Arrive at Bandaranaike International Airport on SQ 468 just after midnight.

Upon your arrival at the airport, you will be welcomed and assisted by a Representative of Sayang Holidays.  You will then be escorted to your vehicle and introduced to your chauffeur to be transferred to your hotel (12 km/20 min).

Check in to the hotel for your overnight stay.

After breakfast, check out from the hotel and proceed on a city tour of Negombo (180 km/4 hrs).

Located close to the international airport, Negombo is the principle beach resort north of Colombo. It has a picturesque lagoon, numerous Catholic churches and an impressive network of canals built by the Dutch which are currently being restored.

The true life of Negombo can be easily observed at its fish markets.   These markets are always full of life and are at their peak with much action taking place in the early hours of the day when the fresh catch is brought in, as the vendors voice their prices at the top of their lungs and the buyers bargain for the best deals.  Walking through a fish market is always an experience!  Do make sure not to wear your best shoes, and have a handkerchief, just in case.

Proceed to Habarana to visit the Cave Temple Complex in Dambulla.

Dambulla is renowned for its Cave Temples, which were built by King Valagambahu in the 1st century BC in gratitude for the shelter he sought in the caves when fleeing from Indian invaders. Sited on a gigantic granite outcrop, which towers more than 160m above the surrounding land, the caves are completely covered by ancient frescoes depicting religious and secular scenes. Protected within the caves are hundreds of statues of Buddha, many carved out of the rock itself, of which the largest is the 15m long Dying Buddha.

Arrive at Habarana and check in to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

After an early breakfast, proceed to visit the ancient city of Anuradhapura.

Anuradhapura, aptly appointed the heart of the Sri Lankan history and Buddhism, is the largest and oldest of Sri Lanka’s ancient cities and dates back to the 6th century BC.  It was made capital in 377 BC and remained an important centre of power till the 12th century AD. Most memorable are its gleaming white dagobas – large bell-like structures some 60 meters high which house Buddhist relics. However, it is best known for the Sri Maha Bodhi, which is the oldest documented tree in the world (2200 years). This was grown from a cutting of the Bo tree under which Buddha achieved enlightenment.

The tour of the ancient kingdoms is very enlightening.  To best enjoy it, remember to take along a hat with a bottle of water and some sun lotion!

Return to Sigiriya, visiting the Ritigala Medicinal Forest on your way.

Set deep in the jungle around a large hill, formed of huge sculptural granite monoliths, lies the ancient and now abandoned hermitage of Ritigala. Today the visible remains are those of a Buddhist monastic congregation which used to practice meditation in total austerity. Rarely visited by tourists, this mystical place is incredibly beautiful and unspoiled with shady forests filled with streams, pools and granite boulders and ancient elegant stone pathways that lead to ruins of various meditation platforms and ayurvedic hospitals. Ritigala can be visited at any time of the day since it is wonderfully cool and usually free of tourists.

Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Proceed to visit the Medieval Capital of Polonnaruwa.

Polonnaruwa was the island’s medieval capital between the 11th and 13th century. Built alongside a large ancient artificial lake there are well-preserved ruins of palaces, bathing pools, stupas and exquisite rock sculptures of Buddha at the Gal Vihara. Start with a visit to the museum which, although small, is excellent.

Later in the afternoon, visit Minneriya National Park by jeep.

Located between Habarana and Polonnaruwa, the 8,890 hectares of Minneriya National Park consists of mixed evergreen forest and scrub areas and is home to favourites such as sambhur deer and elephants.  However the central feature of the park is the ancient Minneriya Tank (built in 3 rd century AD by King Mahasena). During the dry season (June to September), this tank is an incredible place to observe the elephants who come to bathe and graze, as well as the huge flocks of birds (cormorants and painted storks to name but a few) that come to fish in the shallow waters.

Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Visit the rock fortress of Sigiriya in the morning.

The legendary sky citadel of Sigiriya, the “Lion Rock” famous for its frescoes of ‘Celestial Maidens’ is possibly the most impressive site in Sri Lanka. Built by King Kasyapa in the 5th century on top of a vast 200m granite rock it took seven years to build and was abandoned after ten years of occupation when the King, defeated by his brother, committed suicide. Although it is a steep climb, the views and frescoes are definitely worth the effort. Sigiriya is best visited first thing in the morning or just before sunset when it is cooler and less crowded.

The rest of the day is free to relax.

Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

After breakfast, check out from the hotel and proceed to Kandy (96 km/3 hrs).

While continuing to Kandy, on the way (in Matale) you will have the chance to visit spice plantations that grow a variety of spices such as cinnamon, pepper and nutmeg, for which Sri Lanka was renowned and initially colonized by the Portuguese, Dutch and British.  You could also visit a batik factory and watch the production of the artistic fabric.

Continue to Kandy and visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha.

Ever since it was founded in the 16th Century, it has housed one of the most sacred relics of Buddhism – a tooth of Buddha collected from his funeral pyre and which is now protected within the gold-roofed Temple of the Tooth.  See the blessing ceremony with all the fanfare, drums, trumpets and brightly coloured Monks performing their rituals.

Check in to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

After an early breakfast, proceed to Pinnawela to visit the Elephant Orphanage.

You will arrive at the orphanage by lunch, in time to witness the afternoon feeding.

The Elephant Orphanage provides a good chance for people to get up close and personal with a pachyderm. It is a good idea to go and have lunch by the river as after feeding, they are all brought down to bathe. Watching them from a vantage point with a cold drink is a pleasant experience.

In the afternoon, take a guided tour of the city of Kandy.

Kandy is the old capital of Ceylon and the seat of the last Singhalese kingdom. It is a charming city with the most important Buddhist temple in the country and is set around an ancient artificial lake amongst rolling hills that are covered by forests and tea plantations. Set in the mountainous area of the island, there are fantastic views over the city from some of the hotels.

Wandering about in Kandy is a fun experience, with crossroads and interconnecting byroads – all forming an intertwined complex. Most pavements are dominated by vendors selling garments, lotteries, toys and various fancy items – making passing through look almost impossible, especially during festive seasons. The main market area in the heart of the town is frequented often for its array of fresh fruits, vegetables, fish and meat stalls, sweets, clothes, fancy goods and what not.

Kandy is a great place to buy gemstones. Sapphires of all colours, rubies, tourmalines and spinnels can all be found here. Visitors are also invited to have a look around their workshop, where they will be able to see the design, cutting, polishing and setting processes.

There is also local dance performance which you will enjoy in the town in the late afternoon. It is a little touristy but entertaining nonetheless.

Check in to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

After breakfast, checkout from the hotel and proceed to Nuwara Eliya (80 km/2.5 hrs).

You will visit the Royal Botanical Gardens of Peradeniya on your way in the morning.

Initially a royal park, in 1821 under British rule it became a botanical garden. Here, exotic crops such as coffee, tea, nutmeg, rubber and cinchona (quinine) – all of which were to become important to the country’s economy were first tested.  The Botanical gardens are fantastic with an excellent orchid house and a wide variety of plant species from all over the world.  For keen gardeners, at least a morning is recommended to visit the gardens, possibly longer.

Proceed to Nuwara Eliya. Just outside Nuwara Eliya, you will visit a tea plantation and a factory.  Here you will learn the process how two fresh tea leaves and a bud are converted in to that fine brown dust we call tea…!

Check in to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel.

The day is free to relax and enjoy a guided tour of the city.

Set in the cool and misty hilly interior at an altitude of 1800m is the colonial hill station of Nuwara Eliya.  Built by the British in the 19th century as an escape from the sweltering heat of the lowlands it came complete with half-timbered mock-Tudor houses with inglenook fireplaces & billiard tables, a golf course, race track, gentlemen’s clubs and botanical gardens. Now a bustling town and the vegetable garden of Sri Lanka it nonetheless gives you a glimpse into life in the colonial heyday.

Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

After breakfast, checkout from the hotel and proceed to Bentota (256 km/7 hrs).

The drive is along the south-western coast of Sri Lanka, which unveils the breathtaking views of living in harmony with the mighty Indian Ocean.

Arrive in Bentota in the late afternoon and check in to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay

Breakfast at the hotel.

Enjoy the sun, sea and sand at your leisure.

Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

After breakfast, check out from the hotel and proceed to Colombo (65 km/2 hrs).

En route, visit a turtle hatchery on the beach, set up to save and conserve the turtle population.

Upon arrival in Colombo, take a guided tour of the city.

Facing the Indian Ocean and stretching along 14 km of the island’s western shores Colombo used to be called the Garden City of the East.  Things have changed, overcrowded buses and minivans have replaced the bullock carts and the once quiet roads are now bustling with people and traffic.  Yet the city still has its charms with its complex assortment of tree-lines boulevards, colonial buildings, parks, open air markets, temples, lakes, churches and now even skyscrapers. Colombo is the natural entry and exit point from the country and if not for its own charms its excellent shopping, great restaurants and a thriving art scene make it an enjoyable stop.

You will also visit the famous Gangarama Temple and the historical Museum of Colombo.

Check in to the hotel in the late afternoon. Relax and enjoy dinner.

Checkout from the hotel at 2100hrs and proceed to the airport. You will arrive at the airport between 2100 – 2130hrs.

*Please note that you are required by the Airport & Aviation Authorities to be at the airport 3 hours before your flight.

Board SQ 469 to Singapore, then onwards to United States.