Buddha's Island

After your flight, you’ll transfer by road through the very heart of the island to your accommodation at Kandalama. Hotel - 4 nights (D)

Amaya Lake - in the centre of Sri Lanka’s ‘Golden Triangle’ of historic sites, your hotel – the Amaya Lake (formerly the Culture Club) - is a wonderful retreat with beautiful gardens and overlooks the picturesque Kandalama Lake. Built in the style of a Sri Lankan village, it is well known for its Ayurvedhic treatments.

NB. You will be met on arrival by your Group Leader/chauffeur guide. For groups arriving late evening in Sri Lanka, overnight accommodation will be arranged close to the airport and the onward transfer to Kandalama will be made late morning.

If anywhere, Buddhism’s spiritual home lies in Anuradhapura and Mihintale. Founded in the 4th century BC, Anuradhapura was a model of town planning, with areas set aside for many different parts of society. A clean water supply was assured by well-constructed tanks, or reservoirs.

The city became capital of Sri Lanka in 377 BC and remained so for a thousand years, eventually falling into ruin in the 9th century AD. Today the city is most famous as the home of the Bodhi Tree, said to be a cutting of the original tree under which Lord Buddha gained enlightenment. The site itself is extensive and dominated by the white, bell-shaped dagobas of monasteries. You’ll have time to wander the site, soaking up the atmosphere.

Whereas Anuradhapura impresses because of its size and the magnificence of its temples, Mihintale’s appeal lies in its lovely setting. But its small size belies its importance, for it was here that King Devanampiya Tissa was converted to Buddhism in 243 BC by the son of the mighty Indian king Ashoka, paving the way for Buddhism to spread throughout Sri Lanka. Overnight in Kandalama. (B)

Driving the short distance from Kandalama this morning, you’ll have the opportunity to climb to the seemingly inaccessible summit of the Lion Rock using a series of steps and walkways which zigzag their way up the rock. From the top there are great views over the countryside through which you cycled yesterday.

The site was occupied long before the citadel was built at the end of the 5th century and later became a monastery, before falling into disrepair. From the base, where a moat surrounds impressive water gardens, you’ll ascend 200m, passing an overhanging rock under which superb portraits of native maidens holding flowers and temple offerings still adorn the rock wall. Crowning the flat-topped summit of the rock are the extensive remains of the King’s Summer Palace from where there are breathtaking views.

From Sigiriya you continue south, to the island’s cultural capital – Kandy. En route you’ll stop for lunch and may pause at one of the many ‘spice gardens’, where you’ll learn about their uses, both culinary and medicinal. Arriving in Kandy you check into your comfortable accommodation in the hills above the town; the Amaya Hills Hotel (formerly Le Kandyan Hotel) has fantastic panoramic views over the countryside, whilst the architecture of the hotel reflects the heritage of the Kandyan Kings.

The royal city of Kandy was once the capital of a kingdom that resisted European dominance for a further three hundred years after the coastal areas capitulated. It is pleasantly set on the edge of a lake, surrounded by hills. This evening you’ll visit the Dalada Maligawa, the famous Temple of the Tooth. This is the major shrine where pilgrims have revered Buddha’s tooth since the 16th century; its gilded roof seems to act as a beacon to visitors throughout the day and into the evening. That beacon will guide you to accommodation in Kandy. Hotel - 2 nights (BL)

Amaya Hills - Overlooking the forest-covered hills of Heerasasagala, this peaceful retreat is an excellent based from which to explore the beautiful city of Kandy.

From Kandy you take a train that twists and turns through the lush hills, stopping at small village stations and, as you climb higher, passing through the green ranks of tea bushes which cover the higher hillsides. Disembarking after 1 ¾ hours at Nawalapitiya, you’ll continue by road to Nuwara Eliya high in the hills, stopping en route for lunch. You will have noticed how the topography changes as you climb, and soon you are passing through the very heart of the tea growing area – there should be time to visit a working tea factory where the complicated process of drying and sorting the tea is explained. The old British hill station of Nuwara Eliya (City of Light) feels curiously familiar due to its colonial houses, well-tended lawns and neat, colourful gardens. Overlooking the city is the island’s highest mountain, Pidurutalagala, which rises to 2524m. In the evening you’ll dine at the hotel where afterwards you might enjoy a drink by a roaring fire or a game of snooker. (Note: Dress code is formal – although the club can supply gentlemen’s jackets and ties). Hotel – 1 night (BLD)

Hill Club Hotel - Your comfortable accommodation in Nuwara Eliya is the Hill Club Hotel. Over a century old and one of the few remaining reminders of the colonial occupation of Sri Lanka, the Hill Club was once decribed by it’s British Coffee Planter founder as ‘a home away from home’. 

Today’s drive is one of the loveliest yet as you descend quickly towards Ella, stopping at the famous Ella Resthouse, to see the spectacular view through the Ella Gap towards the plains. Further on you pass by the roadside Rawana Ella Falls.

Leaving the hill country you continue to journey south until you arrive at the Elephant Transit Home at Uda Walawe National Park. Run by the Sri Lankan Department of Wildlife Conservation and set-up in 1995, it provides shelter for 30 orphaned or abandoned baby elephants, releasing them to the wild when they are strong enough to survive in their natural habitat. You will visit the Elephant Transit Home at feeding time (the only time visits are allowed) and see the elephants from a viewing deck approximately 10 metres away – a great chance to learn more about Sri Lanka’s national animal.

After a stop for lunch you continue on to Yala National Park, where you’ll check in at the Yala Village Hotel. Hotel – 2 nights (BL)

Chaaya Wild (Formally Yala Village Hotel) - Here the forest dips down to the beach. Rooms are comfortable, with veranda and fans, whilst a dip in the swimming pool will no doubt prove refreshing later in the day.

This morning you travel back to Colombo, by road. The journey north along the coast gives another perspective; you’ll catch glimpses of the Indian Ocean through swaying palm trees as you pass rural villages and busy resorts.

You'll take a journey, which normally lasts abuot two and a half hours to the beautiful colonial city of Galle. Rightly declared a World Heritage Site in 1988, the old fort area contains houses, lovely churches and other imposing buildings, and was once a hub of activity on the island. You’ll have time to wander amongst the quiet streets – transporting you back to the time when the Dutch, Portuguese and British traded spices, and built magnificent buildings with the wealth they created.

Continue your journey for about three hours up to the Capital of Colombo. On arrival you’ll transfer to the historic and famous Galle Face Hotel. Depending on your time of arrival you may have time to explore Colombo, a city of great colour and vibrancy. The centre, known as ‘Fort’, is easy to get around on foot or by three-wheeler auto-rickshaw. On your last evening your Group Leader will no doubt organise a traditional ‘last supper’. Hotel - 1 night (B)

The Galle Face Hotel - An oasis of tranquillity in the heart of the city, the Galle Face has provided excellent service since it opened to guests in 1864.