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{anuradhapura /polonnaruwa /sigiriya / botanical garden /dambulla/ kandy / yala}
Cost per person in USD (Valid Period – 01 / 11 / 2013 – 30 / 04 / 2014)
Child (02 - 12 y) is sharing with parents (2 Adults) room 50% of the round tour per person rates.
Peak Period Supplement (15.12.2013 – 15.01.2014)
3* Hotels – 26.00 $ per person per Tour
The Cost will Includes
* Accommodation on BB basis at the hotels specified.
The Cost will not Includes * All entrance fees to places of interest as given in the itinerary.
Day 01- Airport – Colombo
Arrival in Sri Lanka, welcome by a representative of Ceylon Best Holidays and transfer to Colombo. Afternoon City Tour of Colombo.
Colombo derived from Sinhalese name Kola-amba-thota which means "mango harbour", altered by the Portuguese to honor Christopher Columbus, population 737,396 Colombo, is the largest city and commercial center of Sri Lanka. Colombo was probably known to Roman, Arab, and Chinese traders more than 2,000 years ago. Muslims settled there in the 8th century and controlled much of the trade between Sinhalese kingdoms and the outside world. The Portuguese arrived in the 16th century and built a fort to protect their spice trade. The Dutch captured the city in the 17th century. The British made the city the capital of their crown colony of Ceylon in 1802. Overnight Stay hotel at Colombo Hotel.
Day 02 – Colombo – Elephant Orphanage – Sigiriya
After Breakfast Leave to Sigiriya. En route visit Elephant Orphanage in Pinnawela. Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage - Started in 1975 to house the abandoned and the wounded, the orphanage has grown to be a big family today. The number of elephants has increased to more than 80 now, including baby elephant brought from various parts, as well as 50 babies born as a result of the captive breeding program. The best time to visit is the feeding time and the bathing time when the elephant are taken to the river close by. A unique experience never to be missed. Sigiriya The spectacular Rock Fortress of Sigiriya, 19 kilometers North East of Dambulla is one of Sri Lanka’s major attractions. Some theories affirm that Sigiriya was a Mahayana Buddhist monastery or that it was both citadel and hermitage at different times. The Citadel in the sky Sigiriya is a fantastic display of the ancient Sri Lankan architecture. The Rock was the Fortress of the "King Kasyapa" who murdered his father and stole the throne from his elder brother who was the rightful heir to the throne. Kasyapa built his fortress in this 182-meter high rock to protect himself from his enemies. The Nigeria rock consists of the central rock, rising 200 meters above the surrounding plain, and the two rectangular precincts on the East (90 hectares) and the West (40 hectares), surrounded by two moats and three ramparts. Overnight Stay hotel at Anuradhapura Hotel.
Day 03- Sigiriya – Polonnaruwa – Anuradhapura - Sigiriya
After Breakfast Leave to Polonnaruwa Polonnaruwa is 218 kilometers from Colombo, yet another well planned medieval city defended by enclosing walls, graced by palaces, shrines, monasteries, pavilions, parks, ponds and irrigation lakes which bears witness to a glorious past. A dominant feature of the city, is the vast irrigation lake of 5940 acres aptly named "Parakrama Samudraya" or the sea of Parakrama after its royal builder King Parakramabahu depicting an example of the advanced engineering and construction skills prevailent during the ancient times. This gigantic reservoir was built to collect rainwater, which did not permit a drop of water to go waste.
Anuradhapura - For over 1000 years Singhalese Kings with occasional South Indian interlopers rule from the great city of Anuradhapura. It is the most extensive and important of the Sri Lankan ancient cities. Anuradhapura was founded in the 4th century BC. Anuradhapura is famous for its Dagobas (Temples), Reservoirs, and beautifully landscaped gardens, the ruins of which still remain to this day. The sacred Bo Tree (the world's oldest tree on record) "Jayasri Maha Bodhi" and the "Ruwanwali Seya" Temple are two of Sri Lanka's most sacred places found in Anuradhapura. In addition to this there are many other historical and religious sites found in Anuradhapura. Overnight Stay hotel at Habarana.
Day 04 – Sigiriya – Dambulla – Kandy
After Breakfast Leave to Kandy. En route visit Dambulla Cave Temple, Batik Factory & Spice Garden. Dambulla The Great Cave Temple of Dam bulla is 100 to 150 meters above the road in the southern part of the village of Dambulla. The gigantic rock towering more than 160 m above the surrounding area is 1.5 km. These caves were the refuge of King Walagamba when he was exiled for 14 years. On his return to the throne in the 1st century BC, King Walagamba had a magnificent rock temple built in Dambulla. Dambulla too has been designated as a World Heritage site. The caves feature a mixture of religious and worldly paintings and sculptures. Several reclining Buddha statues and a 15 m long sculpture of the dying Buddha. The famous Dambulla frescoes on the walls and ceiling dates back to the 15th-18th Centuries.
After lunch Kandy City Tour, visit Temple of Sacred Tooth Relic, & witness a cultural show. Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic - ever since 4th Century A.D, when the Buddha’s Tooth was brought to Sri Lanka hidden from sacrilegious hands in an ‘Orissan princess’ hair, the Relic has grown in repute and holiness in Sri Lanka and throughout the Buddhist world. It is considered Sri Lanka’s most prized possession. Overnight stay hotel at Kandy Hotel.
Day 05 - Kandy – Royal Botanical Garden – Nuwara Eliya
After breakfast proceed to Nuwara Eliya. En route visit Royal Botanical Garden, Gem Museum & Factory, Tea Plantation & Factory and waterfalls. Royal Botanical Garden in Peradeniya is 06 kms from Kandy, the magnificent river girdled 57 hectare laid out in 1832 are among the finest in the world. Its treasures of tropical flora include fine collections of orchids, aromatic spices, medicinal herbs, palms and rare endangered plant species. These gardens were the naturally camouflaged operations headquarters of SEAC Supreme Allied Commander, Lord Louis Mountbatten during the 2nd World War. En route stop at water-fall for a short break. Nuwara Eliya - “The City of Light” was the favorite hill station of the British, a scenic town 2500 m above sea level surrounded by misty mountain ranges, pine forests and tea cultivations. Nuwara Eliya has a much cooler climate, which is in stark contrast to the tropical climate experienced in other parts of the island. This is probably why Nuwara Eliya is also known as ‘Little England’. The areas around Nuwara Eliya also provide the main output of tea in Sri Lanka. A trip to the highlands of Sri Lanka is never complete without witnessing the age-old traditional tea plucking and sipping a cup of “Ceylon Tea”. Nuwara Eliya has a fair assortment of British Country style houses and an 18 hole Golf Course, which is a real beauty with its scenic location considered to be one of the finest in Asia and a picturesque Race Course where horse races are held. Overnight stay hotel at Nuwara Eliya Hotel.
Day 06 - Nuwara Eliya – Yala Jeep Safari
After breakfast proceed to Nuwara Eliya. En route stop at Rawana water-fall for a short break. After noon Jeep Safari in Yala National Park Yala also known as Ruhuna National Park after the 2nd Century BC civilization of the Ruhuna Kingdom. The ancient civilization is apparent from the remains of the dagobas and the still self-serviceable artificial lakes/tanks that still exists and play a vital role in retaining rain water for the fauna. A rugged terrain characterized by scrub forest and stunning rock outcrops, with open areas and waterholes. Out of the 126, 786 hectares of land, only 14, 101 hectares is open to visitors. The rest of the terrain is accessible only to permitted researchers and those living in scattered villages within the Sanctuary. Overnight stay hotel at Yala.
Day 07 – Yala – Dutch Fort – Turtle Hatchery
After breakfast proceed to Bentota or Negombo . En route visit Dutch Fort Galle and Turtle Hatchery in Kosgoda. Galle Dutch Fort - Old Galle is a world heritage site; a unique example of a preserved 17th C colonial Fortress. The Galle Fort itself is still a living monument with a bustling community within the great ramparts, massive bastions, pepper pot towers, while narrow streets display its Dutch heritage with beckoning pillared verandas and fretwork facades. Turtle Hatchery - At the north end of Induruwa is one of the turtle hatcheries set up to protect turtle eggs till they hatch. Turtle eggs, which would otherwise be eaten, are bought for a few rupees each from local fishermen & re-buried along the beach. Once hatched, the baby turtles are kept in holding tanks. Small tanks contain hundreds of one to three-day old turtles, as well as larger one, including an albino, kept for the collection. In the night, you can release a three-day-old turtle into the Indian Ocean to fend off itself.
End of Tour
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