SAFARIS & SPICES OF SRI LANKA

2 November: As Your Tour Manager, Denise Van Sever Welcomes You On This Journey

2 November: Your Accompanying Tour Doctor For This Journey is Dr Alison Burke

Check into your Premium Ocean View Room at Colombo’s Galle Face Hotel. Admire the timeless grandeur of this Sri Lankan landmark on the shores of the Indian Ocean. 

Embark on a guided walk of Sri Lanka’s capital this morning with local expert Mark Forbes.  For lunch, we dine at the culinary hotspot, the Ministry of Crab. Owned by former Sri Lankan cricketers, Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, this restaurant celebrates the country’s prized crustaceans, the giant lagoon crabs. After lunch, we make our way to the Bandaranayake International Airport where a light aircraft waits to whisk us away to Dambulla. Our home for the next two nights is the nearby Heritance Kandalama Resort. Vistas of lush forests, as well as Sigiriya itself, are to be enjoyed from our Luxury Rooms. This evening’s gourmet affair takes place beneath a distinctive rock formation, the area illuminated by the flickering of candles. As we dine, local musicians serenade us, further enhancing the atmosphere.

Our hotel overlooks what is often described as the eighth wonder of the world – the rock fortress of Sigiriya. Rise early and set out to climb this awe-inspiring UNESCO World Heritage site, whose summit affords sweeping views of the verdant landscape below. As you approach the first flight of stairs, pause to admire the great lion paws on either side. Reaching this point is enough to satisfy many guests. You’re also free to explore Sigiriya from the ground, during a walk of its extensive base. You may also visit the site’s museum. 

This afternoon presents a choice of Your World experiences:
— Travel to nearby Hiriwadunna Village. This remote region grants us further insight into day-to-day rural life in Sri Lanka. Then watch as the elephants of Minneriya National Park graze upon the grassy plains, enjoy a bath in Minneriya’s reservoir and roam the vast expanse of the park during a safari.
— You may prefer to visit the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, formerly the capital of Sri Lanka. Explore the kingdom’s ruins, which comprise a vast collection of temples and monuments, as well as a royal palace. Look out for the rock temple of Gal Viharaya, comprising four colossal statues of the Buddha. 

We reconvene for a seven-course dinner at our hotel. Savour an evening of fusion fare, served at the exact site where our hotel’s architect drew his plans. 

This morning we depart for the World Heritage-listed Dambulla Cave Temple complex, which has drawn pilgrims and preachers for more than two centuries. We continue to a spice garden in Matale, where we learn to identify the flavours of cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Crossing the hills into Kandy, we check into Jetwing Kandy Gallery. This evening we have dinner at our hotel and are treated to a cultural show. 

Following breakfast this morning, join your preferred Your World experience:
— Visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. Here you will witness a Hindu pooja ceremony, which involves prayer offerings through song. 
— Alternatively, head to Kandy Archaeological Museum and peruse the artefacts on display. 

This afternoon, arrive by tuk tuk to Peradeniya Botanical Garden and join an enlightening walk with a professor of botany. Gaze skyward as you stroll along the grand Avenue of Royal Palms and absorb the myriad colours of some of the many thousands of plant species here. 

We travel to Nanu Oya in style aboard the Viceroy II, a private vintage carriage attached to the public train. Roll along tracks cut through flourishing jungle, passing terraced tea plantations and skirting precipitous hillsides. Arriving in Nuwara Eliya, in the heart of Sri Lanka’s tea country, we head for the Heritance Tea Factory. Here, our Superior Rooms look out over the area’s lush mountains.  

Begin the day with a tea tasting at our hotel. As you imbibe each flavoursome infusion, learn about the region’s topography and climatic conditions, as well as the all-important production processes of the tea factory. Afterwards, we enjoy a panoramic coach tour of Nuwara Eliya, which includes a stop at the town’s charming Holy Trinity Church. At the conclusion of our tour, we head to the Grand Hotel for lunch. This Elizabethan-era manor house was once the home of former governor Sir Edward Barnes. We return to the Heritance Tea Factory this afternoon and spend the rest of the day at leisure.  

Should the weather prove favourable, we will take to the skies by seaplane this morning, bound for Yala National Park. At its boundary, we find the Wild Coast Tented Lodge. From within our Cocoon Suites, we feel the subtle breeze coming off the Indian Ocean, just metres away. An afternoon safari takes us into Yala’s vast woodland, where many species of reptile, bird, and other animals, roam. As the sun sets, enjoy a cocktail in the beach garden, anticipating tomorrow’s next safari adventure.