Culture and Wilderness

Sri Lanka isbest known for its natural beauty, wilderness and colourful culture and thistour offers you some of the highlights of these aspects making your holidayworthwhile. Starting off from the centre of the cultural triangle, Dambulla, wetake you around ancient cities, manmade and natural monuments that are part andparcel of our heritage. We can enjoy a safari at the Minneriya National Parkfamed for its elephant population. Heading to the Cultural capital, you canenjoy a cultural show as well. Explore the natural beauty of our island in thecentral highlands, and then drive towards the Yala National Park in the southeast to enjoy a safari in the wild and then back to Colombo.

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SKU:LK10897011

Culture and Wilderness (8 Days)

$618.51 USD

~~$666.09 USD~~ $618.51 USD

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Spend the vacation of your dreams. Experience the culture, heritage, wildlife and nature. Walk in the City of Culture, Kandy, The City of Heritage and History, Polonnaruwa and the current Commercial city of Sri Lanka, Colombo. Have a diverse experience in one tour. Experience the chilling breeze of Nuwara Eliya with a warm cup of Ceylon tea. Go on a safari in Minneriya where you will see an abundance of wild elephants roaming freely. Get the rare chance to spot a large number of Elephants in one place. Enjoy a chilled beer and watch the sun descend to the Horizon in the Galle Face Green marking the end of the day.

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2 Days in Dambulla

Belonging to the cultural triangle, Dambulla has many exciting places to visit and things to do. You can visit the Munneswaram Temple that relates to the Ramayana epic, the Dambulla Cave Temple and the ancient city of Polonnaruwa. Guests can also enjoy a three hour safari exploring the Minneriya National Park with its hers of large elephants.

Munneswaram Temple

Munneswaram temple is an important regional Hindu temple complex in Sri Lanka. It has been in existence at least since 1000 CE, although myths surrounding the temple associate it with the popular Indian epic Ramayana, and its legendary hero-king Rama. The temple is one of five ancient temples dedicated to Shiva in the region

Dambulla Cave Temple

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.

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 histor

Minneriya Safari

This three-hour 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.

1 Day in Kandy

Enroute to Kandy, you can visit the Sigiriya Rock Fortress with its magnificent views and palace ruins. You can drop in at a well known spice garden and learn about local spices and how to use them. Enjoy some tours related to the arts and crafts industries of the hills as well a cultural show consisting of traditional music and dance.

Sigiriya Rock Fortress

Climb the 5th century AD rock fortress, Sigiriya, where the King Kasyapa ruled. 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. Walk through the tunnels leading to the palace as you get a feel for times long past.

Matale Spice Gardens

Do a guided tour of a spice and herbal garden, where you learn about spices, such as coriander, chili, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg; and their uses. Take part in a traditional cooking demonstration that shows you how to make Sri Lankan cuisine while making full use of spices. Learn to make roti or create curry powder from scratch in one of the workshops.

Technical Tours

Go on technical tours related to arts such as gem crafting, woodcarving and batiks. And watch the Kandyan Cultural Show with its colorful traditional dances and delightful music.

Cultural Show

The Kandy Cultural Show gives an opportunity to experience some of the traditions of Sri Lanka. Enjoy this hour long extravaganza as some of the most popular art forms of the island take to the stage. Get wowed by fire dancers and sword dancers. Watch the colorful Kandyan dancers take to the air to the thrumming primal beat of the drums.

1 Day in Nuwara Eliya

Before leaving to Nuwara Eliya, you will pay homage to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic and then visit a tea factory and learn the entire process of Ceylon tea manufacturing. En route you can enjoy the beautiful sight of the Ramboda Falls while then head towards Nuwara Eliya and explore the city to your hearts content.

The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic

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.

Tea Factory Visit

Tea Factory to learn how tea is manufactured in Sri Lanka. You can observe the tea pickers, locally known as ‘tea pluckers’ as they move between the lush green rows along the mountains with their large baskets.Thereafter you will be given a guided tour explaining fermentation, rolling, drying, cutting, sieving and the grading of tea. Finish with a tea tasting process and learn of the history, and why Ceylon Tea is considered among the best in the world.

Ramboda Falls

Ramboda Falls is the 11th highest waterfall in Sri Lanka and located by the Pussellawa. Ramboda falls consists of three sections. You will get a good view of the middle section of the A5 highway, just above the bridge. This is very small in size with compared to other parts. You can get a far view of the top part from the main road, but not the complete view of the fall. You need to climb up to see the top part of the Ramboda falls and there is a pathway just before the bridge. You may find the climbing bit difficult, but you will be compensated with the great view of the top fall and the surrounding.

Explore the beautiful city

The highland city that was the premium holiday resort town of the British in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Enjoy walking through the streets with their pretty little cottages, quaint villas, and beautiful mansions. Make a memory in the old red-bricked post office as you purchase an inexpensive and colorful postcard to take home or send to your friends. Relax at Queen Victoria Park or on the shores of Lake Gregory.

1 Day in Ella

Ella which is a hikers paradise is home to many scenic view points and gorgeous landscapes that will leave you in awe. While here, guests can explore the views of the Little Adam’s Peak, the Demodara Railway Station as well as the Nine Arches Bridge. A mix of geographical features awaits you here including rocky mountains and cave networks.

Explore the Marvels of Ella

Explore Ella’s most interesting places. Pass through bright green tea fields, and tough stretches of rock, and get to see the magical views of Little Adam’s Peak. Walk over the history seeped Nine Arches Bridge and listen to the story of its construction. End your hike at the Demodara Railway station with its unique loop-over track design. This tour gives you the chance to see the best sights of Sri Lanka.

1 Day in Yala

You will be heading towards the South Eastern part of the island and adjoining this coastal belt is the massive protected area of the Yala National Park. Here, you will get to enjoy an unforgettable jeep safari where you will have to explore many different types of terrain in search of wildlife, birds and many more native and migratory species.

Yala National Park

This amazing 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.

1 Day in Colombo

Heading towards Colombo, guests can first drop in and explore the Galle Fort which houses a couple of museums and a lighthouse, and move towards Kosgoda which is a town that is known for its turtle conservation projects and hatcheries. Finally, when in Colombo, you will be able to explore some well known landmarks and enjoy some shopping too.

Discover the city of Galle, where the Portuguese and Dutch made their headquarters, and its secrets. Visit the Galle Fort which is one of the best preserved fortifications in Asia. View the Maritime Museum, Galle National Museum and the lighthouse. Walk through the cobblestones streets with their Dutch names as you learn more about their histories.

Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery

Visit the Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery on the Southwestern coast of Sri Lanka. Learn more about the five endangered sea turtle species that come to the shores of Sri Lanka to nest. Learn how the Kosgoda Turtle Care Program helps protect the nests until they hatch and increases the chances of survival for the babies. Get a chance to see, touch and feed baby turtles; or even injured adult turtles that the Turtle Hatchery cares for.

Colombo

Experience the colorful lights and bright life of Colombo, the capital City of Sri Lanka. Visit historic monuments such as the Old Lighthouse, the Old Parliament, Galle Face Hotel, Galle Face Green, Gangarama Temple, the National Museum and more. Enjoy the malls of Independence Square or the Race Course. Visit boutique shops and designer stores.

Departure

On completion proceed to airport after spending a memorable time in this island.

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