Sri Lanka Wildlife and Tea Trails

Culture, Wildlife and Tea Trails of Sri Lanka - From £3,400 per person sharing

Day  1
Upon arrival into Colombo you will be met by our local representative and, after a short safari briefing, you will be transferred by road to the Cultural Triangle (approx four to five hours drive). On arrival you will have a chance to relax, freshen up and prepare for the adventures of the next couple of weeks.
Overnight: Vil Uyana – Marsh or Paddy Dwelling – Located approximately 5km from Sigiriya, these private, local village style cottages are set amidst the paddy fields and marsh and all have en-suite facilities and decks overlooking the countryside.

Day 2
Today you will visit the ancient Buddhist sites at Mihintale and Anuradhapura (approximately a 40 minute drive to Mihintale and then an additional 15 minutes on to Anuradhapura). Mihintale is revered for being the location where the Singhalese King Tissa was converted to Buddhism in 243 B C, enabling the religion to spread over the whole island. The climb is worth the effort for the superb views from the hills. One hilltop has a modern Buddha which is beautifully carved, another has an impressive dagoba and temple and the other is a climb up stone cut grooves to the oldest dagoba in Sri Lanka. Here you will also find a series of caves which were once home to a large community of Buddhist monks.

You will continue on to the ancient capital of Anuradhapura which is now regarded as the cradle of ancient Sinhala civilization. It remained the stronghold of Buddhist kingdom rule for over 1300 years, and was at one point, the most important monastic city of the ancient world. Anuradhapura's monuments and gleaming white dagobas rise out of the jungle and show a very advanced ancient civilization. It also boasts the sacred Bodhi tree, the oldest historically documented tree in the world, which was a sapling from the original Bodhi Tree in Bodhgaya in India, where it is alleged the Buddha gained enlightenment. Anuradhapura and the Bodi Tree in particular attract thousands of pilgrims on a daily basis from all over Sri Lanka. In the late afternoon you will head back to the hotel where you will be able to relax and have dinner.
Overnight: Vil Uyana – Marsh or Paddy Dwelling (B)

Day 3
After an early breakfast you will drive to Polonnaruwa, the famous medieval capital. After visiting Polonnaruwa museum you will set off to explore the city itself. Polonnaruwa became Sri Lanka’s royal medieval capital in 1073 and remained Sri Lanka’s capital until the late 13th century. Today, the ancient city’s ruins remain in remarkably good repair. The most impressive are the ancient sculptures of Lord Buddha at the Gal Viahara, cut into Granite stone and dating back to the middle of the 12th century.

Following your morning in Polonnaruwa you will continue to Minneriya National Park. In 1997, this area was declared a National Park to protect the beautiful fauna and flora of the area. Its famous reservoir provides water to 8900 hectares of paddy field and is thriving with fresh water fish. As well as providing water for irrigation, the abundance of water attracts a variety of wild animals to the park including around 24 species of mammals, 160 species of birds, 25 species of reptiles, 26 species of fish and 75 species of butterflies! The afternoon will be spent on a game drive through the park where you may be lucky enough to see elephants, sambhar and spotted deer. If you are really lucky, you may even spot leopard and sloth bear, wading through the water in search of food. After a long afternoon in the park you will head back to Vil Uyana where you will be able to relax.
Overnight: Vil Uyana – Marsh or Paddy Dwelling (B)

Day 4
After a relaxing breakfast your guide will meet you and take you to Sigiriya Rock Fortress. Rising 200 meters up from the plains, Sigiriya Rock was one of the most short-lived, yet fascinating citadels of ancient Sri Lanka. Although little remains of the pleasure palace on the summit, it is impossible not to marvel at such a feat and admire the incredible views over the surrounding pleasure gardens and the Sri Lankan countryside.

From Sigiriya you will be taken to the cave temples at Dambulla. These temples consist of five magically lit caves which feature remarkable hand carved Buddha statues and colourful murals representing the life of Buddha. You will return to your hotel around mid afternoon and will have the rest of the day to relax.
Overnight: Vil Uyana – Marsh or Paddy Dwelling (B)

Day 5
Today you set off into the hills and on to Hatton (Approx three hours drive). En route you will stop off in Kandy where you will be able to visit the famous Temple of the Tooth which houses the most sacred relic on the island, a fragment of Buddha’s tooth. The drive from Kandy to Hatton affords spectacular views of the rolling tea country. Up in tea country, in solitude, at an elevation of 4000 feet above sea level, lays Ceylon Tea Trails.
Overnight: Tea Trails – Castlereagh Bungalow – Views of the lake and surrounding gardens make this the ideal location to sit back and soak up your surroundings. Just 4 classic colonial bungalows built for British tea estate managers in the days of the Raj overlook the hills below. These historic houses have been restored to offer you the unique experience of life on a working tea estate. The staff here are incredibly attentive and the cuisine here is fantastic (B/L/D)

Days 6, 7
You will have two full days to explore this beautiful area of Sri Lanka. In the morning after breakfast, and something not to be missed, is a guided tour of the tea estate with the head planter, who will introduce you to the fascinating process of tea production. From meeting the Tamil women who work in the tea fields plucking the leaves, to the weighing process, to drying, fermenting and packaging at the actual factory you will see it all. The tour will be followed by a tea tasting tour, before returning to your bungalow. Spend the rest of the day relaxing in these peaceful surroundings.
Overnight: Tea Trails - Castlereagh Bungalow, Garden Suite (B/L/D)

Day 8
Your driver will meet you early this morning and will drive you to Yala National Park. On arrival you will be met by your hosts who will drive you in to the park. Leopard Safaris are pioneers of tented safaris in Sri Lanka, and safaris throughout Yala National Park offer abundant wildlife viewing opportunities deep inside the national parks. Here you will have an excellent chance of seeing leopards, elephants, bears, primates as well as a myriad of birds. The advantage of staying within the park boundaries is that you can be out and about on safari whilst the rest of the world queues outside the gates. Similarly, on the afternoon drive whilst the rest of the jeep traffic rushes back to the gates before sunset, you can continue your game drive at a more leisurely pace.

Your drive from the gates to the campsite will be your first taste of a Sri Lankan game drive, travelling by state of the art 4X4 Land Cruisers. Arrive at your camp site for lunch and a bit of rest and relaxation before heading back out in the late afternoon for your second game drive followed by sundowners. The food is always excellent, and conditions permitting they will certainly have a BBQ under the stars one night. After dinner you will head back to your tent where your comfortable and much needed beds will be waiting. Listening to the sounds of the jungle while you fall asleep is fantastic.
Overnight: Leopard Safaris – Tent – Twin sharing canvas tents with fresh linen. Tents are not en-suite, however, comfort is a premium and hot bush showers and flushing toilets are available on site (B/L/D)

Days 9, 10
Set off early in the morning on your dawn game drive. Unlike in Africa, leopards in Yala are not primarily nocturnal hunters, since they have no predators to fear, so they are often to be seen during the day as well. The best time for seeing leopards in Yala is first thing in the morning as the sun is rising and last thing in the day when they generally get up and start thinking of hunting. The male leopards in Yala are very confident animals and they are often seen walking the jeep tracks during the day, and seem quite unaffected by the jeeps too which makes it a photographers paradise. As well as leopards, the large number of elephants can sometimes be seen wandering on the deserted beaches or bathing in the numerous watering holes in the park. Following your morning safari you will head back to camp where you will be able to relax before heading out on your afternoon safari.
Overnight: Leopard Safaris – Tent (B/L/D)

Day 11
Following your final game drive and breakfast you will make your way to the park gates where your driver will be waiting for you. Continue on to nearby Galle Fort and have a wander round this charming UNESCO World Heritage Site. Galle is one of Sri Lanka's most historically interesting towns, having being occupied by the Dutch, Portuguese and British. Finally you reach Aditya, a beautiful beach front property and your home for the next few days.
Overnight: Aditya – Garden Suite – Aditya has just 12 suites, each one very spacious and designed in a contemporary Asian style, and all have enormous bathrooms with an outdoor plunge-pool. The restaurant serves delicious Sri Lankan food, with a strong emphasis on fresh seafood. There is a large beachfront swimming pool, and if you feel like some pampering, the hotel's Spa offers wonderful treatments (B)

Days 12, 13, 14
Enjoy three full days of pure relaxation. Relax by the pool, wander the beach or explore the atmospheric town of Galle.
Overnight: Aditya – Garden Suite (B)

Day 15
You will be met at Aditya by your driver who will drive to Kotugoda, just 20 minutes from the International Airport. En route, you can stop and visit a turtle hatchery at Kosgoda and in Bentota you can stop for lunch at Club Villa. If of interest we can also arrange for you to visit Lunuganga, the house of Sri Lanka’s most renowned architect Geoffrey Bawa. Continue on to Kotugoda and spend the rest of the day relaxing by the pool. Your driver will pick you up and transfer you the short distance to the airport.
Day Room: The Wallawwa – Wallawwa Bedroom – A room at The Wallawwa will be provided until departure for the airport if need be. Comfortable en-suite accommodation with air conditioning and internet access (Room Only)