HISTROY AND CULTURE

Day 03 – Dambulla / Sigiriya / Polonnaruwa / Dambulla

Sigiriya or Sinhagiri (Lion rock )is an ancient rock fortress located in the northern Matale District near the town of Dambulla in the Central Province, Sri Lanka

Sigiriya today is a UNESCO listed World Heritage Site. It is one of the best preserved examples of ancient urban planning

Minneriya National Park is a national park in North Central Province of Sri Lanka. The area was designated as a national park on 12 August 1997, having been originally declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1938.The tank is of historical importance, having been built by King Mahasen in third century AD

The national park's faunal species include 24 species of mammals, 160 species of birds, 9 species of amphibians, 25 species of reptiles, 26 species of fish, and 75 species of butterflies

The Ancient City of Polonnaruwa has been declared a World Heritage Site

Day 04 - Dambulla / Matale / Kandy

The Greeks, Romans and the Arabic maintained their links with Sri Lanka through the spice trade. Sri lanka has also earned the name “island of spices”.the spice garden in matale helps you identify the various kinds of spices in Sri lanka.

Day 05 – Kandy

Kandy located in the Central Province, Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka.The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is the home of The Temple of the Tooth Relic (Sri Dalada Maligawa), one of the most sacred places of worship in the Buddhist world. It was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1988.

Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya are about 5.5 km to the west of the city of Kandy in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. It attracts 2 million visitors annually. It is near the Mahaweli River (the longest in Sri Lanka). It is renowned for its collection of orchids.

There are avenues in the River Drive such as Cook's Pine Avenue, Palmyra Palm Avenue, Double Coconut Avenue, Cabbage Avenue, and Royal Palm Avenue. The classical Avenue of Palms is in this Garden. One item with a significant history is the Cannonball Tree planted by King George V of the United Kingdom and Queen Mary in 1901. It is often laden with fruit, which are thought to resemble cannonballs.

Temple of the Tooth relic On the north shore of the lake, which is enclosed by a parapet of white stone dating to the beginning of the 19th century, are the city's official religious monuments, including the Royal Palace and the Temple of the Tooth, known as the Dalada Maligawa . Reconstructed in the 18th century, the Dalanda Maligawa is built on a base of granite that was inspired by the temples of Sri Lanka's former capital city, Anuradhapura. An array of materials (limestone, marble, sculpted wood, ivory, etc.)

contribute to the richness of this temple. Throughout this small holy city, a number of recent Buddhist monasteries can be found.

Day 06 – Kandy / Adams’ Peak

Adam's Peak also known as Sri Pada or "Sri Paadaya and Samanalakanda, "Butterfly Mountain"; Tamil: Sivanolipatha Malai; Arabic: Al-Rohun) is a 2,243 m (7,359 ft) tall conical mountain located in central Sri Lanka. It is well known for the Sri Pada, i.e., "sacred footprint", a 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) rock formation near the summit, which in Buddhist tradition is held to be the footprint of the Buddha, in Hindu tradition that of Shiva and in Islamic and Christian tradition that of Adam, or that of St. Thomas.

It is an important pilgrimage site, especially for Buddhists. Pilgrims walk up the mountain, following a variety of difficult routes up thousands of steps. The journey takes several hours at least. The peak pilgrimage season is in April, and the goal is to be on top of the mountain at sunrise, when the distinctive shape of the mountain casts a triangular shadow on the surrounding plain and can be seen to move quickly downward as the sun rises.

Climbing at night can be a remarkable experience, with the lights of the path leading up and into the stars overhead. There are rest stops along the way.

Day 07 – Adams’ Peak / Nuwara Eliya

Day 08 – Nuwara Eliya

Horton Plains National Park is a protected area in the central highlands of Sri Lanka and is covered by montane grassland and cloud forest.

The Horton Plains are the headwaters of three major Sri Lankan rivers, the Mahaweli, Kelani, and Walawe. In Sinhala the plains are known as Maha Eliya Plains. Stone tools dating back to Balangoda culture have been found here. The plains' vegetation is grasslands interspersed with montane forest and includes many endemic woody plants. Large herds of Sri Lankan sambar deer feature as typical mammals and the park is also an Important Bird Area with many species not only endemic to Sri Lanka but restricted to the Horton Plains. Forest dieback is one of the major threats to the park and some studies suggest that it is caused by a natural phenomenon.

The sheer precipice of World's End and Baker's Falls are among the tourist attractions of the park.

Day 09 – Nuwara Eliya / Ella

The falls have been named after the legendary king Ravana, which is connected to the famous Indian epic, the Ramayana. According to legend, it is said that Ravana (who was the king of Sri Lanka at the time) had kidnapped princess Sita, and had hidden her in the caves behind this waterfall, now simply known as the Ravana Ella Cave. The reason for the kidnapping is said to be a revenge for slicing off the nose of his sister by Rama (husband of Sita) and his brother Laxmana. At the time, the cave was surrounded with thick forests in the midst of wilderness. It is also believed that Rama’s queen bathed in a pool that accumulated the water falling from this waterfall.They believed that Ravana has played the Ravanahatha over here.

Little Adams’ Peak

Day 10 – Ella / Haputale

A sip of coffee with your favorites’ at the top of the mountains which provides you the best of view and is definitely going to be one best day in your life

Day 11 – Haputale / Yala / Udawalawe / Yala

The Udawalawe Elephant Transfer Home is a facility within Udawalawe National Park in Sri Lanka that was established in 1995 by the Sri Lanka Department of Wildlife Conservation. Its primary objective is to rehabilitate orphaned elephant calves for ultimate release back into the wild.

The main objective of this facility is rehabilitation of orphaned baby elephants to ultimately release them back into their natural habitat. Up to three elephants per week are killed in Sri Lanka due to conflicts with humans, often leaving behind orphan calves. The elephants are kept at part of the Udawalawe National Park to maintain familiarity with their habitat, but have access to both food and medical care.

Day 12 – Bentota

Day 13 –Bentota / Galle / Bentota

Day 14 – Bentota

Day 15 – Bentota / Colombo

Day 16 – Colombo

Day 17 - Colombo / Airport