A Journey By Private Car and Guide
You will be met on arrival and driven to Colombo. Approx: 1 hour from the Katunayake Bandaranaike International Airport.
After breakfast meet your private driver / guide and drive to Galle Fort.
This historic Dutch fort, another of our UNESCO World Heritage Sites, was actually built by the Portuguese in 1628 and captured by the Dutch 10 years later, and subsequently by the British. It is a square structure with four bastions bordered on two sides by the lagoon.
You can relax at the hotel, enjoy an evening tea at the hotel or walk around the fort area to Padlar’s Inn, which has a well-deserved reputation for chocolate brownies and toasted sandwiches served with sweet chutneys.
For dinner you might try Italian food at Anura’s Restaurant, which prides itself on serving the best thin-crust light pizza in Sri Lanka! If your choice is seafood, the Rampart Hotel has the full range of marine cuisine and a choice selection of cold beers!
Your private driver / guide will return you to the hotel.
After breakfast meet your private driver / guide. You will visit Galle Fort ramparts to see the Fort jumpers diving 40 feet into the sea from the wall at Flag Rock, between point Utrecht Bastion and Triton Bastion. Later you can stroll through the town’s historic byways or visit the museum and silk factory, where you will find a varied selection of silk clothes and gifts.
The remainder of the day is at leisure.
This morning after breakfast you will meet your private driver / guide in the lobby of your hotel and ;drive to Hambantota for your beach stay.
Hambantota and nearby Tangalle beaches are on the south-east coast near Yala National park and are popular locations for snorkeling and diving. Both are beautiful natural bays fringed with palm trees and are ideal locations to soak up the sun.
The seas are slightly rougher than other coastal areas on the eastern coast, yet the soft golden beaches and clear water attract many tourists with views of beautiful coral reefs and jewel hued fish.
Sea turtles are commonly spotted along the reef and even visit the shore at night to lay their eggs. Other wildlife is commonly spotted wondering on the shore and the neighboring jungle areas.
Enjoy a day of leisure.
Enjoy a day of leisure.
After breakfast meet your private driver / guide in the lobby of your hotel and depart for Yala National Park.
Enjoy the jeep safari at the park with an experienced tracker guide. It’s not Kenya, but Yala is a major draw in Sri Lanka for the chance to see elephants, leopards and an array of other animals in their natural habitat, as well as reptiles and myriad bird species.
Enjoy the jeep safari at the park with an experienced tracker guide. It’s not Kenya, but Yala is a major draw in Sri Lanka for the chance to see elephants, leopards and an array of other animals in their natural habitat, as well as reptiles and myriad bird species.
After Breakfast meet your private driver / guide and depart for Hatton, arriving at the Castlereagh Bungalow in time for lunch ;
Spend the next three nights at Castlereagh Bungalow, a part of Ceylon Tea Trails.
Enjoy playing croquet in the afternoon or walking through the tea gardens.
This morning after breakfast meet your private driver / guide in the lobby of your hotel. Visit a tea factory and see how Sri Lanka’s premiere export is made.
In the afternoon go bike riding or a canoeing on the lake.
In the evening you will climb the Adams’ Peak, a sacred mountain located in a beautiful and fascinating area of the Southern hill country which legend says is where Adam first set foot on earth after being cast out of heaven.
It is also known for the Sri Pada (sacred foot print, left by the Buddha as he headed towards paradise) or Samanala Kanda (Butterfly Mountain, where butterflies go to die).
Some believe the huge ‘footprint’ on the top of the 2,243m peak to be that of St Thomas, the early apostle of India, or even of Lord Shiva. Whichever legend you care to believe, this place has been a pilgrimage centre for over 1000 years.
Enjoy the majestic surroundings and your day of leisure.
After breakfast meet your private driver / guide and depart for bustling Negombo. The town is a historically interesting place, strongly influenced by the Catholic Church. The narrow strip of land to the South of the lagoon and the many canals make for good exploring.
In the afternoon take in Negombo’s famous fish market, where you can see fish auctions on the beach and sales at the market. Visit the ruins of the Dutch fort near the lagoon, which has a fine gateway inscribed with the date 1678, also here is a green, called Esplanade, where cricket matches are a big attraction.
The magnificent St. Mary’s Church in the town center also known as Negombo cathedral, has very good ceiling paintings by a local artist.
Enjoy a day at leisure.
Enjoy the day at leisure.
Your private driver guide will transfer you to the airport for your home bound flight.