| This brand new soft adventure tour through Sri Lanka’s
country and culture includes gentle walks by paddy fields
and bracing hikes in high hill country, transport by
elephant and by bullock cart, white water rafting and a
catamaran crossing - an exceptional, exhilarating tour
for active discovery.
Habarana: 3 nights
Kandy: 1 night
Nuwara Eliya: 2 nights
Colombo: 1 night
DAY 1 Fly SriLankan Airlines direct
from Heathrow to Colombo.
DAY 2 On arrival, transfer to
Habarana at the hub of the Cultural
Triangle, stopping en route at the
Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage to
see the bathing and bottle feeding
of baby elephants. Continue to
Chaaya Village, Habarana,
your hotel for three nights, set in a
50 acre park bordering a lake. Its
design is based on a traditional Sri
Lankan village (approx 120 miles
and 3½ hours drive).
DAY 3 Morning at leisure.
Afternoon tour to the Ritigala ruins
of a monastery, its ancient stones
steeped in legend and superbly
crafted by artisans. Gigantic trees
form its backdrop, 300 feet high with tropical lianas climbing and
twining around the trunks.
DAY 4 An early start to
Hiriwaduna village for a varied
trek, first to the reservoir, where
the trunks of long dead trees stand
stark against lush wetland
greenery – egrets’ roosting
grounds. After a picnic breakfast,
cross by catamaran at Oruwa and
follow a narrow trail through
banana plantations to the home of
a chena farmer - for a cool drink of
king coconut, and onward into a
scrub forest, where a waiting
bullock cart is your jungle
transport. Return to the hotel for
lunch, then experience an
elephant-back Safari. Each
elephant carries a wooden
platform for four people.
DAY 5 Visit Sigiriya Rock Fortress,
to climb its 1,200 steps and see the
fabulous frescos. After see a spice
garden and stop for a traditional
Kandyan lunch, prepared and
served by the village folk in a
typical Sri Lankan dress. Arrive in
the hill capital Kandy for a
sightseeing tour and visit to the
revered Temple of the Tooth relic.
Overnight at Chaaya Citadel.
DAY 6 A White Water Rafting
excursion on the Mahaweli River
begins at the Royal Botanical
Gardens at Peradeniya and includes
four level two and three rapids, plus
flat water floats past Kandyan
countryside. Continue to Nuwara
Eliya, 6,000 feet above sea level, for
two nights at St Andrew’s hotel
(approx.65 miles or 2½ hour’s drive).
DAY 7 A three hour scenic trek
through Sri Lanka’s highest plateau
(7,200 feet above sea level) to ‘World’s End’ and Bakers Falls.
Spectacular views, a bracing
climate, rare birds and butterflies.
DAY 8 Leave after breakfast
stopping en route for a challenging
White Water Rafting excursion on
the Kelani River in Kitulgala (level
three). Overnight at the Taj
Samudra, Colombo or extend
your stay on the beaches.
DAY 10 Fly SriLankan Airlines
arriving Heathrow later that day.
EXTENSIONS
This holiday may be combined with
any featured hotel on Sri Lanka
beaches or the Maldives.
SRI LANKA BEACH
DAY 8 Proceed to the Bentota
Beach hotel in a Standard room for four nights or more.
DAY 12 SriLankan Airlines arriving
Heathrow later the same day.
MALDIVES
DAY 9 Fly to Male’ and Kuramathi
Cottage in a Beach bungalow
for four nights or more.
DAY 13 Fly SriLankan Airlines via
Colombo arriving Heathrow later
the same day.
This tour is escorted by an English
speaking local driver guide plus
the services of a guide lecturer for
groups of seven or more. |
