MELBOURNE TO COLOMBO

Welcome to our fascinating tour to Sri Lanka! After we are collected by our chauffeurs, we are transferred to Melbourne International Airport where we meet our O’Shannessy’s Tour Director and fellow passengers, ready to board our direct flight to Sri Lanka this afternoon. On our arrival at Bandaranaike International Airport, we will be welcomed by our local guide and transferred to our hotel which is approximately a one hour drive. We check into our delightful accommodation and head straight to bed for a restful night.

Dinner and refreshments inflight

OVERNIGHT:  Cinnamon Grand, COLOMBO

EXPLORING COLOMBO

We have a chance to sleep in this morning and enjoy a leisurely breakfast. Late morning we board the coach for a sight-seeing tour of the country’s capital - Colombo. This port city has a rich colonial heritage with a potpourri of races, religions and cultures. With these diversities comes understanding and tolerance – being one of the stand-out features of its people and consequently the whole country. We will see Colombo is a colourful place with a diverse range of new buildings, old Colonial buildings and street markets. Returning to the hotel we have a lovely buffet lunch waiting for us. The rest of the afternoon is free to enjoy the hotel facilities, including the beautiful swimming pool.

OVERNIGHT:  Cinnamon Grand, COLOMBO

COLOMBO TO GALLE

Our travels today see us heading south to the beach area of Bentota. The distances are short but it does take awhile to drive a short way. However, the travel is part of the experience in Sri Lanka! One of our visits is to a Turtle Hatchery where eggs are kept safe from predators and released after hatching for a better chance of survival. Sri Lanka has five breeds of turtles calling it home. Next we head to Ambalangoda, an area famous for mask carving and puppets. There is quite a history attached to this tradition of carving and performing with the masks which we will learn about today. Our destination is Galle, where we will stay for the next two nights.

OVERNIGHT:  Jetwing Lighthouse, GALLE

THE GALLE FORT

Today we explore the Galle Fort. This fort was built by the Portuguese in 1588. Recognised by UNESCO for its cultural heritage makes this is a very special place. After our tour, we enjoy lunch, sampling some of the best of Sri Lankan street food. Our afternoon is free for more exploring, perhaps some shopping in the many boutiques selling gems, carvings, handwoven fabrics etc. Stop for a drink in one of the unique hotels. We are sure to have a really fun day. We’ll meet up for dinner at the hotel.

OVERNIGHT:  Jetwing Lighthouse, GALLE

GALLE TO YALA

Today we make our way across the southern end of Sri Lanka to Yala National Park. Our guide will choose a lunch venue along the way. Upon arrival at our hotel, we check into this beautiful accommodation with time to freshen up and put on our safari gear! Make sure your eyes are peeled and cameras are charged as we take our safari jeeps into the Yala National Park. Elephants roam with cautious deer scampering by their side. There are a multitude of birds to keep an eye out for and our guide will explain anything else we come across throughout the drive. If you’re lucky, you might even spot the lord of the jungle, a leopard. We make the most of our stay in this magnificent establishment by settling in for two nights. Dinner on the deck gives a surreal ambiance (weather permitting). We will want to soak up every minute of the privilege of being in this beautiful part of Sri Lanka.

OVERNIGHT:  Jetwing Yala, YALA NATIONAL PARK

YALA

Time to slow down today and relax! We can enjoy a morning game drive which showcases the park quite differently to the afternoon drive. The rest of the day has been left free to enjoy the hotel and the facilities – the gorgeous swimming pool, the spa and wellness centre – or a stroll along the beach and perhaps spot some of the playful monkeys who live here.

Lunch own expense and arrangements

OVERNIGHT: Jetwing Yala, YALA NATIONAL PARK

YALA TO NUWARA ELIYA

Today, we go from low flat terrain on the coast through ever changing scenery as we meander through the picturesque mountains.  We make stops along the way to admire some of the many waterfalls dotted throughout the area. Once again our guide will choose an appropriate lunch venue for us to pick up something light (own expense). This afternoon we make our way towards Nuwara Eliya where we will begin to see some of the tea plantations this area is renowned for.  Arriving in Nuwara Eliya, we could easily make the mistake of thinking we are in a small English village. Nuwara Eliya’s climate lent itself to becoming the prime sanctuary of the British civil servants and planters in Ceylon.  Called Little England, this hill country retreat is where the British colonialists immersed in their pastimes such as fox, deer and elephant hunting, polo, golf and cricket. We take a look around the small town before we arrive at The Grand Hotel for a very English High Tea!

Lunch own expense and arrangements

OVERNIGHT: The Grand Hotel, NUWARA ELIYA

NUWARA ELIYA TO KANDY

It is only fitting that this morning we take a tour of a tea factory, explaining the process of tea plucking and production right to the stage of the tea getting into our cups. Sri Lanka provides a large segment of the world’s tea so it is a very important industry for this country.  It is surprising how much labour goes into the process but the scenery from here is just divine so the tea pluckers seem to always have a smile on their faces! The  rest of the afternoon will be spent getting to the metropolis that is Kandy. The journey by train remains one of the world’s most stunning train rides, weaving through the tea plantations and small villages. This will be a wonderfully exhilarating trip. We will travel in a first class cabin but it’s not what we may expect! Disembarking in the central province, Kandy is the second largest city in the country after Colombo. Dominating the town is Kandy Lake. This is an artificial lake created in 1807 by the last ruler of the Kingdom of Kandy. The city of Kandy is also known for its performers that dance and play music. This evening we are treated to a performance by Kandy dancers. This type of dancing cannot be found anywhere else in the world. The costumes are specific to the Kandy area.  Finally we make our way up the mountain through the narrow streets to arrive at our lovely accommodation. Once we check in we meet together in the restaurant for an extensive buffet dinner. If the weather is good we will dine outside.

OVERNIGHT:  Earl’s Regency, KANDY

PINNAWALA ELEPHANT ORPHANAGE

Today will incorporate some real highlights.  Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in the morning has to be seen to be believed. We will not only have a chance to watch a baby elephant being fed but see some of the 100 resident elephants of the orphanage wander down the village street to their bathing area!  It is definitely a sight to behold. We enjoy an early lunch here while watching the elephants revel in the water for their favourite time of the day – bath time!  Returning to Kandy, we visit the Peradeniya Botanic Gardens where we can take a leisurely stroll through the wonderful varied floral displays. Then, one of the most pleasant areas around Kandy Lake is the Temple of the Sacred Tooth, housing Sri Lanka’s most important Buddhist relic – a tooth of the Buddha. The temple is located in the royal palace complex which has played an important role in local politics because it is believed whoever holds the relic holds the governance of the country.  Kandy was the last capital of the Sri Lankan kings. Today is sure to be one we will remember for a long time.

OVERNIGHT:  Earl’s Regency, KANDY

KANDY TO DAMBULLA

We travel further north today, still in the centre of Sri Lanka. A large part of the unique experience of being in Sri Lanka has to do with their food. Today we travel through the area of Matale where most of the spice gardens are located. The Sri Lankans believe these spices help people “live a long and healthy life” and we will be given an educational spice tour at a spice garden to see how some of the more unusual items are grown. This is also the perfect place to watch a cooking demonstration to show how easy it is to use the spices to make some delicious fare. With the food made and the smells wafting around us, we enjoy lunch. We will look at our meals in a different light after today. We make a brief stop at the Dambulla Cave Temple where the Golden Temple is situated. This is the largest and best-preserved cave-temple complex in Sri Lanka. Our hotel is in Dambulla, situated right on the lake in the midst of what is known as the “Cultural Triangle”.

OVERNIGHT: Jetwing Lake, DAMBULLA

POLONNARUWA

Setting off after breakfast, we visit the ancient site of Polonnaruwa, which was once the capital of Sri Lanka from the 11th to the 13th century. The site is now listed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO as the ancient remains consist of a walled inner and outer city, surrounded by monasteries and temples, with palaces, gardens and a manmade lake in its midst. This fascinating place will be explained to us throughout our tour. As we make our way back to Dambulla we stop at a local restaurant for lunch. This afternoon we have been invited to a local school to meet some of the children who take education seriously. They are sure to be happy to see us and the smiles come so readily in Sri Lanka so it should be a joy for us to visit them too. This is a lovely way to end an interesting day of learning.

OVERNIGHT: Jetwing Lake, DAMBULLA

SIGIRIYA OPTIONS

The morning has been left free for us to choose how we wish to spend it. All activities this morning are at our own expense.

- One option is to relax at the hotel and enjoy the wonderful facilities it offers. Take a swim in the magnificent pool or simply read a book with a cool drink in hand, beside the pool. Book in a spa treatment at the wellness centre, or use the gym for a bit of exercise.

- Sigiriya Citadel Rock is an iconic attraction which is a plateau formed from magma of an extinct volcano 200 metres higher than the surrounding jungles. On the top of the rock is a fortress complex which required advanced architectural and engineering skills but was constructed 1600 years ago! It is possible to climb the rock but this is not for the faint-hearted. This exercise will take a few hours and is well worth the effort. Alternatively, the Sigiriya Museum at the base of the rock provides an excellent historical overview of the Citadel and archeological finds.

- Oxen cart and village tour will give us a diverse experience with a cart ride, then a small water vessel across the lake to see how locals in rural village areas live and if we are lucky - take a tuk-tuk out of the area. This is great fun and very popular so decide quickly if you choose this!

This afternoon, we join our final safari in the Minneriya National Park. This park is reported as the largest known wild Asian Elephant Gathering at one place in the World and it’s likely that we’ll be able to spot 100 wild elephants at once, so have your cameras ready! At dinner this evening, we can discuss stories of today’s adventures with our fellow passengers.

Lunch own expense and arrangements

OVERNIGHT:  Jetwing Lake, DAMBULLA

DAMBULLA TO NEGOMBO

Leaving this area we head back to the coast making our way to Negombo. We take our time, stopping at sites of interest and eventually arriving at our final hotel destination late afternoon. There will be time to take a look around the grounds and settle in before we meet together again for dinner.

Lunch own expense and arrangements

OVERNIGHT:  Jetwing Beach, NEGOMBO

EXPLORING NEGOMBO

The Fish Market is a must see experience whilst in Negombo so this will be one of our stops during our city sights tour of the area.  Negombo is about two metres above sea level and the geography is a mix of land and water.  The Dutch style canal flows in the heart of the city, while the lagoon is one of the most scenic landmarks. There are over 190 species of wildlife and plenty of birds in its mangroves. After our tour, there will be opportunity for some last chance shopping today. If you haven’t taken a Tuk-Tuk ride yet why not hail one and take a trip wherever you like? This is a cheap and exciting way to get around. Our guide will suggest venues for lunch but the rest of the day has been left free to do our own thing. We have arranged to have a memorable farewell dinner this evening.  Our tour has come to an end so we farewell Sri Lanka leaving with memories of a wonderful time spent in a most welcoming part of the world. We are transferred to the airport tonight for our return flight UL604 which departs approximately 12.30am.

Full day use of hotel - Jetwing Beach, Negombo

Lunch at own expense and arrangement / Refreshments and meals inflight

OVERNIGHT:  Inflight

ARRIVE MELBOURNE

We fly all night before we arrive back in Melbourne. After completing Customs and Immigration, our chauffeurs will be waiting for us in the arrival lounge. We’re sure you will arrive home with a sense of well-being, appreciation and an absolute love for Sri Lanka.