14-DAYS SRI LANKA BEACH ESCAPE TOUR [Ultra-Lux Itinerary]

Sri Lanka is known as the "pearl of the Indian Ocean." As it is an island, one of the most famous and delicious dishes is seafood, which can be purchased in good quantity and quality. To have your own experience of fresh seafood, you will visit the fish market in Negombo, a place filled with fisherman wearing sarongs and seafood lovers all around. If you could manage to get out of bed before 6 o'clock in the morning, you would be able to see the returning fishing boats with the rising golden sun on the beach. Continue to Sigiriya

Hiriwadunna: The trek through the archetypal Sri Lankan village is a great way to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life while also immersing yourself in nature and culture.

Bullock Cart Ride—45 Minutes by Bullock Cart (Double Ox Cart)—Locally known as "Gon-Karaththa" in Sinhalese, which will transport you through the next stage of the adventure. The journey continues through dense shrub forests, paddy fields, and the observation of many forest birds and other wild life such as monkeys, wild hares, mongooses, lizards, peacocks, parrots, and even elephants. Sightseeing of the rural village's daily life is possible while on the cart ride. Also discover a variety of seasonal fruits, which can be seen on nearby trees in front of every house in the village. Lie back and enjoy the flashes of blue sky through the cover of the trees as the carter expertly guides his animals.

Catamaran Safari with Bonus "Chena Visit" Hiriwadunna Lake Catamaran Safari for One Hour A voyage by an authentic fishing catamaran (locally named "Oruwa") atop the glassy surface of the scenic Hiriwadunna Lake. The journey takes you to a "Chena" (slash and burn cultivation land), where you can observe farming techniques and enjoy aromatic ginger tea with palm jaggery, herbal tea, or sweet king coconut. On the way back, take in the lush marshlands and fragrant tropical dry zone trees. The lake, which is home to many amazing bird species as well as rare butterflies and dragonflies, also provides the opportunity to experience bird watching while on the catamaran, including peacocks, green pigeons, cormorants, green bee-eaters, a variety of King Fishers, Hawk-Eagles, fish owls, Herons, egrets, flycatchers, and many more. Grey and Toque monkeys can also be seen on the trees besides

His citadel was the Sigiriya Rock Fortress, which King Kashyapa constructed in just seven years. Sigiriya Rock is fascinating not only because it is a fortress but also because of its amazing engineering. On top of the rock, where everything had to be physically carried by men, the palace was constructed. Unfortunately, only a little part of the palace remains on the summit, which can still be seen after climbing the rock. Furthermore, the top of the rock provides an incredible view of Sri Lanka's countryside.

Minneriya National Park a place which can be best visited during June till October as the elephants may migrate to Kaudulla national park at other times. Giant herds of wild elephants gather around an ancient water tank, which was built by the Ceylon kings to bath and drink. You will be amazed to see more than fifty elephants at the same time in one place. Depending on where recent elephant sightings have been reported, you will visit Minneriya National Park or Kaudulla National Park Kaudulla National Park: Kaudulla is the newly established national park in the heart of the cultural triangle. Kaudulla in the country and has excellent potential for viewing elephant and other species of wildlife. The location is situated in 30 km away from Polonnaruwa District in North central province.

Dambulla where there is the imposing rock tower over the plain with carved treasures init. Dambulla cave, the world recognized heritage was carved by king Valagambahu back in the first century BC. Also, there is a 14-meter-long carving of Buddha with all the Buddhist magnificence of the highest order.

Visit a spice garden in Matale to see many different types of spices Sri Lanka is famous for. Just 25 km from the hill capital of Kandy, the Matale spice gardens are among the best on the island. You will be introduced to different spices and shown how some of these spices are grown and processed. A processing and training unit has been set up in the area and farmers are grouped in a cooperative to ensure fair prices and you will also be able to purchase spices.

Enjoy a sightseeing tour of Kandy which is a UNESCO world heritage site. The historic city about 480 m above sea level surrounded by mountains was known to Sri Lankan as Kanda Uda Rata, which means the hill country. Kandy was home to Sri Lanka's last independent Kingdom, which survived two centuries of colonial incursion before finally falling to the British at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Visit the Peradeniya University campus and catch a panoramic view of the picturesque town from Upper Lake Drive.

Royal Botanical Gardens, Peradeniya, where you will discover a wide variety of plants, flowers and spices which are only known in Sri Lanka. (It depends how much time you want to spend). You can walk around and check out the best quality gem and Jewellery shops in this neck of the woods (Premadasas Gem & Jewellery). Also, you can walk around the Kandy Lake under the shades of the big trees.

Sri Lanka, the pearl of the Indian Ocean, has been known to the world for centuries as a land blessed with dazzling gemstones. Sea faring traders from all over the world chose this magical land as a much sought after port of call in their voyages searching for the world’s finest gem stones. Famous historical chronicles testify that royals around the world, including the English Royal Family have adorned their icons of monarchy with gems from Sri Lanka.

In Kandy visit the famous Temple of the Tooth Relic which is believed to have the tooth of Buddha is also situated in Kandy. In the evening you will be able to attend the puja with hundreds of pilgrims passing by the beautifully lightened temple.

You will get onto a train and head towards the Tea Mountains situated in Hatton while watching the verdant surrounding. You will be received by your chauffeur in the railway station who will drive you up to 4000 feet altitude to reach your hotel.

Have you ever wondered why Sri Lankan tea tastes so good? So, this is the day for you to discover the truth about Sri Lankan tea. To discover this, you will visit a tea estate with a guide who will explain the process of making tea. On the way to the factory, you can see the Tamil women who will be working among the green tea leaves, plucking them. Inside the factory, you can see the processes of weighing, drying, fermenting, and packing. At last, you will be able to taste the tea from that factory and enjoy the moment.

Adam's Peak 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-meter (5-foot-11-inch) 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. You have to start very early, at 2 AM, and there will be many locals making the pilgrimage to the top, old and young, so you are never alone when going there! This excellent hike is with 6000 stairs, however it is one great experience and you should definitely go there and make it to really feel Sri Lankan atmosphere. Normally it takes like 4 hours to get to the top. You have to be at the top at least by 6 a.m. for the sunrise. If you are very fit, it will only take two and a half hours to reach the peak, so leave a little later if you are fit. Make sure to dress warm! The pilgrims season to Sri Pada traditionally starts on the full moon of December and ends on the full moon of April. Most people make the climb at night so they can arrive in time for the sunrise. Alternatively, you can climb up during the day, stay overnight, and go down the next morning. This way you can avoid the crowds, climb at a leisurely pace, have plenty of time to enjoy the view, see the sunset, and get the best place to observe the sunrise in the morning. Accommodations on the summit are basic, and you would have to bring your own food and perhaps a blanket or sleeping bag. However, whenever you decide to go, check the weather report before setting out. Rain can make for a miserable trip, and it is more likely that clouds or mist will obscure the view. Out of season, you can still do the climb; you'll just need a flashlight.

Continue the train ride to Ella. You will board a train and travel through the exquisitely green surroundings to the Ella Tea Mountains.

Little Adam's Peak is a brisk 2-hour walk through tea plantations before you climb the summit via large steps. Once at the top, put your feet up and enjoy the amazing views.

The Nine Arches Bridge (also called The Bridge in the Sky) is one of the most iconic bridges in Sri Lanka and is one of the best examples of British railway construction when Ceylon was yet a colony of the British Empire. It is located in Demodara, between the Ella and Demodara railway stations. As of the past decade, the surrounding area has seen a steady increase in tourism due to the bridge's architectural ingenuity and the profuse greenery on the nearby hillsides.

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.

Usually, leopards lurk around at night to protect themselves from their predators. However, in Yala, you will be able to see the leopards ruling the roost. Also, you can see people trying to click photos of those strolling leopards from their jeeps. They have the highest population in this part of the world. Furthermore, you can see herds of elephants bathing in many watering holes. This is the greatest chance to take photos of nature and wild animals with a clear, near-field shot.

This is no ordinary fishing. There might be several methods of catching a fish, but this one is mind-boggling. Fishermen in Sri Lanka use stilts to catch fish. Stilt fishing is an old tradition practiced by around 500 fishing families in Galle, in southwestern-most Sri Lanka, especially around the towns of Koggala, Kathaluwa, and Ahangama. They usually fish at sunset, noon, and sunrise, with each one taking an elevated position and balancing about 2 meters above the water. As you can see in the picture slider, there is a vertical pole engrafted into the sea bed. Attached to it is a crossbar, called a petta, on which the fishermen do the balancing act. So with one hand they hold the stilt, and with the other hand they have a fishing rod or a line to catch spotted herring and small mackerel, which are then kept in a plastic bag tied around their waist or the pole.

Today you will take an excursion (a 3- to 4-hour sea safari) to Mirissa, departing at 6 a.m. Sri Lanka is one of the best places in the world to spot whales, being home to 26 of the 80 cetacean species found around the world. Blue whales, the largest known animals on earth, travel alone and can sometimes be seen over the continental shelf, which is within less than 3 miles of the coast, during their migration period. There is also a good chance of seeing pods of sperm whales a little further out and the possibility of spotting Bryde’s whale, dwarf sperm whale, unidentified beaked whale, spinner dolphin, striped dolphin, and Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin. With the deep water so close to the shore and the seasonally changing monsoon currents producing ever-changing blooms of plankton, it’s no wonder this is such a great spot for these amazing creatures. Between December and April is the best time to see them, with December being the peak month.

Visit Galle, a coastal area in the South that has a great colonial influence. In the afternoon, you can visit the Fort, which was built and occupied by the Portuguese, Dutch, and British. You also can walk around the beautiful old, Dutch ramparts sticking out to the sea. Moreover, a visit to the beach will give you a glimpse of the sunset in the evening.

Galle Face Green, Galle Face Hotel, Dutch Hospital, Old Parliament, Old Colombo Light House, Grand Oriental Hotel, Colombo Harbour, Slave Island Area, Gangarama Seema Malakaya, War Memorial, Public Library, National Museum, Nelum Pokuna Theatre, Vihara Maha Devi Park, Colombo Town Hall, Race Course, Independence Square, Replica of Aukana Buddha Statue, and BMICH.

Late in the evening (optional), enjoy dinner at one of the best restaurants, "Ministry of Crab," run by former cricketers Mahela Jayawardena and Kumar Sangakkara. Reservations required otherwise they may run out of crabs as the crabs are only for reserved tables. So keep in mind that you need to make a reservation beforehand, and we at Luxurious Sri Lanka will assist you with reserving the seats.

It's time to say goodbye. Look back on a wonderful time in Sri Lanka and the many impressions that the country has given you. You will be collected at your accommodation and transferred to the airport. The drive to Bandaranaike International Airport will take 45 minutes.