Sri Lanka In Style

Fly overnight from your chosen airport to Colombo.

Arrive in Colombo, Sri Lanka’s coastal capital and transfer to the 5-star Cinnamon Lakeside. Enjoy a welcome drink and nibbles, then check into your superior room, which blends Sri Lankan décor with modern amenities and looks out over Beira Lake. Settle in and take a dip in the pool before the welcome dinner.
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After breakfast, embark upon a two-hour city tour of Colombo. Your first stop is Gangaramaya, a Buddhist temple that showcase a mix of Asian architectural styles. Next, visit the Lotus Tower, which at 350 metres high, is the tallest self-supporting structure in South Asia. Take the elevator up to the seventh-floor observation deck for panoramic city views.

Have lunch at a local restaurant before driving inland to the UNESCO-listed Dambulla cave temples. Climb up to this complex of 80 Buddhist temples cut from a granite outcrop to discover rooms decorated with Buddha statues and intricate murals.

Continue to the 5-star Heritance Kandalama where you’ll stay for three nights in a superior room with picture windows overlooking the forest. Upon arrival, take part in a Sri Lankan oil lamp lighting ritual and then have dinner.
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This morning, enjoy a lie-in or an optional sunrise hot air balloon ride over Kandalama (weather permitting and pre-bookable from Nov-Mar only).

Relax and enjoy the hotel pools before your luxury Jeep safari this afternoon.

Your driver will take you to a nearby national park, either Minneriya or Kaudulla, depending on recent wildlife movements. Both of these parks are known for their large herds of wild Asian elephants, which congregate around man-made reservoirs in an event known as the Great Elephant Gathering.

During the three-hour safari, you’ll also have a chance to spot animals such as purple-faced langurs, buffalos, crocodiles, sambar deer and a kaleidoscope of birds. End with a sunset cocktail by Habarana Lake before returning to your hotel for dinner.
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Today begins early with a packed breakfast box and a scenic drive north to the Sigiriya, also known as Lion Rock. This UNESCO site features a nearly 200-metre-high rock topped with the remains of a fortress, which belonged to the powerful kingdom of Kasyapa between 477-495 AD.

Climb to the top of the rock and once you’ve reached the flat-topped summit, you’ll be rewarded with impressive ruins and sweeping views of central Sri Lanka.

Afterwards, spend a well-earned free afternoon at the hotel. A decadent high tea featuring sandwiches, scones and cream cakes accompanied by lake views will be arranged in the afternoon. Cool-off in one of the three vast pools with distant views of Sigiriya, sip a drink on the terrace, pamper yourself with a spa session (chargeable) and end the day with a leisurely dinner.
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Head south this morning to Sri Lanka’s second city and cultural capital, Kandy. On the way, you’ll stop to visit a garden in Matale to learn how spices such as cinnamon, ginger and fenugreek are grown and used in traditional cuisine and Ayurvedic medicine, finishing with a curry cooking demonstration.

Have an authentic Sri Lankan ‘Kamatha’ lunch before continuing to Kandy and staying at the 5-star Earls Regency for two nights. Refresh with a welcome cocktail and settle into your chic deluxe room with a balcony.

This evening, enjoy a cultural performance which showcases various Sri Lankan traditions, from drumming to fire dancing.
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Start this morning by visiting the 16th-century Temple of the Tooth, home to one of Buddha’s teeth, which lies encased in a golden casket. Three times a day, white-clad worshippers come here to leave offerings at the shrine and observe puja, a prayer ceremony.

After witnessing this sacred ritual, head to the Royal Botanical Gardens in nearby Peradeniya. The country’s oldest formal gardens, established in 1821, were originally only accessible to royalty. Stroll along palm-lined pathways and admire over 4,000 species of plants, including a prized collection of orchids.

The rest of the day is at leisure, maybe explore Kandy with a walk around the lake, visit the local market, or simply relax at the hotel. Swim in the pool or book an Ayurvedic treatment at the spa before dinner.
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Marvel at Sri Lanka’s natural beauty with a train ride south to Nuwara Eliya. Once a cool-climate getaway for the British, this dramatic highland hub is surrounded by emerald tea plantations. Board the sky-blue train from Kandy and settle in for the roughly four-hour journey. You’ll travel in a first-class air-conditioned carriage, taking in views of rolling hills, tea fields, waterfalls and villages.

Disembark at Nanu Oya and make your way to Nuwara Eliya, which lies at an altitude of 1,868 metres, and head straight to the Grand Hotel for its renowned high tea. Sit in the tranquil gardens while snacking on sandwiches, scones and savouries accompanied by locally-grown tea varieties, from oolong to green.

Finally, check into your superior room at the historic Heritance Tea Factory for two nights. Set just outside of Nuwara Eliya, this 5-star colonial-style hotel lies in a working 19th-century tea plantation with outstanding views.
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Start your day with breakfast followed by free time to decompress and savour views over the plantation. If you want to delve into Nuwara Eliya’s industrial heritage, take part in the hotel’s tea experience, where you’ll pick your own leaves and learn how they’re processed and packaged at the mini tea factory; you’ll take away a sample as a souvenir.

Alternatively, take a bike ride through the estate or an immersive nature walk. In the afternoon, join a tea expert for a tasting session where you’ll try different varieties of regional tea with chocolate or butter cake. Tonight, dinner is served at the hotel’s atmospheric TCK 6685 Restaurant, set inside a restored railway carriage.
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Say goodbye to hill country this morning and travel southeast for more wildlife spotting at Yala National Park. En route, you’ll visit Nine Arch Bridge, which is one of the country’s best examples of colonial-era railway engineering, a 30-metre-high curved viaduct that cuts through the jungle.

Stop for lunch in the highland town of Ella and afterwards, continue south to the 5-star Hilton Yala Resort for two nights, which lies in its namesake national park, surrounded by lush greenery with views of the ocean.

Settle into your king deluxe room and then explore the hotel, which hosts a peaceful spa and pool. Tonight, you’ll enjoy a Lantharuma dining experience on the beach under a starry sky.
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Spend a laid-back morning at the resort before heading out for a three-hour afternoon game drive. Yala is the second-largest national park in Sri Lanka and its most famous, spanning nearly 130,000 hectares of wildlife-rich scrubland, forest, lagoons and grassy plains. Once a hunting ground for the British, Yala is now a protected reserve home to 44 mammal and 215 bird species.

As you navigate the park in a Jeep, your guide will look out for everything from elephants to crocodiles, monkeys, jackals and wild boar. If you’re lucky, you may glimpse a leopard – Yala has one of the world’s highest concentrations of these endangered big cats. Other rare creatures include the park’s sloth bears and pangolins. End the day with dinner at your hotel.
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After breakfast, you’ll travel west to the city of Galle, which is designated a UNESCO site for its Dutch colonial heritage and architecture. Set on the coast, Galle was once an important trading port and features a blend of well-preserved period villas with red-tiled roofs, churches and museums.

You’ll have lunch at the Galle Fort Hotel, a Dutch mansion that dates back over 300 years, followed by a tour of the historic fort area. As sunset approaches, continue to Koggala, a village known for its famous fishermen whom you’ll spot perched on vertical poles in the ocean; a technique handed down through the generations.

Your final destination is the 5-star Cinnamon Bentota Beach - Signature Selection resort, where you’ll stay for the next two nights in a premier terrace room. Enjoy a welcome drink and freshen up before dinner.
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Spend your last day in Sri Lanka soaking up the sun at your 5-star hotel, which sits between the beach and a mangrove-fringed river. The grounds are dotted with three pools and shady palm gardens that lead down to the Indian Ocean. If you’re feeling more active, tackle water sports, take a mangrove boat ride with a naturalist or immerse yourself in Sri Lankan culture with mask carving, puppet making or traditional drumming workshops.

This evening, you’ll enjoy an exclusive farewell dinner on the beach. Sip cocktails while watching the sunset over the ocean and feast on local and international dishes to celebrate your final night in Sri Lanka.
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Today your Sri Lanka adventure comes to an end. After breakfast, you’ll be transferred to Colombo airport for your return flight.
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