The wonderful world of Sri Lanka

You set off on your Sri Lanka adventure, flying individually to Colombo, where early the next morning you'll be greeted with: a warm welcome to Sri Lanka! After you land, a member of staff will meet you at Bandaranaike International Airport, and following a short city tour of Colombo you continue straight on south to Galle, where a walk through Galle Fort feels like a journey back through Sri Lanka's colonial past. You'll find a relaxing close to your first day in Sri Lanka on the nearby beach of Unawatuna.

Today you continue on to Tissamaharama — on the way, the holy temple town of Kataragama awaits, one of Sri Lanka's most important pilgrimage sites for several of the island's religions, for here it is not only the Buddhist deity Kataragama Deviyo and the Hindu god of war Murugan who are worshipped, but Muslims and the Vedda, considered Sri Lanka's indigenous people, also revere the site as sacred. In Tissamaharama you can check in at your hotel and use the evening to relax.

The tea plantations, mountains and wonderful hiking routes make Ella one of Sri Lanka's most beautiful natural paradises and a must for every adventure traveller! Even Sir Thomas Lipton loved this place, especially the view from his favourite spot, which to this day still bears the name “Lipton's Seat”. From here he could survey his ever-growing plantations, and it's said that from across the deep-green hills you can see as many as seven different provinces. After a hike through green hills, you can see for yourself.

The hike to Ella Rock (approx. 2 hours, easy to moderate) promises glimpses of a Sri Lanka just waking up, starting early in the morning along the railway line and through tea and spice gardens, idyllic villages and enchanting waterfalls — the wonderful view over the surrounding green hill country rewards the effort. The Dowa Rock Temple is known above all for its unfinished Buddha figure, carved in relief into the rock — according to legend, by a king who had sought refuge here. Sri Lanka is one of the world's largest tea exporters, and the region around Nuwara Eliya is one of its best-known centres. Visiting a tea factory and strolling among the lush green tea bushes, you immerse yourself in the world of tea production and gain plenty of first-hand information through conversations with the tea pickers.

Not far from Nuwara Eliya, at an altitude between 2,000 and 2,300 metres, lies the plateau of Horton Plains National Park with its expanse of grass, scrub and tree vegetation. A hike through the grassy plains, mystical cloud forests and marshes leads to World's End — the 800-metre-high escarpment offers a wonderful view all the way to the sea in clear weather! With a bit of luck you may also spot one of the shy leopards in the wild, as well as sambar deer and numerous bird and amphibian species. On the way back, the 20-metre-high Baker's Falls make a wonderful place to pause. The evening is free for relaxation or activities of your own — in the former hill station of Nuwara Eliya, British charm is ever-present and numerous pubs invite you to linger.

Amid green hills, Kandy and its surrounding villages form a cultural stronghold where many legends, traditions and ways of life are kept vividly alive. The atmospheric heart of Kandy is the Temple of the Tooth, set by the lake against green hills, where a tooth of the Buddha is kept — lighting an oil lamp or laying down flowers is said to bring good luck. A performance of traditional Kandyan dance carries you musically into Sri Lanka's colourful cultural heritage.

The countryside around Kandy is bursting with bright green rice paddies and green hills. Hidden amid this paradise are many little gems just waiting to be discovered. The brick-built Lankatilaka Temple is an ancient Buddhist-Hindu temple that captivates with beautiful wall paintings. Its position on a high rock affords a lovely panoramic view. The Gadaladeniya Vihara Temple, too, feels like an enchanted spot — small and somewhat weathered, it rises from its green surroundings on a hill — a place of devotion with a wonderfully calm and atmospheric feel. The afternoon is free for relaxation or exploring on your own.

The caves of Dambulla first served a king as a place of refuge; after regaining his throne, he had them adorned with magnificent images. Numerous successors followed his example, so that today the caves, with more than 153 depictions of the Buddha and vividly coloured wall paintings from different eras, represent a true cultural-historical treasure, and one that belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage.

Long forgotten, the architectural remains of Polonaruwa lay buried beneath dense jungle; it was not until 1820 that the British rediscovered the former Sinhalese capital. It is not only the ingenious irrigation system with its artificial reservoir, which made rice cultivation possible even during the dry season, that reveals its former importance. The circular Vatadage temple even once carefully housed the sacred tooth relic of the Buddha. The remains of the splendid royal palace, the vast stupas, the sprawling temple and monastery complexes, and imposing Buddha statues also tell of the past glory of a golden age.

The gneiss rock of Sigiriya, rising abruptly out of the jungle, is Sri Lanka's most popular historical site. Its 200-metre-high summit was once completely covered in buildings, and the entrance flanked by lion's paws halfway up gave the complex its name, “Lion Rock”. The surviving water gardens, vividly coloured frescoes, the mirror wall with its ancient graffiti, and the breathtaking view over the surrounding landscape hint at the site's former grandeur. A stroll through Sigiriya village carries you into Sri Lanka's rural life today, before you round off the evening quietly at your hotel.

For around 1,400 years, Anuradhapura was the political and religious centre of Sri Lanka; the former capital, founded beside the Sri Maha Bodhi tree, is still regarded today as one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage destinations and represents the country's most significant archaeological site. The Isurumuniya Temple, built amid grey granite boulders, once served as a religious school for children; its wonderfully preserved stone sculptures and the reliefs of bathing elephants by the adjoining pond carry you into the life of times past. The snow-white Ruwanwelisaya Dagoba on the grounds of the Mahavihara Monastery, by contrast, impresses with its sheer scale: at 108 metres high and 2,090 metres in circumference, the stupa is today the second-largest Buddhist structure in the world. The 344 black elephants at its base appear to effortlessly carry not only the structure but, according to legend, the weight of the entire world. Through its holding the largest collection of Buddha relics, the stupa is considered an especially sacred site.

After a leisurely start to the day, today takes you to the beach at Negombo. With its buildings dating from the era of Portuguese and Dutch presence and its beautiful beach dotted with countless catamarans, this small fishing town radiates an enchanting charm; the Negombo Lagoon is famous for its lobster, prawn and crab catches. After arriving, you check in at your hotel and can use the rest of the day for relaxation or exploring on your own. (not included in the tour price)

Depending on your departure time, you will be taken to Bandaranaike International Airport today, from where you begin your journey home. We wish you a pleasant flight home and hope to welcome you back as our guest again soon. (Please note that you should arrive at the airport three hours before departure.)