Buddhism Cultural Heritage of Sri Lanka 12 Nights / 13 Days
Hotel Summary of the Journey
Day 1 – 3 Colombo Uga Residence Park Suite BB Day 3 – 5 Anuradhapura Ulagalla Resort Ulagalla Pool Villa BB Day 5 – 7 Trincomalee Jungle Beach Jungle Cabin BB Day 7 – 9 Polonnaruwa Lake House Deluxe Room BB Day 9 – 10 Kandy King’s Pavilion Junior Suite BB Day 10 – 13 Hatton Ceylon Tea Trails Garden Suite AI
Sri Lanka Experiences of a Lifetime
Day 1 Flight to Sri Lanka
Today you will fly to Colombo Flight TBA
Day 2 Airport – Colombo
Flight TBA Arrives Colombo TBA
Arrive in the airport and meet your personal chauffeur-guide in the arrivals hall just after the customs. He will then take you to your hotel in Colombo and would also advise you a pickup time for the evening excursion, he will also hand over you the necessary travel documents for your holiday. (Approx. 1.5 Hours)
Hotel: Uga Residence Room: Park Suite Meal Basis: Bed & Breakfast Website: http://www.ugaescapes.com/residence/
Day 3 Colombo / Kelaniya
After breakfast today, you will be taken to visit Kelaniya Temple & Kithsiri Mewan Temple.
Kelaniya Temple built on the banks of the Kelaniya River is one of the most sacred sites of Sri Lanka. It is believed Buddha together with 500 Arahats (Supremely enlightened beings) visited Kelaniya on the Wesek day of the Buddhist Era 2531 and expounding of the Dhamma, the Buddhist doctrine to the inhabitants of the island. Buddha’s timely visit to the island resulted in quelling an imminent war between two kings named Chulodara and Mahodara over a jewel–encrusted throne. Buddha having preached the doctrine on the disputed throne offered to him ensued lasting peace between the two kings. The great stupa built upon the site enshrining the throne was since then called Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara.
Kithsiri Mewan Raja Maha Vihara lies opposite the Kelaniya temple across river is belived to be the place where Lord Buddha visited prior to crossing the river and going to the place where the current Kelaniya temple is located. Lord Buddha had bathed in the Kelaniya river and it's said that the clothe that Lord Buddha was wearing while bathing is enshrined inthe the Kithsirimewan Raja Maha Vihara. The base of the temple is still wet and doesnt go dry even during drought times. It's said that this is because it houses the wet bathing clothe of Lord Buddha. The footprint of Lord Buddha can be seen at the location as well.
Evening you will visit the Gangaramaya Temple
Visit the Gangaramaya Temple where your whole family will be blessed by a Buddhist monk with a sacred thread which will be wrapped around your wrists. Witness the hair relics of Lord Buddha enshrined at the temple along with the smallest Buddha statue in the world. The entire temple is a living museum from collections from all around the world. Walk around and explore.
Check-in to your hotel for overnight.
Hotel: Uga Residence Room: Park Suite Meal Basis: Bed & Breakfast Website: http://www.ugaescapes.com/residence/
Day 4 Colombo / Sigiriya / Anuradhapura
After breakfast today, you will take an air taxi @ 1000 Hrs and fly to Sigiriya. (Approx. 30 minutes)
Evening visit the UNESCO Dambulla Cave Temple.
Climb the UNESCO Dambulla cave temple which is a sacred pilgrimage site for 22 centuries, this cave monastery, with its five sanctuaries, is the largest, best-preserved cave-temple complex in Sri Lanka. The Buddhist mural paintings are of particular importance, as are the 157 statues.
Check-in to your hotel for overnight.
Hotel: Ulagalla Resort Room: Ulagalla Pool Villa Meal Basis: Bed & Breakfast Website: http://www.ugaescapes.com/ulagalla/
Day 5 Anuradhapura
After breakfast today, you will explore the Ancient City of Anuradhapura with an expert local guide.
Hummingbird Anuradhapura Backroads Cycling Journey - The Kingdom of Anuradhapura was the capital of Sri Lanka for more than 1000 years in ancient times. This was one of the greatest human civilizations in Asia. The sacred city was named as a UNESCO World Heritage site as well. A branch from the sacred fig tree under which Lord Buddha attained enlightenment was planted in Anuradhapura in 3rd Century BC and this tree is still alive making it the oldest tree on the face of the Earth with a known planting date. Visit the three temples of Mirisaveti, Jetavana and Ruvanweli which align perfectly with the star constellation Orion’s Belt. The only other places that this happen in the world are with the Great Pyramids of Egypt, Mayan’s Pyramids and in Angkor Wat. Cycle through the back roads with your hosted resident guide who will take you through the Inner City where you will witness an amazing side of Anuradhapura, which no one knows even exists, and definitely out of the tourist crowds.
Evening you will visit a Buddhist Monastery.
A Walk through the Cradle of Buddhism - Today you will visit the birthplace of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, the place where it all began. Buddhism was brought into Sri Lanka from India and this is where Monk Mahinda preached Buddhism to King Devanampiyatissa up on the mountain peak. You have the option of climbing to the top of the mountain and enjoy the breathtaking beauty of the surrounding area. Afterwards your resident expert will escort you to a 1000 year old mountain monastery forgotten in time called the Kalu Diya Pokuna monastery. This is one of the few functioning monasteries in the country where Buddhism is at its purest. No buildings, no wealth, but pure meditation and Buddhist monks following on the Lord Buddha's footsteps. These monks who you will see today keep travelling between such monasteries from time to time. If you wish you can get yourself blessed by one of these monks and get a blessed thread wrapped around your wrist for protection. It's one of those untouched areas in the country where very few tourists have visited.
Check-in to your hotel for overnight.
Hotel: Ulagalla Resort Room: Ulagalla Pool Villa Meal Basis: Bed & Breakfast Website: http://www.ugaescapes.com/ulagalla/
Day 6 Anuradhapura – Trincomalee
After breakfast you will head to Trincomalee, en-route visit the Avukana & Sassewura buddha statues.
Avukana & Sasseruwa Buddha statues – Avukana is one of the best examples of our ancient sculptors ability to turn stone into breathtaking art. Built in the 5th Century AD, what lot of people don’t know is that Avukana has a twin statue very close by called – The Sasseruwa. The story goes as, a student challenged his master saying that he is better than and a sculpting dual began. The master started building Avukana and his student started building Sasseruwa. The student saw the finished beauty of the Avukana and accepted his defeat and left, without putting the final touches to his statue – Sasseruwa. One can still see the unfinished lines on the statue to this date.
Later proceed to the Ritigala Monastery.
Ritigala Mountain - Climb up the Ritigala Mountain which houses an ancient Buddhist monastery which dates back to the 1st Century BC. It would take around 2 – 2.5 hours for the journey. We would be climbing 1.5KM to get to the monastery. The strict nature reserve which is located at the top is not allowed for any visitors since the eco system is very fragile. Learn about the folk lore that surrounds the mountain from your host as well.
Check-in to your hotel and relax the rest of the day.
Hotel: Jungle Beach Room: Jungle Cabins Meal Basis: Bed & Breakfast Website: http://www.ugaescapes.com/junglebeach/
Day 7 Trincomalee
In the morning visit Thiriyaya Watadage which is supposed to be the oldest temple in the world.
Visit Thiriyaya Watadage, which is also known as Girihandu Seya is the oldest Buddhist temple in the world which houses the hair relics of Lord Buddha. This temple was built while Lord Buddha was alive, which puts the building date of this temple, some 2500 years ago. The story goes as that two merchant brothers offered some victuals to Lord Buddha, in the 8th week after his enlightenment and are considered to be the first lay disciples of Him. In return the Lord Buddha gifted them with a handful of hair relics.
Check-in to your hotel and relax the rest of the day.
Hotel: Jungle Beach Room: Jungle Cabins Meal Basis: Bed & Breakfast Website: http://www.ugaescapes.com/junglebeach/
Day 8 Trincomalee – Polonnaruwa
After breakfast, drive to Polonnaruwa. En-route visit Seruwawila temple which houses the forehead skull piece of Lord Buddha.
Seruwawila temple houses the forehead relic piece of Lord Buddha and the temple was built in 2nd century BC. This is one of the most peaceful places in the country for some meditation, right under the Fig tree infront of the temple. There’re many ancient ruin sites scattered around the temple and the main image house is located behind the stupa. The temple is not known to many tourists and therefore this would be another ideal location to enjoy almost exclusivity of the site.
Check-in to your hotel and relax the rest of the day.
Hotel: Lake House Room: Deluxe Room Meal Basis: Bed & Breakfast Website: https://www.ekhohotels.com/ekholakehouse/
Day 9 Polonnaruwa
In the morning visit Somawathiya temple which is one of the holiest worshiping places in the country with relics of Lord Buddha.
Somawathiya Temple - Located inside the Somawathiya National Park and on the left bank of Mahaweli River, the Somawathiya temple is believed to have been built long before the time of Dutugamunu enshrining the right canine Relic of the tooth of the Buddha. It is attributed to the reign of King Kavan Tissa - Dutugemunu’s father - who ruled Magama. Somawathiya is therefore much older than Ruwanwelisaya, Mirisawetiya Vihara or Jetavanaramaya. The stupa is named after Princess Somawathi, the sister of King Kavantissa, and the wife of regional ruler Prince Abhaya. The prince built the stupa to enshrine the right tooth relic of the Buddha, obtained from Arahat Mahinda, and named the stupa after the princess. Upon completion of the stupa and other constructions, the prince and princess handed over the temple to Arahat Mahinda and other monks.
Evening visit the Gal Viharaya in Polonnaruwa
Walk around the Monkey Kingdom of UNESCO Polonnaruwa at leisure. Witness how this ancient capital city has been taken over by very friendly monkeys which was the setting for the Disney movie – Monkey Kingdom. Explore multi-storied castles, temples and megalithic Buddha statues and while keeping an eye on its current inhabitants – the monkeys, who’re now the kings of Polonnaruwa.
Check-in to your hotel for overnight.
Hotel: Lake House Room: Deluxe Room Meal Basis: Bed & Breakfast Website: https://www.ekhohotels.com/ekholakehouse/
Day 10 Polonnaruwa – Kandy
Drive to Kandy and visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in the evening.
Visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic which is located in the royal palace complex of the former Kingdom of Kandy, which houses the relic of the tooth of the Buddha. Since ancient times, the relic has played an important role in local politics because it is believed that whoever holds the relic holds the governance of the country.
Check-in to your hotel for overnight.
Hotel: Kings Pavilion Room: Junior Suite Meal Basis: Bed & Breakfast Website: http://www.kingspavilion.com/
Day 11 Kandy – Hatton
In the morning take the scenic train from Kandy (0847 Hrs) to Hatton (1112 Hrs).
Get on board the Vintage local train which is how the British used to travel during the Colonial times in the late 1800’s. You will have reserved seats for you and witness the beautiful ride along forests, villages, waterfalls and tea estates and the train journeys to the sleepy town amidst the hills.
Relax the rest of the day in your tea bungalow.
Hotel: Ceylon Tea Trails Room: Gardens Suite Meal Basis: All Inclusive Website: http://www.resplendentceylon.com/teatrails/
Day 12 Kandy – Hatton
Climb Adam's Peak and relax the rest of the day.
Though not the highest mountain of Sri Lanka, the striking pyramid of Adam's Peak (7,360 ft) is certainly the most remarkable. A depression in the rocky summit resembles a huge footprint, which has been venerated as a sacred sigh from remote antiquity. This was identified by Buddhists as the Buddha's
footprint, by Hindus as that of Shiva, and by Muslims as Adam's. Later the Portuguese attributed it to St. Thomas the Apostle.
The Mahawamsa tells how the sacred footprint was imprinted by the departing Buddha on his third visit to Lanka, but the site did not become an object of regular Buddhist pilgrimage until the Polonnaruwa period, when Vijayabahu I built resting houses for pilgrims and King Nissankamalla himself, in the year 1201, climbed to the top and worshipped the spot.
Relax the rest of the day in your tea bungalow.
Hotel: Ceylon Tea Trails Room: Gardens Suite Meal Basis: All Inclusive Website: http://www.resplendentceylon.com/teatrails/
Day 13 Hatton
After breakfast today, you will do a tea factory tour and relax the rest of the day at you bungalow.
In the morning witness hundreds of local village women walking among the tea estates plucking tea leaves (we can arrange for you to experience the tea plucking session as well) to be carried out into the nearby Tea Factory. Visit one of these factories and learn the secrets of the world famous Ceylon Tea through a guided tour. Learn how the same estate produces different grades of tea catering to different types of markets.
Hotel: Ceylon Tea Trails Room: Gardens Suite Meal Basis: All Inclusive Website: http://www.resplendentceylon.com/teatrails/
Day 14 Hatton – Colombo / Beach Stay
Transfer from Hatton to BIA, in time for your departure flight
Flight TBA
*Note: Airport & Aviation Services of Sri Lanka advises all travelers to be at the airport at least (3) three hours prior to your departure flight time to comply with check-in deadlines as well as to avoid any unpredictable traffic in Sri Lanka. It is also advisable to check-in online at an appropriate time.
- End of services –
Holiday Package Includes
All accommodation on the meal basis as mentioned above All return transfers in an air conditioned vehicle throughout the tour with an English speaking chauffeur guide. Note: there maybe instances where a separate vehicle will be used, such as for air taxi transfers and pickups from trains stations All entrance fees, excursions, tickets for train journeys and jeep safaris mentioned above Bottled water, In-vehicle Wi-Fi throughout the tour
Holiday Package Excludes
Sri Lankan Visa Beverages, unless stated otherwise Items of a personal nature such as laundry, phone calls etc. Early check ins or late check outs Any Insurance International and domestic airfare unless stated otherwise Tips to guides, airport and hotel porters and restaurants Any change in tax structure resulting from the hike in published tariff Any other item not explicitly mentioned under included price
What to Expect when travelling in Sri Lanka When entering temples and kovils, you must wear clothes which cover your elbows and knees (we provide you with a wrap-around cloth to help you with this) Always remove foot-ware & caps when entering. One day of the month is dedicated to Lord Buddha and is called a Poya day, on which all liquor sales are prohibited in the country, including in the hotels. (prior purchases on the day before can be made with the help of your driver or via the hotel) Sri Lankans love their spices and if you can’t take the extra spicy food, best keep in mind when ordering food, you might want to tell the chef to go easy on the chilies since the standard spicy level of Sri Lankans could be a bit too much for someone who is not used to it. Cultural sites such as Sigiriya and Dambulla have become very popular and you will see a lot of people in these places. We have alternatives if you wish not to go to these sites. We recommend Yapahuwa rock fortress instead of Sigiriya and Mulkirigala Cave Temple, instead of Dambulla. If you really want to visit Sigiriya and Dambulla and also want to avoid the crowds, we recommend you be at the gate early morning and be the first to enter so that you will have the entire site to yourself before the crowds come in. Yala National Park is another place which had become very popular and therefore you will find lots of jeeps inside the park in one place trying to get a look at one leopard. If you wish to have a relaxing safari we have alternatives to Yala such as Wilpattu and Lunugamvehera where leopard and bear sightings are really good as well.
We always recommend that we book you in for a private yacht when doing whale watching so that you can have a very relaxing and comfortable experience. Also you can return back anytime you want as well. During your beach holidays when you have not requested for a vehicle to be at your disposal and if you are going to use public transportation – it’s always best to agree on a fare before getting into a tuk tuk or a cab since outside of Colombo, there’re no meter services to calculate the fare. You are welcome to bargain since there’re no fixed prices. Between 6 – 7 PM is generally the time that several mosquitos come out and its best to be ready with an insect repellant, in case you are still outdoors. Sunscreen is recommended when going out in the morning. Due to different sunscreen and insect repellent products react differently on people, these products are not included in the standard tour packet. However if you want one, please let your driver know and it will be complimentary for you. When crossing the roads on your own, don’t be offended if vehicles don’t stop and give way. It’s an Asian cultural thing, where everyone is in a hurry on the road. Always cross the road on a yellow crossing and if one is not available, best raise your hand (in “STOP” motion) at the vehicles and cross the road. Sri Lankans will always have a smile on their faces and don’t hesitate to smile back. They are a very hospitable people and will go out of their way to help you out. If you want to start a conversation with the locals, one of the famous topics would be Cricket. Everyone in Sri Lanka knows and love cricket. Once in Sri Lanka you would witness Elephant back rides and bullock cart rides for tourists, but we refrain from promoting such rides since these animals are not cared properly and we try to stay away from anything that promotes animal cruelty. If you’re someone who always enjoys local delicacies, the top 5 authentic food not to be missed would be – Kottu Rotti at Kaema Sutra restaurant – Colombo (comes with meat or vegetarian), Lamprais (a rise and curry with Dutch origins), Buffalo Curd with treacle, Black pork curry and finally, milk rice with lunu miris (the lunu miris is a bit spicy). Famous Sinhalese words to remember would be; - Thank you - “Sthu-thi” - How Are You – “Ko-ho-ma-da” - Greetings – “Ayu-bo-wan” (don’t be surprised once you say this, some people might put their hands together and say the same, since this is the correct way of saying it)
Sri Lanka Philanthropy
Every tour you book with us, we sponsor an orphaned child’s education and meals for 6 months. By booking your holiday with us, you are helping a poor child’s life for entire 6 months.
Ask us for more information!