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Exploring Sri Lanka

Classic 2 Week Tour of Sri Lanka

Our classic 2 week tour of Sri Lanka is a great starting point when planning a trip. Perfect for anyone wanting to combine the country’s main cultural and scenic highlights with a stay on the beach. This itinerary is well paced and offers plenty of flexibility. You will stay in a mixture of four and five star boutique hotels and be accompanied by a private driver until you reach your beach hotel. Please note that cheaper hotel options and likewise upgrades are available. We can also alter all of our tours in any way you see fit.

Your Itinerary

Day 1 - Arrive in Colombo

Land at Colombo International Airport and meet your private English speaking driver. Your driver will drive 20 minutes to The Wallawwa where you can rest and acclimatise. The Wallawwa is a smart boutique hotel that has successfully combined traditional Sri Lankan architecture with stylish contemporary interiors.

Day 2 - Elephant experience

Your driver will return first thing in the morning and transfer you to the Cultural Triangle. En route you could stop at the Elephant Freedom Project and spend the morning with 2 rescued elephants, walking with them and feeding and bathing them. Your hotel for the night will be Vil Uyana,  a collection of stilted villas surrounded by paddy fields, water and forest.

Day 3 - The Sigiriya Rock Fortress

Wake early to climb the Sigriya Rock Fortress. The ruins of the capital built by the parricidal King Kassapa I (477–95) lie on top of a granite peak standing some 180m high, which dominates the jungle from all sides. In the afternoon enjoy some relaxation and pampering at your hotel.

Day 4 - Polonnaruwa Ancient City

Today your driver/guide will take you to visit the ancient city of Polonnaruwa. Visit the museum and explore the fantastic temples, stupas and relics by bicycle with your guide, keeping a look out for any roaming elephants.

Day 5 - Local Village Excursion & Kandy

Start the day with a village cycling or tuk tuk tour and discover the local lifestyle and cottage industries such as brick making, coir broom and ayurvedic oil making. Stop off at the local village dance teachers house and observe the traditional dances. Finish the morning with a lovely feast of rice and curry.

After lunch, make your way down to Kandy and visit the Temple of the Tooth and possibly the Botanical Gardens and Commonwealth War Cemetery. Spend two nights at The Elephant Stables

Day 6 - Kandy City Tour

This morning, visit a local Kandyan home and learn to ‘cook like a local’. You will be given an in depth introduction to Sri Lankan spices and you will cook up your feast in traditional clay pots on wood fires stoves as well as using more modern methods.

Enjoy your delicious dishes for lunch.

In the evening we recommend a drink at the outrageous Helga’s Folly. Former guests of this eccentric abode include Vivien Leigh, Laurence Olivier and more recently the Stereophonics who wrote ‘Madam Helga’ following their stay.

Day 7 - Scenic Railway to the Tea Fields

From Kandy you can catch the scenic railway up into the hill country and tea plantations. Your driver will follow the train with your luggage and transfer you to Living Heritage Koslanda after you disembark at Haputale station.  The scenery here is breathtaking with beautiful walks and waterfalls.

Day 8 & 9 - Colonial Relaxation

While in the tea country you can visit a local tea factory, enjoy a guided walk through the tea fields. You could also tackle a more challenging bicycle ride or hike, taking in the incredible views from Lipton’s seat. Visit the charming hill town of Ella, go for a guided nature walk or just relax at Living Heritage’s own private waterfall!

Day 10 - Transfer to Yala National Park

From the hill country you can make your way to Yala National Park, where you can hope to see elephants, leopards, crocodiles, sloth bears, wild boar, pythons, birds of prey etc… You can spend the afternoon you arrive by the pool at Yala Jetwing and then do a half day safari the following morning.

Day 11 - 14 - Galle & The South Coast

After a morning in Yala National Park make your way to the south coast where you can spend your last four nights relaxing on the beach. Dine and shop inside the 16th Century UNESCO Galle Fort, photograph the stilt fishermen in Weligama, go whale watching of the coast of Mirissa, scuba dive in Unawatuna and enjoy the string of pretty bays that run from Thalpe to Midigama.

What's included?

 

  • Accommodation as noted based on 2 sharing
  • Private transfers with an English speaking driver
  • Entrance fees / excursions detailed
  • A half day jeep safari in Yala National Park.
  • Scenic Train Tickets
  • All hotel taxes and service charges.

Price excludes:

  • International Flights.
  • Meals and drinks not mentioned above.
  • Gratuities for drivers or guides.
  • Personal allowances.
  • Visas
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Colombo
There is only one word to describe Colombo and that is hectic! It can be fun with a handful of good shops and restaurants to explore but we wouldn't overly recommend it as the first point of call for newcomers to Sri Lanka. It isn't a must see. More
Kandy
Kandy is 3 hours from Colombo and the religious heartland of Sri Lanka. It was made a world heritage site in 1988. The city's main attraction is the Temple of the Tooth, home to Sri Lanka 's most precious Buddhist relic which becomes the focus of a fortnight long festival known as the Perahera each July. Other points of interest include the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage, Royal Botanical Gardens and the Commonwealth Cemetery. More
Negombo
Originally a fishing town the long beaches of Negombo are nowadays dominated by tourists who like the short transfer times from Colombo International Airport. With a few good hotels, Negombo is a popular jumping off point for visitors but it is by far the most touristy town in Sri Lanka and so may not appeal to everyone. More
Bentota
Bentota is just 2 hours from the airport and as such has a good range of facilities such as watersports and local restaurants. There are a number of larger hotels along the main beach, but your likely to have the smaller beaches to yourself. The area is ideal for families with elephant rides on the beach, banana rides year round and Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery nearby. More
Hikkaduwa
Hikkaduwa is traditionally a surfer town and so has a number of laid back beachfront bars and restaurants, as well as two of the only discos on the island. We have a few accommodation options in Hikkaduwa and recommend it as a day trip from both Bentota and Galle for the glass bottom boat and chance to swim with turtles in the bay. More
Galle Fort
The Galle Fort is a UNESCO World Heritage site thanks to its Dutch colonial past and makes a great day trip from a coastal villa. It has a real cosmopolitan feel due to boutique gift shops and hotel restaurants, mixed with Moorish, Portuguese, Dutch and British history. It is possible to stay in the fort and definitely fun for a few nights. It is approx 3 hours from the airport.
Adam's Peak
Adam's Peak at 7500 ft high is the most famous physical feature in Sri Lanka and a place of pilgrimage. Sri Lankans come mainly in the month of April to pay their respects to the mountains deity Sumana, while foreigners come to admire the sunrise. The climb takes several hours and is done at night, therefore only suitable for the physically fit. More
Yala National Park
Yala National Park on the southeast tip of the island is the most well known of Sri Lanka 's 15 wildlife reserves. Yala is prime leopard spotting territory, especially in August when the area is at its driest, but it is also home to a healthy population of elephants, sloth bears, crocodiles, wild boar, buffalo, jackal and an abundance of bird life. More
Ella
Ella has one of the best views in Sri Lanka - through the Ella Gap to the Kirinda Lighthouse on the coast 1000m below. Ella can be reached by road or rail, 7 hours from Colombo. Home to some lovely waterfalls, working tea estates and mini Adam's Peak you can happily spend a few nights in this charming little hill town. More
Kitugala
Home to the Kelani River, Kitugala is a pretty riverside village dedicated to white water rafting, canyoning and kayaking. More
Arugam Bay
Arugam Bay on the east coast of Sri Lanka is a surf paradise, popular with backpackers during the months of April - September. Best avoided in the off season when most of the local businesses close down. More

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