Our first morning starts with a journey from the beachside resorts of Negombo or the merchant city of Colombo to dry Anuradhapura. We travel past villages that come to life when locals celebrate religious festivals on what would otherwise be a quiet Sunday morning. Today’s trip ends in the original capital of Sri Lanka: Anuradhapura. We enjoy a leisurely lunch before embarking on a tour of Sri Lanka’s cultural origins. We take a guided tour of sacred sites, exploring stupas that were once some of the tallest constructions on the planet. After watching locals perform current day offerings at one of Buddhism’s most sacred sites, our first day comes to an end.
Today our guide takes you deeper into the ruins to explore places often overlooked by visitors to this large site. You have the option of ditching the car and cycling around the ruins in the morning to get a closer look at the history of the city. In the afternoon, we explore the birthplace of Sri Lankan Buddhism at Mintale’s rocky outcrop monastery which is where Buddhism was first established in the country.
Today our guide takes you deeper into the ruins to explore places often overlooked by visitors to this large site. You have the option of ditching the car and cycling around the ruins in the morning to get a closer look at the history of the city. In the afternoon, we explore the birthplace of Sri Lankan Buddhism at Mintale’s rocky outcrop monastery which is where Buddhism was first established in the country.
Visiting the impressive Sigiriya rock fortress, we enter the stairs between the giant stone Lion Gate, of which only the paws remain, and make our way up to the palace ruins perched on top of the flat rock. We admire ancient rock art and impressive engineering feats as we explore this sacred and unique part of Sri Lankan history. After an early morning climb, we return to our hotel for breakfast and take some time out to relax by the pool or take a stroll in the nearby village to escape the midday heat. As the sun begins to fall, we transfer to Minneriya National Park for a jeep safari in search of elephants. The elusive leopard, crocodiles and a plethora of native birds come out from the jungle as the sun sets. Guests travelling in September and October may witness the annual elephant gathering with hundreds of elephants grazing in the park.
On our journey to Kandy, we visit the stunning rock caves in nearby Dambulla, each containing a different representation of Buddha. As we approach Kandy, we visit a commercial spice farm and learn about the spices that once enticed many traders to Sri Lanka. Our arrival in Kandy allows guests to explore Sri Lanka’s last kingdom. Kandy resisted both the Portuguese and Dutch before falling to the British empire in 1815. The capital of each kingdom before Kandy protected the Buddha’s tooth relic within the palace complex. As the last kingdom, Kandy remains home to the Buddha tooth relic, a most precious and sacred site in Sri Lanka. We explore the Temple of the Tooth Relic, Kandy’s most visited site. The afternoon and evening are open to guests to discover some of the British contribution to the region or the remains of the Kingdom of Kandy.
Although the tour program of Sri Lanka’s cultural triangle is complete, your trip doesn’t need to end just yet. For those wishing to explore Kandy or the surrounding Knuckles ranges further, we can arrange add-on accommodation. Return transport to Colombo is provided by private car if required. For those who wish to experience the Sri Lankan railways we can also add a rail transfer to Colombo.
