
SPICE GARDENS - at Matale " You will see many spice gardens at Matale and in Mawanella on the Colombo-Kandy road where Cinnamon, Cardamom, Pepper Creepers and all other spice trees, plants and creepers are planted for visitors to see them. Spice products are also available for those who would like to buy them. At all Spice Gardens visitors are taken round explaining each tree and plant and at the end explaining the use of them in food preparations.
Afterwards visit a Batik Factory where you can see the manufacture of beautiful Batik prints. These shops contain a wide variety of Batik items.
PM " enjoy the city tour of Kandy including the Kandy Market place and the Temple of the
Sacred Tooth Relic.
KANDY " the hill capital is another “World Heritage Site”. It was the last stronghold of the Sinhalese Kings during the Portuguese, Dutch and British rule and finally ceded to the British in 1815 after an agreement.
To the Buddhists of Sri Lanka and the World, Kandy is one of the most sacred sites as it is the home of the “Dalada Maligawa” - Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha.
Close by are the remains of the Royal Palace (“Maha Wasala”), “Palle Wasala”- where the Queens stayed-now used for the National Museum, “Meda Wasala” where other close relatives lived, Audience Hall, Natha Devala and Vishnu Devala are situated close by. The Bathing Pavilion (“Ulpenge”) is by the Lake and in the Center of the lake is the Island called “Kiri samudraya” (Milk white ocean) used by the kings as the summerhouse. Today it is the center of Buddhism, Arts, Crafts, Dancing, Music and Culture. Visitors can see these Dance & Music at the daily Cultural Performances held at several places in the city.
Overnight stay at Hunas Falls (Theme Suite), Elkaduwa/ Kandy

Day - 05 - Jetwing Hunas Falls,Kandy - Sri Lanka - Breakfast & leisure at the hotel.

Evening walk in the Tea and Spice plantation, walk upto Hunas Waterfalls (175 ft. high), spend the time walking and hiking in the plantation, OR play a game of golf in the 6-hole, 3-par, mini-golf course of the hotel.
Overnight stay at Hunas Falls (Theme Suite), Elkaduwa/ Kandy

Day - 06 - After Breakfast leave for Pinnawela & visit Elephant orphanage.

PINNAWELA ELEPHANT ORPHANAGE - App. 55 miles from Colombo, off the Colombo - Kandy road is Pinnawela, where an orphanage was started in 1975 to house the abandoned and the wounded elephants. The number of elephants has increased to more than 65 now; Including baby elephants brought from various parts & more than 25 babies born, as well as some of the more then 25 babies born, as a result of the captive breeding programme. The best time to visit is the feeding time from 0930-1000 hrs and 1330-1400 hrs and the bathing time from 1000-1030 hrs and 1400-1430 hrs when all the elephants are taken to the river close by. Afternoon leave for Nuwara Eliya en-route tea Plantation and tea factory.
TEA PLANTATIONS - 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 in 8 hectares of forestland, in the Loolkondura Estate. In 1873, the tea export industry of Sri Lanka began with a modest 23 lbs. being shipped to London.
Tea will grow only on rolling terrain and is classified by elevation into low grown, medium grown and high grown into 3 main groups. Today more than 200,000 hectares in highlands and other areas are under Tea and around 300 million Kilograms, with a 25% of world tea exports are done by Sri Lanka as the World’s largest Tea exporter.
Dinner & overnight stay at Ceylon Tea Trails Bungalow (Luxury Room), Nuwara Eliya.

Day - 07 - After breakfast sight walk in Nuwara Eliya City

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 coolest places in the Island, but it is really just like an English spring day, although the temperature does drop at night. All around Nuwara Eliya you will see evidence of the British influence, houses like country cottages or Queen Ann style mansions.
The Victoria Park, in the middle of the town, is a lovely place for a stroll or a picnic and is also good for Birding as you get some rare birds in this Park. Seasons may be absent elsewhere in Sri Lanka, but here you can read them by the flowers, which bloom in the spring (March to May) and the fall (August and September). These are the “seasons” when low-country folk flock to Nuwara Eliya to escape the sea level heat and humidity. Lunch, Dinner & overnight stay at Ceylon Tea Trails Bungalow, Nuwara Eliya.

Day - 08 - Full day Leisure at the Hotel

Full day Leisure at the Hotel
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner & overnight stay at Ceylon Tea Trails Bungalow, Nuwara Eliya.

Day - 09 - After breakfast leave for Koggala via Kitulgala.

Kitulgala is a small town in the west of Sri Lanka. It is in the wet zone rainforest, which gets two monsoons each year, and is one of the wettest places in the country. Nevertheless, it comes alive in the first three months of the year, especially in February, the driest month. Kitulgala is also known for the Academy Award-winning "The Bridge on the River Kwai” which was filmed on the Kelani River. Kitulgala is also famous for a base for white-water rafting. Overnight stay at The Fortress (Fortress Room),Koggala

Day - 10 to 14 - Breakfast, Full day leisure by the beach.

Overnight stay at The Fortress (Fortress Room),Koggala

Day 15 - After breakfast transfer to the airport for departure.

Departure