SPECIALLY PREPARED ITINERARY OCTOBER nights / 15 days

Transcription

1 SPECIALLY PREPARED ITINERARY OCTOBER nights / 15 days

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3 Day 1 10 October 2017 Arrival On arrival in Sri Lanka, please clear immigration, collect your luggage then proceed through the customs green channel to the arrival lobby. We will be waiting in the designated area with a paging board. You will then be escorted to the vehicle park for your transfer to Colombo Check in to your hotel Afternoon City tour of Colombo Colombo, the commercial capital of Sri Lanka, is a major port near the mouth of the Kelani Ganga River. It owes its importance largely to its great breakwaters, which give shelter to a large, artificially created harbour. Beira Lake, administratively part of the Port of Colombo, is connected with the harbour by a canal and locks. Colombo handles most of the foreign trade of Sri Lanka and is an important fuelling station. Manufactures of the city include metal goods, refined petroleum, motor vehicles, processed food, textiles, clothing, and chemicals. Sri Jayavardhanapura, the legislative and judicial capital of Sri Lanka, is on the outskirts of Colombo. The business section of Colombo, called the Fort, occupies the sites of the former fortified area. Broad avenues and modern buildings contrast with the narrow, crooked streets and ramshackle structures of the Pettah quarter. Places of worship include Christian churches, Muslim mosques, and Buddhist temples. The University of Colombo, Sri Lanka Technical College (1893), and other educational institutions are located in the city. The early name of the city, Kalan-totta (Kelani ferry), derived from a nearby river-ferry point, was corrupted into Colambu by the Arabs and changed to Colombo in 1517 by the Portuguese in honour of Christopher Columbus.The Colombo museum as it was called at the beginning was established on 1 January It founder was Sir William Henry Gregory the British Governor of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) at the time. The Royal Asiatic Society (CB) was instrumental in bringing to the notice of Gregory on his appointment as Governor in 1872 the need for a public Museum with much difficulty the approval of the legislative council was obtained within a year. The Architect of the Public Works Department, J. G. Smither was able to prepare the plans for new structure on Italian Architectural style. The construction was completed in 1876 and the Museum commenced it functions in the following year. Cargills Fort - The 120 year-old Cargill s building in Fort will soon be transformed into a London-based, Harrods-type of building with the company charting new plans for its future. The Cargills building in Fort is a grand old building and the story goes that the first Governor of Ceylon resided here. We have been considering re-building it to its old glory. I think the time has come for us to take this opportunity seriously, he said adding that the company is looking at its entire land base. Wolfendahl Church is a massive cruciform edifice built by the Dutch in 1749 on the site of an earlier Portuguese church. It is one of Colombo's few surviving buildings fro m the period of Dutch rule ( ). The name derives from the Dutch translation of the Portuguese 'Agoa de Loupe' meaning the 'dale of the wolves'. The hill on which the church was built took its name after the low-lying marshy swamp which was infested with jackals rather than wolves

4 (there are no wolves in Sri Lanka). Dinner and overnight stay at The Ramada Colombo 3+* (Standard room on HB)

5 Day 2 11 October 2017 After breakfast today you will be collected and taken to Sigiriya En route visit Pinnawela. The Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage is unique in that it breeds wild elephants in captivity and also takes care of orphaned wild elephants found in the jungles. The feeding process of these elephants is extremely interesting. Baby elephants drink at least 3 bottles of milk all in large slurps, holding the bottles precariously in their trunks. Check in to your hotel Spend the day at leisure. late afternoon jeep safari into Minneriya Wild Life Sanctuary Return to your hotel Dinner and overnight at Sigiriya Jungles Hotel Sigiriya 3+* (Standard room on HB) Day 3 12 October 2017 Proceed to Polonnaruwa; ruined city which displays the influences of both Indian and Sinhalese cultures. See the world famous Polonnaruwa Gal Viharaya consisting of three huge stone monoliths of the Lord Buddha, in a sitting, standing and reclining positions. Seethe Vatadageya, Sathmahal Prasadaya, Raja Saba Mandapaya, Nisshanka Latha Mandapaya, and Parakrama Samudra the most famous places of Buddhist interest in Polonnaruwa ancient city. Proceed to climb the famous Sigiriya Rock fortress. Considered the 8th wonder of the world, Sigiriya was built in 5 AD by patricide King Kassapa and boasts the world famous frescoes of women carved on sheer rock face. Climb the rock fortress and marvel at the feats of architecture achieved in the moats, the lions paw and finally at the summit of the rock, where the palace was situated. King Kassapa had 500 hand maidens living in this palace. Dinner and overnight at Sigiriya Jungles Hotel Sigiriya 3+* (Standard room on HB)

6 Day 4 13 October 2017 Leave for Kandy Visit the Dambulla cave temple Dambulla cave temples. Dambulla, considered by most to be the center point of Sri Lanka, Dambulla is a town built around a vast isolated rock mass 500 ft and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.It was here that King Valagambahu took refuge in the 1st century B.C. The view from the top of this rock is breathtaking 350 ft. above are a series of five caves which was later t urned into a magnificent rock temple by King Valagambahu. In the first cave is a recumbent image of the Buddha 47 ft, long, cut out from the rock. There are images of deities associated with Buddhism. The frescoes on the walls and ceiling could be dated to the 15th - 18th centuries. In the second cave, the finest and the largest, are not less than 150 life size statues of gods. There are numerous images of the Buddha as well. The ceiling too is covered with frescoes which depict great events in the life of the Buddha, and landmarks in the history of the Sinhala People. En route visit a wood carving factory & a Batik factory The road to Kandy is a beautiful one, as you eventually begin the climb up to the delightful hill station.. Girdled by hills, Kandy is a peaceful haven to retire to and enjoy the cool of the climate. Kandy, at an altitude of 500m is the cultural center of Sri Lanka and was the capital of the last Singhalese kingdom. It is a particularly relaxed hill station, once captured by the British.It is dominated by its lake and the nearby Temple of the Tooth which houses Sri Lanka's most sacred relic. Evening participate in "Evening pooja at Dalada Maligawa" Kandy s main attraction is the Dalada Maligawa, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. Brought to Sri Lanka in the 4th c. A.D., the sacred relic has ever since been the symbol of sovereignty for its rulers and always enshrined in great splendour. Kandy s Dalada Maligawa is a magnificent shrine, with decorative walls, moat, turrets, golden roof and fine wood-work and its 16th 19th century ambience vividly alive. Three religious services (pooja) with traditional music, held daily at dawn, mid-day and in the evening, can be viewed by visitors. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Suisse Kandy 3* (Standard room on HB) Day 5 14 October 2017 Visit the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens. A visit to the Royal Botanical Garden Peradeniya near Kandy will pay rich dividends. To the botanist, this is indeed a land of plenty. The diversified climate allows for growth of tropical as well as subtropical trees. The luxuriant undergrowth and tall majestic trees of the wet zone tropical forest contrast with the arid scrub land and tail pot palms of the dry north. In the hills, vegetation varies

7 from the almost treeless patnas of Horton Plains to the dark cloud forests, wreathed with the protected Old Man s beard Moss. From the March to May, numerous flowering trees such as the fiery Poincianan regia, the white Mesua ferrer and the cherry blossom-like Tebebuia burst into bloom and flowering orchids include endemic varieties such as the protected Vanda and Wesak Orchids. National emphasis has also been placed on the human plant relationship: official recognition has been given to the Na Tree (Mesua nagassarium) and the Blue Water Lily (Nymphaea stellatac), as the national tree and flower respectively. Along the cast bordering estuaries and lagoons, are the mangrove habitats which provide sanctuary for the island s diverse coastal fishery resources. Return to your hotel. Rest of the day at leisure Dinner and overnight at Hotel Suisse Kandy 3* (Standard room on HB)

8 Day 6 15 October 2017 Leave for Nuwara Eliya Train ride from Peradeniya to Nanu Oya Nuwara Eliya, known under the name "Little England" located at the foot of Mount Pidurutalagala at an altitude of 1884 m above sea level. Mild climate (average annual temperature of 15 degrees -20), picturesque meadows and valleys, mountain landscapes, make Nuwara Eliya a very popular place in Sri Lanka. Sightseeing Sri Lanka s beautiful tea growing regions en route, including a visit to a working tea factory and estate Check into your hotel. Rest of the day at leisure.. Dinner and overnight stay at The St Andrews 3+*Nuwara Eliya 3* (Standard room on HB) Day 7 16 October 2017 Day at leisure Dinner and overnight stay at The St Andrews 3+*Nuwara Eliya 3* (Standard room on HB)

9 Day 8 17 October 2017 After breakfast today check out of the hotel and proceed to Tissamaharama Check in to your hotel Dinner and overnight stay at The Safari Tissamaharama (Yala) 3* (Standard rooms on HB) Day 9 18 October 2017 Morning jeep safari into Yala Sanctuary Witness nature at its best with the beauty of the wild animals in their natural state Inside the park you will come across wild boar, deer, leopards, elephants, bears, peacocks and many more animals roaming freely as nature intended them to live. The elephants gather at the waterholes for drinking and you may watch them bathing their young and immersing themselves in the river. They can also be sighted at close range sometimes. You may also see leopards sunning themselves on rocks in the park. Herds of deer roam at will keeping a wary eye on the predators. Peacocks flaunting their colorful feathers strut around are a breathtaking sight. You will find Yala a delightful place to survey our wild animals. Return to your hotel Dinner and overnight stay at The Safari Tissamaharama (Yala) 3* (Standard rooms on HB)

10 Day October 2017 Leave for Hikkaduwa City tour on arrival the capital of the southern province is a city with a colorful history. UNESCO declared World Heritage Site the magnificent Dutch fort is the most popular attraction of the town. 300 year old Dutch atmosphere is still very much alive around the fort and amidst its many historical buildings not invaded by the skyscrapers. The beautiful beach of Unawatuna is just 6km south east of the city Centre. The southern coastal belt is the most popular among the tourists and comes to life mainly from October through April when the monsoon moves northeast and the sea becomes calm with blue skies. The earliest European administrative centre of Sri Lanka was the major port and the largest city until the British shifted the port to Colombo. The City of Galle had been the European administrative centre over 4 centuries. Portuguese built the first fort to withstand attack from the Sri Lankan kingdom s to the north. Dutch who captured the coastal cities from the Portuguese improved the defense system of the fort, widening the moat on the landside, improving the ramparts and the bastions. British who captured the city did not make many changes as they shifted the part to the northern town of Colombo and therefore the atmospheres of Dutch days are preserved to date. The Dutch entrance to the fort with it VOC with 1669 carved in the inner archway is still in use. Still there are many Old Dutch buildings intact and, but unfortunately except for those in the private hands. The ramparts and the bastions still bring to life the old world. Also visit a turtle hatchery Check in to your hotel Dinner and overnight stay at The Coral Sands Hikkaduwa 3+* (Deluxe rooms on HB)

11 Day October 2017 Day at leisure on the beach Dinner and overnight stay at The Coral Sands Hikkaduwa 3+* (Deluxe rooms on HB) Day October 2017 Day at leisure on the beach Dinner and overnight stay at The Coral Sands Hikkaduwa 3+* (Deluxe rooms on HB) Day October 2017 Day at leisure on the beach Dinner and overnight stay at The Coral Sands Hikkaduwa 3+* (Deluxe rooms on HB) Day October 2017 Day at leisure on the beach Dinner and overnight stay at The Coral Sands Hikkaduwa 3+* (Deluxe rooms on HB) Day October 2017 Leave for CMB Intl Apt to connect with departure flight The end of memorable tour!...