Highlights of Sri Lanka Tour ( 12 Days Tour)

Colombo – An Exclusive Look at Colombo  

Colombo is an enchanting city of color and aromas. The Pettah district, known for its shopping aisles lined with market stalls and clothing vendors, embodies the bustling nature of the locals and the vibrant ambiance of the city at large. The scent of coriander and turmeric filters through the air amongst the pastel hues and rich rainbow of garments hanging from the walls and rafters of the boutique shops.

Your flight lands at Bandaranaike International Airport, where your private transfer greets you upon your arrival. You make your way to the gorgeous grounds of your hotel, nestled between the trees of a shaded lane and the tranquil atmosphere of a Buddhist shrine.

You easily settle into the comforts of your luxury accommodation before meeting your guide in the lobby for a private tour of Sri Lanka’s capital city.

The streets and neighborhoods maintain a captivating mixture of history embodied in the colonial buildings, ruins, and contemporary skyscrapers overlooking the Indian Ocean. Your guide leads you to the Fortress to view the center of power during Dutch colonialism.

The grounds were renovated in 2015, returning the former grandeur to the arcades and whitewashed walls of the Dutch Hospital. The aroma of coconut and cakes emanates from chic cafes and restaurants located in the complex. The verdant grass grows along two courtyards separating five wings. The walls reach a thickness of nearly 20 inches, supporting large teak beams and wooden staircases exemplifying 17th-century Dutch architecture.

What’s Included: airport transfer, tour, accommodation.

Kotugoda – Top of the Rock

The morning light washes over the jungle greenery. Wood furnishings in the dining room accentuate the history of the historic grounds and the colonial fashion fusing with the natural beauty. The aroma of rambutan and freshly steeped black tea create an enticing sweet and herbaceous combination. Your guide greets you at the hotel and leads you in view of the breathtaking monolith rising more than 650 feet above the surrounding trees.

The orange and black striations contrast the clear blue sky and emerald leaves encircling the natural mountain atop which stands the ancient Sigiriya Fortress, a complex adorned with vast gardens, ponds, canals, fountains, and a network of marvelous fortifications.

A monastery was erected on the plateau in the 3rd century BC, giving way to King Kasyapa’s residence in the 5th century AD. The feet of a lion etched into the monolith mark the entryway. You climb the steep stone stairway, passing the western wall known for its preserved frescoes depicting portraits of the king’s wives and concubines.

The cave has shielded the frescoes from the elements, allowing the colors to remain over the course of 1,600 years. Cobra Hood Cave gained its reputation and name from its natural pose resembling a cobra in the striking position. The interior contains traces of floral embellishments and animal paintings, adding to the luster of the fortress’s past, both known and unknown. In the afternoon, you continue to the peaks of Ritigala to view the ancient monastery set at the foot of the mountain. 

What’s Included: breakfast, tour, accommodation.

Kandy – The Stronghold of the Kandyan Kingdom

The comforts of your hotel offer indulgent bliss amongst the 19th-century architecture and tranquil gardens overlooking the horizon. Coconut palms soar above the sky like high-rises waving in the mountain breeze. The scent of traditional curry accompanies sweet bananas and coconut rice. Set out into the city on a private tour beginning on the grounds of the Peradeniya Royal Botanical Gardens.

The Mediterranean climate of the region provides an abundance of colorful roses, bordering palm trees, and lavish orchids spread across the nearly 150 acres. The sweet aroma of the roses matches the variety of red, yellow, and white petals decorating the gardens. The city brims along the lakeshores surrounding the central palm-fringed island.

Locals stroll through the bustling marketplace, enjoying the vendors calling out to passersby. Four temples are situated near the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic; the oldest was erected in the 14th century. The structure perches on a stone terrace and contains an embellished solid panel sculpture gateway. Bodhi trees grow on the grounds alongside the dome-shaped memorials known as dagobas.

The aroma of burning incense drifts out of the shrines. The painted tower of Kataragama Devale draws your eye, rising above the bustling streets. A dramatic depiction of Murugan, the god of war with six heads and a dozen hands, decorates the temple with each hand wielding an intricate weapon.

What’s Included: breakfast, tour, accommodation.

Hatton – Mastering the Art of Tea

The tradition of tea runs deep in the region and continues to offer lessons to visitors and locals alike. The thin layer of morning mist burns away with the returning sun, leaving residual dew along the hillsides leading to the mountain lakes. After breakfast, you make your way to a local tea factory known for producing the tea once eponymous to Sri Lanka, known as Ceylon.

The plantation carries more than a century and a half of history embodied in the methods of cultivation and the architecture of the manor. Take to the fields with your guide, meeting with professional tea harvesters. Women wrap a cloth around their heads, as protection from the sun, before strapping a wicker basket to their backs.

They quickly harvest bushels of leaves by snipping the vines from the bush and putting the plant into their baskets. They average more than 30 pounds of tea per day. Your guide leads you through the history and process of tea, from harvest to storage, and eventually drying. The drying room carries the herbaceous aroma of the leaves resembling the dried tea with which you are familiar.

At the end of the tour, your guide teaches you the art of steeping tea, from the precise temperature of the water to the ratio of tea to water needed. Before sampling the tea, your guide first tells you to find the bright, floral aroma drifting out of the perfect cup.

What’s Included: breakfast, tour, accommodation.

Yala – On the Drive

The wildlife sanctuary echoes with life with the sounds drifting through the trees and over the morning plains. Toque macaques ruffle the tree branches as they leap through the canopy. The Sri Lankan swallow twitters around your luxury camp, calling out to passing birds in the refreshing light. You venture out into the park before breakfast on a morning game drive in search of the animals for which Yala National Park is best known, the elusive leopard.

The refuge has a leopard density larger than any national park in the world. The big cats are most active in the mornings and evenings, avoiding the heat of the midday. Your guide points into the trees at a Malabar pied hornbill.

The black and white plumage contrasts the yellow beak and adorning horn for which the bird is named. The bird can grow up to 26 inches in length and perches on the branches with a regal quality.

You find a mugger crocodile lounging in the sunlight on the banks of a marsh. The crocodile has an ominous presence and can grow up to 16 feet in length. It opens its mouth to help absorb the sunlight, showing its collection of sharp teeth. The jeep slowly steers away from the marsh and into the plain, where a leopard skulks through the grass, nearly blending in with the golden strands. 

What’s Included: breakfast, lunch, dinner, tour, accommodation.

Galle – The Expansive Flavors of Sri Lanka

In the morning, you find the aromas of banana and coconut blending with the seductive scent of the Indian Ocean. Palm trees soar above the beaches, casting thin layers of shade along the sand. After breakfast, you venture to the Dutch Market under the intuitive eye of a seasoned guide. Columns that are 300-years-old decorate the roof, and the scent of succulent spices drift along the market street. Vendors stand behind their conical displays of fruits and vegetables, set alongside rows of clothing and fresh juices. Your guide collects a blend of fresh ingredients, explaining the importance of each component along the way.

Your demonstration kitchen is located inside a thatched-roof shelter known as a daub, erected with open windows to allow the heat to escape. The stoves are already lit, and your guide quickly becomes your private cooking instructor. You follow your instructor’s example to produce beetroot curry and caramelized eggplant, building an array of dishes, which you will soon enjoy.

The incredible flavor of the food outshines the aromas, beginning with the refreshing spice and sweetness of a pennywort salad. After basking in the unforgettable flavors of your home-cooked meal, you continue to an artist’s private studio to learn the secrets of traditional mask making.

What’s Included: breakfast, lunch, tour, accommodation.