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SRI LANKA AND THE MALDIVES
SRI LANKA AND THE MALDIVES
Set off on a journey that captures the essence of Sri Lanka; the beautiful and misty hill country, the last kingdom of Sri Lanka and the World Heritage site in combination with the beautiful Islands of Maldives with pure white sandy beaches. This holiday program was designed to offer you a blend of sun and sand with rich culture, heritage and ownership with a touch of nature and wild life.
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Day 1
Route : Sri Lanka: Airport > Negombo
Drive : Approx: 25 minutes drive
Hotel : Jetwing Beach | Jetwing Lagoon
Highlights : Arrival at the airport and transfer to the hotel.
At the airport you will be greeted by our Jetwing Representative and your Chauffer Guide who will take you to the modern beach town of Negombo. Check-in to the hotel and rest and relax to recover from any jet lag.
If you have spare time, your chauffeur will introduce you to some of Negombo’s curious sites such the Dutch churches, perhaps take a boat ride along the Dutch canals or laze on the golden sands.
Day 2
Route : Negombo > Pinnawela > Sigiriya
Drive : Approx: 4 ½ hours
Hotel : Jetwing Lake | Aliya Resort and Spa | Kassapa Lion’s Rock
Highlights : Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage, ascend the Sigiriya Rock Fortress
Set off from coastal Negombo to experience the inland delights of Sri Lanka.
Your journey will take you along a picturesque route passing rice paddy fields to the town of Kurunegala. Look out for the towering Lord Buddha statue upon a rock, which from far is the town’s landmark!
To begin, drop by the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage to get your first introduction to Sri Lanka’s most infamous inhabitants. Here you can watch these giant animals up close as they feed and bathe in the shimmering waters of the Ma Oya River. After lunch, continue to the town of Sigiriya, within the country’s rich cultural triangle. Late afternoon, mount the mesmerizing rock fortress of Sigiriya – a 5th Century “Fortress in the Skyâ€.
Admire the architectural marvel of how a king’s fortress was carved from a massive rock in the 5th century A.D.
Day 3
Route : Sigiriya > Polonnaruwa > Sigiriya
Drive : Approx: 3 hour drive
Hotel : Jetwing Lake | Aliya Resort and Spa | Kassapa Lion’s Rock
Highlights : Discover the ancient city of Polonnaruwa and indulge in an elephant safari.
Today learn about the better kept ruins of ancient Ceylon – the UNESCO World Heritage City of Polonnaruwa which was a medieval capital of Sri Lanka from the 11th – 13th century A.D. Take a walking tour of one of the ruins of ancient Ceylon which includes a visit to Lankathilaka, Thuparamaya, Royal Palace, Rankoth Vehera and Gal Viharaya.
On your return, late afternoon take an exhilarating jeep safari with the company of an expert naturalist guide to the Minneriya or neighboring Kavdullah National Park. The Vast sanctuary is a home to about 250 wild elephants, wild buffaloes, sambar deer, crocodiles, sloth bear and more.
Day 4
Route : Sigiriya > Kandy
Drive : Approx: 3 hours drive
Hotel : Jetwing Kandy Gallery | Ozo Kandy | Cinnamon Citadel
Highlights : Kandy City tour, Matale Spice Garden, Alu Vihara Temple and a visit to three esteemed Buddhist temples.
Today you will arrive in the hill capital of Kandy, surrounded by greenery and the great Mahaweli River. Eminent as the center of Buddhism and the capital of the last Sinhalese kingdom, the name Kandy evokes romantic notions in people of a lost hill kingdom, a lake, tea plantations and a famous temple.
En route, we recommend you make a stop at the Matale Spice Garden to learn about Ceylon’s finest spices and the Aluvihare Sacred Buddhist Temple for a quick peek!
Once in Kandy, we suggest you visit the three prominent temples dedicated to the teaching of Buddha; Embekke Temple complex, Lankathilaka temple and the Gadaladeniya temple.
Retreat to the comforts of the cozy home in the hills!
Day 05
Route : Kandy
Drive : ½ day city tour
Hotel : Jetwing Kandy Gallery | Ozo Kandy | Cinnamon Citadel
Highlights : Visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic, Botanical Gardens of Peradeniya & witness a cultural dance performance
At your convenience, become acquainted with the city of Kandy; pay your respects to the golden-roofed Temple of the Tooth Relic, which houses Sri Lanka’s most sacred relic, a tooth of the Lord Buddha. Admire the delicate hill-country breezes that urge the mist to gently part revealing colorful houses amid Kandy’s forested halo, visit the lively market places, Upper Lake drive and the grandeur of the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens. To step up the tempo, attend a dance performance featuring traditional dances from the different regions of Sri Lanka along with a fire walk show!
Day 6
Route : Kandy > Nuwara Eliya
Drive : Approx: 3 and half hour train Journey
Hotel : Grand Hotel | Jetwing St. Andrews | Heritance Tea Factory
Highlights : Exhilarating train ride, visit a tea plantation and factory & explore Nuwara Eliya town.
Hop on board the morning TRAIN and journey through the Tea Carpets of Ceylon to Nanu Oya. The slow descend through the tea fields and hill country side with its winding tracks and misty panoramas, offers an unmatched perspective and wonderful experience.
Welcome to Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka’s tea growing Region! Visit a tea estate and factory to see how Ceylon tea is made. Observe the process of making raw black tea, grading tea, coloring and firing tea leaves to arrive at the finished product!
Afterwards drive around the town to see the same. Often referred to as ‘Little England’, this genteel highland community does have a rose-tinted, vaguely British-country-village feel to it, with its colonial-era bungalows, Tudor-style hotels, well-tended hedgerows and pretty gardens. Do also indulge in a guided stroll of the town; pass the 18-hole golf course, the colonial members only Hill Club and English styled country homes.
Day 7
Route : Nuwara Eliya > Colombo
Drive : Approx.: 6 hour drive
Hotel : Jetwing Colombo 07 | Galle Face Hotel | Ozo Colombo
Highlights : City tour of Colombo
This morning, leisurely leave for the commercial capital Colombo for your latter night. Once in Colombo, your chauffeur guide will introduce you to some of Colombo’s curious sites such as the vibrant markets of Pettah, old city of Fort, the Hindu Temple at Sea Street and the Dutch Church at Wolfendal or alternatively to indulge in some shopping.
Day 8
Route : Colombo / Airport > Male
Drive : Approx: 1 hour drive to Colombo Airport, 3 hour boat ride for Night safari
Hotel : Bandos Island | Fun Island Resort and Spa | Hotel Ocean Vista/Sheraton Full Moon Resort and Spa | Four Corners Maldives OR a hotel based on your budget preference.
Highlights : Morning departure for the flight to Male, Arrival and transfer to hotel in Male, Sun set and night fishing safari
After breakfast at the hotel, proceed to the airport for your flight to Male. From the Male airport you will be paged by us and will be transferred to the resort via speed boat or by sea plane. Arrive at the resort, check in and spend the afternoon at leisure.
Enjoy the island’s sunset and if you wish you may opt for a night fishing safari by boat. You will be taught or will be given the chance to catch fish to be prepared for dinner. Sit back and relax while the fish is being cooked over a glass of wine.
Retreat to the comforts of your luxurious beach resort in Male for a scrumptious dinner and overnight stay.
Day 9
Route : Male
Drive : 2 hours boat ride each
Hotel : Bandos Island | Fun Island Resort and Spa | Hotel Ocean Vista/Sheraton Full Moon Resort and Spa | Four Corners Maldives OR a hotel based on your budget preference.
Highlights : Dolphin Cruise, Manta Watching
After an early breakfast at the hotel, enjoy the excitement of watching a host of dolphins leaping from the sea in energetic bounds just a few feet in front of you.
As Maldives is one of the best locations for scuba diving or snorkeling, you may also combine your excitement with the activity of Manta Rays watching.
After an exhilarating day, retreat to the comforts of your luxurious beach resort in Male for a scrumptious dinner and overnight stay.
