14D/13N : Nature, cultural heritage and local life

Welcome to Sri Lanka!

Your guide will be waiting for you in the arrivals hall of the international airport with a sign with your name on it.

Kandy City Tour

Nestled in the heart of lush green hills, Kandy is the cultural capital par excellence of the island.

It is home to the famous Temple of the Tooth, the most important religious shrine in the country.

With its buildings dating from the colonial and Kandyan eras and its picturesque setting on the surrounding mountains, it enjoys a pleasantly temperate climate.

Visit to the Temple of the Tooth

The Tooth Relic Temple, named Sri Dalada Maligawa, is a world-renowned place of worship, venerated daily by thousands of devotees and local and foreign visitors.

The site was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.

At certain times, an offering ceremony allows participants to have a glimpse at the golden pagoda that enshrines Buddha’s left canine tooth.

Hiking Stage 1 of the Pekoe Trail

Recently developed and opened to the public, the Pekoe Trail is a series of hiking trails in the central region of Sri Lanka.

22 stages and 300 km allow trekkers to discover the tea region stretching from Kandy to Bandarawela, its fauna and flora, close to the villagers.

Put on your hiking boots for the very first stage of the Pekoe Trail which will take you from Hanthana to Galaha.

Start your hike at the Ceylon Tea Museum (a place to visit if you want to know more about the history of tea in Sri Lanka) and continue your walk in the shade of the large trees that line the roads of the Hanthana Tea Estate, one of the oldest and largest tea plantations in Sri Lanka

Visit to a food forest garden

Let your local guide tell you the story of this abandoned tea plantation transformed into a verdant food forest.

You will be guided through the garden of the ecolodge’s organic agroforestry project, and will be able to enjoy the beauty and calm of the place while learning to recognize the different spices present, the flowers and the kithul trees…

Lunch on site prepared with garden products.

Train journey from Nanu Oya to Ella

This approximately 3-hour train journey is ranked by many travel magazines as one of the most beautiful train rides in the world.

Between Nanu Oya and Haputale, you will experience the most picturesque scenery as the train slowly glides from hillside tea plantations to patches of forest, from dark tunnels to sun-drenched vegetable gardens, passing villages and busy tea pickers.

Immersion in an organic plantation

The ecolodge where you are staying is home to an organic coffee plantation, tea plants, a hill covered with sandalwood and a vegetable garden that we invite you to discover.

After a guided walk in the estate, you can also visit the coffee factory. Coffee tasting.

Visit to an organic tea plantation

A tea specialist will take you on a one-hour tour of the plantation and the artisanal factory, where you can observe dryers and machines polished by time.

You are indeed more in the heart of a traditional workshop than in a modern factory, favoring quality over quantity, embodied by its workers patiently preparing, manually, the artistic star tea.

You will then be cordially invited to taste many teas and herbal teas, and probably amazed by the rainbow colors they might display.

Eagle Rock Climb

For a third of the way up, the slope is steep, with rocks, stone stairs, bushes, no view. It takes perseverance to overcome the temptation to give up.

Your efforts are finally rewarded when you suddenly escape from the canopy and begin to marvel at the beauty of the surrounding hills.

After 15-20 breathless minutes, this is where the magic begins. The slope is also a little gentler now. Another 25 minutes of walking through dry vegetation brings you to the top.

Here is a 360-degree view of the nearest and farthest hills, flanked by delicate shades of green, while the alternating sun and thick clouds add their deep hues to the spectacular landscape.

Just sit in silence, reflecting on your place in this vast universe. You certainly seem like tiny dots to the people in the valley.

With gravity now on your side, bid farewell to Eagle Rock, easily descending the slope that may have had your joints cry an hour ago.

Walk to the river and river bath

A short walk will take you to the river’s edge, where monkeys perched in the trees will watch with shameless curiosity as your little tribe offers your tired bodies a refreshing swim in a secluded natural pool.

Trekking in a village in the middle of rice fields

This trekking day allows you to discover the lifestyle of the inhabitants of a rural village and the different trades that are practiced there.

By visiting traditional industries such as carpentry or rice processing, or meeting a beekeeper and his Asian bees, here you are immersed in the ecosystem of the village, also nestled in magnificent nature.

Rice terraces, waterfall and forest trails, here is the green scene of your day.

Your lunch, a tasty village meal, will be served by a local family. Here the warmth of the people, the simplicity of daily life and the beauty of tradition come together to create an authentic and unforgettable experience.

Gal Oya National Park Boat Safari

The children have gone silent. So has the engine of our boat. “What’s going on?” their mother’s eyes seem to ask. Without a word, our boatman slowly points his arm towards the lake shore in front of us. Barely hidden behind the branches, stands a huge elephant.

What a magical moment to be able to observe it while it doesn’t even seem to notice our silent presence. Quietly eating a lunch of green leaves plucked from the nearby trees. All aboard are fascinated by the serene scene, and for the next fifteen minutes we feel connected to the mighty animal, without noise, just delighted to be the privileged spectators of this fascinating spectacle.

Later, we observe a larger herd of elephants at the edge of the lake, mothers with their calves, entering the forest.

A variety of birds also offer us a spectacle of aerobatics and songs, from solitary kites flying high over our heads to flocks of cormorants gathering on the surrounding rocks.

Shy but fearsome crocodiles will disappear into the water as we approach.

To our untrained eyes, any dark shape in the distance looks like an elephant, and the naturalist accompanying us will have to gently convince us that they are in fact water buffalo grazing peacefully.

Excursion “Palamunai Colors”

In Palamunai Colours, you will explore the southern part of Batticaloa, riding along the beach, visiting the fish market.

You will meet handloom weavers, making colourful sarees and sarongs.

You will discreetly observe the midday prayer at the local mosque and interact with the believers.

Your lunch will be prepared by a local family, and will reflect the typical food of the community.

After a tasty meal and a relaxing chat with your host family, you will go through Kattankudy, a bustling Muslim town famous for its history and numerous businesses, visit its Heritage Museum, and the beautiful Al-Aqsa mosque.

Bicycle ride “Let’s cook and fish!”

You will learn good recipes of delicious curries to bring back home and get in touch with local fishermen willing to share their ancestral way of fishing with you…

The day starts with a bike ride to explore the Batticaloa market.

You will then reach the family that will teach you Sri Lankan cooking, take your lunch with them.

After a relaxing chat, you will ride along our enchanting lagoon before meeting the fishermen on the lagoon for a refreshing fishing experience…

Relaxation in Batticaloa

Looking for a truly authentic destination that truly showcases what life is like in Eastern Sri Lanka?

If so, look no further than the “City of Singing Fish”. Batticaloa has much to offer both first-timers and world explorers interested in the island’s vast cultural diversity.

Before you hit the road again for more adventures, we suggest you take some time out for yourself to discover the pretty Batticaloa, its historic centre and do some shopping in its authentic and colourful boutiques.

Relaxing at the beach

You have now arrived at the seaside, where you can relax, enjoy beautiful walks on the fine sandy beaches, swim in the Indian Ocean, take the time to take your time…

Snorkeling session

You are expected early in the morning at the seaside, in order to explore a beautiful reef and its underwater life.

Here you are in warm and transparent waters, privileged spectators of a colorful aquatic ballet.

Lunch on site.

Meeting and walking with a Veddha leader

The afternoon is dedicated to meeting a Veddha chief, who will introduce you to the lifestyle of his community and the tools used by his ancestors, at a time when this indigenous Sri Lankan community used to live by hunting and gathering in the thick jungles around.

With his contagious sense of humor, our Veddha chief will take you into the forest, teach you his hunting techniques and show you the caves where his ancestors used to live.

Jeep Safari in Maduru Oya National Park

The journey starts around 6am, reaching the entrance of Maduru Oya Park around 7am. A red dirt track takes you into the heart of this wild natural habitat.

For 2.5 hours, you will see different inhabitants of the forest: a herd of shy deer, many species of birds, from the wild rooster, the emblematic bird of Sri Lanka, to the powerful eagles perched silently in the trees looking for their next prey…

You may have the privilege of observing a herd of wild elephants, enjoying a breakfast of leaves. With the engine running, safety first in this wild nature…

After many other water monitors, lizards, buffaloes, woodpeckers and kingfishers competing in beauty in their brightly colored costumes, a peacock might bid you farewell by performing an elegant wheel, while you return to the park entrance for a hearty breakfast under the trees.

Visit to an ancient Buddhist temple

Before reaching busier roads, we invite you to discover an ancient temple and its nearby caves, which served as a refuge for Buddhist monks retreating since the advent of Buddhism, in the forests of the neighboring mountain range.

Some caves bear traces of painting dating back to prehistoric times.

Visit to the Ritigala site

Amongst all the archeological and natural wonders Sri Lanka is dotted with, i have a soft corner for Ritigala.

There is a reason for this preference, as Ritigala is not only an archeological site, featuring ruins of an ancient Buddhist monastery, but also an amazing chunk of jungle.

Situated in Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle, close to Habarana town, Ritigala mountain stands around 2500 Ft tall, and is much less visited than the renowned site of Sigiriya Rock

The mountain of Ritigala is also known in Ramayana Epics, as the Hindu God Hanuman is believed to have dropped a piece of Himalayan medicine forest while carrying it from India to Sri Lanka to save the life of injured Lord Rama.

This explains the presence of medicinal plants on a part of the mountain.

If you decide to visit the rock monastery, you would better take a guide, to bring back to life how the site was a thousand years ago, when hundreds of monks were residing there, meditating surrounded by bird songs.

Ruins of the lavatory, refectory, hospital, library are spread in a deep forest hosting sky reaching trees and giant lanes.

There are also numerous double platforms dispersed in the jungle, previously used by monks to meditate.

The meeting places, which are still visible as round shape collections of stones, are the perfect place to sit, immersed in nature, meditating on how lucky we are to have such peaceful places.

Ayurvedic massage (optional)

This is a golden opportunity to align mind, body, soul, heart and smile.

In the calm of an Ayurvedic center, let the attentive staff give you the massage of your choice.

Bird watching

The Habarana region is home to many endemic creatures, more than 100 species of birds and about 50 species of butterflies.

Lakes, irrigation channels, walking trails offer hikes to discover this natural habitat where many species interact with each other.

A naturalist guide accompanies you on this walk in search of birds.

Visit to Dambulla Temple

A sacred pilgrimage site for 22 centuries, Dambulla Temple is a cave monastery with five shrines.

It is the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka.

Of particular importance are the Buddhist murals, as well as its 157 statues.

Visit to Dambulla Market

Dambulla Market is the largest wholesale fruit and vegetable market in Sri Lanka.

It gathers the harvest from all over the island and sells it to distributors who transport their purchases to all corners of the country.

A lively place to watch the 24-hour traffic circle and an unmatched variety of produce.

Transfer to the airport

Depending on your departure time, your chauffeur guide adapts the program of the day and drops you off at the airport 3 hours before your plane takes off.

There would be so many other beautiful places to discover though…

We wish you a good flight back home, and hope to see you again next time for new Sri Lankan adventures!

Thank you for travelling with us!