Sri Lanka Ecoluxury

Morning arrival in Colombo and border and customs procedures. Meeting with the driver-guide and transfer to Sigiriya.

Accommodation in a hotel. Free lunch. Rest of the day free for relaxation.
Dinner at the hotel and overnight.

Optional jeep excursion to Minneriya National Park, 30 minutes from the hotel, a beautiful park that is home to many elephants, a wide variety of water birds, monkeys, bears, deer and sambar. Depending on weather conditions, the visit may be substituted with Kaudulla National Park or Eco Park.

Return to the hotel.

Visit the fortress of Sigiriya, the magnificent archaeological site dating back to the 5th century AD, one of seven UNESCO sites in Sri Lanka, considered the eighth wonder of the world.

The city was built by King Kasyapa on a volcanic monolith about 200 metres high; among the most impressive aspects of the complex are the geometrically defined gardens, the famous fresco of the beautiful maidens (celestial nymphs called Apsaras), and the mirror wall with ancient graffiti. At the end return to the hotel for breakfast.

Exclusively for guests staying at Vil Uyana, a tour of the property: before Jetwing Vil Uyana, these agrarian lands were abandoned. Over a period of four years of hard work, a team of experts built this hotel with one vision: to be the most exclusive sanctuary on earth. The land is also used to cultivate paddy fields using traditional methods and has been reforested with species native to the dry zone of Sri Lanka. Only native fish species have been introduced into the artificial reserve.

Jetwing Vil Uyana has become one of the best locations in Sri Lanka for spotting the elusive grey loris! The artificial lakes are filled with water that is collected entirely by rain.

Transfer to explore the medieval town of Polonnaruwa, a UNESCO heritage site founded in the 10th century.

Traditional lunch in a village. Dinner at the hotel and overnight.

Depart for a visit to Mihintale and the meditation site of Kaludiya Pokuna for a meditation session with a monk living in the forest. Afterwards, we visit a temple in the area and take part in an alms-giving ceremony.

The monks only eat two meals a day. One in the morning and the last one before noon, after which they engage in their spirituality and meditation. Afterwards, you will receive a special blessing from the monks.

On our return to Sigiriya, we will visit Ritigala Monastery, home to 70 caves believed to have been inhabited since the 1st century BC. Known as “Arittha-pabbata” during the reign of Pandukabhaya (377-307 B.C.), the third king of Sri Lanka, it was a well-known shrine and place of worship throughout the country.

Afterwards return to the hotel. Overnight stay.

Today, we start the day early to go on a bicycle tour, passing through villages, lakes and rice fields. On this village tour, you will have the opportunity to plant a tree, to play a small role in saving and preserving our environment. Return to the hotel for breakfast. Transfer of about 2½ hours to Kandy.

En route, we stop at the UNESCO heritage site of the Dambulla rock temple, known for its richly painted rock temples. Dambulla is a vast isolated rock mass where King Valagamba took refuge from invasions in the 1st century BC, later transforming the caves into a rock temple. To reach the Dambulla Caves, there is a short but fairly steep slope with over 300 steps.

During a visit to a spice garden, we will learn how spices are cultivated, have lunch here and take part in a cooking class.

Afterwards we proceed to Kandy, the last bastion of Buddhist political power against colonial invasion. Arrive in Kandy and check into your hotel. In the evening, scenic tour across the upper part of the lake and tuk-tuk ride to the Temple of the Tooth Relic, the most revered holy site for Buddhists, which houses the sacred relic of Buddha's tooth, brought to Sri Lanka during the reign of King Meghavarna (301-328).

In the morning, visit the majestic Lankathilake Vihare. Considered to be one of the most magnificent architectural buildings of the Gampola kingdom, it is built on the crest of a large rock called Panhalgala overlooking the Hantana mountain range. Elegant architectural designs and colourful murals from the Kandian period adorn the interior walls and ceiling of the house.

Next, we visit a traditional dance foundation, located a few minutes from the temple. Here, you will witness a private performance of dances, the basics of which you will learn, and traditional Kandian drums.

Here in Kandy we will have the chance to meet Chami, with whom you will have the opportunity to experience the real local Kandian way of life, while enjoying a delicious local lunch, freshly prepared by his wife. On our return, we stop at “Ancient Handicraftsmen”, engaged in the traditional process of brass making, who now recycle brass and aluminium to produce creative souvenirs and provide employment for disabled people and women who need to support their families.

Transfer to the Peradeniya Royal Botanical Gardens, one of the largest botanical gardens in Sri Lanka and the most beautiful of its kind in Asia, which is located at an altitude of 460 metres above sea level, tightly bounded on three sides by the loop of the Mahaweli River, Sri Lanka's largest river.

Next, we proceed to the Peradeniya railway station to board a local train for a two-and-a-half-hour journey to the tea country station of Nanu-Oya, an engineering marvel. Our train ascends along winding tracks, into the home of Ceylon's famous tea, with its rolling hills turning into a carpet of plantations.

On arrival we take a walking tour of the town and the local market square. The town, called “little England” was infamous among the British from the time of Sri Lanka's colonial rule and was also the capital of the tea trade in ancient times. Accommodation in a hotel.

This morning we will visit a tea plantation and factory in Nuwara Eliya and learn the history of Ceylon tea.

Tea was first introduced to Sri Lanka in the mid-19th century and Nuwara Eliya has always been the tea capital of the country. They will guide you on which leaves to pluck and how to fill the basket. We will also have the opportunity to learn how to properly “taste” tea and identify the subtle differences in varieties.

Rest of the day at leisure to enjoy the hotel facilities and experiences (not included), overnight stay.

We say goodbye to Hill Country and continue on to Wellawaya.

Along the way, you will visit the “world's first analogue forest”. Visitors will be guided to experience the biodiversity of the forest in detail.

We will then proceed to Ella, which translates to “waterfall”, a hillside town with breathtaking views richly adorned with waterfalls, offering some of the most scenic sights in Sri Lanka. Upon arrival in Ella, visit the iconic nine-arch bridge.

Continue the journey to Wellawaya. Upon arrival, settle into your hotel.

Transfer about 2 hours to Yala. Arrival and accommodation in the hotel.

For centuries, this incredible destination has been revered as an unparalleled testimony to the beauty of the wilderness, of nature in its purest and rawest form. Probably the best place in the world to spot leopards, bears, sloths, elephants and birds.

This afternoon, embark on a jeep safari in Yala National Park.

Return to the camp for dinner. Overnight stay.

Transfer to Galle. Along the way, you will have the unique opportunity to learn stilt fishing, “Ritipanna”, from local fishermen in the area.

They will then invite you onto stilts where you will try your hand at fishing on stilts. Lunch will be served in a local restaurant.

Afterwards, we visit a cinnamon plantation and learn the history of Ceylon Cinnamon, the world's most prized cinnamon and Sri Lanka is responsible for more than 70 per cent of the world's cinnamon.

On arrival in Galle, accommodation in the hotel. Rest of the day at leisure.

Cycle tour along Sri Lanka's country roads, passing green paddy fields and settlements offering a glimpse of the rural lifestyle in the coastal region.

Return to the hotel for some relaxation and lunch.

This afternoon we explore the Galle Fort on foot. Historically, this fortified citadel was an essential landmark for Chinese, Persian, Arab and Indian traders. Later, we visit the first turtle conservation project founded in Sri Lanka, located in Kosgoda. Over the years, the centre has released almost four million baby turtles into the sea and has also gradually ended illegal fishing, saving the coral reefs from further devastation.

Return to the hotel for an overnight stay.

Breakfast. Transfer to the airport and end of services.