ENCHANTING SRILANKA TOUR
Places Covered
COLOMBO – KANDY – NUWANA ELIYA – BENTOTA
Duration : 06 NIGHTS / 07 DAYS
Note
Suggested tour itinerary is a flexible tour proposal and can be change as per the guest requirement. We provide tailor made itinerary as per the need of the guest if you want to add or remove any of the destination please advise us for modification so that you can enjoy best of your holidays in Srilanka.
Day 01: ARRIVE COLOMBO – KANDY
On arrival Colombo airport you will be met by ITM Holidays representative and procceds to Kandy Pinnawala – Pinnewala Elephant Orphanage App. 90km away from Colombo. Off Colombo-Kandy road is Pinnawala, where an orphanage was started in 1975 to house the abandoned and the wounded elephants. The number of elephants has increased now, including baby elephants brought from various parts, as well as the babies born, as a result of the captive breeding programs. 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. Overnight stay at ,Kandy “
Day 02: KANDY
After breakfast start your full day tour “Kandy – the hill capital is another ?World Heritage Site?. It was the last stronghold of the Sinhalese Kings during the Portuguese, Dutch and British rule and finally ceded to the British in 1815 after an agreement. To the Buddhists 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. Close by are the remains of the Royal Palace (?Maha Wasala?), ?Palle Wasala?- where the Queens stayed-now used for the National Museum, ?Meda Wasala? where other close relatives lived, Audience Hall, Natha Devala and Vishnu Devala are situated close by. The Bathing Pavilion (?Ulpenge?) is by the Lake and in the Center of the lake is the Island called ?Kiri samudraya? (Milk white ocean) used by the kings as the summerhouse. Today it is the center of Buddhism, Arts, Crafts, Dancing, Music and Culture. Overnight stay at hotel.
Day 03: KANDY – NUWARA ELIYA
After breakfast check out from hotel and embark Nuwara Eliya, Tea Plantation Tea was first planted in Sri Lanka in 1824 at the Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya, when a few plants were brought from China. More were introduced from Assam in 1839. In 1867, a Scottish Planter named James Taylor planted tea seedlings in an 8 hectares of forestland, in the Loolkondura Estate. In 1873, the tea export industry of Sri Lanka began with a modest 23 lbs. being shipped to London. Tea will grow only on rolling terrain and is classified by elevation into low grown, medium grown and high grown into 3 main groups. Today more than 200,000 hectares in highlands and other areas are under Tea and around 300 million Kilograms, with a 25% of world tea exports are done by Sri Lanka as the World?s largest Tea exporter. Ramboda – Ramboda Falls A gigantic water fall having three parts and very close to the 53km post along the above A-5 trunk road. The first part is above the road in the jungle (100m), second part is close to the road (3m) and the third part (100m)is below the road. Traveler should descends to the “”Ramboda basin””, where the famous “”Ramboda Inn”” situated from where he can see the whole fall. When we were there the upper part was covered with a fog and what you see in the picture was the third part. If look carefully, one can notice a bus on the bridge over the A-5 road at the top of the photo.Overnight stay at hotel.
Day 04: NUWARA ELIYA
After breakfast start your full day tour According to the Indian Epic Ramayanaya and the legends, the area where Sita, Queen of King Rama of Ayodhya in India, who was abducted by Ravana the King of Sri Lanka, was kept in hiding and the area she roamed is in the hill country of Sri Lanka. In Nuwara Eliya is the “”Sita Amman Kovil”” – a quaint little Kovil, with the statues of Rama, Sita, Hanuman, Lakshmana and Sugriva. This is supposed to be the only Kovil in the entire World dedicated to Sita. The stream by the side of the Temple is a famous spot where she went for bathing. Out of the 13 Palaces of Ravana, two caves in the Strict Nature Reserve of Hakgala, starting from Temple land and the cave at Ella close to the waterfall “”Ravana-Ella”” (1080ft. high) where Ravana went for bathing, are supposed to be three Palaces Sita was kept in hiding.The Hakgala Gardens may be the “”Ashok Vanaya”” of Ramayana where Rhododendrons identified as Ashok Flowers in the epic, are found in bloom throughout the year. 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 Birding as you get 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 fall (August and September). These are the ?seasons? when low-country folk flock to Nuwara Eliya to escape the sea level heat and humidity. Hakgala – Hakgala Botanical Gardens Four miles south east of Nuwara Eliya is another prominent peak, Hakgala. At its foot lie the Hakgala Botanical Gardens, and abov
Day 05: NUWARA ELIYA – BENTOTA
After breakfast, check-out of the hotel and leave for Bentota via Kithulgala En route White water rafting(Optionl) Kithulgala It is one of the most famous places for White Water Rafting adventures. However there are many more reasons why this spot, just 100 kms from the capital Colombo, is well worth visiting. Chief among these are the historic Beli Lena Caves where the pre-historic Balangoda Man supposed to have lived. The caves are reached after a short 10km drive from the main road through the Kitulgala tea estate. David Lean?s epic war film ?Bridge on the River Kwai? was filmed in this area of the Kelani River, which runs through Kitulgala, and the ruins of the bridge still remains. In the Kelani Valley forest reserve is a low elevation forest where you get to see rare and endemic birds, including the latest Serendib scops Owl ( Otus thilo Hoffmani), ampibians, reptiles,frogs,endemic fishes in the stream, endemic tree snails & if lucky mammals including mousedeer, monkeys and other small animals.Traveeling to & from the forest can be done by boat. Overnight stay at,Bentota”
Day 06: BENTOTA
After breakfast start your full day tour and vist Bentota – Bentota is the first National Holiday Resort developed by the Ceylon Tourist Board as a planned resort. There are 6 tourist hotels in the beach span of 5 miles with all the facilities a resort would require. Water sports facilities are available as in the Beruwela Resort. Many interesting sightseeing tours are possible from here, such as the Turtle Hatchery, Boat trips on Bentota River etc. Bentota – BOAT RIDE A journey into Sri Lankan nature with a river boat cruise which takes you on the Bentota River and under the Bentota Bridge. You are taken through mangroves which surround you with astounding beauty. Experience nature first hand as your guide helps you identify unique plants and animals. Our expert guides will enlighten you with fascinating information about the local animal life, plant life and the flourishing scenery of Sri Lanka. The calm sound of the water flowing down the Bentota River will open your senses to a more secretive side of Sri Lanka’s beauty. Kosgoda – Turtle Hatchery Where you can see five species of turtles-Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas), Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta), Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) and Olive Ridley Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea). The eggs collected by the Villagers and Fishermen are purchased by the Kosgoda Hatchery and kept in sandy pens until they are hatched. The newly hatched ones are kept in seawater tanks and released to the sea in the night. This Hatchery alone has released more then 1,750,000 young turtles to the sea. An endowment by the Hasselblad Estate was responsible for the establishment of this hatchery. Overnight stay at,Bentota.
Day 07: NUWARA ELIYA – BENTOTA
After breakfast, check-out of the hotel you will be transfer you to the Airport for your onward flight, the trip ends with extremely fond memories and an experience you will cherish for a life time.