Itinerary
Day 01: Airport – Negombo.
Upon arrival at the airport, you will be met by one of our company representatives and transferred to a hotel in Negombo.
Spend the rest of the day at leisure relaxing and acclimatizing, considering that you just arrived in Sri Lanka. Enjoy a delectable dinner and retire for the night.
Negombo is 12km from the airport (BIA), quite conveniently located for arriving and departing travelers. It is a mature tourist destination with a wide beach, a range of resort hotels and guest houses, a stash of colonial heritage churches and edifices, busy local markets and quirky tourist targeted shops selling a myriad of unexpected treasures! It is a city with an easy going and friendly vibe, which many travelers appreciate.
Day 02: Negombo – Pinnawela – Habarana
After breakfast, leave for the picturesque village of Habarana in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka. En-route, your first scheduled stop will be the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage & Breeding Centre in Kegalle, which has the world’s largest concentration of Asian Elephants in captive care. Witness the gentle giants’ feeding and bathing routine. Most visitors to Pinnawela immensely enjoy bottle-feeding the young elephant calves, which is a heartwarming experience, offering an opportunity for amazing photographs. Enjoy a light packed lunch/snack whilst watching the elephants bathe in the Ma Oya River.
Overnight stay at a selected hotel in Habarana.
Day 03: Habarana
After breakfast, tour the village of Habarana by bullock-cart (a cart drawn by oxen).
Habarana is a typical Sri Lankan agrarian village. The tour will take you to the Hiriwaddunna Lake by bullock-cart, with many interesting stops in between. At the lake, get your binoculars out and scan the horizon for some captivating bird sightings, as you cruise along in a boat. Enjoy breathtaking scenery along the way.
Thereafter, you will visit many of the cultivations in the village, which afford a great opportunity to mingle with the village folk. Thereafter, you will be treated to a scrumptious country-style Sri Lankan luncheon, in a villager’s humble wattle and daub abode (optional). A typical lunch consists of boiled or steamed rice, served with many vegetable curries and fish or chicken in gravy. Usually the dishes are rather spicy, but in these instances, they are prepared mild. The spices that are mainly used in Sri Lankan cooking include coriander, cumin, turmeric, black pepper, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and chilies.
Head back to your base hotel by late afternoon. Take a refreshing dip in the pool and work up an appetite, in time for dinner. Evenings at the tastefully designed poolside-bars and restaurants are great for winding-down and relaxation. Enjoy a scrumptious dinner, whilst local artists play mellow Sri Lankan music.
Overnight at the hotel in Habarana.
Day 04: Habarana – Pasikudah
Leave for Pasikudah after breakfast. May to September is the best time to visit the east coast of Sri Lanka. Pasikudah is a beach-lover’s paradise – a long stretch of white-sandy beach and miles of shallow turquoise sea. The shallow waters are home to many tropical fish and an exotic kaleidoscopic reef. The nearby, more secluded twin beach of Kalkudah too is ideal for bathing as the sea is placid, clear, and endowed with a reef. These are extremely popular tourist destinations offering blissful Sun, Sea & Sand experiences.
You can engage in a wide variety of watersports – from scuba diving to snorkeling and kitesurfing. Pasikudah is dotted with many modern resort hotels featuring the best luxury accommodation in the east coast of Sri Lanka.
Overnight at a hotel in Pasikudah.
Day 05: Pasikudah – Somawathiya – Pasikudah
After breakfast, head out for an excursion to the Somawathiya National Park and the 2nd Century BCE Buddhist Temple complex.
The Somawathiya National Park, is home to the ancient Somawathiya Stupa, enshrining the Right Tooth Relic of Lord Budhha. This ancient temple dates back to the time of King Kavantissa of Ruhuna. The national park is one of the less visited in the island and the wildlife is somewhat elusive. Elephants, wild boar, buffaloes, spotted deer, crocodiles, peafowl and junglefowl are some of the commonly sighted species in the park. The stealthy leopard however is harder to spot.
In the evening, join your colleagues and friends for a memorable sundowner party on the Pasikudah beach.
Day 06: Pasikuda – Colombo
After breakfast leave for Colombo, Sri Lanka’s commercial capital. You will be taken on a guided city tour, upon reaching Colombo. Do not forget to seize some shopping bargains along the way.
Eclectic Colombo is Sri Lanka’s commercial capital and largest urban hub. It is a cosmopolitan, culturally diverse, and easy-going metropolis. The city’s skyline is ever changing with new high-rise buildings claiming their place among the old contenders. Colombo is a progressive, forward thinking city and Sri Lanka’s foremost link to the world. It is a city packed with an array of attractive accommodation, transport, food, shopping, recreation, and sightseeing options. With so much diversity, exuberance, amiability and a tourist friendly vibe, Colombo is a must, in any travel itinerary.
Overnight at a chic city hotel in Colombo.
Day 07: Colombo – Airport
Departure transfer to the airport.
Detailed/tailored itinerary and pricing provided on request.
