Romantic Sri Lanka. Brief Itinerary. Brief Itinerary

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1 Romantic Sri Lanka Brief Itinerary Brief Itinerary Day 1 Day 2 Day 7 Day 10 Day 12 Day 14 Day 17 Fly Colombo, Sri Lanka Drive Galle, Kahanda Kanda, 5 nights, B&B Drive Yala, Chena Huts, 3 nights, fully-inclusive Drive Tea Country, Koslanda, 2 nights, B&B Drive Kandy, Kandy House, 2 nights, B&B Drive Cultural Triangle, Ulagalla, 3 nights, B&B Fly home

2 Day 1 Today you will take the international flight to Colombo, Sri Lanka. Day 2 On arrival in Colombo you will be met by your private driver/guide and transferred to the coast to Galle to stay at Kahanda Kanda for the next 5 nights. Whilst here you will have a tour of Galle Fort and can go for a romantic kayaking trip, explore local villages by bike or spend the afternoon just enjoying the beach. Galle is the capital of the south and one of Sri Lanka's most cosmopolitan towns. With a spectacular setting on the south western tip of the island, Galle is surrounded by palm fringed beaches and forest clad hills inland. The city has had a chequered and varied history, with a mixture of influences and cultures crossing over the centuries, leaving a vibrant and diverse way of life. Famous for its UNESCO protected 17th century Dutch Fort, the old part of the city is enjoying an artistic renaissance with the town and the beautiful beaches around it dotted with luxurious villas and classy boutique hotels. Kahanda Kanda is simply a stunning, luxury boutique villa set on a 10 acre tea estate, 15 minutes inland from the Galle coast. The hotel exudes peace and tranquillity and is set on a hill top overlooking the tea plantations, paddy fields, jungle and Koggala Lake below. The seven suites dotted through the gardens are all individual and luxurious with huge 4 poster beds. This is a beautiful hotel and even though you are not on the beach you get the best of both worlds.. You will spend 5 nights at Kahanda Kanda on a B&B basis. Day 7 This morning you will be driven to Yala National Park to stay at The Chena Huts for the next 3 nights. The 500 square miles of Yala National Park is dramatically different from the lush jungles and paddy fields that cover much of the island. Its dry and dusty with lots of dry thorny scrub so perfect wildlife country. There is plenty of game in the park from leopards, wild boar, elephants and water buffalo, spotted deer, crocodile, jackals and even sloth bears. The best game viewing time is in the dry season so August and September when you can expect to see most of the animals. The bird life is outstanding and the fan tailed peacocks steal the show.

3 Enveloped by dunes and fringed by luscious jungle at the ocean s edge in Sri Lanka s Yala National Park, you ll find The Chena Huts, the first luxury safari lodge in Sri Lanka. With only 14 luxuriously appointed cabins hidden throughout the bush and along the shore, here you ll feel at one with nature without compromising on comfort. Each private wooden pavilion is spread throughout property and has a living room, bedroom, en-suite bathroom and sheltered outdoor deck with a built-in plunge pool. Wander to the beach to see elephants bathing or watch sea turtles lay eggs in the moonlight. You will spend 3 nights at Chena Huts on a fully-inclusive basis. Day 10 This morning you will be driven up into the hill country to stay at Tea Trails Dunkeld for the next 2 nights. Whilst here you will take part on the Tea Trails experience exploring the tea fields and learning how the tea is made. There are some incredible hikes around the area where you can explore the stunning scenery, after a day exploring enjoy relaxing in the bungalows infinity pool as the sun sets. The tea country is Sri Lanka at its most dramatic: a land of gurgling mountain streams and steep hillsides cloaked in luminous green tea, sweet-scented Cyprus and Eucalyptus trees. Nuwara Eliya, nestled at the foot of a mountain, was made into a summer retreat by the British in the early 1800s and much of its colonial character still remains. Renowned for its picturesque landscape of lakes, tall mountain ranges and sprawling tea plantations it was nicknamed Little England by the English planters who settled there. On its own estate surrounded by the aptly named 'God's Forest' and tea plantations Koslanda is a beautiful hotel where you can relax whilst you enjoy exploring the surrounding tea plantations. With waterfalls and a river the picturesque surroundings make for a scenic backdrop to the hotel, if you are stay in June to August you may catch a glimpse of the elephants as they come into the hills during the dry season. Built in a traditional Sri Lankan style with an infinity pool overlooking the paddy fields and three open sided cushioned houses known as Ambalas. The hotel has four colourful en-suite villas with their own outdoor Jacuzzi and hot water garden shower private terrace and veranda.

4 You will spend 3 nights at Koslanda on a B&B basis Day 12 This morning you will be driven to Kandy to stay at Kandy House for the next 2 nights. During your stay you can visit the Botanical Gardens and explore Kandy on a guided city walk including a visit to The Temple of the Tooth and the Kandy Museum. The hill-country capital of Kandy lies on a plain amidst towering hills and looped by Sri Lanka's largest river: the Mahaweli. For Buddhists, Kandy is one of the holiest cities with the famous Temple of the Tooth and in August there is a magnificent procession where the sacred tooth of Buddha is majestically paraded on elephant back around the city streets. It s a lovely place to wander around to see the faded colonial grandeur of bygone years. The botanic gardens have many rare and wonderful trees and plants from around the world and it's worth going for a cocktail high on the hill at Helga s Folly. Kandy House is a beautiful nine-bedroomed hotel which makes you feel like you are in the remote jungle, though it s only 12km from the bustling city of Kandy. The hotel is tastefully decorated with colonial furniture and was the ancestral home of one of Kandy s most influential aristocratic families. The suites are set around a two-storey central courtyard each with its own private veranda complete with teak and rattan furniture. You will spend 3 nights at Kandy House on a B&B basis

5 Day 14 This morning you will be driven up into the Cultural Triangle to stay at Ulagalla for the next 3 nights. During your stay you may choose to explore the ancient ruins of Anuradhapura or the gathering of the elephants at Minneriya National Park. The Cultural Triangle has a plethora of history with entire lost cities, ruined temples, sacred caves, centuries-old murals and some amazing early engineering intertwined with the history of Buddhism. Five of Sri Lanka's seven UNESCO World heritage sites are in the area but you could definitely feel 'ruined-out' if you attempt to see them all. It's all about space and nature at Ulagalla - and the 25 eco-friendly chalets are spread out within the 58 acres of paddy fields, organic vegetable plots and ornamental gardens. Golf buggies drop you off and pick you up but bicycles are also provided to scoot about the estate and visit the horse riding centre, driving school, spa, archery school and kayaking lakes. The chalets are huge and extremely comfortable with a sitting room, bedroom and wet room bathroom. Each has a huge terrace with a large plunge pool and sunbeds with views either over the paddy fields, lakes or gardens which are filled with a plethora of birds. The main restaurant and bar are in the 150 year old restored manor house in front of which there is an amazing 50m swimming pool. You will spend 3 nights at Ulagalla on a B&B basis Day 17 Today you will be driven to Colombo, where you will check in for the international flight home. ***********