Trace of Ceylon - 04 Nights & 05 Days

Itinerary:

Day 01 - Arrival Colombo
You will be met at the Bandaranaike International Airport by your chauffer guide and transferred to the Last Kingdom of Sri Lanka – Kandy, where you will accommodated at the Chaaya Citadel for next 02 nights.   

Kandy is the Hill Capital of Sri Lanka and last stronghold of the Sinhala Kings. It still retains an aura of grandeur, which time has not affected. Encircled by hills, with a tranquil lake in its centre, it is the site of the renowned "Temple of the Tooth" and the Royal Botanical gardens home to one of the best collections of Orchids. Kandy and its satellite villages are also the centre of the islands handicraft industry and its traditional dances are the most spectacular in the country.

Day 02 - Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage, Kandy City Tour, Temple of Tooth, Cultural Dance
A venture initiated by the Sri Lankan Government to safe guard one of its National Treasures, the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage has been operating for over 30 years, nurturing orphaned calves, treating the feeble and rehabilitating the injured. Today, the orphanage has 60 elephants, with hundred watching their antics during their bathing times!! It is a definite treat watching them frolic in the water and observe the unique characteristics of each and every one of Sri Lanka’s gentle giants! The ideal time to watch them is 1000hrs-1200hrs and 1400hrs-1600hrs.

The afternoon will be spent visiting the Kandy market place/ bazaar, the arts & crafts centre, witnessing the gem mining process & lapidary and taking in the atmosphere of Kandy ( Nuwara). Many of the legends, traditions and folklore are still lovingly kept alive. Drive around the Kandy lake built by the last Sinhala king Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe in 1806.   

This evening will be one of colour! You will find yourself witness a cultural dance display, displaying the different types of performances from around Sri Lanka! Next you will take a stroll around the Temple of the Tooth – which is said to harbour the canine of Lord Buddha. This place is of great spiritual and cultural importance to all Sri Lankans.   

The Temple of the Tooth which is commonly known as "Sri Dalada Maligawa" is situated in this city of hills. It is an important shrine for Buddhists around the world. It is famous for its carvings and the beautiful art that is unique to Sri Lanka. The most important part of the Dalada Maligawa is the octagon (Pathirppuwa). The Sri Dalada Maligawa is the most sacred temple in the whole of Sri Lanka. Thousands of people line up each day to get a glimpse of its majesty and to make sacred vows in the betterment of their lives.

Day 03 - Royal Botanical Garden
Today will be spent exploring the World Heritage city of Kandy. Your first stop for the day will be the Royal Botanical Gardens. These gorgeous gardens were first planted and laid out for king Kirthi Sri Rajasingha (17471780) and cover some 60ha (150acres) of trees lawns and flowering shrubs, including a 20-ha (50acre) arboretum of more than 10,000 trees.

Under British rule, the Royal Park became a Botanical Garden in 1821 and is the largest of Sri Lanka’s three main botanical gardens. Here, exotic crops such as coffee, tea, nutmeg, rubber and cinchona (quinine) - all of which later became important to Sri Lanka's economy - were tested. Sights include a palm avenue planted by the British in 1905.

Another British import was the enormous spreading Java fig which sprawls across the lawn, grown from a sapling brought from the East Indies. The gardens also have stands of towering bamboos from Burma, Japan China and the East Indies, and a fine collection of orchids from Sri Lanka and further afield. In the centre of the gardens is an artificial lake in the shape of the island of Sri Lanka, beside which a white- domed rotunda commemorates George Garder, superintendent of the gardens in the mid 19th Century. Next you will set off for the hill capital of Nuwara Eliya where you will check into your hotel and spend the rest of the day at leisure.

Nuwara Eliya is the heart of Sri Lankan hill country. It is the home of the famous Ceylon Tea and the rolling mountains are a carpet of velvety green tea plantations, interspersed with gushing streams and tumbling waterfalls. The salubrious climate, misty glens and the decidedly British character make Nuwara Eliya a must on any Sri Lankan travel itinerary.

Day 04 - Horton Plains
Sri Lanka's highest plateau 7200 ft above sea level in the central mountain country.  This ‘Fen” is a very scenic region with an astounding variety of scenery from mountains to grasslands, from marshes to trout streams. Sri Lanka's bestflavored high grown teas are grown in the surrounding areas.  Spectacular view from 'Worlds End' where the plateau plunges a thousand feet in a straight sheer drop.  Cool and bracing climate, excellent for trout fishing and very good hiking country. Distinctive flora (many English field flowers grow on the plains) colourful butterflies and many rare highland birds.

Please enter your dates for prices on this hotel

Flying from	Date	Nights	Rooms