A Cultural and Wildlife Adventure
Sri Lanka Private Journey
Overview
With your private guide, discover the legendary temples, verdant tea plantations, welcoming people, and 2,000-year-old culture of Sri Lanka. Explore the 12th century temple-ruins of Polonnaruwa, hike up the stone steps of King Kashyapa's fortress at Sigiriya, visit cool highlands where tea is cultivated, sample Sri Lanka's famous fish curries, and look for wildlife at Yala National Park, haunt of elephant and leopard. As you explore, you'll meet a wonderful array of people, from tea planters to monks who follow the traditions of Theravada Buddhism, introduced to the island in the 3rd century BC. Optional add-ons include a cocktail-making class and tasting at a rooftop bar, participating in a traditional almsgiving to local monks, and a private tour of a cinnamon estate.
Arrive: Colombo, Sri Lanka
Depart: Colombo, Sri Lanka
Highlights
- Explore Anuradhapura, where Buddhist shrines date to the 3rd century BC, colonial Nuwara Eliya, and the Buddhist cave temples of Dambulla
- Charming accommodations, from seaside hotels to chalets set among rice paddies
- Be welcomed into Sri Lankan culture, meeting monks, tea planters, artists, and students
Itinerary
In Colombo, once the traditional gateway to the Orient, explore the blend of east and west, then head out to visit the royal cities of ancient Sri Lanka. You'll discover three World Heritage Sites: the Buddhist gardens of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka's capital for 1,300 years, 10th century Polonnaruwa, with its graceful pagodas, and King Kashyapa's impressive citadel at Sigiriya. You'll also be welcomed at a local school and in the historic village of Angampora, where we can watch students at a martial arts academy perform angampora, the ancient Sri Lankan fighting art. While in Colombo, you can learn how to make the famous “Tamarind,” a Sri Lankan “whiskey” made with Arrack (also spelled Arak), a distilled alcoholic beverage produced using coconut (you will have the opportunity to create one of your own). You can also take part in a traditional Almsgiving to local monks.
Climb up to the great cave-temple complex at Dambulla, enjoy a private lunch in the home of a local professor and art collector, and travel up to tea country. In Kandy, the hill capital and last stronghold of the Sinhala kings, you’ll see the famous 16th century Temple of the Tooth, and from your heritage hotel above colonial Nuwara Eliya, walk through tea plantations and learn the fine art of “tasting” tea. A short rail journey brings you to the peaceful town of Ella, where you can enjoy a village bike ride and a lesson in preparing Sri Lankan cuisine.
In Yala, look for fabulous bird life, troops of monkeys chattering in the trees, and herds of wild elephant. You can add on an optional private tour of a cinnamon estate with the estate owners. After walking the ramparts of the historic seaside trading post of Galle, founded as a Dutch fort, depart on Day 13 via Colombo.
- Cocktail Making Course and Tasting
- Traditional Almsgiving
- Private Tour of a Cinnamon Estate
Accommodations
Scroll through our signature accommodations for this trip below. Although it is highly unlikely, we may make substitutions when necessary.
What the Trip is Like
This trip is rated Level 2+, Easy to Moderate, with some optional short hikes and several nature walks at archaeological sites. Accommodations are in lovely hotels, including one night in a converted tea factory! Comfortable walking shoes are recommended and occasionally we must take off shoes to visit temples.
Review Trip Level Details
Sri Lanka has a tropical climate with high humidity, tempered by sea breezes on the coast. The average temperature is about 81°F. In the highlands in places like Nuwara Eliya, it is in the 60s during the day and can get very cold at night, with lows in the 40s, so you'll need a sweater. Sri Lanka has two monsoon seasons. The southwest part of the island gets a monsoon between May and July while the northeast monsoon is December and January. Humidity is high year round and you can expect some rain showers most days.
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Itinerary
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Trip Levels
With more than 200 different adventures to choose from, we want to help you find the trip that’s right for you. Our Trip Level system ranks each trip in two ways: a number rating from 1 to 6 according to the activity, and general travel rigors. 1 is the easiest and 6+ the most difficult.