Day 1:
Welcome to Stunning Sri Lanka!

On arrival at Bandaranaike International Airport we are welcomed at the arrivals gate by our guide before your transfer to Negombo.  Check-in and a freshen up before an exciting evening tour of the city.

Negombo is a major city on the west coast and is well known for its fishing industry and huge fish market.  Your local guide will be your new bestie and give you the lowdown on all the areas you visit including heritage churches, the Dutch Fort Gate, Dutch Canal.

Speak up if there’s somewhere you want to stop and look around.  Finish the evening with a delicious Sri Lankan meal.

Accommodation: Tranquil Negombo Boutique Hotel.

Meals: As per airline.

Activities: Transfer to accommodation, Negombo city tour.

Day 2:
Let’s Head Inland

After breakfast, we have a short stop at the fish market before proceed to Sigiriya region.  The travel time is vastly dependent on traffic and can be anywhere from 4 hours or more. We will stop off for breaks as required.

The afternoon is left free to relax by one of the pools at our lodge or indulge in a spa treatment at the onsite spa.  

Tonight you have the option to visit a Buddhist temple in the evening where you can attend an evening Puja.  A puja is a special ceremony in which prayers are offered to the Buddhas to request their blessings or invoke their help.  This is a unique experience to witness and appreciate the local Buddhist culture.

Accommodation: Kassapa Lions Rock Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast.

Activities: Transfer to Sigiriya, Buddhist temple visit.

Day 3:
Sigiriya Rock Fortress

Catch your breath as today we will climb the UNESCO World Heritage site Sigiriya, also known as ‘Lion Rock’.  Sigiriya is a fortress like no other, rising 500ft with what was once a great palace on its summit. Let your mind wander and imagine a time when the palace was in its prime with stunning gardens and swimming pool.

A well earned rest is in order as we transfer back to our accommodation for an afternoon of lazing by the pool, a massage or facial or acquainting yourself with your favourite novel you thought you’d never get to read.  

An afternoon option to visit the Pidurangala Rock to see the vibrant sunset.

Accommodation: Kassapa Lions Rock Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast.

Activities: Climb Sigiriya Rock, sunset at Pidurangala Rock.

Day 4:
I Want Kandy

The drive to Kandy is broken up with a visit to the Golden Rock Temple of Dambulla.  Explore the magnificently carved UNESCO World Heritage listed rock cave temples having over 21,000 sq ft of paintings and more than 100 statues of Buddha, Gods and Kings.

The afternoon is kept free to browse Kandy at your own pace.

Optional evening activity: Witness the evening prayer at The Temple of the Tooth Relic.  The temple houses Sri Lanka’s most important Buddhist relic – a tooth of the Buddha. Although you don’t actually get to see the tooth (it’s kept in a gold casket) the room is open to devotees and travelers.  Wear clothes that cover your legs and your shoulders, and remove your shoes.

Accommodation: Skyloft Kandy.

Meals: Breakfast.

Activities: Transfer to Kandy, evening prayer Temple of the Tooth Relic.

Day 5:
Hill Country and Ramboda Falls.

This morning we leave for the tea plantations of Nuwara Eliya with a stop by Ramboda Falls.  The drive is certainly picturesque with some of the best scenery, townships and landscapes you’ve ever seen.

On arrival in Nuwara Eliya we will jump on a local bus and visit Pedro Estate and the Lovers Leap Boutique Tea where we will do a tour of the tea plantation, meet and talk to the local women who work and live on the estate, pick some tea leaves of your own and of course enjoy a few cups of the world’s best tea.

We chose Pedro Estate because of the sustainability programs in place providing a place to live for all workers, giving them health and nutrition programs for both workers and local kids and even have an empowerment program to help the workers achieve work and life goals and encourage them to always upgrade their skills and knowledge. They take care of younger members of the local community through education and nutrition clinics, paying special attention to infants in need.

Accommodation: Heaven Seven, Nuwara Eliya

Meals: Breakfast.

Activities: Transfer to Nuwara Eliya, Pedro Tea Estate, The Tea Leaf School.

Day 6:
Lovers Leap & The Tea Leaf School

Option today to self explore or you can opt in and join our guide and follow the activities for the day.

This morning we visit the impressive Lovers Leap waterfall before an afternoon visit to The Tea Leaf School where we meet the selfless staff of the Tea Leaf School who dedicate every day to delivering high quality, accessible educational programs to young people and children from the tea estates of the Central Province through academic programs, positive coping strategies and improving self-worth and value through social transformation.  

The evening is kept free to head out and explore a little of Nuwara Eliya also known as ‘Little England’ on your own.

Accommodation: Heaven Seven, Nuwara Eliya

Meals: Breakfast.

Activites: Self explore.

Day 7:
All Aboard the Train to Ella

Today is a feast for the senses as we board the train to Ella.  The bright green tea estates and the rolling slopes of the valleys will become visible as we move through the brilliant wildflowers and untouched meadows and the occasional village.

Experience Sri Lanka’s natural beauty at its best before we disembark at Ella where our guide will be awaiting our arrival.  There will be occasional sellers passing through the train selling fruit and snacks.

Visit the famous 9 arch bridge for photos before we check in and chill out for the remainder of the day.

Accommodation: Hotel On Rock, Ella.

Meals: Breakfast.

Activities: Train ride to Ella, visit 9 arch bridge.

Day 8:
Sunrise at Little Adam’s Peak & Cooking Class.

Option to visit the Little Adam’s Peak offering breathtaking views of the valley below.  The views all the way along are incredible and make this easy walk well worth the early morning.

We will enjoy a cooking class with a local today where we will learn the authentic techniques to some of Sri Lanka’s most delicious dishes.

Accommodation: Hotel On Rock, Ella.

Meals: Breakfast.

Activities: Little Adam’s Peak, cooking class.

Day 9:
Yala National Park Safari

It’s an experience of epic proportions today as we visit Yala National Park, Sri Lanka’s most famous park bringing us up close and personal with wildlife in their natural environment.

Whether you are an avid nature lover or visiting a wildlife park for the first time, if you come here with a mind that’s eager to explore and learn, you will go away with new-found meaning to life.  With a leopard density that’s higher than anywhere else on this planet, these menacing predators prowl majestically in Yala, while elephants roam in their numbers with cautious deer scampering by their side.  This will be a day that will carve out a place in your heart forever.

We will break for a stop off at Rawana Falls, the widest falls in Sri Lanka en route to Yala.

Accomm: Chaarya Resort and Spa.

Meals: Breakfast.

Activities: Jeep safari, Rawana Falls

Day 10:
Mirissa Beach Here We Come

Get ready for a vision of pure tropical bliss.  You’ve earned these days of rest and relaxation on the powdery white sand and frolicking in the azure water rimmed by swaying coconut palms at Mirissa Beach.

Close to the centre of Mirissa Bay is a sandbar that connects to a tiny island that you can walk to at low tide.

Accommodations: Paradise Beach Club, Mirissa Beach.

Meals Included: Breakfast.

Activities: Transfer to Marissa Beach.

Day 11
Mirissa Me All Over Again

Escaping the frenetic for the road south is a giant sigh of relief. Out go the congested streets and clouds of exhaust fumes and welcome the sultry beaches of the Sri Lankan dream and the following days are yours to fill as you wish.

There is as much for you to do in the next few days as you please.

Choose from:

• Whale watching
• Surf lessons
• Massages and spa indulgence
• Cheap cocktails with your feet in the sand
• Working on your tan
• Tuk tuk tours (Ranji is our man, let me know and I’ll connect you!)
• Binge read your fave novel

Accommodations: Paradise Beach Club, Mirissa Beach.

Meals Included: Breakfast.

Day 12
Surfs Up

Another perfect day begins in paradise – enjoy!

Accommodations: Paradise Beach Club, Mirissa Beach.

Meals Included: Breakfast.

Day 13
Hikkaduwa & Foundation of Goodness

Today we leave Mirissa and move north to the beach town of Hikkaduwa.  Here we visit the The Foundation of Goodness, a not for profit NGO set up by Kushil Gunasekera. The Foundation has a holistic approach to bridging the gap between the urban and rural sector in Sri Lanka, empowering over 35,000 lives in 200+ villages via 30 sectors in action, annually, free of cost.

Hear first hand stories of the devastating Boxing Day tsunami and learn of the powerful work Kushil and his team are doing and the direct benefits it has for the local population.  A really special day and rounds out our holiday perfectly.

Accommodation: Hotel Coral Sands, Hikkaduwa Beach.

Meals: Breakfast.

Activities: Transfer to Hikkaduwa, visit Foundation of Goodness.

Day 14
It’s a Sad Farewell

It’s time to say goodbye.  No doubt this will be one of the most memorable experiences and we’ll be sad to leave.

Transfer to the Bandaranaike International Airport in preparation for departure.  Please confirm departure time with your guide or host with ample time for the 2 ½ hour drive plus check-in procedures.