$1,395 Per Person Twin Share for an 11-Day Unplugged Sri Lanka Tour incl. Transfers, Accommodation, Tours, Meals as Indicated & More

Departure dates:

2015

• November 23rd
• December 7th
• December 21st (holiday season extra charge of NZ$60)

2016

• January 4th (holiday season extra charge of NZ$60)
• January 18th 
• February 1st 
• February 15th
• February 29th 
• March 14th 
• March 28th
• April 4th
• April 18th

Itinerary:

DAY 01
Afternoon proceed on a sightseeing tour of Colombo, which like many capital cities in developing countries is fast changing its face. Almost overnight, skyscrapers arise from where old buildings once stood. Yet in some parts, the old world charm is retained. For example, there is a 100-year-old clock tower and several British built colonial buildings. Other places of interest are the Pettah bazaar where one can shop for bargain, a Hindu and a Buddhist temple, residential areas where you find the stately homes of the affluent, the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) - an outright gift to Sri Lanka from the People's Republic of China. You will also visit some of the more popular shopping destinations such as Barefoot, Odel, Paradise Road, Cotton Collection and Lakmedura. Once completed, return to the hotel – Rest of the evening at leisure

Dinner and Overnight at Ramada, Colombo

DAY 02
COLOMBO / YAPAHUWA / SIGIRIYA
Breakfast at hotel – 0730Hrs, leave for Dambulla en route visiting Yapahuwa - Rising 100m from the surrounding plain, the impressive granite outcrop of Yapahuwa (pronounced yaa-pow-a) has some fascinating features and history. Between 1272 and 1284, King Bhuvanekabahu (I) used the rock fortress as his capital and kept Sri Lanka’s sacred Buddha tooth relic here. Indians from the Pandavan dynasty captured Yapahuwa in 1284 and carried the tooth relic to South India, only for it to be recovered in 1288 by King Parakramabahu (I).Yapahuwa’s steep ornamental staircase , which led up to the ledge holding the tooth temple, is one of its finest features. One of the lions near the top of the staircase appears on the Rs 10 note. The porches on the stairway had extraordinarily beautiful piercedstone windows, one of which is now in the National Museum in Colombo; the other is in the museum right here. Continue to Sigiriya and commence on a journey though the village paths up to the lake, then cross the lake by canoe where you could experience the life of the rural villages. On completion, return to the vehicle and continue to the hotel - Rest of the evening at leisure

Dinner and Overnight at Kassapa Lions Rock, Sigiriya

DAY 03
SIGIRIYA / ANURADHAPURA / SIGIRIYA
Breakfast at hotel – Morning proceed on a sightseeing tour of Anuradhapura - It was the first capital and undoubtedly the grandest city of the ancient Sri Lanka, It is the home of two World Heritage sites. Many places of historical and archaeological interest could be visited. Sri Maha Bodhi (Sacred Bo-Tree) was brought as a sapling of the tree under which prince Siddhartha attained to enlightenment and it is over 2,200 years old and is the oldest historically documented tree in the world. At Brazen Palace (2nd century B.C), the 1600 stone columns you see are all that is left of a magnificent multi-storied residence for monks. Ruwanweliseya (2nd century B.C) is the most famous of all the Dagobas. It originally depicted the perfect ‘bubble shape" that modern restoration has not been able to accurately reproduce. Samadhi' Buddha statue (4th century AD) is one of the most famous statues, depicting the Buddha in a state of 'Samadhi' or deep meditation. Isurumuniya rock temple (3rd century B.C) is well known for its rock carvings of 'The Lovers'. Kuttam Pokuna – twin ponds (6th century AD) was used by the Buddhist monks as a bathing pool. Thuparama Dagoba (3rd century B.C) is the oldest Dagoba in the island, which enshrines the right collarbone of the Buddha – Once completed, return to the hotel – Rest of the evening at leisure


Dinner and Overnight at Kassapa Lions Rock, Sigiriya

DAY 04

SIGIRIYA / POLONNARUWA / MINNERIYA / SIGIRIYA
Breakfast at hotel – Proceed on a sightseeing tour of Polonnaruwa - Which was the 2nd capital city of Sri Lanka, built in the 11th and 12th centuries AD, and which is a world heritage site - Here you can see the ruins of the Royal Palace, the Gal Viharaya – where 4 splendid statues of the Buddha in ‘Upright’, ‘Sedentary’ and ‘Recumbent’ postures carved out of rock, the Audience Hall, the Lotus Bath, king Parakramabahu’s statue, and the Parakrama Samudraya lake built by King Parakramabahu the great. There are also monuments of famous places of worship such as the Shiva Temple, the Lankathilake, the Watadage, the Galpotha, the Kiri Vehera and the remains of a former Temple of the Tooth Relic. On completion, proceed on a Jeep Safari to visit the Minneriya National park - This park consists of mixed evergreen forest and scrub areas and is home to Sri Lanka’s favourites such as sambar deer, leopards and elephants. However the central feature of the park is the ancient Minneriya Tank built in the 3rd century AD by King Mahasena. This tank is an incredible place to observe the elephants, who come to bathe and graze on the grasses as well as the huge flocks of birds (cormorants and painted storks to name but a few) that come to fish in the shallow waters. Once completed, return to the hotel – Rest of the evening at leisure

Dinner and Overnight at Kassapa Lions Rock, Sigiriya

DAY 05
SIGIRIYA / DAMBULLA / MATALE / KANDY
Breakfast at hotel – Morning proceed to visit the Sigiriya Rock Fortress – Thought to be one of the oldest tourist attractions in the world, and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982, Sigiriya offers its visitors nothing less than a breathtaking experience. Standing more than 200m tall over the surrounding plains, the rock is said to be a solidified magma plug, from a long eroded and extinct volcano. On its summit are the remains of a palace, built (by King Kasyapa) in the 5th century AD. Hidden in a cave along the citadel are some of the most magnificent ancient frescoes in South Asia. Seen today are, what’s said to be left of the 500 paintings of maidens that once covered a large area of the face of the rock. The Mirror wall that leads up to the Lion staircase, its brick masonry wall built of Lime plaster was said to have been so well polished, that it reflected the paintings of the opposite rock wall. Today, 15 centuries later the shine on this wall can still be seen. A total of nearly 1500 writings on the wall, include verses that date way back as far as the 8th century, most of which have now been deciphered. On completion, leave for Kandy – En route visit a spice garden in Matale, to see the different spices, which Sri Lanka is famous for. You will be introduced to different spices and shown how some of these spices are grown and processed. Continue to Kandy

Dinner and Overnight at Topaz Hotel, Kandy

DAY 06
Breakfast at hotel – Morning proceed to visit the Elephant Orphanage in Pinnawela - This orphanage is the home for about 89 elephants, out of which some are baby elephants found abandoned or orphaned in the wild. They are being cared, fed and trained by the wild life authorities. The best time to visit is during the feeding times, when one will have the opportunity of seeing the baby elephants being bottle-fed. Also could accompany the elephants to a river close-by and see them having their daily bath. Return to Kandy, en-route visit the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens. This botanical garden was first built as a pleasure garden by a Sinhala king and was expanded by the British. It is 147 acres in extent and provides an amazing variety of trees, plants and flowers. Continue to Kandy and proceed on a sightseeing tour – “Kandy” was the last capital of the Sri Lankan kings, and is a World Heritage Site. The name Kandy conjures visions of splendor and magnificence. Many of the legends, traditions and folklore are still lovingly kept alive. Drive around the Kandy Lake built by the last Sinhala king Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe in 1798. Visit the Kandy town and Bazaar, the arts & crafts Centre and a gem museum and a lapidary. In the evening visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic and thereafter witness a cultural show featuring traditional Sri Lankan dancing.

Dinner and Overnight at Topaz Hotel, Kandy

DAY 07
Breakfast at hotel – Leave for Nuwara Eliya – En route visit a tea plantation and a tea factory, where the best tea in the world is produced. You will be told all about the process of manufacturing tea. You can also see how tea is graded. Taste a cup of pure Ceylon tea in the factory. Once completed, continue to Nuwara Eliya, because of its invigorating mountain climate and scenery, “Nuwara Eliya” is Sri Lanka’s most popular hill resort. Nuwara Eliya is also the heart of Sri Lanka’s tea country producing a significant share of the world’s best tea. Sri Lanka’s highest mountain Pidurutalagala (8282 feet) is located here. Nuwara-Eliya also has one of the finest 18 hole golf courses in South Asia – Evening leave on a sightseeing tour of Nuwara Eliya – Drive through "Little England” Once completed, return to the hotel – Rest of the evening at leisure

Dinner and Overnight at Heaven Seven , Nuwara Eiya

DAY 08
NUWARA ELIYA / HORTON PLAINS / NUWARA ELIYA
Morning proceed to Horton Plains, The coldest and windiest location in Sri Lanka consists of ecosystems such as Montane evergreen forests, grasslands, marshy lands and aquatic ecosystem. At an altitude of 2,100 meters above sea level, Horton Plains spreads across over 3,169 hectares of the highest tableland of the island. In view of the large number of endemic flora and fauna species, Horton Plains was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 30th July 2010. The escarpment with a depth of 900 meters called World’s End and Baker’s Falls are the highlights of the Horton Plains. On completion return back to the hotel – Rest of the day at leisure

Dinner and Overnight at Heaven Seven , Nuwara Eiya

DAY 09
NUWARA ELIYA / KITULGALA / KALUTARA
Breakfast at hotel – Leave for Kalutara via Kitulgala - This is an area of rolling hills, tropical rainforests and winding rivers. The sleepy riverside village of Kitulgala owes its popularity to the Kelani River which offers exciting Grade 3 and 4 rapids for rafting. The breathtaking scenery here was used for the filming of the Oscar-winning classic “The Bridge over the River Kwai” by David Lean. Continue to Kalutara

Dinner and Overnight at Coco Royal Resort, Kalutara

DAY 10
KALUTARA / GALLE / KALUTARA

Breakfast at hotel – Proceed on a sightseeing tour of the Galle Fort - The Galle fort was built first by the Portuguese, and then modified by the Dutch during the 17th century. Even today, after 400 years of existence, it looks new and polished with reconstruction work done by Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka. Today Sri Lankan government and many Dutch people who still own some of the properties inside the fort are looking at making this one of the modern wonders of the world. Once completed, return to the hotel – Rest of the day at leisure on the beach

Dinner and Overnight at Coco Royal Resort, Kalutara

DAY 11
KALUTARA / DEPARTURE TRANSFER

Breakfast at hotel – Leave for the airport to connect with the departure flight.

Inclusions:

• Accommodation in hotels including breakfast and dinner on twin-sharing basis with an mandatory single supplement for solo travellers
• All transfers as per the itinerary in an air-conditioned vehicle with the services of an English speaking chauffeur guide ( 02 – 03  Pax by Car  / 04 – 06 Pax by Van / 07 Pax above Mini Bus )
• Hotel service charges and VAT

Exclusions

• Airfare to Sri Lanka and visa charges
• Applicable entrance fees and other charges at sites and places of interests as per the itinerary 
• Tips, bar, laundry, telephone calls and other personal expenses not specified above.
• Compulsory Seasonal Supplement
• Compulsory X – Mas Eve  ( 24th Dec) and New Years Eve (31st December ) Supplement at hotels
• Lunch throughout the tour
• You have the opportunity to visit all the places below or selected during the tour, at your expense (can be arranged by Ceylon Paradise):
  • Village Visit, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya, Minneriya
  • National Park (half-day game drive)
  • Dambulla Rock Temple
  • Temple Of The Tooth Relic
  • Royal Botanical Gardens
  • Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage & Horton Plains

PLEASE NOTE:

Bars, Clubs or similar entertainment is prohibited during “Poya” Days (one day a month – full moon day). As such liquor will not be served in public areas of the hotels during this time.  

All transfers as per the itinerary are in an air-conditioned vehicle with the services of an English-speaking chauffeur/guide (2-3 people by car, 4-6 people by van, 7+ people by mini bus)