6 Days 5 Nights Culture & Nature Tour Package by Ceylon Best Holiday

The Ocean Colombo 3

Colombo derived from Sinhalese name Kola-amba-thota which means mango harbour, altered by the Portuguese to honor Christopher Columbus, population 737,396 Colombo, is the largest city and commercial center of Sri Lanka. Colombo was probably known to Roman, Arab, and Chinese traders more than 2,000 years ago. Muslims settled there in the 8th century and controlled much of the trade between Sinhalese kingdoms and the outside world. The Portuguese arrived in the 16th century and built a fort to protect their spice trade. The Dutch captured the city in the 17th century. The British made the city the capital of their crown colony of Ceylon in 1802.

Nice Place Hotel 3

After breakfast leave to Sigiriya. En route visit Elephant Orphanage in Pinnawela. Elephant Orphanage - Started in 1975 to house the abandoned and the wounded, the orphanage has grown to be a big family today. The number of elephants has increased to more than 80 now, including baby elephant brought from various parts, as well as 50 babies born as a result of the captive breeding program. The best time to visit is the feeding time and the bathing time when the elephant are taken to the river close by. A unique experience never to be missed. After lunch climb the Sigiriya Lion Rock. Sigiriya The spectacular Rock Fortress of Sigiriya, 19 kilometers North East of Dambulla is one of Sri Lanka’s major attractions. Some theories affirm that Sigiriya was a Mahayana Buddhist monastery or that it was both citadel and hermitage at different times. The Citadel in the sky Sigiriya is a fantastic display of the ancient Sri Lankan architecture. The Rock was the Fortress of the King Kasyapa who murdered his father and stole the throne from his elder brother who was the rightful heir to the throne. Kasyapa built his fortress in this 182-meter-high rock to protect himself from his enemies. The Nigeria rock consists of the central rock, rising 200 meters above the surrounding plain, and the two rectangular precincts on the East (90 hectares) and the West (40 hectares), surrounded by two moats and three ramparts.

Rivendell Hotel 3

After breakfast leave to Kandy. En route visit Dambulla Cave Temple, Batik Factory & Spice Garden. Dambulla The Great Cave Temple of Dam bulla is 100 to 150 meters above the road in the southern part of the village of Dambulla. The gigantic rock towering more than 160 m above the surrounding area is 1.5 km. These caves were the refuge of King Walagamba when he was exiled for 14 years. On his return to the throne in the 1st century BC, King Walagamba had a magnificent rock temple built in Dambulla. Dambulla too has been designated as a World Heritage site. The caves feature a mixture of religious and worldly paintings and sculptures. Several reclining Buddha statues and a 15 m long sculpture of the dying Buddha. The famous Dambulla frescoes on the walls and ceiling dates back to the 15th-18th Centuries. Spice Garden see the luscious Cinnamons, Cardamoms’, Pepper plants etc. You can also purchase your requirements of spices. Batik Factory where you can see the manufacture of beautiful Batik prints. The shop contains a wide variety of Batik items. After lunch Kandy City Tour, visit Temple of Sacred Tooth Relic. Kandy is an ancient hill capital and the last stronghold of the Sinhala Kings before the island was finally ceded to the British in 1815. It bears strong influence of the influence of Buddhism in the country and is revered by Buddhists as a sacred city because of the ‘Dalada Maligawa” - Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha. Kandy is the venue of the annual glittering pageant each August where the Buddha’s Tooth Relic in a golden casket is paraded on a majestic elephant accompanied by over 100 elephants, fire dancers, and ceremonial whip crackers, dancers and drummers. Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic - ever since 4th Century A.D, when the Buddha’s Tooth was brought to Sri Lanka hidden from sacrilegious hands in an ‘Orissan princess’ hair, the Relic has grown in repute and holiness in Sri Lanka and throughout the Buddhist world. It is considered Sri Lanka’s most prized possession. 17.30 witness a cultural show.

Hill Pride City Hotel 3

After breakfast proceed to Nuwara Eliya. En route visit Royal Botanical Garden, Gem Museum & Factory, Tea Plantation & Factory and waterfalls. Royal Botanical Garden in Peradeniya is 06 kms from Kandy, the magnificent river girdled 57 hectare laid out in 1832 are among the finest in the world. Its treasures of tropical flora include fine collections of orchids, aromatic spices, medicinal herbs, palms and rare endangered plant species. These gardens were the naturally camouflaged operations headquarters of SEAC Supreme Allied Commander, Lord Louis Mountbatten during the 2nd World War. Gem Museum - Sri Lanka’s gem industry has a very long and colorful history. Sri Lanka was affectionately known as Ratna – Dweepa which means Gem Island. The name is a reflection of its natural wealth. Marco Polo wrote that the island had the best sapphires, topazes, amethysts, and other gems in the world. Ptolemy, the second century astronomer recorded that beryl and sapphire were the mainstay of Sri Lanka’s gem industry En route stop at Ramboda waterfall for a short break. Ramboda fall (Puna Ella) double fall is unique in the ‘Y’ form where two waterfalls with two water sources merge in to one at the bottom. The water in the fall on the left is from the Puna Oya, A canal which comes through the forest reserve above. The fall on the right-hand side is made up from water from Pundalu Oya which flows through cultivated land above. Most of the year the fall flowing through the Pandalu Oya carry more volume but during periods of long drought the role is reversed. The water on flowing on the left fall remains more or less the same while the water on the other fall reduces significantly. Nuwara Eliya - “The City of Light” was the favorite hill station of the British, a scenic town 2500 m above sea level surrounded by misty mountain ranges, pine forests and tea cultivations. Nuwara Eliya has a much cooler climate, which is in stark contrast to the tropical climate experienced in other parts of the island. This is probably why Nuwara Eliya is also known as ‘Little England’. The areas around Nuwara Eliya also provide the main output of tea in Sri Lanka. A trip to the highlands of Sri Lanka is never complete without witnessing the age-old traditional tea plucking and sipping a cup of “Ceylon Tea”. Nuwara Eliya has a fair assortment of British Country style houses and an 18 hole Golf Course, which is a real beauty with its scenic location considered to be one of the finest in Asia and a picturesque Race Course where horse races are held.

Ruvisha Beach Hotel 3

After breakfast transfer to Kitulgala, a little town on the banks of the Kelani River and the film location of the famous movie Bridge on the River Kwai & visit Devon & Saint Clair waterfalls Devon Falls is one of the most popular waterfall in the country specially due its clear view from the popular Hatton Nuwara Eliya Road. The best view is from Dimbula where a special viewpoint is located with parking facilities. On the other side of the road is the famous Mlesna Tea Center where you could have a fresh cup of tea could be had. Almost everybody who travels on this road to Nuwara Eliya is bound to at least break rest here before continuing the journey. Saint Clair falls - Most conveniently seen by the travelers on Hatton – Talawakelle Road, the twin waterfalls of St.Clairs cascades over three rock outcrops into a massive pool. The beautiful and most popular fall, located among tea gardens, carries a large volume of water, and is the widest waterfall in the country. The fall is situated over 500 m. away from the road, and one needs to walk down among the tea bushes at a steep gradient in order to reach it. P.m. You will be transferred to the Beach Hotel Negombo.

After breakfast or lunch proceed to Airport for the Departure