Grand Tour of Sri Lanka

 

Negombo	Beach Hotel	1 night
Sigiriya	Vil Uyana	2 nights
Kandy	Hunas Falls	2 nights
Nuwara Eliya	St Andrew's Hotel	2 nights
Yala	Yala Village	2 nights
Galle	The Lighthouse	4 nights

15 days from £995

excluding international flights

DAY 1 - Depart UK.

Recommended flight from London: SriLankan Airways from London Heathrow (see below). If you are travelling from a country other than the UK we would be happy to give you guidance on your flight options.

DAY 2 - Arrive Colombo.  By road to Negombo.

On arrival in Colombo you will be met by a representative of World Discovery outside immigration and customs. You will then be taken by private car direct to your hotel in Negombo on the shores of the Indian Ocean.  The rest of the day is at leisure.

DAY 3 - Drive to Sigiriya via Pinnawela.  Dambulla.

After breakfast head off into the island's interior.  On your way to your hotel in Sigiriya visit the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage.  There are more than 60 elephants at Pinnawela;  this unique project has proved the salvation of these threatened animals, but it has also resulted in their domestication.  Continue to Sigiriya for an afternoon at leisure.  In the early evening you can explore the rock temple at Dambulla (pictured), the largest cave monastery in Sri Lanka with a history going back to the 1st century B.C.
Meals included: Full breakfast.

 

DAY 4 - Sigiriya. Polonnaruwa.

In the early morning set off to climb the spectacular rock fortress of Sigiriya, the 'Lion Rock'(pictured) to see the delightful frescoes depicting beautiful women, usually known as the 'Sigiriya damsels'.  After viewing the frescoes there is the option for the stout-hearted of continuing to the summit via the narrow stairway clinging to the rock's sheer face.  Little remains of King Kasyapa's 5th century fortress that once graced the summit (for some 18 years this was the royal citadel, impractical as it may seem), but the view over the surrounding plains is magnificent.  In the afternoon you will visit the ancient royal capital of Polonnaruwa, which flourished under the Chola Dynasty from the 11th to 13th centuries AD.  Built beside the extensive man-made reservoir known as the 'Sea of Parakrama', Polonnaruwa is the best preserved of Sri Lanka's ancient cities.  Some of the finest reclining buddha statues in the country are to be found here, carved from huge slabs of granite (such as the one pictured).  You will also see the ruins of the King's Council Chamber, the Royal Pavilion, the Kiri Vehera stupa, and the 'Quadrangle', the latter a compact group of ruins including a circular relic house decorated with a superb moonstone (not the jewel, but a traditional carved semi-circular stone step.
Meals included: Full breakfast.

DAY 5 - Drive to Kandy via Matale Spice Gardens.

After breakfast leave your hotel for the drive to Kandy, Sri Lanka's second city, visiting en route the fascinating spice garden at Matale.  Spend the afternoon exploring Kandy, a lively city surrounded by rolling hills and forest (pictured) which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Kandy was the last capital of the Sinhalese Kingdom, and is famous for its lake and the renowned 'Temple of the Tooth', Sri Lanka's most important Buddhist relic.  The sacred tooth of Buddha was reputedly snatched from the flames of his funeral pyre and eventually found its way to Sri Lanka towards the end of the 16th century.
Meals included: Full breakfast, dinner.

DAY 6 - Kandy.

A day at leisure at your hotel, located just outside the city.  If you wish you can organise a nature walk with the resident naturalist.
Meals included: Full breakfast.

DAY 7 - Drive to Nuwara Eliya.

Today you will be driven into the higher hill country, famous for its its extensive tea plantations as well as its natural delights - beautiful gardens, cascading waterfalls, lakes and sweet smelling mountain air.  Your destination is Nuwara Eliya (pronounced Noo-REL-ya), located at 6,500 feet/1980m.  This former British hill station is full of colonial buildings, one of which is your hotel, built more than a hundred years ago as a golf club bungalow, and full of the style and atmosphere of that bygone era.
Pictured: In the tea fields near Nuwara Eliya.
Meals included: Full breakfast.

DAY 8 - Nuwara Eliya.

Rest and relax in these peaceful surroundings or take a walk through the countryside.
Meals included: Full breakfast.

DAYS 9 AND 10 - Yala National Park.

Your next destination, Yala National Park, Sri Lanka's premier wildlife destination, is the best place in the country to see leopard, although this is not guaranteed.  You will also witness crocodiles basking in the sun, herds of spotted deer, sloth bears, porcupines, buffaloes, macaque monkeys and many more species of mammals, including a large number of elephants (left).  Enjoy morning and evening jeep safaris in the park, experiencing a wide variety of habitats including scrub jungle, water tanks, brackish lagoons and rivers.
Meals included: Full breakfast each day.

 

DAYS 11 TO 14 - Galle. 

This morning drive to the city of Galle on the south west coast of Sri Lanka.  Your hotel is located on a lovely stretch of beach just outside the city.  You have 4 days to relax in this delightful spot.  Galle has always been one of Sri Lanka's most historic cities, the gateway to the sandy coves of the south.  Galle is also home to the magnificent 300 year old fort, like Kandy a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is the largest and best preserved colonial sea fortress in Asia, constructed during the Dutch occupation in the 17th century.  We recommend you take a lunch at the famous Sun House, an 1860s hilltop colonial mansion (now a small hotel) overlooking the harbour and fort.
Meals included: Full breakfast, dinner each day.

DAY 15 - Drive to Colombo for your homeward flight.

Drive along the western coast of Sri Lanka to Colombo Airport (approximately 4 hours) for your homeward flight.
Meals included: Full breakfast.                                                                              

International Flights.

We recommend the services of SriLankan Airways from London Heathrow. Flights are non-stop and have a choice of classes. Current timings (subject to possible change) are as follows:
Heathrow/Colombo. Depart at 21.25; arrive Colombo at 15.35 (next day)
Colombo/Heathrow. Depart at 13.15; arrive Heathrow at 19.45

Grand Tour of Sri Lanka (Tour Reference: WDSL004)
2010 Departures
Price per person based on a minimum of two persons travelling together:

Departures on Saturdays (see note below)	Price
Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr	£995
May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct	£1390

Flights are available on most days of the week, but the timings differ each day and a Saturday departure (returning on a Saturday) offers the best option.  On some days, for example, you would need to leave Galle in the very early morning in order to reach Colombo in time for your homeward flight.

Single Room Supplements on request.

The price includes:

• Hotel accommodation as listed above in twin-bedded rooms with private facilities
• 13 full breakfasts as shown in the itinerary
• Private transportation throughout
• All sightseeing as shown (unless indicated as ‘optional’), including entrance fees
• The services of a private English-speaking driver/guide throughout

Not included in the price:

• International flights (see our recommendation above). We are happy to discuss the flights with you and give you further guidance
• Optional sightseeing
• International airport taxes
• Tipping. We will be pleased to give guidance in this often sensitive matter

A deposit of £250 per person is required at the time of booking. The balance of the price for your travel arrangements must be paid at least 8 weeks before your departure date.