The Best of Sri Lanka – 11 Days 10 Nights

Arrival at the Bandaranayake International Airport. Our AYUBOWAN TOURS & TRAVELS representative and transfer to hotel in Negombo will welcome clients.  Check in to the hotel and relax.

Overnight stay at the hotel in Negombo.

Breakfast & days at leisure at the Negombo hotel.

Overnight stay in Negombo.

Breakfast & days at leisure at the Negombo hotel.

Overnight stay in Negombo.

After breakfast, proceed to Sigiriya, en route visit elephant orphanage in Pinnawela, initiated in 1975 to foster care for the abandoned and orphaned baby elephants. These giant yet gentle creatures wonder around in the sanctuary, being fed and bathed by their foster human parents. Twice a day the herd is led to the river nearby for a two-hour bath. You are welcome to join and interact with them while feasting your eyes on the largest gathering of tame elephants. Baby elephants are bottle-fed a special formula milk by their mahout, the caretaker, and if you are curious you can even join in feeding them at the daily feeding times 9.15am & 1.15pm.

Afterwards proceed to Sigiriya.

Evening at leisure. Overnight stay at the hotel in Sigiriya.

After breakfast & proceed to the Sigiriya.

Optional: visit Sigiriya Rock Fortress. Rightly called a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the unofficial 8^th world wonder, Sigiriya is a monument that provides one of the most dramatic sceneries in all of Sri Lanka overlooking acres of green jungles. The giant lion paws at the summit leads to the top of the cairn, a palace in the sky. As you step between the lion paws, imagine yourself entering the wide-open mouth of a lion, the carving hewn out of the face of Sigiriya, no more to be seen after so many centuries. The palace soon became a courtly paradise of elegant pavilions set amid gardens and pools. To this day, the most advanced technological apparatus and scientists are left baffled of the mechanics behind the hydraulic systems of the ponds at the water gardens still functioning perfectly. Could it be a valve through the interior of the rock or an act of God? The mystery still remains. 

The climb to the top could be weary but the sight it offers is worth the sweat. Acres and acres of greenery and the clear blue sky above you will be breath taking! For the old and not so strong, the gardens and ponds at the summit of the rocky boulder would offer a satisfying sight as well.

In the afternoon, make a jeep safari at Kaudulla national park. A safari in the Kaudulla national park in Sri Lanka is a bucket-list aspiration for many tourists, which mean the place is an incredible wildlife spectacle. Located in the historic city of Polonnaruwa in Sri Lanka. Kaudulla national park presents an ample of opportunities for travelers to spot majestic elephants in their natural habitats. In addition to the elephants, sambar deer, Sri Lankan axis deer, chevrotain, wild boar, Asian spoonbill, grey-headed fish eagle, painted stork and openbill stork are common visuals at the park. Aside from these, one could rarely capture the glimpse of leopard and sloth bear in the forest.

Overnight stay in Sigiriya

Breakfast at hotel. Proceed to Kandy. On the way, if you wish to visit a spice garden in Matale to learn about the many traditional herbs and spices popularly used in Sri Lankan cuisines and see how they are grown.

Afterwards, continue to Kandy. Here is the last capital of Sinhala monarchy veiled with white mist clinging to the top of the buildings. The most precious possession of Buddhists all over, the sacred tooth relic is enshrined at the temple of the tooth. Yet again one of Sri Lanka’s cities is acknowledged for its history naming it a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A trip to Kandy is never complete without a stopover at the Peradeniya Royal Botanical Gardens. Visit the botanical gardens on your way. Many endemic, indigenous, exotic and endangered flora grow at this single space converting it to a National Park in Sri Lanka. The botanical garden is never empty! Scholars as well as lovers find Peradeniya to their advantage.

Visit the daily city markets and score some fresh organic products, fruits and vegetables alike, for comparatively lower prices. A stroll along the university lane as the colorful pink and yellow flowers rain down from the trees above will leave you even more appreciative of Mother Nature.

Check in to the hotel in Kandy and enjoy the evening at leisure in the hill country.

Overnight stay in Kandy.

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast in Kandy. Make a day excursion to Nuwara eliya. Travel to the heart of the country at the highest elevation to reach the rolling clouds above you. Nicknamed “Little England”, Nuwara Eliya harbors many British colonial buildings and architectural wonders to be christened so.

See the mountains covered with tea bushes and cascading waterfalls. Visit tea plantations.

Return to the hotel in Kandy for your overnight stay.

Breakfast at hotel. Leave for beach hotel in Beruwela. Head straight to the beach with your sunhat and flip-flops and lazily lie down on the soft white sand soaking up the sun and perfecting that dream tan you always wanted! The clean and tidy beach offers you the best spots to idle or to rush into water to take a quick swim along the coastal belt.

 Check into the hotel & unwind.

Overnight stay at the hotel in Beruwela.

Breakfast & day at leisure by the beach. The warmth of the sun kissed water of the Indian Ocean and the palm fringed pearly beach at Beruwela the perfect recipe to unwind and relax!

Overnight stay in Beruwela.

Breakfast at the hotel. Proceed to Colombo. Colombo is the commercial capital of the island with a contrast in mansions, lush gardens, fine dining options, shopping malls, boutiques and many historically important places. Bordered by the vast Indian Ocean and washed with the setting sun rays in the horizon, Colombo is filled with a spectacular array of restaurants, hotels and other fine dining options offering all imaginable types of cuisines. The shopping opportunities at Colombo are unparalleled.

Overnight stay in Colombo.

Breakfast at the hotel and day at leisure until time for departure to the airport for your onward flight.