Detailed Itinerary
Day 01 to Day 03
Day 01 - Arrival and transfer to Negombo
You will begin your vacation from a meet and greet followed by being driven by our chauffeur to the coastal city of Negombo, a town with a strong historic Catholic influence due to its Portuguese, Dutch and British colonizers who captured the town for its rich source of cinnamon. This town is located in a narrow strip of land between the Indian Ocean and the lagoon, providing it many canals which provides plenty of opportunity to go exploring. You will then check-in at the hotel and enjoy a short visit to the neighboring communities as you will be driven around by your chauffeur, followed by an overnight stay at your hotel.
Day 02 - Tour from Negombo to Kalpitiya
You will begin your day with breakfast followed by a visit to the Negombo fish market that is held every day except on Sundays. Here, you will have the opportunity to view the colorful varieties of fish most notable fresh harvests of lobster, crab and prawns which are sold off in the fish auction at the beach. Afterwards you will be transferred to Kalpitiya with a stop at the Munneshwaram Kovil in Chillaw on your way. Once you reach Kalpitiya, you will check-in at your hotel and go for an evening visit to see the fishing community, which is the home for 65,000 people with everyone in 5 persons being fishermen who are engaged in small scale fishing contributing to a considerable portion of the country’s dry fish industry. Kalpitiya is a peninsula located in the north western part of the country and is a marine sanctuary with diverse habitats ranging from bar reefs, flat coastal plains, saltpans, mangrove swamps, salt marshes and vast sand dune beaches. The coastal waters also provide nursing grounds for many species of fish and crustaceans as well as being a home to spinner, bottlenose, Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, whales, sea turtles and elusive dugongs.
Day 03 - Tour from Kalpitiya to Anuradhapura
After a trip to watch dolphins along with a boat ride off the Kalpitiya sea, you will be leaving for Anuradhapura after breakfast. On your way to Anuradhapura, you will be stopping in the Puttalam district, in a rural village known as Sirambaidiya which holds a small community of ‘Kaffirs’. Kaffirs are descendants of African slaves who were brought into the island by the Portuguese colonists during the 17th century. You will be spending the rest of the day amongst them where you will also have the opportunity to experience their traditional cultural items such as their Kaffingna, Manja and Baila dances. Afterwards you will continue your drive in the evening and check-in to your hotel in Anuradhapura.
Day 04 to Day 06
Day 04 - Tour from Anuradhapura to Knuckles Mountain Range
You will begin your day with an early morning village trail which offers our guests to experience the typical village lifestyle at its best. The trail will begin at the boutique stall of your local host, Samantha where you will be greeted by a fresh herbal porridge before beginning your ride down a gravel road for 1 kilometer. We will stop at a village house that runs a small dairy farm where you can view the milking process which is done by hand and then enjoy a glass of freshly milked glass of milk before continuing your bike trek. Your next stop will be at the village tank where you will engage in some local fishing with rods and bait. Later on, you will have to cross the lake by carrying your bikes to reach a village house to enjoy some ‘roti’ and ‘lunumiris’ – a local meal made with flour and coconut kneaded and flattened by hand with a local chili paste made with ground onions paired with a cup of herbal drink. Having bid farewell to your village host, you will trek along the village and paddy fields to reach the main road where your vehicle will pick you up and transfer to you the hotel to enjoy a meal and then leave for the Knuckles Mountain Range.
Day 05 - Tour from Knuckles to Dambana
You will begin your day’s excursions by going on a village trail in Pitawala. The trek will introduce you to the local way of living such as their daily activities, methods of farming, local gardening techniques for growing fruits and vegetables in their home and even take you through the scenic landscapes, paddy fields and water streams where this rural village will offer you a truly authentic experience. The highlight of this trek will be the farewell herbal drink or tea along with the local sweet delicacies the villagers have prepared just for you. Should you want to have an al fresco bath in a local stream, the village trek would be the ideal opportunity to do so.
Afterwards, you will be transferred to the Mahoora Tented Mobile Campsite in Dambana. After refreshing yourself, you will head out to visit the veddah village and meet their chief also known as the ‘Wanniyaleththo’. Here you will have the opportunity to see how the indigenous people of Sri Lanka have continued their primitive lifestyle throughout many centuries without letting advancing technology nor commercialization affect and change their traditions. Here you will also have the opportunity to meet their chief, and request for his permission to partake in their traditional activities, as tribe rules say that visitors cannot participate in communal activities without his permission. Once its granted, you will have the opportunity to closely view their cultural activities including their famous dance known as ‘Kiri Koraha’ which is a blessing of god. Concluding your visit, you will head back to the campsite for a barbecue dinner around a campfire before calling it a night.
Day 06 - Tour from Dambana to Meemure
Post breakfast you will revisit the veddah village and observe as well as participate in their activities. Here you will have the opportunity to learn more about their hunting lifestyle as they have a diet that is very rich in meat. They mainly consume venison, rabbit, wild boar and even motor lizards. They have many ways of preserving meat, one is by drying meat and preserving it soaked in honey. They only kill animals for consumptions and refrain from hurting the young and pregnant.
Afterwards, you will head back to the campsite for lunch and then proceed for a jeep safari at the Maduruoya National Park which will last for 3 hours. The park was established under the Mahaweli Development Project and acts as a catchment for the Maduru Oya Reservoir. The park acts as a sanctuary for the wildlife especially elephants, leopards, sloth bears, sambhur, spotted and barking deer, wild boar and buffaloes.
Day 07 to Day 09
Day 07 - Tour from Meemure to Kandy
Post breakfast, you will leave for Kandy and check-in at the homestay once you reach Kandy. You will then proceed on a tour of Kandy in the evening where you will learn that Kandy is the home to the Temple of the Tooth Relic, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was the last kingdom of Sri Lanka while it’s the current capital of the central province. Strategically nestled amidst three mountain ranges and known as the gateway to the hill country, Kandy was initially built in this location for its protection provided against foreign invasions by the natural fortress. Today the city of Kandy is a well-known attraction for both foreigners and locals. The Temple of the Tooth Relic also known as Sri Dalada Maligawa dates back to the 16th century, although that you see today was built during the 19th century. The shrine houses the tooth relic of Lord Buddha which is housed in a gold casket and stored amidst great security in the inner chamber. You will be visiting the shrine and watch the cultural show of the temple before heading back to the hotel for the night.
Day 08 - Tour from Kandy to Haputale
After breakfast, you will check-out of the hotel and leave for the Peradeniya Train Station to get into the train for a ride to Haputale. Your train experience is crafted in such a way that it would ‘take you back through time’ by acting as a time capsule. The trainlines were an inception of the British, introduced to transport goods mainly tea from the plantations as well as imported goods. You will be travelling down the ‘single line tablet’s which in most parts of the world, would be a museum artefact. Once you reach Haputale, your chauffeur will meet you at the station and take you to your bungalow. After refreshing yourself, you will be taken to the surrounding village for an evening stroll and head back to your bungalow for the night. This day is meant to introduce you to different people of different cultures and backgrounds travelling through a simple train who will treat you with their world famous southern hospitality – warm smiles and homemade snacks.
Day 09 - Tour from Haputale to Belihuloya
After breakfast at the bungalow, you will be taken by a tuk tuk to Lipton’s Seat. This is one of Sri Lanka’s most impressive view points by which Scottish tea baron Sir Thomas Lipton used to survey his empire from here. Today it’s said that you can see across emerald hills and tea estates to no fewer than seven different provinces. Sri Lanka is one of the biggest and best tea producing nations in the world. Following the tea trail, you will then visit a tea plantation community in the Dambatenna Village Tea and enjoy a packed lunch in the village. Tea is an integral part of our culture and goes hand in hand with our local hospitality and no household is complete without some famous Ceylon tea. Why it’s even said that the British Royal Family drinks Ceylon Tea! This will be followed by a drive to Belihuloya where you will check-in at our campsite. Later on, you will go on a cycling trail in the Kosgama Village to experience the village’s rich history of having many blacksmiths. However over time, many families have changed vocations due to modernization. However one thing that has stood the test of time and remained unchanged is the local hospitality – as you will have the opportunity to enjoy some herbal tea along with local traditional sweetmeats. You will then head back to your campsite in Belihuloya to spend the night.
Day 10 to Day 14
Day 10 - Tour from Belihuloya to Tangalle
After breakfast, you will begin your trip down to Tangalle, a contrast to the cold and hill populated environment. Tangalle is a small fishing port with gentle reminders of the Dutch days of the 18th century with beautiful villas overlooking the glistening beach of Seenimodara. Seenimodara is one of the finest and largest bays in the island which is protected by the ocean’s enclosing reef sheltering the palm fringed bay and pristine coves which are a real natural treasure. You will later on go to the Rekawa Turtle Sanctuary. Five out of seven marine turtle come ashore to nest in Sri Lanka and all five of them can be observed in Rekawa throughout the year in their natural habitat. Unlike other turtle hatcheries in the west coast, here the eggs are left undisturbed in the sand. Even though there is no guarantee that the marine turtles will come ashore every night, you can be sure to have a great night time adventure in one of the world’s most beautiful beaches.
Day 11 - Tour from Tangalle to Galle and then Bentota
You will leave for Bentota via Galle after breakfast. Whilst in Galle, you will visit the Galle Dutch Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with historical, archeological and architectural heritage monuments which are more than 425 years old. Today Galle Fort is home to a multi-ethnic and multi-religious population. The local as well as the Dutch government still owns some of the properties inside the fort and are looking at making this one of the modern wonders of the world. You will stay for lunch and enjoy it at one of the many restaurants at the Galle Fort prior to getting back for your drive and overnight stay at Bentota.
Day 12 - Bentota to Madu River Excursion
Following your breakfast at your hotel in Bentota, you will go on a river excursion down the Madu Ganga Lake. The Madu Ganga River Wetland has more than 60 mangrove islets and islands which are inhabited by people. The boat ride will take you along mangrove caves and the ‘Cinnamon Island’ which is another highlight allowing you to witness the cinnamon peeling process. The final highlight of today’s excursion will be the fish massage at the Madu River. To top off your river tour, you will be visiting two islands which will allow you to witness different Buddhist cultures. Afterwards you will head back to the hotel and spend your evening in leisure followed by dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 13 - Full day stay at Bentota
The final day of your vacation will be spent at the hotel allowing you to rest and relax either by the beach or pool followed by an overnight stay in Bentota.
Day 14 - Transfer from Bentota to airport for departure
After breakfast, you will proceed to the airport to catch the departure flight back home.
