Sri Lanka Adventure Itinerary

Day 1:

Destination: Arrive Colombo

Meals Included: Dinner

Ayu-bowan! Welcome to Sri Lanka. Your adventure begins in the town of Negombo, located close to the international airport. Your journey starts with a welcome meeting at 5.30 pm tonight. Those arriving early can get into the spirit of seaside Sri Lanka by observing the local fishing craft and maybe feasting on some fresh seafood. The surrounding countryside is best explored on a bicycle, which you can rent with help from the hotel reception. After your meeting tonight, head out to a group dinner to get to know each other.

Included Activities

• Arrival transfer included on a group basis

• Welcome Dinner

Accommodation

• Jetwing Sea Hotel Negombo or similar

Day 2:

Destination: Negombo – Anuradhapura

Meals Included: Breakfast

Travel north by private vehicle to Anuradhapura today. Along the way, you’ll visit the Negombo Fish Markets. The grand ruins of Anuradhapura point to its status as Sri Lanka’s ruling city for almost one and a half millennia and you’ll take a guided cycling tour of the many archaeological sites when you arrive. See the stupas, citadel and the monasteries, stopping by the Bodhi Tree Temple – the second-most sacred site in Sri Lanka. The rest of your evening is free.

Included Activities

• Anuradhapura - Bodhi Tree Temple & World Heritage Site of Ancient Kingdom Ruins

• Anuradhapura - Bike Tour

Special information

• Your travel time today will be approximately 4 hours.

• If you don't feel like cycling, there’s the option to wander around the ruins on foot or hire a rickshaw to follow the group.

• The Negombo Fish Markets are closed on Sundays and Catholic Holidays.

Accommodation

• Heritage Hotel Anuradhapura or similar

Day 3:

Destination: Anuradhapura – Trincomalee

Meals Included: Breakfast

Leave Anuradhapura today and travel to Trincomalee. Discover the beach vibes of ‘Trinco’, relax in the shade of a palm tree and try ‘toddy’ straight from its flowers. Trincomalee was one of the world’s finest deep-water harbours, attracting famous sailors like Marco Polo to its shores. There are no activities planned today, so there's plenty of time to relax around the pool or head to the beach.

Special Information

• Your travel time today will be approximately 2.5 hours.

Accommodation

• Anantamaa Hotel Trincomalee or similar

Day 4:

Destination: Trincomalee

Meals Included: Breakfast

Today, visit a local village and learn how local tappers extract toddy from Palmyrah and learn how palmyrah leaves are weaved to make different items. Then, join the local women and see how odiyal kool is prepared (Tamil seafood soup), then try some for yourself. In the afternoon, hit the water with the group at a surfing experience! If surfing's not your thing, relax on the beach while the group takes the waves.

Included Activities

• Trincomalee - Palmyrah Toddy and Food Experience

• Surfing Experience

Accommodation

• Anantamaa Hotel Trincomalee or similar

Day 5:

Destination: Trincomalee – Dambulla/Sigiriya

Meals Included: Breakfast

Drive from Trincomalee towards Dambulla – your base to explore the colourful Anuradhapura district of Sri Lanka. Visit the Dambulla Cave Temple – this UNESCO World Heritage site is the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka, many of which are full of colourful, large statues and paintings related to Gautama Buddha and his life. After returning to Dambulla, experience elephant, sambar deer and leopard watching on a safari in the evergreen scrublands of Minneriya National Park.

Included Activities

• Dambulla Cave Temple

• Minneriya National Park – Afternoon Wildlife Safari

Accommodation

• Sigiriana Resort by Thilanka or similar

Day 6:

Destination: Dambulla – Kandy

Meals Included: Breakfast

Leave Dambulla and head onwards to Kandy (approximately 3.5 hours), the last capital of Sri Lanka’s ancient kings’ era. As you continue on, a stop in at a spice garden might yield scents of cinnamon, pepper, cardamom, clove, nutmeg, vanilla and more as you learn the secrets of cultivating these palate pleasers. After arriving in Kandy, visit a Kandayan dance show to experience the colourful traditional costumes and evocative performances live in action.

Included Activities

• Matale Spice Garden Visit

• Visit Kandy Temple (Dalada Maligawa)

• Cultural Dance Performance

Accommodation

• Thilanka Hotel Kandy or similar

Day 7:

Destination: Kandy – Bandarawela

Meals Included: Breakfast

Have your camera at the ready and take a scenic train journey into the highlands to Bandarawela. Journey past waterfalls, villages and up through the mountains on the way to this town in the cool highlands, once popular with British plantation managers. Look down over a sweeping vista filled with bright green tea bushes and vegetable gardens. Check in to the hotel and rest of the evening at leisure!

Included Activities

• Scenic Train Journey from Kandy to Bandarawela

Special information

• Today’s total travel time is approximately 7 hours (Train Journey)

• Train tickets are in very high demand. We always try our best to secure tickets, but on the rare occasion that we cannot book them, you will continue your journey by private vehicle.

Accommodation

• Bandarawela Hotel or similar

Day 8:

Destination: Bandarawela

Meals Included: Breakfast & Lunch

Rise early and head to the verdant surrounds of the region's tea plantations. Take a hike through the tea fields, learning about the country’s most important export and meet local tea pickers who will show you their craft and let you have a go at picking and weighing tea. Afterwards, travel out to the town of Haputale for a home-cooked lunch with a Tamil family. Tear into traditional Tamil cuisine with dosa (a crispy rice pancake) and idli (a savoury steamed rice cake served with curry sauces or chutneys). Return to Bandarawela in the late afternoon and soak up the rural charm of the town and the beautiful surrounding landscapes.

Included Activities

• Bandarawela - Hike through Tea Fields

• Haputale - Tamil Family Lunch

Accommodation

• Bandarawela Hotel or similar

Day 9:

Destination: Bandarawela – Udawalawe

Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner

After a hearty breakfast and 8.30 am checkout, drive to Udawalawe National Park (approximately 3 hours). This park has an amazing array of animal and birdlife, with more herds of wild elephants than anywhere else in Sri Lanka. Following lunch, hop in a jeep for a safari inside the park. Other wildlife regularly spotted here includes

macaques and larger monkeys, spotted deer, crocodiles and sometimes even leopards. This is a real safari experience, nothing like a zoo or safari park – truly an adventure for all ages! Check into the campsite at around 6 pm after a full day of adventure.

Included Activities

• Udawalawe National Park – Afternoon Wildlife Safari

Accommodation

• Athgira River Camp Udawalawe or similar

Day 10:

Destination: Udawalawe – Waskaduwa

Meals Included: Breakfast

Start your day with a hearty breakfast at your hotel before transferring to Waskaduwa. Enjoy the scenic drive and check in at the Tangerine Beach Hotel upon arrival. Settle into your room and explore the hotel grounds, perhaps taking a stroll through the gardens or relaxing by the pool. After a leisurely lunch at the hotel, head to the beach for the afternoon. As the sun sets, take a peaceful walk along the shore. In the evening, freshen up and enjoy the farewell dinner with your fellow travelers where you can share all your favourite memories from the trip!

Included Activities

• Farewell Dinner

Accommodation

• Tangerine Beach Hotel Waskaduwa or similar

Day 11:

Destination: Waskaduwa – Airport

Meals Included: Breakfast

Enjoy a final breakfast at the Tangerine Beach Hotel before checking out. There are no activities planned after breakfast today and your adventure comes to an end. The hotel staff will assist with your luggage. Reflect on your trip during the scenic drive to the airport. Safe travels!

Departure Transfer

• Included on a group basis

Price : £1900

Contact Intrepid to book on tailormadeuk@intrepidtravel.com or +44 (0)203 308 9763 and provided the following details:

• Full name as per passport, including middle names

• DOB

• Best contact number