Sri Lanka - Pearl Of The Indian Ocean
With its incredible natural beauty, ancient sights and cultural treasures, Sri Lanka has much to offer. Admire the majestic elephants of Habarana, visit Sigiriya's 'Fortress in the Sky' and view the Sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha, then round off your tour with days of relaxation on the beach.
With its incredible natural beauty, ancient sights and cultural treasures, Sri Lanka has much to offer. Admire the majestic elephants of Habarana, visit Sigiriya's 'Fortress in the Sky' and view the Sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha, then round off your tour with days of relaxation on the beach.
PLEASE NOTE: Price is per person and based on two people sharing a twin/double room. Single room supplements and upgrades are not included.
What's Included
Just You Tour Manager as your host
Return flights from Heathrow with Sri Lankan Airlines
Use of an airport lounge in the UK
12 nights half board in 4 & 5-star hotels plus 1 night in flight
25 meals: 12 breakfasts, 2 lunches & 11 dinners
PLUS
Welcome drink & farewell get-together
Overseas transfers & other transportation
Porterage
Dedicated Just You representative to greet you at all UK airports
Tour of Colombo
Minneriya National Park
Sigiriya including Lion Rock
Walk at Hiriwaduna
Matale Spice Gardens
Kandy Botanical Gardens
Kandy tour including Temple of the Tooth
Train journey from Kandy to Nanu Oya
Tea plantation visit
Tour of Galle & Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery
Local Flavours - Farewell beach barbecue dinner in Beruwala with unlimited drinks (soft & alcoholic) and welcome dinner in a wonderful local restaurant with a menu carefully curated for Just You.
Not Included
Itinerary
- Day 1 UK to Colombo
- Today you'll fly to Colombo, arriving on day 2.
- Day 2 Colombo
- On arrival transfer to your hotel in Colombo where the rest of the day is at leisure. This evening join your fellow travellers for dinner at a local restaurant where you'll eat traditional Sri Lankan food from a menu that has been exclusively curated for Just You. You will also be offered unlimited beer and wine.
- Day 3 Colombo & Habarana
- After breakfast, a short sightseeing tour will introduce you to the city's highlights. Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo is a bustling metropolis boasting an attractive blend of old and new. Grand colonial-era buildings and Buddhist temples rub shoulders with modern skyscrapers, fine restaurants and high-end boutiques.
We will then head to Habarana. This afternoon, we will visit Minneriya National Park, which is home to deer, leopards and elephants. - Day 4 Sigiriya & Minneriya
- Sigiriya is one of Sri Lanka's seven World Heritage sites and is situated in the heart of the island's Cultural Triangle. A spectacular rock fortress, the Kerala complex is home to water gardens, moats and the impressive Lion Rock - the entrance to the original fortress was through the mouth of a carved lion. All you'll see today are two huge paws but they are still an incredible sight.
Later today we'll visit the ancient Hiriwaduna Buddhist Temple before crossing a jungle rivulet by catamaran to reach a farmer's 'wattle and daub' house. - Day 5 Habarana
- Polonnaruwa is the second most ancient of Sri Lanka's cities and you can discover more on this mornings optional excursion here.
This afternoon why not take the optional excursion to Dambulla cave temples that contain more than 150 images of Buddha. Alternatively, take the day to explore at your own pace. - Day 6 Anuradhapura
- Today we'll visit UNESCO-listed Anuradhapura, the first capital and the grandest city of ancient Sri Lanka. This ancient buried city is full of stone carvings and sculptures, and a superb irrigation system of reservoirs and canals. Anuradhapura is also home to the oldest historically documented tree on earth - The Sri Maha Bodhi - which is over 2,200 years old and is respected by Buddhists all over the world.
- Day 7 Kandy
- This morning we head to Kandy. The aromatic Matale Spice Gardens are our port of call en route to the city. Nutmeg, pepper, cloves and cinnamon, all of which are regularly used in Sri Lankan cuisine, grow here.
- Day 8 Kandy
Kandy was the last royal capital of Sri Lanka and the Royal Botanical Gardens at nearby Peradeniya are a delight to explore. First planted for King Kirthi Sri Rajasingha (1747-1780), and covering some 150 hectares, you'll see towering trees, elegant lawns, flowering shrubs and exotic crops such as coffee, tea and nutmeg during our visit here. Highlights include a palm avenue planted by the British in 1905 and an enormous Java fig grown from a sapling brought over from the East Indies.
Today, you will visit Sthree Café for lunch. The Sthree café- supported by Planeterra, works with women in the local community to increase their income, strengthen their financial independence, and help them become economically empowered. The Sthree Café employs local women from WDC's Kandy forum as well as differently-abled persons, providing them with a fair wage and the skills and training needed to work in the service sector. The café serves fresh, locally sourced, seasonal vegetarian cuisine and provides a traditional Sri Lankan dining experience.
You'll then tour Kandy, where highlights include the temple housing the famous Tooth Relic of Buddha and the Market Square. The Temple of the sacred Tooth Relic, commonly known as 'Sri Dalada Maligawa', is the most venerated place of worship for Buddhists throughout the world. Built in the 16th century this temple houses the sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha brought to Sri Lanka from the Kalinga province in ancient India in the 4th century AD. Several buildings have been added to the temple complex by successive rulers, the latest being the Golden Canopy over the inner shrine where the Tooth Relic is placed. The Sri Dalada Maligawa is the most sacred temple in the whole of Sri Lanka, where thousands of people line up each day to get a glimpse of its majesty.
- Day 9 Nuwara Eliya
- Nuwara Eliya, which we reach by a combination of train and road, is an area carpeted in lush green tea plantations and the home of the famous Ceylon tea. During a plantation visit we'll get to see how the leaves for England's favourite brew are picked by hand and taste a cup in its purest form.
- Day 10 Beruwala
- We arrive in Beruwala today, where you can spend the next three days at leisure. Our hotel is located right on the beach and boasts an inviting pool and a rooftop spa. It's also just 1km from the town, where there are plenty of restaurants, cafés, bars and shops.
- Day 11 Beruwala
- A city tour of Galle today will introduce you to the port where the Portuguese first landed in Sri Lanka in 1505, while a visit to the Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery allows you a privileged view of these endangered creatures.
- Day 12 Beruwala
- Today, you might choose to join an optional yoga session with an expert teacher. Later today, and following an included lunch we offer a special optional dinner. This dinner will introduce you to Arrack - a Sri Lankan spirit distilled from the sap of the coconut flower. This can only be collected by hand and is aged in oak casks. Your multi-course meal, which was developed by chef Adam Gaunt from the Flying Fish in Sydney, Australia, will be accompanied by several types of Arrack.
- Day 13 Beruwala
- Today has been left free for you to spend at leisure. Perhaps spend some time relaxing on the beach or beside the hotel's pool, alternatively you may wish to book a treatment at the hotel spa. This evening we'll gather as a group to enjoy a special farewell barbecue dinner on the beach with unlimited beer, wine and soft drinks.
- Day 14 Colombo to UK
- Today we'll transfer to the airport for our return flight to the UK.
Accommodation
- Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel Colombo
- Located along the banks of Beira Lake in Colombo, the Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo features an outdoor pool, a spa and wellness area, tennis, squash courts and also a gym. All rooms are stylishly appointed and have a flat-screen TV, safety deposit box and tea and coffee-making facilities, Wi-Fi and air conditioning. All rooms have en suite facilities.
- Habarana Village - Habarana
- The 4-star Habarana Village by cinnamon is wonderfully situated and borders a stunning lake.
Hotel facilities include a restuarant, bar and a swimming pool. Bedrooms have private facilities, air-conditioning, mini-bar, tea/coffee-making facilities and a TV.
- Cinnamon Citadel Kandy
- The 4-star Cinnamon Citadel in Kandy is an ideal base from which to discover this fascinating ancient city while also providing plenty of opportunities for relaxation in a peaceful setting.
Hotel facilities include a choice of restaurants, bar and swimming pool. Bedrooms have private facilities, air-conditioning, TV, minibar and hairdryer.
- The Blackpool
- Surrounded by vast tea estates, the Blackpool Hotel has the style of ancient colonialism but with modern touch. The hotel has an outdoor warm water pool, lounge, bar and restaurant. The 57 rooms are decorated with traditional Sri Lankan design and feature air conditioning, TV, safe, free Wi-Fi and private bathroom facilities.
- Cinnamon Bey Beruwala
- The 5-star Cinnamon Bey is situated in Beruwela.
Hotel facilities include a restaurant, spa, bar and a swimming pool. Bedrooms have private facilities, air-conditioning, hairdryer, mini-bar, tea/coffee-making facilities and a TV.
Optional Excursions
Polonnaruwa
Dambulla cave temples
Enjoy a morning yoga session
Sample Arrack at a special dinner