'KKVD INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS' Representative will welcome you at the Airport. Transfer to a beach hotel in Negombo and stay leisure on the day.

Negombo

Negombo is in the heart of Sri Lanka”s fishing industry. The sea and catamarans are the backdrop of the Negombo. Negombo is renowned for its fishing. Negombo’s fish market is quite possibly the island’s best. The city is dominated by shrines and picturesque churches due to its significant Catholic population. The biggest is the impressive, candy-colored church of St Mary’s, which exhibits some amazing ceiling paintings. Negombo offers some of the better beaches on the west coast of Sri Lanka, and draws tourists who stop over for a day on their way to or from the airport.

Overnight stay at the hotel in Negombo.

After breakfast proceed to Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage.

The Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, established in 1975, commenced with seven orphans. Today some of these orphans enjoy the fortune of seeing their grand children born in the same location. The original objective of establishing the orphanage inclined more towards tourism, but is soon became a conservation and educational centre. With the help of local and foreign elephant experts, Pinnawala started a scientific captive-breeding program for elephants.

Then proceed to Dambulla. Visit Dambulla Cave Temple at the evening.

The 1st century B.C. Dambulla Rock Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (149 km from Colombo, 16 km west of Sigiriya) is a complex of five cave shrines. Among its highlights are pre-Christian rock inscriptions, sculptures (including a 47 ft long rock-cut reclining Buddha) and Buddhist murals which cover more than 20,000 sq. ft. of cave walls and ceilings, the largest antique painted surface in the world. Ancient drip-ledge drainage still keeps the caves free of seeping water. Dambulla cave temple is a treasure trove containing valuable images The Mural Paintings at the Dambulla Rock Temple belong to different period, traces of which can be seen today. The painted Buddha images and the depictions of the life of the Buddha show the ingenuity and artistic expression of those who painted them, and murals that adorn the cave shrine, drawing visitors daily for its historic fame.

Check in to the hotel in Dambulla and overnight stay at the hotel.

Today start the journey by climbing Sigiriya Rock Fortress after the breakfast at the hotel.

Sigiriya (166 km from Colombo), the stupendous 5th century A.D. rock-fortress citadel of a fugitive king, where history merges with melodrama. A gallery of frescoes of shapely be-jewelled maidens still glows with vibrant colour and the water. It is believed these paintings depict the “apsaras” or goddess and some say it represents the lightning and clouds. Another distinctive feature of Sigiriya is the Mirror Wall which is located just below the paintings. The surface of this wall is well polished and covered with writings known as “Sigiri Graffiti” which are a form of poems. The Lion Staircase leads to the summit and the special feature of this is the massive Lion Paw which carved out of rock. The brick wall is still preserved in original form. Sigiriya is being currently excavated and restored by UNESCO under the Cultural Triangle Project and according to sources is most likely to be declared as a wonder of the world.

Then proceed to Matale and walk around the well grown spice gardens.

Visit a spice garden in Matale to see many different types of spices Sri Lanka is famous for. Just 25 km from the hill capital of Kandy, the Matale spice gardens are among the best on the island. You will be introduced to different spices and shown how some of these spices are grown and processed.

Then proceed to Kandy and check in to the hotel. Evening visit Temple of Tooth Relic.

Kandy 115 km from Colombo, Sri Lanka’s picturesque highland capital, last stronghold of Sri Lankan kings against European conquest from the 16 th to the 19 th centuries. It is the sanctuary of traditional culture, and the island’s most visited tourist resort.

Kandy ‘s main attraction is the Dalada Maligawa, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha brought to Sri Lanka in the 4 th century AD. This sacred relic has ever since been the symbol of sovereignty for its rulers and is always enshrined in great splendor. If you are visiting Kandy during July-August the Esala Perahera is definitely a must see. Termed as Asia’s grandest pageant, this spectacular annual event is held to honour the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha and to obtain blessings of the guardian deities of Sri Lanka.

Overnight stay at the hotel in Kandy.

After breakfast do a city tour in Kandy with Royal Botanical Gardens.

Six kilometers from Kandy, at Peradeniya, the magnificent 57 hectare Royal Botanical Gardens, laid out in 1832, are among the finest in the world. Its treasures of tropical flora include fine collections of orchids, aromatic spices, medicinal herbs, palms and rare, endangered plant species.

Then proceed to Nuwara eliya. On the way visit a tea plantation. Check in to the hotel and at the evening do a city tour in Nuwara eliya.

Nuwara Eliya, meaning “city on the plain (table land)” or “city of light”, is a town in the central highlands of Sri Lanka with a picturesque landscape and temperate climate. Nuwara Eliya’s climate lent itself to becoming the prime sanctuary of the British civil servants and planters in Ceylon. Nuwara Eliya, called Little England then, was also a hill country retreat where the British colonialists could immerse in their pastimes such as fox hunting.

Due to the high altitude, Nuwara Eliya has a much cooler climate than the lowlands of Sri Lanka, with a mean annual temperature of 16 °C. But the temperature changes and sometimes it can be as low as 3°C. In the winter months it is quite cold at night, and there can even be frost. Although it rapidly warms up as the tropical sun climbs higher during the day.

Proceed to Yala via Bandarawela and Ella. AT the evening go for a jeep Safari at Yala. Overnight stay at a hotel in Yala/ Tissamaharama.

Surrounded by hills and tea plantations, the town of Bandarawela is the perfect getaway from Sri Lanka’s tropical heat. The town enjoys spring like weather throughout the year. A favourite retreat of the British during colonial times, Bandarawela is dotted with English country style houses and sprawling gardens.

Yala is by far the most popular national park in Sri Lanka and renowned for the variety of the wildlife especially for Leopards, largely characteristic of dry zone tropical thorn forest and fine coastline and associated coral reefs. Large number of important cultural ruins bears testimony to earlier civilization and indicates that much of the area was populated and well developed, with an irrigation system supplying water to the surround paddy fields, including those of Yala.

Overnight stay at a Hotel in Yala.

After breakfast transfer to a beach hotel in southern coast.

(Tangalle / Ahangama / Weligama / Mirissa / Unawatuna / Koggala / Galle / Hikkaduwa / Bentota / Beruwala)

After the breakfast proceed to Colombo, the busiest commercial city in Sri Lanka.

Colombo is the commercial capital of Sri Lanka – it is the traditional gateway to the Orient. Colombo which has a population of over a million distributed over fifteen zones, has three main zones, each of which has a distinctive character. The Fort, the centre of metropolitan activity, the Pettah the bustling bazaar area and the old Cinnamon Gardens, now fashionably known as Colombo 7 with its spacious mansions and better residential areas.

Do a city tour and there are many places for you to do shopping.

Evening check in to the hotel in Colombo and overnight stay at the hotel.

After breakfast proceed to Airport for departure.