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Gippsland Departure

MAXIMUM GROUP SIZE SRI LANKAN DISCOVERY Our max group size in days: from Flights Included DEPARTS: 16 June 2018 is just 20. $ This tour is guaranteed with 20 17 5,395pp Max Group Size 20 a minimum of just 4 people

Be charmed by the unspoilt natural beauty, friendly people and HIGHLIGHTS • Observe local life in ancient . Discover the island’s beautiful culture, at the daily fi sh markets lush jungles and fascinating ancient . Explore exotic tea and • See , the oldest of Sri Lanka’s ancient cities spice plantations and witness the plentiful wildlife in national parks. • Discover the amazing rock fortress of • Explore the stunning Cave Temples of • Visit the aromatic spice Anuradhapura plantations • Search for wildlife on safari in Ritigala Yala National Park Minneriya National Park • Tour the heritage-listed sea Sigiriya 4 fortress in Galle Dambulla TRIP INFO Matale types of travel: Small Group transportation: Coach, jeep, Negombo 2 2 Pinnawala boat & local train meals: 15B, 1L and 12D, 2 including group welcome and 1 farewell dinners SRI LANKA air taxes & tips: Tissamaharama Total cost includes - air taxes 2 of $245pp. Tipping Made Easy, $200pp prepaid Yala National Park single supplement: $1,475 (subject to seasonality) Galle 2

See overleaf for tour itineraries and inclusions. Other available departures please speak to your Coopers Travel's travel consultant.

Call 03 5152 6533 Gippsland www.cooperstravel.com Shop 2/70 Nicholson Street, Bairnsdale VIC 3875 Departure Email: [email protected]

All prices shown are per person based on twin share. Singles rooms are available at a supplement, ask for details. Prices are correct but are subject to change. Note air supplement may apply depending on airline availability and departure cities. ®

Gippsland Departure

ITINERARY Abbreviation: [B,L,D] Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Day 1. Depart Australia - Arrive Negombo Day 8. Kandy Welcome to amazing Sri Lanka, the pearl of The former capital of Ceylon and the last the Indian Ocean! seat of the Sinhalese kingdom, Kandy is Inclusions Day 2. Negombo known as Sri Lanka’s cultural heart. This We begin our sightseeing tour at the famous morning we visit the Royal Botanic Gardens travel: Negombo Fish Markets, a traditional patchwork of Peradeniya, with its beautiful orchid • Return economy-class fl ights of fi sh drying on hessian sacks. [B,D] house, before touring the . Later we’ll be from Australia to Sri Lanka. Taxes Cruise along the calm waters of the treated to a local dance performance. [B] included jungle-fringed Gin Oya River, listening Day 9. Kandy - Nuwara Eliya • Airport transfers on the fi rst and to the tranquil sounds of the abundant We travel to the lush tea-growing region last day of tour birdlife. We’ll watch the sunset before of Nuwara Eliya by train and road, visiting • All touring in air-conditioned joining a local family for a hosted a tea plantation to learn about Sri Lanka’s vehicles (excluding 4WD safari dinner on the banks of the river. most famous export. Of course, we’ll vehicles) Day 3. Negombo - Sigiriya enjoy a cup while we’re there. [B,D] This morning we depart Negombo and travel Day 10. Nuwara Eliya transportation: north into the Sri Lankan highlands. [B,D] We tour the picturesque colonial town of Coach, jeep, boat & local train On the way to Sigiriya we’ll stop to Nuwara Eliya. Built by the British in the 19th watch the beautiful elephants from the century to escape the sweltering heat of the accommodation & meals: Pinnawala Orphanage going about lowlands, this town still retains the charm of • 15 nights in good quality hotels their daily life - feeding, playing and bygone days. We’ll also visit beautiful St Clair (3-4 star) bathing in the local river. and Devon Falls. [B] • Day use of hotel on day of Day 4. Anuradhapura & Ritigala Day 11. Nuwara Eliya - Tissamaharama departure We visit the impressive ruins of Travelling south towards the coast, we • 15 breakfasts, 1 lunch and 12 Anuradhapura, the largest and oldest of Sri visit the spectacular waterfalls at Ella. This dinners, including group welcome Lanka’s ancient cities, dating back to the afternoon we arrive in Tissamaharama (or and farewell dinners 6th century. We’ll explore the gleaming Tissa). Set amongst rice paddies and ruins, it white dagobas and Sri Maha Bodhi, before is also the gateway to Yala National Park. [B,D] tour guides: travelling to the Ritigala Medicinal Forest to Day 12. Yala National Park • English-speaking national guide discover the ruins of an ancient hermitage, and driver throughout (English- set deep in the jungle. [B,D] This afternoon we embark on a safari in Yala National Park - the oldest and best-known speaking national driver/guide for Day 5. Polonnaruwa & Minneriya National of Sri Lanka’s national parks. Created in 1938, group sizes below 7 passengers) Park the diverse range of habitats, including scrub tips: Our day begins with a visit to the medieval jungle, brackish lagoons, lakes and rivers are capital of Polonnaruwa. Brimming with home to leopards, elephants, wild bu alo, • Tipping Made Easy, $200pp AUD archaeological treasures, we’ll discover the deer, black bears, macaques, jackals and a pre-paid well-preserved ruins of palaces, stupas, variety of birds. It’s believed to have one of bathing pools and exquisite rock sculptures the highest-density leopard populations in of Buddha. This afternoon we tour Minneriya the world. The national park also boasts a National Park by jeep, where we’ll hopefully large number of important cultural ruins spot sambar deer and elephants. [B,D] indicating previous civilisations. [B,D] Day 6. Sigiriya Day 13. Tissamaharama - Galle Today we explore the famous rock fortress of Driving along Sri Lanka’s beautiful south Sigiriya - ‘Lion Rock’. Built by King Kasyapa coast, we make our way to the Dutch colonial in the 5th century, this impressive site is town of Galle. Here we’ll take a city tour and located on top of a vast 200-metre-high visit its UNESCO World Heritage-listed sea granite rock, some 750 steps up! [B,L,D] fortress. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure. [B,D] Visit a traditional Sri Lankan village and be welcomed into a local home. Learn Day 14. Galle about daily life and traditional farming, We enjoy a scenic cruise along the Madu and then feast on local delicacies! River, watching locals go about their daily Day 7. Sigiriya - Dambula - Matale - Kandy lives. We’ll stop to visit a hatchery that was After breakfast we begin our journey to set up to conserve the turtle population, then Kandy, stopping at the stunning Cave Temples visit a moonstone mine at Meetiyagoda. [B,D] of Dambulla. Housing hundreds of statues Day 15. Galle - Colombo of Buddha, they are also completely covered We make our way to the island nation’s Day 16. Depart Colombo in ancient frescoes. We also stop at a spice capital, Colombo. We’ll take a guided tour Today is at leisure before we bid farewell to plantation in Matale. When we arrive in Kandy of the city, including a stop at the famous Sri Lanka this evening and begin our journey later this afternoon we’ll visit the Temple of Cricket Club Café. Tonight we enjoy a group home. [B] the Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha. [B,D] farewell dinner. [B,D] Day 17. Arrive Australia