COUNTRY : SRI LANKA GROUP TOUR : 05 NIGHTS / 06 DAYS Name : Fabulous Sri Lanka - SEAT - IN COACH TOUR (SIC Tour) Route : Airport | Habarana | Kandy | Nuwara Eliya | Yala | Airport | Minimum number of participants : 02 Persons Departure from Colombo : Every Monday and Wednesday (From 01-Nov-2019 to 30-Apr-2020) Every Monday (from 01-May-2020 to 31-Oct-2020) Validity period : From 01-Nov 2019 to 31-Oct-2020 TOUR OVERVIEW Discover Sri Lanka high and low with this fascinating tour starting in the capital Colombo/Airport and taking an inland loop that covers the main historical, cultural and natural attractions of this magical island. Explore a world of lush landscapes, picturesque sea towns, historic temples and ancient castles. Meet some of the friendliest and gentlest creatures in the animal kingdom and breathe the scents of Sri Lanka into herb and spice gardens. Also enjoy cultural events and spiritual experiences over six unforgettable days traveling across paradise on earth. The groups vary in size, but are usually made up of about 4-15 travelers. TOUR HIGHLIGHTS Dambulla: Buddhist cave temple carved deep in a mountain and with frescoes. Polonnaruwa: Old city of temple and palace ruins and a still functioning irrigation system. Sigiriya: The 'Lion Rock' rises almost 200 meters above the jungle is an unforgettable sight and offers a breathtaking panoramic view. Matale: Stroll through spice gardens with the scent of Sri Lanka... Cinnamon, turmeric, nutmeg smells ... Kandy: The Buddhist Sri Lanka and the world, Kandy one of the holiest sites as it is home to the "Dalada Maligawa" temple of the sacred dental relic of Buddha Kandy. Nuwara Eliya: Enjoy the scenic drive to the British colonial "Little England" through tea plantations and waterfalls. Yala National Park: See wild animals such as elephants, buffalos, crocodiles and leopards. Galle: Turn the clock back and explore the historic streets of the well-preserved fortified Dutch colonial city. ITINERARY DAY 1: Airport – Dambulla – Habarana Early in the morning you will be picked up from the airport (or hotel in Negombo) and driven to Dambulla. (FLIGHT - DAM about 160 km - 3 hours) In Dambulla visit the cave temple of Dambulla. Dambulla: The cave temple dates back to the first century BC. At that time Anuradhapura was occupied by Indian Tamils. King Vattagamani Abhaya fled from the first capital of the empire to Dambulla. There he found shelter in the caves for the next 14 years. After regaining the throne, he founded the impressive temple, which was one of the largest in the country at the time. Even today, the religious site is highly regarded throughout Asia. At first, the visitor is greeted by the golden statue of Buddha, about 30 meters high, at the entrance to the temple. A steep ascent to the actual temple follows. After about 600 steps you reach the entrance of the temple. From there, one has a fantastic view to the surrounding area and in a rock ledge there are five impressive caves. Afterwards you drive to your hotel in Habarana where you will be checked in. (DAM – HAB about 25 km – 30 Min) Late in the evening you will experience the typical village style cooking in Habarana, where you carefully select your own vegetables from an organic vegetable farm and take part in the cooking with some cooks who have dressed up as villagers. Enjoy the homemade dinner in the village theamed restaurant. Overnight stay in a hotel in Habarana DAY 2 : HABARANA – SIGIRIYA – POLONNARUWA – HABARANA After breakfast you drive to Sigiriya and visit & climb the impressive rock fortress of Sigiriya. (HAB – SIG about 15 km – 20 Min) The "rock fortress" built in the 5th century A.D. on the plateau of a monolith is probably one of the most spectacular places on the island. Since in former times a stone lion was enthroned at the entrance of the fortress, the rock is also called lion rock. The two paws of the lion have been preserved. In the middle of the extensive complex, the rock rises almost 200 meters out of the plain. Explore the gardens with fountains, pavilions and swimming pools. Afterwards you will be taken to the ancient ruins of the kingdom in Polonnaruwa. (SIG – POL about 70 km – 1.30 hrs.) Polonnaruwa: The superbly designed Polonnaruwa Archaeological Park is a fascinating testimony to the second oldest kingdom of Sri Lanka in the 11th and 12th centuries AD. Especially during the reign of King Parakrama Bahu, Polonnaruwa experienced a heyday which allowed generous buildings. The entire complex was left to the jungle for centuries, before an Englishman rediscovered the city in the 19th century and numerous monuments were uncovered. Today you can see the remains of the royal palace, the Gal Vihare with three Buddha figures carved out of the rock, the Shiva temple as well as the beautiful Parakrama reservoir, the lotus bath and the remains of the old tooth temple, where the Buddha's tooth relic venerated in Kandy today was once kept. After the visit you will return to your hotel in Habarana. (POL – HAB about 50 km – 1 ½ hrs.) Overnight stay in a hotel in Habarana (dinner, breakfast) DAY 3: HABARANA –MATALE –KANDY After your breakfast you go to Kandy. On the way, visit a spice garden in Matale. (HAB – MAT about 80 km – 2 hrs.) Spice garden: On the road from Dambulla to Kandy there are countless spice gardens. You will visit one of them to learn more about spice plants like pepper, cinnamon, vanilla and cardamom. After the tour you can buy all kinds of spices in the shop. Afterwards you drive on to Kandy. You will get to know the city of Kandy on a city tour and visit the country's largest sanctuary, the Temple of the Tooth. (MAT – KAN about 30 km – 1 hr.) Kandy: the former royal city is located in the central mountains of Sri Lanka at a height of about 500 meters and is still very traditional today. Kandy is also the venue of the annual parade "Esala Perahera". The main attraction is undoubtedly the tooth temple, in which a canine tooth of Buddha is kept in a golden shrine. The temple was built in several sections between 1687 and 1782 to protect and preserve the sacred relic. The city is to this day the center of a flourishing handicraft with music, dance and folk art at its center. Kandy was conquered by the British in 1815 and still today the city center is characterized by the colonial style. Afterwards visit of the holy tooth temple. Sri Dalada Maligawa: According to tradition, the left canine tooth of Buddha is kept here as a relic. According to legend, this tooth is the source of spiritual power - which makes the tooth temple in Kandy one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the country for Buddhists. The temple was built in several sections between 1687 and 1782 to protect and preserve the sacred relic. Afterwards you visit a gemstone museum, in which individual gemstones are exhibited in detail. There you will learn how beautiful pieces of jewelry are made from the many gemstones that here in Sri Lanka. After the visit of the museum you have the choice to experience a performance of the famous candy dancers. The colorfully decorated and splendidly dressed dancers tell stories and legends of the country in their traditional dances. Overnight stay in Kandy (dinner, breakfast) DAY 4: KANDY –PERADENIYA –NUWARA ELIYA After breakfast you will visit the botanical garden of Peradeniya. (KAN - PERA about 8 km – 30 min) Royal Botanical Garden: Visit of the botanical garden in Peradeniya. With 62ha it is the second largest botanical garden in all of Asia, without doubt one of the most beautiful and home to about 4000 plant species. The garden was laid out 700 years ago as a pleasure garden by King Vikramabahu III, and only received its present form from the British in the 19th century. Afterwards you drive to Nuwara Eliya. On the way you will visit a tea plantation and a tea factory. Taste a cup of tea of “Pure Ceylon Tea” and reserve your bulk of tea to bring back home (PERA – NUW about 80 km – 3 hrs.) Upon arrival in Nuwara Eliya you will take a city tour to explore the town. Nuwara Eliya : Rightly bears the nickname "Little England", because here much still reminds of the time of the sunken Empire. Racecourse, golf course and Victoria Park are just a few relics of bygone times. Also the weather in Nuwara Eliya occasionally shows its British side and brings cool nights. But with a cup of Ceylon tea by the fireplace, the cool temperatures are quickly forgotten. In the heights of Sri Lanka, the British found a more pleasant and cooler climate in ¬Nuwara ¬Eliya. In the 19th century, Samuel Baker founded the town of Nuwara Eliya as a recreational area for the British colonial rulers. Even today, the small village looks like a cloned English village where many of the old buildings have been preserved - the old post office with the red roof or exclusive Hill Club. In sporting terms, too, -Nuwara Eliya has an 18-hole golf course and "¬very British" racecourse. In the evening we recommend a walk through the city. Overnight stay in Nuwara Eliya (dinner, breakfast) DAY 5: NUWARA ELIYA –ELLA –YALA After your breakfast we go to Yala via Ella. The view from Ella Gap is one of the most spectacular scenic sights in Sri Lanka. In Ella you visit the Ella Gap and Rawana Ella (waterfall) (NUW - ELLA about 70 km - 2 hours).