Extension: Sri Lanka

Arrive at Colombo International airport, meet and transfer to hotel.

After breakfast, pick up for city tour of Colombo. You will drive through the commercial area of Fort, so named because both the Portuguese and Dutch had a fort at this point. Drive past Pettah, a noisy Oriental bazaar with a mix of humanity, ancient vehicles, bargains, mosques and temples. You will visit a Hindu and Buddhist Temple and the Jumi Ul Alfar Jumma Mosque. You will continue with the tour through the Wolvendaal Dutch Church, Hulftsdorp Law Courts, through the residential area of Cinnamon Gardens, and on to the Independence Square, Bandaranayake Memorial International Conference Hall. Thereafter leave for Habarana. The driving time is approximately 4 hours. Upon arrival, check-in and remaining time of the day at leisure.

After early breakfast you will visit the Lions Rock of Sigiriya. Sigiriya is a historic rock fortress and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982. The name Sigiriya means lion rock. It is an approximately 200-meter-high magma block that towers over the jungle, visible from afar. Buddhist monks lived under its rock overhangs and in the caves already around 300 AD. On its summit are the foundations of the royal palace, water tanks for water supply, as well as guard buildings on the edges of the rock. On one of the stairwells, the only known ancient work of Sinhala secular painting -in the form of frescoes of 21 life-size virgins in the freshness and delicacy of their original colour- was preserved. The Water Gardens, the Fountain Garden, the Boulder Gardens and the Caves should not be missed. Thereafter transfer to Dambulla. Dambulla is famous for the five cave Temples on a rock. The first 03 caves are better, older and larger than the other two. Some caves date to the 1st C.B.C. All the 5 cave walls and ceilings are covered with Buddhist murals and there are more than 130 Buddha statues, as well as statues of Gods and Kings. Return to the hotel and time at leisure in the evening.

After breakfast, drive into the hills to the picturesque town of Kandy. In Kandy we visit the Tooth Temple, which houses the tooth relic of Lord Buddha. It is the most important shrine in Kandy. The tooth is housed in a two-story shrine surrounded by two large elephant tusks and rests on a golden lotus flower enclosed in a jewelry box on a throne. The temple is adorned with beautiful local paintings and architectural details. Situated in Kandy’s suburb of Peradeniya, the spectacular Peradeniya Botanical Garden dates to 1371. Once enjoyed for pleasure by a Kandyan queen, this spectacular garden is enclosed on three sides by a large bend in the Mahaweli River. A Kandyan prince’s residence during the 18th Century, in the early 1800s the leafy green tangle became one of the greatest Botanical Gardens in the British Empire. For a short spell during the Second World War, it was used as the Allied Forces Headquarters for the Asian region. Watch a Kandyan cultural show and be awed by the spectacular dance, acrobatics, costumes and music. Held in Kandy town, this cultural show depicts various forms of Kandyan dancing which was once native to the area but has now spread to different regions of the island.

After breakfast, drive to Beruwala, home to one of the longest beaches in Sri Lanka. Beruwela has maintained its small fishing village charm while its busy main streets host an array of shops and stalls. Perhaps enjoy a stroll before taking a dip in the ocean and lazing on the golden sands and admiring your stunning location. On arrival check in at the hotel. Rest of the day is free at leisure.

After breakfast transfer to Colombo airport to board your homebound flight.

B – Breakfast