Advent Ceylon (13 Days): Katunayake

The excursion

Itinerary

• Day 1 — Airport → Negombo
• The tour begins on the beaches of Negombo on the western coast, with time to settle in and try the local water sports.
• Negombo Beach
• Spend time on Negombo's sandy beaches and watch the long-standing local fish industry at work.
• Water Sports
• Try water sports including diving to see coral and underwater life, and a 50-year-old shipwreck just off the coast that now shelters many fish species.
• Day 2 — Negombo → Panduwasnuwara → Anuradhapura
• The day moves inland to two former capitals, tracing Sri Lanka's royal history from a lesser-known 12th-century kingdom to the ancient city of Anuradhapura.
• Panduwasnuwara
• Explore the ruins of this briefly-held 12th-century capital, including its pagodas, image houses, meeting halls and citadel, along with a restored former Temple of the Tooth Relic just outside the walls and the old palace site.
• Anuradhapura
• Walk through the ruined city that served as the capital for over a millennium, taking in the Jetavanarama dagoba, the Sri Maha Bodhi, the Abhayagiri Monastery ruins, and the monuments of Ruwanwelisaya and Thuparamaya.
• Day 3 — Anuradhapura → Avukana → Dambulla
• The route continues to a renowned standing Buddha statue before reaching the cave temples of Dambulla.
• Avukana Buddha Statue
• See the 40-foot standing Buddha statue carved from a single rock, supported only by a thin attachment at the back, with partially collapsed structures nearby marking where an image house once stood.
• Golden Temple of Dambulla
• Enter the cave temples dating back to the 1st century BC, viewing ancient murals of the Buddha's life and hundreds of Buddha and deity figurines across the five main caves, including the Cave of the Divine King and the Cave of the Great King, with a giant golden Buddha statue nearby.
• Day 4 — Dambulla → Sigiriya → Polonnaruwa → Dambulla
• A day exploring two of the island's most significant ancient sites, the rock fortress of Sigiriya and the former capital of Polonnaruwa.
• Sigiriya Rock Fortress
• Climb the 5th-century rock fortress built by King Kasyapa, passing through the lion's-paw entrance, viewing the famous murals, and continuing up terraced gardens and old cisterns to the palace ruins at the summit.
• Polonnaruwa
• Walk through the ruins of Sri Lanka's second ancient capital, which flourished from the 10th to 13th centuries, including Gal Vihara, Vatadage, the lotus bath, Lankathilaka Temple and the statue linked to King Parakramabahu.
• Day 5 — Dambulla → Matale → Kandy
• The day moves through Matale's spice country to Kandy, taking in a spice garden, the Temple of the Tooth Relic and an evening cultural show.
• Spice and Herbal Garden
• Visit a spice and herbal garden near Matale to learn about Sri Lankan spices, herbs and the use of Ayurveda, grown in a tropical climate that keeps the plants close to their original form.
• Temple of the Tooth Relic
• Visit this UNESCO World Heritage Site, built in the 16th century to house the Buddha's sacred tooth relic, with its painted halls and carved pillars.
• Kandy Cultural Show
• Watch an hour-long performance of traditional Sri Lankan dance and music, including fire dancers, sword dancers and Kandyan drummers.
• Day 6 — Kandy → Nuwara Eliya
• The road climbs into tea country and on to the former British hill station of Nuwara Eliya.
• Tea Factory and Plantation
• Visit a working tea factory and plantation to see how Ceylon Tea is produced, a tradition that began when James Taylor introduced commercial tea planting in the Loolecondera estate near Kandy in the 1850s.
• Nuwara Eliya
• Walk through the streets of this former British hill station with its cottages and old villas, visit the red-brick post office, and relax at Queen Victoria Park or along Lake Gregory.
• Day 7 — Nuwara Eliya → Ella → Udawalawe
• The journey continues through Ella's hill scenery on the way south to Udawalawe.
• Ella
• Pass through tea fields and rocky terrain for views of Little Adam's Peak, walk across the Nine Arches Bridge, and finish at the Demodara Railway Station with its distinctive loop-over track.
• Day 8 — Udawalawe
• A full day is set aside for wildlife viewing in Udawalawe National Park.
• Udawalawe National Park
• Take a three-hour safari through the park's marshes, forests and grasslands, created as a wildlife sanctuary in the 1970s, known for its water birds and Sri Lankan elephants along with other mammals, reptiles and butterflies.
• Day 9 — Udawalawe → Sinharajaya → Bentota
• The route passes through Sri Lanka's largest remaining rainforest before reaching the southwest coast at Bentota, with a stop at a turtle hatchery along the way.
• Sinharaja Forest Reserve
• Go on a jungle walk through this UNESCO World Heritage rainforest, with its dense evergreen vegetation, monkeys, colourful birds and the chance to see a green pit viper in the foliage.
• Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery
• Learn about the endangered sea turtle species that nest on Sri Lanka's shores and the hatchery's conservation program, with the chance to see, touch and feed baby turtles and injured adult turtles in its care.
• Day 10 — Bentota
• A day at leisure on one of Sri Lanka's beaches.
• Bentota Beach
• Spend the day on the beach, with time to watch the sunset, see turtles coming ashore to nest, and try water sports such as jet-skiing and windsurfing.
• Day 11 — Bentota → Galle → Balapitiya → Bentota
• A day combining the historic fort town of Galle with a boat trip on the Madu River before returning to Bentota.
• Galle Fort
• Explore the fort built up by the Portuguese and Dutch, one of the best-preserved fortifications in Asia, with its museums, lighthouse and cobblestoned streets bearing Dutch names.
• Madu River Boat Ride
• Take a boat ride through the Madu River's mangrove-lined waterways, spotting basking crocodiles and water monitors, visiting a small island where cinnamon is harvested, and trying a fish massage.
• Day 12 — Bentota → Colombo
• The tour ends with a look at the capital, Colombo, and its mix of historic and modern sights.
• Colombo City Tour
• Visit historic landmarks including the Old Lighthouse, the Old Parliament, Galle Face Hotel, Galle Face Green, Gangarama Temple and the National Museum, with time for shopping around Independence Square or the Race Course.
• Day 13 — Colombo → Airport
• After breakfast, check out and transfer to the airport for departure.