Heritage Tour-1
Colombo - Negombo - Anuradthapura - Polonnaruwa
- Sigiriya - Dambulla - Nuwara Eliya - Kandy - Colombo
( 7 Days / 6 Nights )
Day
1: Colombo - Negombo
Meet on arrival at the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake,
30 km north of Colombo. A warm welcome by our representative, and then
we drive you along the road of the Negombo scenery to your hotel selected.
Stay overnight.
Day
2: Negombo - Anuradhapura - Sigiriya - Dambulla
After breakfast, early start for an overland journey (250km - north
of Colombo) to Auradthapura, the first capital and undoubtedly the grandest
city of the ancient Sri Lanka. Many significant places of historical
an archaeological interest should not be missed; a visit of Sri Maha
Bodhi (Sacred Bo-Tree), is the city's holiest site, and was grown from
the tree under which Buddha achieved enlightenment. At Brazen Palace
(2nd Century B.C.), the 1600 stone columns you see are all that is left
of a manificent multi-storied residence for monks. Ruwanweliseya (2nd
Century B.C.), 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
is one of the most famous statues, depicting the Buddha in a state of
"Samadhi" or deep meditation shape. then pay a visit of the
Thuparama Dagoba (3rd Century B.C.), the oldest of many temples in Anuradhapura,
is believed to contain the right collar-bone of Buddha.
Transfer
from Anuradhapura to Kandalama/Sigiriya. Overnight stay at hotel.
Day
3: Sigiriya - Dambulla - Polonaruwa
After breakfast, we pick you up at hotel and depart by minivan for sightseeing
tour to Polonnaruwa -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 "Upright", "Sedentary"
and "Recumbent" postures carved out of rock, the Audience
Hall (the former pavilion), the Lotus Baht, King Parakramabahu's statue
and the Parakrama Samudraya Lake (the largest man-made reservoirs),
built by King Parakramabahu the great. There are also monuments of famous
places of worship such as the Shiva Temple, the Lankathilake, the Watadage
(tooth-relic
temple), the Gal Pota (The Stone Book), the Kiri Vehera (the white stone
dagoba) and the remains of a former Temple of the Tooth Relic. Transfer
from Polonnaruwa to Sigiriya.
Proceed
to the spectacular of rock fortress of Sigiriya. It's a great experience
not to be missed; we climb up the 5th century rock fortress which is
a world heritage site, built by King Kashyapa (477-495). The "Lion
Rock" is a citadel of unusual beauty rising 200 meters form the
scrub jungle. The rock was the innermost stronghold of the 70 hectare
fortified town. A moat, rampart, and extensive gardens including the
renowned water gardens ring the base ofthe rock. Aside from Sigiriya,
you will be lead to witness the world-renowned frescoes of the "Heavenly
Maidens" of Sigiriya, which are in a sheltered pocket of the rock
approached by a spiral stairway - theses frescoes are painted in earth
pigments on plaster. Overnight stay at hotel.
Day
4: Dambulla - Kandy
After breakfast, we travel to Kandy via Dambulla. En route visit the
Dambulla Rock Temple, which was donated by King Walagambahu in the 1st
century BC to Buddhist monks - Dambulla is a World Heritage site and
is the most impressive of Sri Lanka's cave temples. The complex of five
caves with its over 200 sq.metres of painted walls and the ceiling are
the largest area of paintings found in the world. Theses caves contain
over 150 image of the Buddha of which the largest is the colossal figure
of the Buddha carved out of rock spanning 14 metres.
We
keep driving to Matale, a tiny town 24km north of Kandy, is encircled
by hills with its pleasant park featuring. 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. Transfer from Matale to Kandy.
Take
city tour of Kandy, the last capital of Sri Lankan kings and is a World
Heritage Site, We take you drive around the Kandy Lake built by the
last Sinhala "King Sri Wickrama Rajasinglehe" in 1798. We
travel around the town to witness the sights attraction; bazaar, art
& craft center, a gem museum and a lapidary . You will be transferred
back to Colombo in the evening with its last en route visit the Temple
of the Tooth Relic. You are witness to the culture show featuring traditional
Sri Lanka dancing and then transferred to hotel for dinner and stay
overnight.
Day
5: Kandy - Nuwara Eliya
After breakfast, we depart for Nuwara Eliya with en route visit the
Peradeniya Botanical Gardens which was built as a pleasure garden by
a Sinhala king and was expanded by the British. It is 147 acres in extent
and provides and amazing variety of trees, plants and flowers. We just
laze around all the afternoon - it is free time to explore the scenic
surrounding of the hill station before continuing the trip. Overnight
stay at a hotel.
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 coldest places on the island, but it
is really just like and England spring day although the temperature
does drop at night. All around Nuwara Eliya you will see evidence of
the British influence. Houses are like country cottages or Queen Ann
style mansions.
Day 6: Nuwara Eliya - Colombo [B-L-D]
After breakfast, we travel to Colombo via Kitulgara, en route view scenic
waterfall. Commence the trip in the afternoon with visit a 100 year
old clock tower and the old Parliament in Fort, a Hindu and a Buddhist
temple, residential area where you will find the stately homes of the
affluent and the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall
- BMICH, an outright gift to Sri Lanka for the People's Republic of
China and several British built colonial buildings.
Day
7: Depart Colombo
After breakfast, you will be transferred to the Bandaranaike International
Airport in Katunayake, to connect your next departure flight.