Tropical Discovery Sri Lanka Tour offers some of Sri Lanka highlights and relaxing stay in the hill country & beach. In Sri Lanka this tour covers culture, nature and wildlife. You will have your own personal chauffeur guide with car or van in Sri Lanka, so you can experience Sri Lanka at your own pace.
Today you will fly to Colombo with Sri Lankan Airlines Direct from London Heathrow T3.
"Ayubowan" & "Vanakkam" Welcome to tropical paradise. You will be welcomed & greeted by your guide or The Earth Trip representative on arrival at the Waiting Area at the Colombo International Airport. You will travel to Wilpattu. Travel time approximately 3 hours depend on the road traffic.
Location: - Wilpattu Hotel: Ibis Room: Standard Board: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Today you will take a full day safari in Wilpattu National Park with picnic lunch (Included). Wilpattu National Park (‘Land of Lakes’) is situated in the Northwest coast near the ancient city of Anuradhapura. It is the largest and oldest National park in Sri Lanka consisting 140,000 hectares of mostly dry zone evergreen forest cover and coastal belt to the West. This is one of best places see leopards in Sri Lanka alongside Yala National Park. The open grassy plains set within the thick dense scrub jungle. The wetland includes around 48 shallow natural lakes known as Villus, natural basins that are filled up with rainwater and two salt water lakes. These natural lakes are the most important parts of the complex eco-system in the park.
The park is home to elusive Leopards, elephants, Sloth bears, Water Buffalos, Mugger Crocodiles, Spotted and Barking Deer, Wild Boar and Pythons. Alongside these wild animals you will be able to see many endemic birds include the Ceylon Junglefowl, Brown-capped Babbler, Ceylon Woodshrike and Black-capped Bulbul in riverine habitats. Butterflies recorded include the Great Eggfly, Great Orange Tip, Glad-eye Bushbrown, Blue Mormon, Common Mormon, Common Rose and Crimson Rose. As well diverse varieties of colourful butterflies can be seen in the park as well.You will see the wild animals particularly elephants near lakes in the early morning and late afternoons. The wild life id abundant around lakes and coastal belt such as White Ibis, Open Bills, Painted Storks Spoonbills, Egrets, Whistling Teals, Kingfishers and you can also see the water buffalos, monitors and crocodiles.
Location: - Wilpattu Hotel: Ibis Room: Standard Board: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After breakfast you will travel to Habarana. Travel time approximately 2 hours. Habarana is situated in the Cultural Triangle of Sri Lanka. One of the Asia’s major archaeological centres, home to 4 of the UNESCO World Heritage sites. The ruins and temple date back to 4th century B.C. The Cultural Triangle used to be the home of ancient Kingdoms. The area is full of culture, history and wildlife. Here the ancient Kings have developed one of the sophisticated and advanced civilisations of Sri Lanka.
En-route you will visit Dambulla Cave temple. Dambulla Golden Rock Cave Temple is a vast isolated rock mass 500ft high and a 1.6 km around the base. Here is found the impressive Rock Temple dating to the First Century BC. The caves of Dambulla sheltered the King Walagamba during his 14 years of exile from Anuradhapura. When he regained the throne he built the most magnificent of Rock Temples to be found on the Island. The complex consists of five caves with over 2000 sq. meters of painted walls and ceilings. It is the largest area of paintings found in the world. It is an UNESCO World Heritage site. In the first Cave is a recumbent image of the Buddha 14 metre long cut out of the Rock. There are images of deities associated with Buddhism all around. The frescoes on the ceiling date back to the 15th - 18th Centuries. In the Second Cave, the finest and the largest of all, there are 150 life-size statues of Gods from the Buddhist religion along with numerous images of the Buddha himself. Please take a pair of socks to avoid the heat as you have to remove your footwear to enter).
Rest of the day at leisure.
Optional: Enjoy an Ayurveda Massage
Ayurveda massage one hour to rejuvenate your bodies. Ayurveda is the ancient health care system in South Asia that has been passed down from father to son and based on herbs and diet. It is one of the world’s oldest forms of healing and treatment. You will find some of the best Ayurveda practitioners in Sri Lanka. Ayurveda is a well-known treatment for stress, diabetes, migraine, asthma, arthritis, immune system and high blood pressure. Ayurveda is derived from Sanskrit for life (ayuh) and knowledge (veda), means ‘the science of life’. Therefore, Ayurveda is one of the oldest medical sciences of the world and its origins date back as far as 5,000 years South Asia.
Optional:
Location: - Habarana Hotel: Sun Green Room: Family Board: Breakfast & Dinner
After breakfast you will climb Sigiriya Rock Fortress. Sigiriya is a UNESCO World Heritage site which is proposed to be the 8th wonders of the World. Sigiriya, a massive rock in the green scrub jungle, is perhaps the most memorable place for visitors to Sri Lanka. The site was known from ancient times as a hermitage for Buddhist monks. A well-planned monastic complex included caved temples, bathing pools, lovely ponds and Asia's oldest surviving landscaped gardens. The "Lion stairway", the "mirror wall" and the "water gardens" are its other highlights. The ruins of the capital built by the parricidal King Kassapa I (477–95) lie on the steep slopes and at the summit of a granite peak standing some 370 m high (the 'Lion's Rock', which dominates the jungle from all sides).
Afternoon at leisure or optional visit to ancient city of Polonnaruwa (not included in the price)
Location: - Habarana Hotel: Sun Green Room: Family Board: Breakfast & Dinner
After breakfast you will travel to Gal Oya. Travel time approximately 02 hours 30 minutes.
In the late afternoon you take walk with Veddhas. Gal Oya Lodge neighbours one of the last remaining communities of the Veddha people – the forest-dwelling, indigenous people of Sri Lanka. The village chief will take you on a walk through the jungles of his ancestors. Discover and learn about local nature as he brings the forest alive by explaining his tribe’s use of medicinal plants, ancient hunting grounds and cave dwellings, while providing a fascinating insight into how the hunter-gatherers lived in the jungles of Gal Oya
Location: - Gal Oya Hotel: Gal Oya Lodge Room: Family Bungalow Board: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
In the morning you will take a boat safari to watch the swimming elephants, birds and wildlife of Gal Oya. This is only park in Sri Lanka where you can take boat trip to watch the wildlife and swimming elephants.
Gal Oya National Park lies south-east of the Kandy in the eastern district. The park was closed during the war for three decades. This park was established to protect the catchments area of the Senanayake Samudraya (lake). This wildlife richness of this wetland, the park is a natural habitat for a wide range of fauna and flora consisting of dry mixed vegetation including savannah grass and an extensive green cover. About 45% of the vegetation is evergreen forest, 33% savanna, 9% grassland, 2% cheina cultivations and the balance is water bodies dominated by Senanayake Samudraya. The park is host of medicinal shrubs and trees, while a number of locally known trees such as Vevarana, Halmilla, Veera, Palu, Ebony and Mahogany are found in great numbers. The park with its thick green canopy is a haven for species of birds and nearer to the Samudraya even migratory birds such as Painted Storks, Pelicans, Cormorants and Teals could be seen. A host of local birds such as the Grey Dove, Malabar Horn Bill and Grey Horn Bill, Koel and a number of water birds are found in this jungle habitat. January to May is the green season, with chance of afternoon and night time showers. The lake is at its fullest, amazing bird life as all the migratory species are in residence and stunning early morning views of cloud engulfed mountains. June-December is the dry season, as the year goes on the lake subsides and exposes the lake floor where fresh grass grows and attracts large herds of elephant. Hot days cool nights. The days are hot and the nights are cool.
Location: - Gal Oya Hotel: Gal Oya Lodge (Bungalow) Board: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
In the morning you will travel to Ella. Travel time approxinmalty 3 hours.
Rest of the day at leisure.
Location: - Ella Hotel: 98 Acres Room: Premium Deluxe Board: Breakfast & Dinner
After breakfast at 09:30hrs you will experience of the most breath taking train journeys for 1:10 hours. You will travel from Ella to Haputale through tea plantations and rolling hills on scenic train. This train journeys recorded in the Guinness Books of Records as the one of the world best scenic train journeys. Your guide will pick you up at the Haputale Station and you will go to Lipton seat.
In the morning you will visit the Lipton Seat is located on the top of the Poonagala hill; this is quite literally the point from which the Scottish tea baron Thomas Lipton would often proudly survey his tea plantations. On a clear day it offers a spectacular view of mountain ranges, lakes and valleys all the way to the southern coast. You will hike to the point through lush tea plantations or you can opt to drive up in the comfort with your guide.
Dambetenna Tea Factory was built in 1890 by Sir Thomas Lipton himself, this colonial tea factory is still in operation today. The term “Ceylon Tea” was coined here, and Lipton’s Tea was founded and sold its first pound of tea from the precincts of this very factory. The factory tour is an education in the intricate processes involved in the fermentation, rolling, drying, cutting, sieving and grading of tea, and the comprehensive tour culminates with an authentic tea tasting experience (It’s closed on Sundays).
Location: - Ella Hotel: 98 Acres Room: Premium Deluxe Board: Breakfast & Dinner
If you like early in the morning you can hike to see the sunrise from Little Adam’s Peak. Little Adam’s Peak resembles the main Adam’s Peak near Hatton. By foot it takes about 35-40 minutes. Here you will be able to enjoy the breath-taking views of an endless valleys, tea plantations and waterfalls.
After breakfast you will visit the Udawalawe Elephant Transit Home. Travel time to 2 hours. En-route you see the waterfalls and stunning scenery. Elephant Transit Home (ETH), where the orphan wild elephants are treated, raised and released back to the wild, also is located at Udawalawe. Visitors to this place can observe how the elephants are taken care of, twice a day. Total number of orphaned elephants exceeds 40, of which most of them are calves and juveniles. The animals become matured enough to live on their own, are released back to the wild. Park authorities keep constant vigilance on the newly released animals, until they get used to the new life in the wild. Click the link for BBC Natural World Documentary (Elephant Island) 2013.
Afternoon safari in Udawalawe National Park known as the best national park to spot elephants. With an area of 31,800 hectares surrounded by mountain ranges, the terrain of the park is a mixture of grassland, shrub jungle, wild tea plantations and two important factors which make this park special - the large Udawalawe Reservoir and the Walewe River, which ensure a supply of water for the fauna within. Internationally renowned for its large herd of elephants, the park is also known for several species of Deer, Wild Boar, Wild Buffalo, Jackal and rare sightings of Leopard as well as many species of birds.
Location: - Udawalawe Hotel: Grand Udawalawe Room: Deluxe Board: Breakfast & Dinner
(optional morning safari at Udawalawe)
In the morning you will travel to Mirissa, travel time 2 hours.
You can see the stilt fisherman near Weligama. Weligama literally translating as ‘sandy village,’ Weligama has a long stretch of fine golden sandy beaches. Famous for its stilt fishermen, visitors can see this unique sight only in this part of Sri Lanka before midday and around late afternoon. No-one knows where, or even when this form of fishing originated, but it is an old tradition which lives on in a modern world today. This centuries old traditional method of fishing is one of the best sustainable practices to catch the fish. The Stilt Fisherman spends 2-4 hours sitting on a thin plank, hoping to catch one or two fish for their family’s lunch or dinner.
Location: -Mirissa Hotel: Paradise Mirissa Room: Suite Board: Breakfast & Dinner
Early morning start to watch the Blue Whales; you’ll leave early morning around 06:00am from your hotel to see the Blue Whales. Mirissa is the most reliable site in the world for seeing the difficult and desired Blue Whale. It may also be the best place for seeing Sperm Whales too. Blue whales are the largest animals ever lived on earth growing up to some 33 metres long, weighing up to some 150-180 metric tons. They live individually or in very small pods or groups and frequently swim in pairs. Large Baleen Whales and Toothed Whales also come within sight of the shore. The calm ocean is abundant with krill which Blue Whales feed. From December through to April; there is an outstanding window of opportunity for observing Blue Whales and Sperm Whales close to shore.
Afternoon you will travel to Ambalangoda. Travel time 1 ½ hours.
Location: - Ambalangoda Hotel: R Degrees Room: Deluxe Board: Breakfast & Dinner
Full day at leisure
Location: - Ambalangoda Hotel: R Degrees Room: Deluxe Board: Breakfast & Dinner
After breakfast at around you will travel to Airport. Travel time approximately 2 hours.