Sri Lanka low-season, high-end tour

Upon arrival at the Bandaranaike Airport, your driver welcomes you. You are greeted by the tropical air of this magical island, and for your first destination in your luxury tour, drive to Colombo, the economic capital of the country, check in to your hotel which has been booked for the night and relax the rest of the evening by the pool enjoying drink of your choice. Dinner at your leisure.

You will be met by your tuk-tuk driver, accompanied by an English-speaking guide, to help you discover the real facets of this cosmopolitan city: the neighborhood of the fort, the district of Pettah, with its bazaar and its mosque, the district of City Hall with its colonial buildings and Buddhist temple, you will be able to taste many specialties.
Upon completion you will be chauffeured to Kandy, the last royal capital of the island. En route, you could make a stop at an orphanage in Kegalle to visit elephants, Sri Lanka's iconic animal: Pinnawela, which has a hundred elephants - we do not recommend this facility - or the Millennium Elephant Foundation, which takes care of 8 elephants. Check in to your hotel for overnight stay in Kandy. Dinner at the hotel (included).

After Breakfast commence in a city tour in Kandy, you visit the 60-hectare Peradeniya Botanical Garden on the banks of the Mahaweli River. Do not miss the visit of royal palms, cannonball trees, the collection of orchids, colorful flowerbeds ... This garden offers a beautiful walk of about 2 hours!
Later, visit the Temple of the Tooth, sacred Buddhist temple. The site, richly decorated, houses the relic of the tooth of Buddha. You could continue by a walk around the lake (about 4km) and end with the market, not far from the lake. Its atmosphere and diversity of products are really worth seeing. Dinner at the hotel (included).

After breakfast, take the road to the heart of the Cultural Triangle. On the way, stop at a spice garden in Matale. This visit is an opportunity to discover the virtues of plants, fruits and spices of the country, the methods of cultivation, harvest, drying and their uses, in traditional cuisine and body care. Continue to Polonnaruwa. After settling in your hotel, you go on an excursion in the ancient citadel of Polonnaruwa which was the royal capital of Sri Lanka during the eleventh and twelfth centuries, and extends over ten km. You visit the ruins of palaces, temples, but especially Kalu Gal Vihara, a set of 4 statues of Buddha carved in granite. You have the opportunity to make this tour by bike (rent on site) and continue your ride along Lake Parakarama Samudraya. Dinner at the hotel (included).

Go up the coast towards Trincomalee, city located on the North-East coast of the country. Before settling down at your hotel, visit the Hindu Kovil Koneswaram temple, located inside Fort Frederik and on the rocky point "Swami Rock" overlooking the ocean. Check in to the hotel and relax by the swimming pool of your hotel sipping a chilled glass of your favorite drink. Dinner at the hotel (included).

Early in the morning, we recommend a whale and dolphin watching excursion off the coast (season from May to October). Then enjoy the rest of the day exploring the seabed in the Pigeon Island Nature Reserve. This beautiful island is bordered by white sand beaches and crystal clear waters. You will see beautiful fish, maybe some turtles and with a little luck you could see a shark! Go back to the shore to bask on the beautiful beach of Nilaveli. Dinner at the hotel (included).

A multitude of activities and excursions are available to you in the vicinity of Passikudah. You have the opportunity to explore the beautiful coast and its wild beaches, go jet skiing, snorkeling or diving, or possibly go on an outing (sailboat). Dinner at the hotel (included).

After a last swim in the Indian Ocean, take the road to the Cultural Triangle. On the way, discover the Ritigala Nature Reserve, which is home to an ancient Buddhist monastery. These ruins, dating from the 2nd century BC, are in the middle of the jungle. You may recognize the decorations of Indiana Jones and the cursed Temple, shot here in 1984!
Your guide will make you discover the different parts of the site, the cave with the frescoes of Demoiselles, the gardens and ruins of Kasyapa Palace at the top. Classified at UNESCO, it is the most visited site in Sri Lanka. Check in to your hotel in Dambulla for Dinner and overnight stay. (Dinner included).

After Breakfast leave to visit the incredible site of Dambulla, a religious site perched on top of a rocky hill that has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991. A major pilgrimage site, this cave temple is composed of five caves with multiple statues of Buddha and covered with remarkable rock frescoes. Once at the top, you enjoy an extraordinary view of the surroundings.
After lunch, drive to Minneriya National Park for a jeep safari. You can see other wild animals such as crocodiles, buffaloes, deer, monitor lizards, cormorants, pelicans and a multitude of birds. This park is renowned for its elephant population that you will see, hopefully, by the dozens, depending on the season. Dinner at the hotel (included).

After breakfast, leave to the Airport to hop on to your flight back home, depending on the flight timings en route with a stop at Kurunegala, a pretty little tourist town surrounded by plantations of coconut palms and rubber trees. This city was the royal capital for 50 years, in the 13th century. It is also an opportunity to visit Selyn, a social and solidarity company specializing in artisanal weaving. You will discover the textile manufacturing process and observe the everyday life of the workers from the surrounding villages. This is an opportunity to stock up on souvenirs before heading to the airport. Drop off at the Airport, Your journey ends here...