- Sri Lanka explored, Laterally - Because I’ve always wanted to... In a Nutshell... Flights... Day 1, - Fly rom the UK to Colombo. Date Airline & From Departs To Arrives Class Day 2, - Transfer to Kegalle. Afternoon Estate walk. Rosyth Estate House. Flight Number Day 3, - Market visit and Sri Lankan cooking lesson. DAY 1 TBC LONDON TBC COLOMBO TBC TBC Afternoon visit Pinnawala Elephant orphanage visit. Rosyth Estate House. DAY 2 DAY 21 TBC COLOMBO TBC LONDON TBC TBC Day 4, - Transfer to Nuwara Eliya. Stafford Bungalow. DAY 22 Day 5, - Tea Experience. Stafford Bungalow. Day 6, - Horton Plains hike. Transfer to Koslanda. Day 7, - At leisure / waterfall walk. Koslanda. Day 8, - Transfer to Gal Oya National Park. Gal Oya Lodge. Day 9, - Gal Oya National Park. Gal Oya Lodge. Day 10, - Transfer to Yala. Leopard Safaris. Day 11, - On Safari in Yala. Leopard Safaris. Day 12, - Transfer to Tangalle. The Last House Day 13, - At leisure. The Last House. Day 14, - At leisure. The Last House. Day 15, - Transfer to Galle. Amangalla. Day 16, - Explore Galle. Amangalla. Day 17, - Transfer to Cape Weligama. Day 18, - AM whale watching. Cape Weligama. Day 19, - At leisure. Paddy field cycling. Cape Weligama. Day 20, - Transfer to Colombo. The Residence Colombo. Day 21, - AM walk. PM Departure flight. Day 22, - Welcome home! Your Recommended Itinerary... Day 1, - Fly from the UK to Colombo. Today make your way to the airport to catch your overnight flight to Colombo. Accommodation: Overnight flight. Meals: In-flight meals. Day 2, - Transfer to Kegalle. Upon arrival at Colombo airport you will be welcomed by a laterallife representa- tive and transferred to Rosyth Estate House in Kegalle, where you will stay 2 nights. The drive time is around 2 hours. After lunch, stretch your legs with an introductory walk to the Rosyth Tea Facto- ry and rubber plantation. The rest of the day is at your leisure to explore the Estate and its surroundings and enjoy some pool time. Accommodation: Rosyth Estate House. Meals: Dinner. Day 3, - Kegalle Market, Sri Lanka Cooking & Pinnawala Elephants After breakfast, visit the local market in Kegalle to purchase fresh vegetables and produce before returning to Rosyth to take a cooking lesson and demonstra- tion from the Estate chef, who can guide you through traditional Sri Lankan dish- es or any other fusion recipe that is offered on the menu at the Estate House. In the afternoon, visit the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. The elephant orphanage was established in 1975 by the Department of Wildlife Conservation on a 25-acre (10 ha) coconut plantation on the Maha Oya river. The orphanage was originally founded in order to afford care and protection to the many or- phaned elephants found in the jungle. Today it remains a top attraction for visi- tors seeking to get close to elephants. You can feed the baby elephants and watch the elephants walking through the village and bathing in the river. Visitors can sit comfortably in a riverside café whilst the elephants bathe and play. Accommodation: Rosyth Estate House. Meals: Breakfast & Dinner. Day 4, - Transfer to Nuwara Eliya. Today you are collected from the Estate and transferred by road to Stafford Bun- galow in Nuwara Eliya. Surrounded by hills and tea plantations, the town of Nuwara Eliya enjoys spring-like weather throughout the year. A favourite retreat of the British during colonial times, the town is dotted with English country style houses and half- timbered bungalows, with names like Sunhill Cottage or Windsor Hotel. No sur- prise it’s earned the name "Little England". In the afternoon go for a walk in the tea fields surrounding the Stafford Estate. The Estate contains walking trails and mountain biking routes and the staff will be happy to guide you through the tea plantation. Accommodation: Stafford Bungalow. Meals: Breakfast & Dinner. Day 5, - Tea Experience. Nuwara Eliya is a unique geographical location that brings you a collection of teas that are amongst the finest in the world. In the morning you head to the tea gardens and learn about picking the best shoots or "two leaves and a bud". By late noon the gatherings will reach the factory before becoming your cup of tea. In the afternoon, enjoy a visit to a local tea factory and see the process first hand. Stafford’s Tea Superintendent can also enhance your tea tasting skills, by presenting a unique tea tasting demonstration on request. Slurp, Roll, Twist, Spit – an interesting group experience to do while you taste teas to identify the various grades. For those keen to understand the plantation neighbourhood, a meeting with the local villagers can also be arranged. Accommodation: Stafford Bungalow. Meals: Breakfast & Dinner. Day 6, - Horton Plains. Transfer to Koslanda. Head out this morning on a visit to Horton Plains. This misty grassland plateau is a National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site. It sits at an elevation of more than 2,000 m (6,500 ft) about 20 km from Nuwara Eliya. There is a strange and mysterious silence about the place, and it has some excellent walks. From this plateau rise Sri Lanka’s second and third highest mountains: Thotupo- la Kanda (2,357 m) and Kirigalpota (2,389 m). The grassland is interspersed with patches of forest and some unusual vegetation that grows only at high alti- tudes. The trees are encrusted with lichens, and giant ferns and rhododendrons also flourish. The dense forests are home to deer, jackal, the shaggy bear- monkey, sambhur (a large deer) and the occasional leopard. The plains are also popular with birdwatchers. The most amazing feature of Horton Plains is World’s End, where the southern part of the plains drops almost vertically for 700 m. In the afternoon you are transferred to Koslanda for a 2 night stay. The drive time from Horton Plains is around 2 hours. Accommodation: Koslanda. Meals: Breakfast. Day 7, - At leisure / Explore the forest. Spend the day at your leisure. We recommend going for a walk to the local wa- terfall. Koslanda is set in a grove in the beautiful forest aptly named ‘Devianga Kale’ – ‘God’s Forest – and is spread over seven hills from Adam’s Peak to Kataragama. The site, known for its remarkable beauty and sacredness, also has a waterfall and south flowing river, both of which are considered essential for healthy liv- ing. The forest is also on the route elephants have used for centuries when they leave the plains below to go to the hills during the dry season. If you’re staying between June and August you may be lucky enough to catch sight of the ele- phants as they make their ascent. You may also find giant squirrels and chat- tering monkeys, as well as the jackfruit trees that give Koslanda its name. Na- tive plants and an abundance of exotic birds fill the air with a chorus of their songs. By the waterfall you’ll find a perfect spot for resting after a swim and watching the water cascade into the pool below. Accommodation: Koslanda. Meals: Breakfast. Day 8, - Transfer to Gal Oya National Park. Today you will be transferred to Gal Oya National Park, the most untouched of all of Sri Lanka’s National Parks. It encompasses the country’s largest inland body of water, the Senanayake Samudraya Lake. Many small islands provide one of the ideal spots to see the Asian elephant in its natural habitat. Check in at Gal Oya Lodge for a 2 night stay. In the afternoon, your local guide will introduce you to the area with a walk to the nearby lake which will be full of abundant birdlife. Accommodation: Gal Oya Lodge. Meals: Breakfast. Day 9, - Gal Oya National Park. After breakfast, head out for a walk through the remote countryside with a local Vedda chief - the Veddas are the aboriginal people of Sri Lanka. The Chief will show explain the traditions of his tribe, many of which are still practised today as well as the caves of his forefathers. In the afternoon you will be taken for a jeep safari through the jungle to the mighty Nigala river which famously flows under a huge boulder field. Alternatively, you can also go for boat safari on the beautiful lake where you can spot many wild animals and beautiful birds. Gal Oya is the only place in Sri Lanka where safaris can be conducted by boat. It gives a unique and special perspective whilst watching animals as they come to the water’s edge to drink and forage along the shore. The highlights are seeing wild elephants swim from island to island. You may also observe a myriad of birds busying themselves in the late afternoon. Accommodation: Gal Oya Lodge. Meals: Breakfast. Day 10, - Transfer to Yala. This morning after breakfast you will be driven to Yala where you are staying at the Leopard Safaris tented camp for 2 nights. Yala is leopard country, and the leopards here are most definitely the kings of the jungle! With a leopard density that's higher than anywhere else on this planet, these incredible predators prowl majestically in Yala, while elephants roam in small groups with cautious deer scampering by their side. Accommodation: Leopard Safaris. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner. Day 11, - On Safari in Yala. Rise early for a morning safari game drives. Morning and afternoon game drives during your stay here are all included. Together with Wilpattu National Park, Yala National Park offers a total protected area of more than 2300 sq km (230000 hectares) and boasts a stunning array of wildlife. Yala has become recognised for having one of the highest densities of leopards in the world.