Mini Tour – 3 – Kandy – Nuwara Eliya and Colombo

Day 1: ARRIVAL / PINNAWELA / KANDY

Arrival at Colombo International Airport, meet assist by the Representative of Sherif Travel & Tours and transfer to Kandy.

En route visit to Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage – where an orphanage was started in 1975 to house the abandoned and the wounded elephants. The number of elephants has increased to more. Than 65 now; including Baby Elephants brought from various parts, as well as some of the more than 25 babies born, as a result of the captive breeding program. The best time to visit is the feeding time from 0930-1000 hrs and 1330-1400 hrs and the bathing time from 1000-1030 hrs and 1400-1430 hrs when all the elephants are taken to the river close by.

Later drive to Kandy and rest of the day leisure at the Hotel.

Overnight stay at Star Class Hotel

Day 2: KANDY / PERADENIYA / KANDY

After breakfast, do the Kandy City Tour

Kandy – (the Sacred City of Kandy) – is a city in the centre of Sri Lanka. It lies in the midst of hills of rare vegetal species. The Kandy Valley crosses an area of tropical plantations. The monumental ensemble of Kandy is an example of construction that associates the Royal Palace and the Temple of the Tooth. It was one of a series of temples built in the places where the relic, the actual palladium of the Sinhalese monarchy, was brought following the various relocations of the capital city. The Temple of the Tooth, the palace complex and the holy city of Kandy are associated with the history of the dissemination of one of the most important religions of humanity, Buddhism. The Temple of Kandy is the product of the last peregrination of the relic of the tooth of Lord Buddha and the testimony of a cult which continues to be practiced today. Kandy has now grown out to encompass Peradeniya, home to the Botanical Gardens. Kandy is also particularly famed for the great Kandy Esala Perahara (a Pageant of Elephants and Dancers), which is over ten days in the month of Esala (August) having many attractions to justify.

Also, visit to the Peradeniya Botanical Garden – Peradeniya Botanical gardens, the finest of its kind in Asia, the largest of the three botanical gardens in the island, couldn’t be better located. In the Mediterranean climate of Kandy, the gateway to the central highlands, the Gardens were bounded on three sides by a loop of river Mahaweli.

Evening, witness a Sri Lankan Traditional Cultural Show – This is one of the famous destinations in Kandy, Sri Lanka. It starts in the evening and runs for more than 1 hr. The skills of the traditional musicians of Kandy, their drums and dance are all very much entertaining. There is some 7 kind of dances I think like snake dance and so on and after this there is a fire show (like the one in India). The fire show takes the Europeans by surprise as they wouldn’t have seen anything like that in their life time as the artists eat and rub fire on their body. One European ran from his seat

Overnight stay at Star Class Hotel

Day 3: KANDY / NUWARA ELIYA

After breakfast, drive to Nuwara Eliya

En route visit to a Tea Factory and a Tea Plantations

After drive to Nuwara Eliya, do the City Tour – Also known as the “City of Lights” and “Little England”, Nuwara Eliya was the favourite hill station of the British who tried to create Nuwara Eliya into a typical English Village. The old brick Post office, country house like hill club, with its hunting pictures, mounted hunting trophies and fish, and it’s strict formal dinner attire; the 18 hole golf course, race course etc., all remind you of ‘England’. Blessed a with salubrious climate, breathtaking views of valleys, meadows, mountains and greenery; it’s hard to imagine that Nuwara Eliya is only 180 Km from the hot and humid Colombo. The areas around Nuwara Eliya also provide the main output of tea in Sri Lanka. A trip to the highlands of Sri Lanka is never complete without witnessing the age-old traditional tea plucking and sipping a cup of “Ceylon Tea”. Visitors to Nuwara Eliya can also taste the freshly plucked strawberries and purchase fresh fruits and vegetables.

Overnight stay at Star Class Hotel

Day 4: NUWARA ELIYA / KITULGALA / COLOMBO

After breakfast, drive to Colombo

En route visit to Kitulgala – Kitulgala is a small town in the west of Sri Lanka. It is in the wet zone rain forest, which gets two monsoons each year, and is one of the wettest places in the country. Nevertheless, it comes alive in the first three months of the year, especially in February, the driest month. The Academy Award-winning The “Bridge on the River Kwai” was filmed on the Kelani River near Kitulgala, although nothing remains now except the concrete foundations for the bridge (and, supposedly, the submerged train cars that plunged into the river in the climactic scene). Kitulgala is also a base for white-water rafting, which starts a few kilometres upstream.

After drive to Colombo, do the Colombo City and Shopping Tour – The capital of Sri Lanka is located in the west coast. Guests will be taken on a city tour that includes: Fort, the former British administrative center, Old Parliament Building, a Hindu Temple, and a Dutch Church. Also the BMICH, see the replica of Awukana Buddha Statue and Independence Square. Shopping tour is added, and the guests can shop at ODEL and House of Fashion which is famous for garments, Noritake Porcelain Center.

Overnight stay at Star Class Hotel

Day 5: COLOMBO / AIRPORT

After breakfast, transfer to Airport for departure