SRILANKA

Kandy City (UNESCO World Heritage site), is the Hill Capital of Sri Lanka, locally referred to as “Nuwara” meaning The Great City, the most scenic ancient city in the country and the only one that borders a natural reserve – the Udawatte Kele famous for its avifauna. Nestled in the highlands, not only does its rich historical significance make “Nuwara” a popular tourist destination, but also the many shops displaying precious and semi-precious stones, skillfully crafted jewellery, handicrafts, colourful batiks and silks, and local food add an unforgettable flavour to this beautiful city. Temple of the Tooth Sri Dalada Maligawa as its known locally or The Temple of the Tooth is one of the most sacred & famous Buddhist sites, not just in Sri Lanka but also in the religion worldwide. The spectacular 17th-century temple took nearly a hundred years to construct from 1687 to 1782 and houses the sacred tooth relic of Lord Buddha. Rituals are performed daily at 04:30, 10:30 and 6:30 p.m. The sacred square and old city centre within the temple complex contain the four shrines of the Gods Vishnu, Natha, Kataragama and the Goddess Pattini and many historical buildings and museums. The temple is host to one of Asia’s most celebrated festivals, The “Esala” procession, held during the month of July/August around the Full Moon. The casket of the tooth relic is paraded through the streets on the back of a tusked elephant in a grand procession followed by several traditional dancers, drummers and torch bearers accompanied by over a hundred beautifully costumed elephants. Peradeniya Royal Botanical Gardens. Just outside the Kandy city, the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens offer a welcome respite from the bustle. Covering over 600,000 square metres, the park was originally created exclusively for Kandyan royalty but was transformed into a botanical garden by the British. There are thousands of large, mature trees, many with unusual-looking exotic blooms and fruits, an orchid house and a spice garden to investigate. The garden has a wonderful collection of over 4,000 species of indigenous and foreign plants. Overnight stay at Hotel in Kandy. Breakfast- yes, Lunch- no, Dinner- no

After breakfast you will proceed to visit the Adam’s Peak (1.52km). Over night at hotel in Kandy. Adam’s Peak: Adam’s Peak is a 2,243 m (7,359 ft) tall conical mountain located in central Sri Lanka. It is well known for the Sri Pada, i.e., “sacred footprint”, a 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) rock formation near the summit. For Buddhists, the footprint mark is the left foot of the Buddha, left behind when Buddha visited Sri Lanka, as a symbol for worship at the invitation of Buddhist God Saman. Tamil Hindus consider it as the footprint of Lord Shiva. It is also fabled that the mountain is the legendary mount Trikuta the capital of Ravana during the Ramayana times from where he ruled Lanka. Muslims and Christians in Sri Lanka ascribe it to where Adam, the first Ancestor, set foot as he was exiled from the Garden of Eden. The legends of Adam are connected to the idea that Sri Lanka was the original Eden, and in the Muslim tradition that Adam was 30 ft tall. Overnight stay in Kandy. Breakfast-Yes, Lunch- no, Dinner- No

After breakfast you will proceed to Colombo the Capital city. It is a bustling city and a hopping-off point for beaches in the island nation’s south. It has a long history as a port on ancient east-west trade routes, ruled successively by the Portuguese, Dutch and British. That heritage is reflected in its spicy cuisine as well as its architecture, mixing colonial buildings with high-rises and shopping malls. Places of interest are the Pettah bazaar- where one can shop for bargain, a Hindu and a Buddhist temple, residential areas- where you find stately homes of the affluent and the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH)- an outright gift to Sri Lanka from the People’s republic of China. Overnight stay at Colombo hotel. Breakfast- Yes, Lunch- no, Dinner- No.

After breakfast you will be guided to airport to take return flight toward suite home with some fascinating memories. Breakfast- yes