9 Nights Sri Lanka Cultural Tour and Beach Stay

On arrival at Colombo International Airport on, you will be met by a professional English speaking driver from Travel Ease Holidays. After the completion of formalities at the airport, you will be escorted to your air conditioned vehicle. Thereafter, you will proceed to Negombo.

Upon arrival check into the hotel, and spend the rest of the day in leisure and relaxation.
Overnight Accommodation At Your Selected Hotel In Negombo.

After the breakfast at the hotel, depart for the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage.

A place dedicated to the care and well-being of many orphaned Elephants found in the jungles of Sri Lanka. There are a number of 84 Elephants and the main spectacle is the bath at the nearby lake which is held twice a day. This is the only such sanctuary in the world; you will watch the beasts gamboling in the water and being fed their quota of milk from handheld bottles.

Upon completion, travel to Dambulla, home to the Golden Temple of Dambulla or the Dambulla Cave Temple Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Golden Temple of Dambulla is the largest and best preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. It towers 530 feet above the surrounding plains with sweeping views of the Sigiriya Lion Rock and the Kandyan Hills in the distance. The Cave monastery, home to Buddhist monks is covered with exquisite 2,000 year-old murals depicting the life and times of the Lord Buddha. The shrines also house a collection of 157 statues of Buddha in various sizes and poses, including a 15 meter long reclining Buddha and vividly colored frescoes on the walls and ceiling, making this the largest antique painted surface in the world.

Upon arrival check into the hotel in Dambulla. Spend the rest of the day in leisure and relaxation.
Overnight Accommodation At Your Selected Hotel In Dambulla.

(Approx distances – 8 km (20 minutes) to Sigiriya and 58 km (1.5 to 2 hours) from Sigiriya to Polonnaruwa)

After breakfast visit the famous Sigiriya Rock Fortress.

Sigiriya is an impressive rock palace surrounded by landscaped gardens and expansive views of the surrounding countryside. The UNSECO World Heritage Site of Sigiriya, a most singular geological formation towering 660ft above the surrounding plains. Sigiriya Rock is in fact an ancient hardened magma plug from an extinct and long eroded mountain. The Rock consisted of an opulent palace atop which is now in ruins; an intricate and extensive network of gardens, ponds, reservoirs and aqueducts can be observed around the complex. The mirror wall and the frescoes of ancient “Sigiriya Damsels” can be viewed on the rock. The views are truly spectacular and awe-inspiring.

On completion proceed to Polonnaruwa.
Polonnaruwa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the Ancient Kingdoms of Sri Lanka.Polonnaruwa is situated in the north-central region of Sri Lanka and is an important ancient architectural site. The ancient city of Polonnaruwa remains one of the best-planned archeological sites on the island, with its numerous palaces, monuments, ponds, temples, museums and statues. Polonnaruwa is home to the ParakramaSamudra (Sea of King Parakrama), a huge reservoir built by the namesake King around A.D. 386, best known for his immortal phrase, “Let not a single drop of rain that falls on this island flow into the ocean without first serving humanity.” Polonnaruwa is a dream come true to any person with panache for history, culture, tradition and nature.

A few sites that can be seen in Polonnaruwa:

• Gal Vihara – A rock temple of the Lord Buddha. The central feature consists of 4 Buddha statues carved into the rock – 2 seated, 1 reclining and 1 standing.
• The ruins of the Royal Palace
• Lakatileka Temple
• MedirigiriyaVatadage – A vatadage is a type of Buddhist structure, circular in shape and adorned with intricate stone carvings, they act as a protection for smaller stupas built within them or important relics.)
• Statue of the great King Parakramabahu the Great

After breakfast proceed to Kandy, En-route you will visit a spice garden and batik factory in Matale en-route to Kandy. (Approx. Distance – 75km / transfer time: 1.5 to 2 hours). Here you will be able to see different spices and aromatics for which Sri Lanka has been famous for centuries.

Thereafter proceed to Kandy, tucked away amidst lush evergreen forests at an elevation of 1640 ft and the gateway to the highlands.
(Approx. Distance – 25km / transfer time: 1 to 1.5 hours)

After lunch, commence a City tour of Kandy visiting the Kandy Market, Kandy upper lake drive, Gem museum, Arts & Crafts Centre etc. Late afternoon explore the city of Kandy and visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic which is located in the royal palace complex which houses the Relic of the tooth of Buddha. The entire complex is part of another UNESCO world heritage site.

On completion of the temple visit witness a cultural dance show.

The Royal City of Kandy is a World Heritage Site, as is the Temple of the Tooth, an important shrine to Buddhists the world over, since it contains a relic of the Lord Buddha’s Tooth. Kandy has a scintillating blend of ancient Sinhala architecture and contemporary architecture. The myriad colours, the pulsating atmosphere of the town center, sprinkled with amazing scenery and enveloped by a salubrious climate helps in making Kandy a must-visit destination in Sri Lanka.

Upon completion check into your hotel in Kandy.
Overnight Accommodation At Your Selected Hotel In Dambulla.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Afterwards proceed to BentotaorKalutara -Check in at hotel - Remainder of the evening at leisure – Dinner and Overnight stay at hotel.

Breakfast at hotel – Spend the day at leisure on the beach - Dinner and Overnight stay at hotel.

After breakfast transferred to the airport for the flight to London Heathrow.