Trail Around The Pearl
Upon arriving in Sri Lanka, known as the pearl of the Indian Ocean, you will spend a good couple of days in Negombo, where you can bounce back completely relaxed. Then we go back in time when we travel towards Dambulla and visit the ancient kingdoms and their monuments, ruins of temples and monasteries and magnificent stone carved statues and structures. Explore the hill country by enjoying walks, treks and train rides and enjoy safaris in the wild at the Minneriya and Yala National Parks. The last few days of the trail we will stop at Galle which is a beautiful coastal city and home to the massive Fort that was built by the Portuguese and fortified by the Dutch.
Inventarna številka:LK10LBT011
Trail Around The Pearl (21 Days)
Trail Around The Pearl (21 Days)
Trail Around the Pearl is a trip for those who appreciate the true beauty of diverse landscapes and the rich and fascinating culture and history of Sri Lanka.Visit the cool, lush green hill country.
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2 Days in Negombo
We have organized a cozy stay in Negombo for the first two days of your Trail around Sri Lanka tour. Located along the Western coastal belt, Negombo is a short drive away from the airport and is known for its golden sandy beaches and water sports that you can enjoy. Tour around the city or enjoy the sun and sand.
Enjoy the sun on the sandy beaches of Negombo on the Western Coast of Sri Lanka. Watch the flourishing fish industry, which is a centuries-old tradition. Ride an adrenaline high with some fun water sports. Enjoy the corals and underwater life while diving. See the 50-year-old ship-wreck just off the coast, where many varieties of fish make their home.
4 Days in Dambulla
Travelling towards Dambulla, we will stopover at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage which is a home for displaced elephants. Then we visit the Dambulla Cave Temple, the Sigiriya Rock Fortress and then enjoy a village tour in a rural area of Sigiriya. We have organized a safari at the Minneriya National Park and a visit to the ancient Kingdom of Polonnaruwa.
Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is the home for young Elephants who have been displaced or lost from their natural habitat, located at Pinnawala village in Sabaragamuwa province of Sri Lanka. Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage is the best place for an up close and personal experience with the world’s largest land mammals! Today with 70 elephants herein, Pinnawala has become the home to the largest captive group of elephants in the world.
Enter the historic caves of the Golden Temple of Dambulla, dating back to the 1st century BC. View the ancient murals depicting the life story of Lord Gautama Buddha. Look at the hundreds of figurines of Buddha and other deities scattered throughout the five main caves. Visit the Cave of the Divine King, Cave of the Great King and the Great New Monastery. See the giant golden Buddha Statue just a little distance outside the cave complex.
The 5th century AD rock fortress Sigiriya, once ruled by the Sri Lankan King Kashyapa, is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Sri Lanka’s most historical landmarks. Walk through the entrance framed by the paws of a lion that is quite appropriate for its name, ‘The Lion Rock’. View the beautiful unfading murals that brought Sigiriya its fame. Climb the steep staircase to see the terraced gardens and still-working cisterns, that are a mind blowing example of ancient Sri Lankan hydraulic engineering.
Get a chance to go on an oxen cart ride and experience the world from the view of a village farmer. Have a relaxing catamaran safari through a calm lake Walk through the golden fields ripe with their harvest of paddy. Watch an enjoyable traditional cooking demonstration that teaches you the basics of Sri Lankan cuisine. Delight your taste buds with a home cooked lunch; made over a wood-fire and served on fragrant lotus leaves placed over woven trays. Enjoy the life of a Sri Lankan villager, just this day.
This safari takes you on a ride through the Minneriya National Park. Enjoy the sight of over 150 elephants congregating in one place during the famous Great Elephant Gathering, which happens in the dry season between May to October. In addition to elephants, get a chance to also see many mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians in the scrublands, forests and other areas.
Ancient Kingdom of Polonnaruwa
Visit the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, which was the second major capital of Sri Lanka. Walk through the ruins of the city that flourished between the 10th to the 13th century AD. View important monuments such as Gal Vihara, Vatadage, the lotus bath, Lankathilaka Temple and the statue of King Parakramabahu whose reign was considered the golden age of Polonnaruwa. Get to know more about Sri Lanka’s ancient history.
Enjoy the day leisurely at the hotel.
2 Days in Kandy
Then we move to the hill capital of Kandy and enroute we stop by at a spice and herb garden to learn more about the importance and how to incorporate them in our cooking to benefit us. Then we visit the well known and venerated Sacred Temple of the Tooth Relic and enjoy a stroll at the Royal Botanical Gardens.
Euphoria Spice and Herbal is located 12 km away from Matale (The spice capital of Sri Lanka). Enriched with herbs, spice groves and plants with fragrant greenery shading from the tropical trees that enlightens the unique aroma of each spice and herb. We give the opportunity for our visitors to explore and gain knowledge on Sri Lankan spices, herbs and the benefits of Ayurveda. The tropical climate in which our plants and herbs are grown helps them preserve its ancient originality. The educational tour around the garden, which we call “The Spice Tour”, let the visitors feel the sensation of the Sri Lankan spices and herbs which is demonstrated in different foreign languages to suit our customer need.
Visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic a UNESCO World Heritage Site which was built in the 16th century as the place of veneration and protection for Lord Buddha’s sacred tooth. Walk through the beautifully embellished passageways and elaborately painted halls, done in red, cream and black. Lounge against delicately carved pillars and get amazed by the beautiful golden statues. Get an unforgettable experience of history and art.
Visit the famous Royal Botanical Gardens of Peradeniya, which were formed in the early 19th century. Walk through the vast area containing over 4000 species of plants. Enjoy the learning more about the orchids, spices and medicinal plants. Wander down avenues shaded by large and rare trees, or bordered by flowering plants. Enjoy seeing the cannonball tree, walking over the wobbly suspension bridge and through the short hedge mazes or even climbing the twisty trees that make wonderful jungle gyms.
2 Days in Nuwara Eliya
Travelling towards Nuwara Eliya which is a famous holiday destination in the Central Highlands we will first come across the Ramboda Falls where you can enjoy beautiful views. We visit a tea factory and learn the process of tea manufacturing from scratch and tour the city of Nuwara Eliya. You can enjoy a trek at the Horton Plains National Park.
Visit Ramboda Falls, which is the 11th tallest in the country. Get a guided tour through Mackwoods Tea Estate and learn more about the varieties, processing methods and qualities of tea. Walk through the shaded avenues and colorful mazes of Hakgala Botanical Gardens. Relax and take a walk along the shores of Lake Gregory. A peaceful day filled with lots of beautiful sights.
Tea Factory and a plantation where you would see how the world’s famous “Ceylon Tea” is manufactured. In 1824 a tea plant was brought to Ceylon by the British from China and was planted in the Royal Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya for non-commercial purposes. James Taylor was a British citizen who introduced commercial tea plantation in Sri Lanka (Ceylon). He arrived to Sri Lanka in 1852 and settled down in Loolecondera estate in Kandy. Today even people who have never heard of Sri Lanka are familiar with Ceylon tea, which is known for its quality.
Explore the Misty City of Nuwara Eliya
Nuwara Eliya is set in the heart of tea-country is a beautiful town where the British succeeded in creating a replica of the English countryside, with homes in styles from Georgian to Queen Anne. Well-kept lawns with hedges, an Anglican church, a famous golf course and beautiful parks give the place an air of nostalgia. Situated 6,200 feet above sea level, the air is cool and fresh – a serene retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city life.
Visit the beautiful Horton Plains National Park in Ohiya, with its montane grasslands and cloud forests. Enjoy the majestic views from the precipice of World’s End and the cooling sprays from Baker’s fall. Catch glimpses of the many endemic fauna that make their home in the plains. Get to know more about the archeological finds that were discovered in the area.
2 Days in Ella
After visiting a tea factory where Ceylon Tea is manufactured, you will be transported to the Nanu Oya train station where you will enjoy a train ride to Ella. This journey is always breathtaking since we pass through some of the most picturesque mountain backdrops in the highlands with waterfalls, tea estates rocky peaks, hidden valleys and tiny villages.
Visit a Tea Factory and a plantation where you would see how the world’s famous “Ceylon Tea” is manufactured. In 1824 a tea plant was brought to Ceylon by the British from China and was planted in the Royal Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya for non-commercial purposes. James Taylor was a British citizen who introduced commercial tea plantation in Sri Lanka (Ceylon). He arrived to Sri Lanka in 1852 and settled down in Loolecondera estate in Kandy. Today even people who have never heard of Sri Lanka are familiar with Ceylon tea, which is known for its quality.
The Nanu Oya to Ella train journey takes you on scenic ride through some of the most beautiful highland countryside areas in Sri Lanka. Watch the brilliant greens carpets of the tea plantations. See the picturesque villages with misty mountain backdrops pass by. Peer through drizzle and mist to look at the magical landscapes of Haputale. Enjoy the amazing sights of intimidating mountains, deep and dark woodlands, and magnificent waterfalls as they go by your windows.
Enjoy the day leisurely at the hotel.
2 Days in Yala
After Ella, we move to the lower regions of Sri Lanka and head towards Yala which is home to the Yala National Park. The second largest park in the country, you will be amazed when exploring the area in a safari jeep. The Yala National Park is home to a population of leopards, Sri Lankan elephants and various migratory birds.
This amazing three-hour Safari offers the opportunity to visit Yala National Park, the second largest in the island based off the Southeastern coast of Sri Lanka. Get a chance to see the famous Sri Lankan leopards, indigenous wild water buffalo, Sri Lankan Sloth Bear and large herds of Sri Lankan Elephants. The park is also home to many other species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates.
6 Days in Galle
The final destination in this tour will be Galle, the Southern capital where the sun and sand is life. With many places to visit and the white sandy beaches that stretch along, you will be at a pinnacle of happiness. While here you will visit the Ussangoda Beach, Rummassala and the Galle Fort which speaks volumes of the Colonial Era.
Ussangoda is a strange coastal area because of its lack of trees. Its serpentine rock contains toxic heavy metals. Only specific smaller plants were able to adapt to this soil. But according to the Ramayana legends there are two more explanation for the baldness of Ussangoda. After meeting Sitadevi Lord Hanuman provoked the mighty King Ravana and his army of Rakshasas. It resulted in Lord Hanuman’s tail being set on fire by Rakshasas. Hanuman in turn went on to torch parts of King Ravana’s empire with his burning tail. Ussangoda is said to be one of these burnt areas. Besides the Ramyana Trail legend has it that earlier on the Ussangoda plateau was used an airport by King Ravana for his Dandumonara peachock chariot, before Hanuman devastated the landing site.
Rumassala hill 3 kms east of Galle is the landmark of Unuwatuna beach because of the picturesque white Buddhist dagoba on top of it. Rumassala rock is one of the five Sri Lankan spots believed to originate from parts of Mount Dronagiri. They fell down when Hanuman carried the Dronagiri on his flight back to Lanka in order to use its Sanjiwani herb to rescue Lakhshmana and Rama who were in need of this medical plant to be reanimated after suffering severe injuries. Rumassala is also said to be an abode of Sita during her stay in Lanka.
Explore the secrets of Galle where the Portuguese and Dutch made their headquarters. Visit the Galle Fort which is one of the best-preserved fortifications in Asia. View the museums of Galle and the lighthouse. Walk through the cobblestoned streets with their Dutch names and listen to your guide tell their stories. Relax with a king coconut or a cup of tea caressed by a breeze of the tropics.
Spend the day leisurely enjoying the beach and the hotel facilities.
Departure
After the breakfast at the hotel check out and proceed to airport after spending a memorable time in this island.
Includes:
- Transport in a Private Vehicle, Fuel, Parking & Highway tolls.
- Service of English-Speaking Chauffeur Guide.
- All prevailing taxes and service charges.
- 2 x 500ml Water Bottles per Person per Day.
Excludes:
- Hotel Accommodation and Meals.
- Entrance fees to the respective sites.
- Chauffeur Guide's Accommodation.
- Expenses of personal nature.
- Visa and Related Expenses.
- Tips & Portages.
Complimentary:
- 1 x 1 Liter water bottle per person per day.
- 1 x Local SIM card per room.