Colonial Experience

You will be met on arrival at Bandaranayke International Airport and driven to Negombo, a journey of 30 minutes. Known as ‘Little Rome’ because of its many Catholic churches, Negombo was founded as a fishing village, but is now a flourishing west-coast beach resort famed for its lagoon and the Dutch (Hamilton) Canal that connects with the capital Colombo, 40km to the south. After a relaxing lunch (depending on the time of your arrival) the afternoon is free to visit the beach or the town’s many attractions, including one of the biggest fish markets in Sri Lanka, the ruins of the Dutch Fort, or take a boat trip on the lagoon and canal. Or you might also visit one of the churches, many of which have colourful and outstanding architecture, particularly the landmark St. Mary’s, which is known locally as Negombo Cathedral.

Sri Lanka’s famed Cultural Triangle holds the keys to Sri Lanka’s cultural and Buddhist history and mystery, especially the ruins of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Dambulla, and Sigiriya, the ancient rock ‘fortress in the sky’. All are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. On arrival do a city tour of Anuradhapura, once the greatest religious center of the ancient world, was Sri Lanka's first capital city. Founded by King Pandukabhaya in 380 BC, it was until 1000 AD he seat of royalty for 119 successive Singhalese kings and thousands of monks in dozens of monasteries. You will also see the holy bo-tree, which was grown from a sapling of the very tree under which the Buddha found enlightenment more than 2,500 years ago. Overnight stay at the hotel.

The well-preserved ruins of the ancient city of Polonnaruwa provides a rare glimpse of thriving 12th Century monastic and royal life in this second ancient Sri Lankan capital. The site is vast, and can be explored by bicycle, which we can arrange for you. In the evening, enjoy a jeep safari in the Minneriya National Park. An ancient tank (reservoir) provide a watery backdrop for Minneriya’s thriving wildlife and bio-diversity, including elephants, leopards, toque macaques, sambar deer, and 160 species of birds and wetland foul. Overnight stay at the hotel.

The towering granite fortress of Sigiriya is an awe-inspiring creation. The way up from the Lion Gate to the palace and water garden at the summit, reached by paths and stairways cut into the living rock, passes galleries and caves containing amazing paintings and frescos. Spend the day here, exploring not just the ‘flying fortress’ itself, but also some of the immediate surroundings, including a glimpse of traditional village ways of life and day-to-day activities. Return to the hotel for your evening relaxation and overnight stay.

The road to Kandy is flanked by many of the sites and locations that make Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle the amazing experience that it surely is. en-route visit the Dambulla Cave temple.Words alone cannot adequately describe the truly astonishing Dambulla cave temple, with its multitude of Buddhist statuary and roof and wall paintings. Really a must visit to fully understand Sri Lanka’s cultural heritage. On completion visit the Dambulla Cave Temple. A lessor but equally worthwhile detour is Matale Aluvuhare, a monestary built into caves created among huge rocks that eons ago crashed down from the mountains high above the valley. Last but not least, you will visit a spice garden in Matale, one of the sources of the cinnamon that powered trade across the known world 2,000 years ago, and was a cornerstone of former colonial rule by the Portuguese, Dutch and British. Proceed to Kandy, Check in, overnight stay at the hotel.

Kandy was the final redoubt of Sri Lanka’s last Sinhala king, and is renowned for the Temple of the Tooth, where a revered and sacred Buddha relic rests in a golden stupa casket. The temple sits in a moated compound on the shore of Kandy Lake, which is not only a tourist landmark, but also where the regular seaplane service to and from Colombo lands (or should that be ‘waters’?) and takes off. North of Kandy is the Udawattakelle Sanctuary, home to forest birds and monkeys, and a beautiful spot for a relaxing walk through the tranquil woodland. Meanwhile, the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens lie within 30 minutes of Kandy, and are best known as being home to colonies of fruit bats, which can be seen hanging from the trees as they sleep during day. Later, you might want to visit a traditional arts-and-crafts centre, a gem museum, and see a cultural dance performance in the city center. Overnight stay at the hotel.

The drive to Nuwara Eliya—known as ‘Little England’, thanks to its storied past as the top summer retreat for former British colonial administrators—is one of Sri Lanka's most popular inland resorts. Its altitude, 6,500 feet above sea level (temperatures often fall as low as 12C) and widespread fruit and vegetable cultivation creates a somewhat British autumn climate that contributes to its ‘mists and mellow fruitfulness’, to quote Keats. On arrival do a city tour of Nuwara Eliya including a visit to a Tea Plantation, Tea Factory and a strawberry Farm. And so to The Hill Club for lunch, where you will experience the ambience and authentic reminders of Nuwara Eliya’s colonial past, a refreshingly backward glance to life before the Internet. Rest of the day at leisure. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Back to Colombo, where visits to some of the capital’s landmark temples are on the agenda, as well as sunset cocktails at the historic Galle Face Hotel and a choice of restaurants for your final day and night in Sri Lanka. On arrival do a city tour of Colombo. You could do worse than lunch at Barefoot Café and dinner at Ministry of Crab in the historic and beautifully restored Dutch Hospital complex. But the choice is totally yours. Last, but definitely not least—the shops! Colombo has some great boutique and branded wonderfulness, and your guide will be happy to point you in the right direction. Overnight stay at the hotel.