Traditional wooden Sri Lankan mask
ASIA
Sigiriya Fortress Yala National Park
ITINERARY
DAY 1 • Depart U. S. Depart U. S. for your flight to Negombo, Sri Lanka via Doha, Qatar.
DAY 2 • Arrive in Colombo, Sri Lanka • Transfer to Negombo
Arrive in Doha, Qatar, and meet your connecting flight to Colombo, Sri Lanka. Then, transfer to Negombo. Depending on your flight schedule, you’ ll arrive at your hotel in Negombo late on Day 2 or very early on Day 3, where you’ ll be joined by travelers who arrived early in Negombo or took our optional Oman & Dubai pre-trip extension.
Earl’ s Regent Negombo or similar
DAY 3 • Negombo • Canal boat tour Relax from your flight this morning. After lunch, walk to visit St. Sebastian’ s Church, a Gothic-revival church dedicated to Negombo’ s patron saint. Then, set off on an orientation drive in Negombo. Later, take a boat tour along the city’ s scenic canals, a legacy of Dutch colonial rule.
Meals: B, D | Earl’ s Regent Negombo or similar
DAY 4 • Overland to Sigiriya • Dambulla Cave Temple
Visit Negombo’ s fishing village, where local fishermen aboard oruvas( outrigger canoes) bring in their daily catch. Then, we’ ll depart Negombo and make our way to Sigiriya, a serene destination at the crossroads of Sri Lanka’ s Cultural Triangle. After lunch, arrive at Sigiriya, then drive to the nearby Dambulla Cave Temple, a
UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest of Sri Lanka’ s cave temple complexes.
Meals: B, L, D | Sigiriya Village Hotel or similar
DAY 5 • Sigiriya • Visit a local Sri Lankan village • Grand Circle Foundation school visit
Begin the day with a visit to a local school( when in session) supported in part by Grand Circle Foundation. Then, stroll through a local village for a firsthand glimpse of daily life and a chance to participate in a farming activity. Then, we’ ll be welcomed into a local home where we’ ll help to prepare a few traditional dishes that we’ ll enjoy for lunch.
Meals: B, L, D | Sigiriya Village Hotel or similar
DAY 6 • Visit Sigiriya Fortress • Optional Anuradhapura tour
Explore the ancient rock fortress of Sigiriya, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Dubbed“ The Lion Rock” because bricks and stucco were originally added to form the shape of a giant lion, we’ ll see all that remains of this façade as we enter— two enormous clawed, feline feet flanking the 1,001 steps to the top. After lunch, you may choose to join an optional tour to the ruins of ancient Anuradhapura, a UNESCO-listed temple complex hidden in the dense jungle.
Meals: B, L, D | Sigiriya Village Hotel or similar
sample their cooking and hear their story. Arrive in Kandy in the afternoon, then drive to the Temple of the Tooth said to hold a sacred tooth of the Buddha.
Meals: B, L | Hotel Suisse or similar
DAY 8 • Kandy • Peradeniya Botanic Gardens • Home-Hosted Dinner
This morning, we’ ll drive out to the Peradeniya Botanic Gardens. Dating back to the 14th century, the sprawling gardens are home to some 4,000 species of plants, including more than 300 varieties of orchids— spread out over 150 acres of lush grounds. This evening, we’ ll be welcomed into the home of a local Kandyan family for a Home-Hosted Dinner.
Meals: B, D | Hotel Suisse or similar
ADVENTURE HIGHLIGHT
DAY 7 • Overland to Kandy • Temple of the Tooth |
|
Visit the local produce market in Dambulla, then begin our transfer to Kandy, the last capital of the Sri Lankan kings, encircled by mountains and the Mahaweli River.
On the way, make a stop to meet the Buddhist monks
|
On Day 5, visit a local farming village for an authentic glimpse of Sri Lankan culture, where you’ ll visit a local school and enjoy lunch in a village home. |
of sacred Aluvihare Rock Temple. Next, stop for lunch |
at an open-air kitchen run by local female chefs, to |
Information & Reservations 1-800-955-1925 |
www. oattravel. com / sri |
109 |