We are taking you to 11-days trip traveling to Sri Lanka, also called the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. The country located in the Indian Sea, south of India, is rich in beautiful beaches, incredible nature and long tradition and culture. You will experience how friendly locals are and how easy it is to make some friends along the way. Unusual journey through the jungles of the central part of the island, tours around famous Buddhist temples, UNESCO-protected sites, tea tasting, elephant feeding, sunset massages, surfing. Tropical beaches, small authentic villages, fishing villages, elephant reserves, green lagoons, coral reefs, tropical waterfalls, mountain peaks, tea plantations, sea turtle farms, botanical gardens, tea factories, temples, fortresses, historic sites and cities … Island to enjoy, island to admire.
First Day – Traveling To Sri Lanka And Negombo
Negombo is a small fishing village near Colombo where your traveling to Sri Lanka begins. When you arrive in Colombo after a long journey, it is recommended that you spend a day here on the beach and just relax. If the beach is an important factor for your vacation, it is good to know that Sri Lanka is characterized by surf beaches. Negombo is just 45min drive from Colombo, so you can arrive directly from the airport and spend a night in Negombo.
Second Day – Traveling To Pinnawala
Only a 2.5-hours drive from Negombo will take you to an amazing place called Pinnawala. Pinnawala is an orphanage for elephants which was founded in 1975. At that time there were only 3 elephants, but today there are over 70. The aim of establishing this place was the injured elephants that were brought and raised here. If they returned to their natural habitat they would be rejected by their jungle classmates. While you are in Pinnawala you can also visit Iperanigama Theme Park where you can feel local culture and enjoy authentic cuisine. After a full day of activities, you can spend a night in Pinnawala, have breakfast in the morning and continue your trip from there.
Third Day – Traveling To The Heart Of Sri Lanka – Sigiriya
From Pinnawala you can reach beautiful Sigiriya in approximately 2.5 hours. Go to the hotel, leave your stuff there and get ready for another adventure! This time it will be Sigiriya (Lion Rock) – the fortress is magnificent because there are many canals around it. In order to protect themselves from the enemy, crocodiles had passed through these channels before. It is very important to dress comfortably when climbing Sigiriya as it is a bit strenuous. Also, the heat is very high, so you will need to bring some water to drink as you climb. After this panoramic experience you can go back to the hotel or futher discover hidden gems.
Fourth Day – Traveling To The Historic Dambulla
From Sigiriya to Dambulla it will take just around 30min drive in order to discover our next destination. Damubulla is the place for those who love art and architecture. We would recommend you to visit Cave Temple, Buddhist Museum and Kalu Diya Pokuna which is a natural black water pool. After a whole day full of walking/hiking/swimming, we would suggest you to finalize your day with a nice massage in Dambulla and take some rest, because the new day brings new expeditions!
5th Day – Kandy, Udawatta Kella And Peradenia
After you arrive to Kandy and leave your stuff in the hotel, you can have a ride to Udawatta Kella. It is an old forest and protected natural asset near Kandy, in the heart of “green Sri Lanka”. You can continue your excursion by enjoying the Royal Botanical Garden – Peradenia, which is known for its famous orchid collection. A day to enjoy the greenery, the most beautiful colors and energy of Sri Lanka. Afterwards you can have a nice dinner in Kandy and have a good night sleep.
6th Day – Kandy, Tea Factory And Spice Garden
The first stop is the tea factory. Here you will learn something new and see what the production of the most famous beverage in the world looks like, then we will have the opportunity to taste different tea flavors and look at plants that are being prepared for further industrial processing. After that, you can enjoy some time in Spice Garden. At night you can experience some Sri Lankan dances and have a great time!
7th Day – Adam’s Peak
This is an extraordinary opportunity if you would like to wake up super-early in the morning – hiking and staying at 2500m altitude. 5500 steps lead to the top of Adam’s Peak, and the mountain is a sacred place for Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims and Christians. Climbing to the top of Adam’s peak and enjoying the unreal nature and the views from above is just breathtaking. Afterwards, you will just probably like to sleep and have some rest.
8th Day – Hikkaduwa
After your beauty sleep it is a time for a bit of travelling – to be precise, you can expect 4- hours drive to reach beautiful, beachy Hikkaduwa, the most famous tourist spot on the southwest coast of the country. As you will travel quite some hours to reach this heaven – we would just suggest you to spend some quality time on the beach – doing nothing but relaxing.
9th Day – Sailing
Again something amazing for early birds – sailing catamarans along the green lagoon. You will admire the nature of this place. You can then visit the famous Buddhist temple, which is accessible only from the lake. Then you can go to the Moonstone gemstone, which Sri Lanka is widely known for. This gem can only be found in this place, ie. this mine is the only natural source of Moonstone in the entire world. Later you can go to a turtle farm located near Hikkaduwa. Encountering these beautiful creatures will make you very happy. On your way back, you will have the opportunity to see a huge monument built by the Japanese at the spot where a tsunami overturned a train of over 300 people a few years ago. After a full day of exciting stuff, you can go back to Hikkaduwa for a good night sleep.
10th Day – Hikkaduwa
Free day for sunbathing and enjoying your last day in Hikkaduwa. If you wish, you can take a catamaran, go diving and see coral reefs, surf or simply roast in the sun with tropical cocktails and fresh squeezed mango, papaya, avocado, passion fruit, lime … In the evening you can visit local restaurants and candles and a mixture of different sounds while you are enjoying your beach dinner.
11th Day – Bye, Bye Sri Lanka!
Get your bags and be prepared to your trip back to Colombo and the airport 🙂
Our colleague Adam has prepared a detailed guide how to score business class flights using the right credit cards, so make sure to check out his blog posts about points and miles.
