Sri Lanka School Group Holiday

After breakfast we head towards the cultural capital of Sri Lanka, the area around Sigiriya. En route we’ll stop at a coconut processing plant to observe how the kernel is extracted from the nut and sent through a production process to be turned into desiccant coconut which is enjoyed in chocolate bars such as “Bounty”. We arrive mid afternoon and check into our hotel. After an orientation walk we will have dinner at the hotel. Overnight: The Kassapa Lions Rock (BLD)

Hands On Adventures This morning you visit the ancient city of Polonnaruwa and head to the Primate Research Camp of Dr. Dittus which is located in a densely forested area. Dr.Wolfgang Dittus is a research scientist who carries out detailed studies on the primate population in the area. The main focus of the study is the populations of Toque Macaques and Purple Faced and Grey Langurs. The monkeys are observed mainly inside the Polonnaruwa archaeological site and within the surrounding forests. We will stay at the camp for 1 night and learn about the work carried out at the camp. A team briefing and introduction to the programme will be soon after lunch. Late in the evening we set out to the forest for our first primate experience! We try to follow various family groups of monkeys. Interestingly, two very different species live and thrive in harmony in and around the ancient ruined city of Polonnaruwa. The Grey or Hanuman Langurs (named after Hanuman the monkey god of Asia) and Purple-Faced Langurs live in harmony with the smaller but more feisty Toque Macaques. The langurs are considered holy by some and exhibit a rather regal bearing. The Purple- Faced Langur is endangered, and Dr. Dittus and his colleagues actively promote wildlife awareness and conservation in the local community in an effort to save this species. Toque macaques are medium-sized, brightly coloured, and socially active monkeys. Dr. Wolfgang Dittus and his colleagues have been studying these monkeys in the Nature Sanctuary and Archaeological Reserve for the past 37 years, making it one of the world's longest-running primate behaviour studies. The research team knows the identities, birthdays, kinship's, and a whole detective's dossier of other details for every Torque Macaque born in Polonnaruwa since 1968. The research on the langurs is newer, but no less fascinating. Dr. Dittus's research is clarifying the relationships among the monkeys' ecology, behaviour, environment, heredity, social standing, and disease, in influencing individual survival and reproduction. In addition, Dittus is also examining the monkeys' responses to increasing tourism and human encroachment on their habitat. He has an active environmental conservation and education program in the area. Whilst here you'll also tour Polonnaruwa. Polonnaruwa was the capital from the 10th - 12th centuries, following the decline of Anuradhapura. Here you can explore many monuments which pay great testimony to the city's important role in Sri Lanka's history, such as the Royal Palace complex and the Gal Vihare complex, with four impressive Buddha images cut from a single slab of granite. We return to camp  and settle in for the night in the basic but comfortable accommodation.Overnight: Primate Research Camp (BLD)Rooms are non- A/C and have attached bath and mosquito netting

The day’s trek will take you to a small village which is only accessible by foot. A trek of approximately 03 – 04 hours through scrub jungle and forests will bring you to the little farming village of Meemure, deep in the Knuckles Valley. The trek is on rough trails and a few streams need to be forded en route. Break at the little village shop for a cup of hot tea, sweetened with “juggery”, made of coconut sap. After a short break explore the village – See and appreciate the simplicity of life enjoyed by its people. The trek continues as you climb out of the valley from Meemure Village back to our campsite. Overnight: Sphinx Eyrie Campsite, Knuckles (BLD)

After breakfast we visit the Royal Botanical Gardens – home to one of the best orchid collections in the world. Leaving Kandy you take a bus journey through the green ranks of tea bushes which cover the higher hillsides on your way to Kitulgala. Your journey takes around two and a half hours and you travel accompanied by exceptional all-round scenic views of the tea plantations as you head further into the hill country. You continue your drive through this beautiful landscape, descending to Kitulgala, to arrive around lunchtime.
Located amidst thick forest on Sri Lanka’s second-longest river, the Kelani; the river was the setting for the epic film ‘The Bridge on the River Kwai’ . The surrounding forests with their wide variety of flora and fauna offer you a variety of spectacular walks, with some stunning views over the valley. This afternoon you will enjoy a dugout canoe ride across the Kelani River and a jungle walk in the forest reserve, where you may be able to spot various endemic bird species.Resthouse - 1 night (B) Overnight The Kitulgala Rest House (BLD)