Highland Tour

<p>Arrive at Bandaranaike International Airport, met & greet by "Seerendipity Tours" Representatives and proceed to Kandy. En-route visit Sri Pinnawala elephant orphanage and Spice garden.</p><p></p><p>KANDY</p><p>A ruled in Kandy up to 1815 although the rest of the island was under the British regime. Finally, it was ceded to them by the Chieftains of Kandy who were disappointed over the king’s cruel deeds. Today Kandy is one of the most important cities owing to the presence of the Temple of the sacred tooth of the Buddha.</p><p></p><p>PINNAWALA ELEPHANT ORPHANAGE (30min to 1 hour)</p><p>Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, the foster – home of elephants of different age and size feeding, bathing, playing together and even mating. These have been found injured or left abandoned in the wilderness. There are even little baby calves born in captivity.</p><p>Next,</p><p></p><p>SPICE GARDEN (1 hour)</p><p>Just 25 km from the hill capital of Kandy, the Mawanella spice gardens are among the best on the island. Gardens are open to visitors, a delightful place to stroll in fragrant greenery and learn about nutmeg, pepper vines, clove trees and curry, cinnamon and the precious cardamom. Visitors may buy spices, traditional remedies and cosmetics, taste a herbal brew and in some venues, enjoy the full flavours of Sri Lankan spices over lunch or an Ayurveda massage based on natural products from the garden.</p><p></p><p>ELEPHANT RIDE (optional)</p><p>The Elephant that was the limousine, Bulldozer, War Tank, Status Symbol, Wealth Asset and Domestic pet in the past is today an element that adds colour to pageants or the gentle Giant that gives pleasure rides.</p><p>The Elephant Safari Pinnawala (At Village) has become a highlight event to tourist for its excitement and adventure or even for the "Chance of a Life Time" of riding an Elephant. </p><p>The Elephant Safari is a ride on an Elephant with a safely secured seat that takes around two hours. The ride takes you on a bund of an ancient lake built for irrigation then through the jungle and even crosses a part of the canal where you could get your feet wet whilst seated on Elephant Back. This is fun never to be missed when in Sri Lanka.</p><p></p><p>Overnight stay in Kandy.</p><p></p>

<p>Breakfast at hotel and Leave for Nuwara Eliya, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery and salubrious climate of the upcountry. En-route visit a tea factory, Sita Amman kovil, hanuman temple and Ashok Vatika.</p><p></p><p>NUWARA ELIYA</p><p>The Hill country of Sri Lanka is a sight to behold. After the heat of the low lands of Sri Lanka, the diversity of temperature and scenery of the high lands is incredible.</p><p></p><p>Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Bandarawela, are three popular hill stations of Sri Lanka. Nuwara Eliya sits over 6000 feet above sea level is also called “Little England”. As this is where the British built themselves a home away from home.</p><p></p><p>The winding road that leads to the hill country through tea plantations that carpet the hills to extents beyond sight, the waterfalls that meander cascading down the hills, the misty valleys and scenery are certainly awe-inspiring. </p><p></p><p>SRI BHAKTI HANUMAN TEMPLE</p><p>According to the ancient stories, Ramboda is an area, where the forces of Rama's gather to fight against King Ravana. This temple was built by the Chinmaya mission of Sri Lanka and dedicated to Hanuman. This temple houses for 16 feel height statue of Hanuman.</p><p></p><p>ASHOK VATIKA</p><p>Ashok Vatika was a garden in Lanka, the Kingdom of the demon king, Ravana, as mentioned in the Vishnu Purana and Hindu epic, Ramayana of Valmiki, and all subsequent versions, including the Ramacharitamanas written by Tulsidas, where it finds mention in the Sundar Kand. The Vatika has garden houses around it, built by Vishwakarma himself.</p><p></p><p>It was the location, where Sita, the wife of Rama was held captive by Ravana, after her abduction, also because she refused to stay in Ravana's palace, and preferred to stay under the Ashoka tree, hence the name. It was here that Ravana's wife Mandodari came to meet her and also where Hanuman met her for the first time and identified himself with the finger ring of Rama.</p><p></p><p>Sita stayed at Ashok Vatika, till the end of the epic battle between Rama and Ravana, which resulted in the destruction of Ravana himself and most of this clan. Much of the Ashoka Vatika was destroyed by Hanuman, when he first visited Lanka, searching for Sita. Also destroyed was the Pramda Van at the centre of the Ashok Vatika.</p><p></p><p>Its present location is believed to be the Hakgala Botanical Garden, the area is known as Seetha Eliya, close to the resort city of Nuwara Eliya. The Garden is situated at the base of the Hakgala Rock forms, has Sita Pokuna, a barren area atop the Hakgala Rock Jungle, where Sita was supposedly held captive, the 'Sita Amman Temple' is located here. Another connected site is a spot where Sita bathed in a stream at Sita Eliya, called Sita Jharna. The site has attracted media interest owing to its connection with Hindu mythology, in recent years.</p><p></p><p>TEA FACTORY</p><p>Visit a Tea Plantation and a Tea Factory en-route. Sri Lanka is famous for its “Ceylon Tea” has added cheers to many the world over for more than a century.</p><p></p><p>SITA AMMAN KOVIL</p><p>The place, where Sita stayed in India was similar to Nuwara Eliya with a cool climate and beautiful surroundings. Therefore king Ravana took her to Nuwara Eliya, where she was permitted to go about freely. The place she stayed came to be known as Seethaeliya. A beautiful Hindu temple was built at a later period where Queen Seetha was held. Earlier the temple was known as “Seetha” kovil and it is called “Seedai Amman” at present. The Hindus make vows at the temple since they believe that there is a miraculous power in it. </p><p></p><p>Overnight stay in Kandy</p><p></p>

<p>Breakfast at hotel and leave for a sightseeing tour in Kandy and visit places such as the temple of the tooth, upper lake, Natha Devala, Kataragama Devala etc.. </p><p></p><p>BOTANICAL GARDEN</p><p>The Botanical Garden of Peradeniya was a pleasure garden of a Kandyan King of the 16th Century and later made into a Botanical Garden during the British regime. This gardens; one of the best in Asia is a place of beauty and site for bird watchers.</p><p></p><p>TEMPLE OF THE TOOTH</p><p>Temple of the tooth in the central province (Kandy) of Sri Lanka is the most visited Buddhist temple in the island, similar to Mecca for Muslims. This historical temple is visited by thousands of devotees every day. The temple houses the left eyetooth of Buddha. It is the most valuable spiritual element for the Buddhist in the island.</p><p></p><p>CITY & SHOPPING</p><p>The City Tour will include places of Tourist interest such as, </p><p>• Kandy lake, • Historical church, • Buddhist Hindu Temple </p><p> </p><p>Shopping at </p><p>• Silk garden, • Hemachjandra jewellery, • Barefoot and etc</p><p> </p><p>Overnight Stay in Kandy.</p><p></p>

<p>Breakfast at the hotel and leave for the beach hotel in Bentota, check-in at noon and leisure</p><p></p><p>Overnight stay in Bentota</p>

<p>Breakfast at hotel and sightseeing tour in Bentota and Hikkaduwa.</p><p></p><p>BENTOTA</p><p>Bentota beach is the most popular beach holiday destination on the island. The unique location of Bentota beach resort is one important reason for its popularity as a beach holiday destination. Bentota resort is located on an island and the island is connected with the mainland at its southern border. Bentota is mainly comprised of the narrow strip of land that spreads along the north-south axis. Unlike most other islands, Bentota is surrounded by both the sea and a river. One side of the island is the Bentota River while the western side of Bentota is flanked by the Indian Ocean. Large numbers of hotels are built in this narrow strip of land enabling the travellers to have a peaceful atmosphere during the holiday. You can book a hotel in Bentota through Seerendipity Tours at very affordable rate online. </p><p></p><p>TURTLE HATCHERY</p><p>Projects have been launched to conserve the population of turtles that are reaching extinction and such projects are found along the southern coast of Sri Lanka where turtles come ashore to lay their eggs. The turtle digs a hole on the Beach, Lays her eggs and covers it with sand where it is supposed to, incubate by the heat of the sun. What often happens is, the eggs are dug out by fisherman and sold to people who consume them.</p><p></p><p>But now the eggs are bought up by the conservation projects and are hatched the Natural way in enclosed areas where the Birds don’t have a chance of picking them up and the babies are let into the sea after two days at night time which offers them a better chance of survival.</p><p></p><p>MADU GANGA BOAT RIDE (2 hours)</p><p>A cruise on a modern motorboat is the best way to exploring the natural wealth of Madu Ganga, the islands in the wetland are largely inaccessible by road. The inhabitants are also using the boats and more often paddle boats as the means of transport. Seerendipity tours offer particularly appealing boat trips around Madu Ganga. This Ramsa Wetland is one of the most visited natural attractions of Sri Lanka’s west coast, with riverscapes to quiet thick grown islands and mangrove forests with sites of immense natural interest. There is plenty of opportunities to spot fascinating wildlife based on the aquatic environment, throughout the tour.</p><p></p><p>MOONSTONE MINES (2 hours)</p><p>A moonstone is grey in colour and feels cool and smooth to the touch. When polished it has a glow like of the moon. Have you ever wondered where that pretty little moonstone on your finger actually comes from?</p><p></p><p>Moonstones are in the semi-precious category and are an important component of the Sri Lankan gem industry. The finest are bluish in colour and are found in high concentrations in heading inland 7km to Mitiyagoda, between Ambalangoda and Hikkaduwa.</p><p>Moonstone has been mined in these sweltering forests forever and the moonstone mines, little more than muddy rabbit holes, 6m or 7m long, are fascinating as is the process of filtering out the precious stones, cutting them up and polishing them up ready for sale. At the Moonstone Factory, you can see or even go down into a narrow shaft where the stones are mined.</p><p></p><p>Overnight stay in Bentota</p><p></p>

<p>Breakfast at the hotel and leave for Colombo international airport, En-route sightseeing tour of Colombo</p><p></p><p>COLOMBO </p><p>Colombo city had been a well-known city in the region among the Arabian, Chinese, Indian, Persian, and Roman traders as early as the pre-Christian era. Sri Lanka is located in the East-West sea route and visited by traders in order to exchange their goods with the local traders. Even though Colombo was a well-known city among the ancient traders 2,000 years ago, the capital city of the country had been Anuradhapura. There was an Arabian settlement in the city of Colombo at the mouth of Kelani River. Arab traders were exporting the goods from the port of Colombo. Goods such as Cinnamon, ivory, gems, elephants were exported by the king of Kotte with the help of Arabs. With the beginning of the British colonial period, Colombo city received a prominent place as the capital of Ceylon. Colombo was the capital of the island from 1815 to 1978 until the administrative capital was moved to Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte.</p><p></p><p>GALLE FACE</p><p>This had been a well-known Racecourse during the British colonial period in the country. This racecourse which located bordering the Indian Ocean had to be abandoned later on due to the Sea crabs, which are making holes in the track. Afterwards it was developed as a promenade for the city dwellers and named as Galle face green. Today Galle face green contains an open theatre, spacious open space for a picnic, sports and walking.</p><p></p><p>BUDDHIST TEMPLE GANGARAMA</p><p>It is considered to be one of the most sacred places in the country. Temple is one of the three places where Buddha visited in the 6th century B.C. well known Kelaniya dagoba is located within the border of the temple. Kalyani River, which flows next to the temple, adds more value for the scenic beauty of the temple. This temple holds a reputation for its attractive wall, which considered being the best painting of the modern Era.</p><p></p><p>VIHARAMAHADEVI PARK</p><p>Viharamahadevi is located in the Colombo 7 or Cinnamon gardens. It is the largest and most popular park in the city. It is believed that there had been a twenty square kilometre cinnamon plantation in the area. Today most of the palaces of wealthy people can be seen in the area and Colombo 7 is the most picturesque part of the city.</p><p></p><p>WOLFENDAAL CHURCH</p><p>The Wolvendaal Church is located In Fort and walking distance from the centre of the city. It has a large collection of tombstones of important Dutch personalities. Fort is made in the highest point of the city and dates back to 1813. The church is built in the Doric style of the period. In the form of Greek cross, with five feet thick walls and the gables raised over. The transepts are roofed with brick barrel arches and a centre dome.</p><p></p><p>AUKANA BUDDHA STATUE / INDEPENDENCE HALL / PETTAH AND BMICH</p><p>Facing the Bandaranayke Memorial International Conference Hall stands a beautifully executed statue of the Buddha in the standing posture. The statue is 36 feet tall and is the largest Buddha statue in the city of Colombo. It is a replica of the Avukana Statue on the banks of the Kalawewa Anuradhapura.</p><p></p><p>CITY & SHOPPING</p><p>The City Tour will also include places of Tourist interest such as </p><p>• Old parliament, • Bandaranaike Memorial, • International Conference Hall, • Buddhist Hindu Temple and Town Hall. </p><p> </p><p>Shopping at </p><p>• Odel, • House of Fashion, • Barefoot and etc</p><p></p><p>. End of Sri Lanka Tours.......</p><p></p>