Sri Lanka, Maldives & Dubai - Paradise

Day 1 - Departure to Colombo from London.

Day 2 - Arrive in Columbo

You will arrive at Bandaranayake International airport where you will be met by your Jetwing representative. You will be transferred to the Galadari hotel in Colombo where you can spend the rest of your day at your leisure.

Day 3 - Colombo

After breakfast you will commence a city tour, taking you to the busy commercial areas as well as the tree-lined residential Cinnamon Gardens. The historic Dawatagaha Mosque and the former Eye Hospital are two buildings in Cinnamon Gardens also worth looking at. Visit Fort, the former British administrative centre and military garrison, Sea Street - the Goldsmith’s quarters in the heart of Pettah, the Bazaar area where there is also a Hindu Temple with elaborate stone carvings, the Dutch Church of Wolfendhal dating back to 1749. Also visit the BMICH (Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall), see the replica of Avukana Buddha and the Independence Square. The rest of your day is free for you to enjoy at your leisure.

Day 4 - Dambulla via Sigiriya

After breakfast depart for Dambulla via Sigiriya, en route visiting the Elephant Orphanage at Pinnawela .

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 40 now, including baby elephants brought from various parts, as well as the 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.

Late afternoon climb the 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. Sigiriya was never conquered by any of the invading forces that had such an affect on the Island of Sri Lanka. It was however ceded to the British during the colonial rule without force.

Dinner and overnight stay at Amaya Lake Hotel, Dambulla 4*

Day 5 - Polonnaruwa

After breakfast proceed to Polonnaruwa for sightseeing. Polonnaruwa is the 11th Century Capital of the Sinhalese Kings and contains some splendid building and spectacular statues. The Sathmalprasada is a huge tiered dagaba (Pyramid style) Rankot Vihara is a cave like shrine and probably the most photographed area of the whole ancient site is the Gal Vihare which is a rock shrine with three gigantic figures of the Buddha cut into granite rock.

In the afternoon you will go on a jeep safari of Minneiriya Wild Life sanctuary. Minneriya National Park is the 12th National Park of the country and extends 8889 hectares. Entrance is at Ambagaswewa about 6kms from Habarana on the main Habarana to Polonnaruwa road. Elephants, wild buffaloes, wild boar, spotted deer, sloth bear, sambhur leopards, crocodiles, jackals, 9 kinds of amphibians, 25 kinds of reptiles, 160 species of birds, 26 varieties of fishes, 78 varieties of butterflies are recorded from the Minneriya Sanctuary.

Dinner & overnight stay at Amaya Lake Hotel, Dambulla 4*

Day 6 - Anuradhapura

After breakfast you will depart to Anuradhapura, 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.

Dinner & overnight stay at Amaya Lake Hotel, Dambulla 4*

Day 7 - Elkaduwa

After breakfast you will depart for Elkaduwa, en route visiting the Spice Garden at Matale and see the luscious, Cinnamons, Cardamons, Pepper plants etc. You will also be able to purchase a huge range of spices. Following the Spice Garden there will be a visit to a Batik Factory where you can see the manufacture of beautiful Batik prints. The shop contains a wide variety of Batik items.

Late afternoon arrive at Hunas Falls Hotel, The Heaven of Hills.

Day 8 - Kandy

After breakfast you will travel to Kandy where you will have a tour of the city and visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic and Royal Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya.

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 Buddhism’s influence in Sri Lanka today. Temple’s shrines and monasteries keeping alive Buddhist traditions are everywhere.

To the Buddhist 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.

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.

In the evening enjoy dinner and the Sri Lankan Cultural show at the Hunnas Falls Hotel.

Day 9 - Nuwara Eliya

After breakfast you will depart for Kandy train station where you will board the observation coach on the “Udarata Menike“ train for a scenic ride to Nuwara Eliya.

Your chauffeur will meet you at the Nuwara Eliya train station where you will be taken on a sight seeing tour in Nuwara Eliya and visit the water falls.

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 bird watching as you may see 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 autumn (August and September). These are the “seasons” when low-country folk flock to Nuwara Eliya to escape the sea level heat and humidity.

Dinner & Overnight stay at St. Andrew’s Hotel, Nuwara Eliya

Day 10 - Negombo

After breakfast you will travel to Negombo where you will spend the rest of the day at leisure by the beach.
Dinner and overnight stay at Blue Oceanic Beach Hotel, Negombo

Day 11 - Negombo

Full day at leisure by the beach with breakfast and dinner at the hotel.

Day 12 - Depart to Maldives

When you arrive in the Maldives you will be met by our representative and will be transferred to the 4 star Holiday Island resort. The rest of the day will be spent at leisure by the beach.

Day 13, 14 & 15 - Maldives

Full day at leisure by the beach with breakfast and dinner included.

Day 16 - Dubai

After breakfast you will depart for the airport. When you arrive in Dubai you will be met by our representative and will be transferred to the Jonard Hotel. The rest of the day will be at your leisure.

Day 17 - Dubai

You will have an afternoon visit to the Burj Al Arab Hotel for high tea and sightseeing in the hotel. Overnight stay at Jonard Hotel.

Day 18 - Dubai

After breakfast visit the Dubai ski ring. The rest of the day is spent at your leisure. Overnight stay at Jonard Hotel.

Day 19 - Dubai

Afternoon transfer to airport for departure to London