17D/16N: Heading East and North, History, Cultures and Local Life

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.

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.

Day 03: Local Transfers

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.

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.

Historic Batticaloa

Now, let’s explore History and Religions…

Our tour Historic Batticaloa brings you to old buildings in Batticaloa, Kattankudy, Navalady, throughout 450 years of history and the vestiges of 3 colonial powers.

We will guide you into the cultural and religious diversity of our local communities, by visiting worshipping places of 4 different faiths (Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism).

We’ll break for lunch in a local family, where you’ll get a flavour of traditional Batticaloa food, and interact with your host family.

After lunch, you’ll get a glimpse of the scars of the recent war and tsunami as well as visit the Heritage Museum of Kattankudy… if time permits!

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, and visit the beautiful Al-Aqsa mosque.

Snorkeling at Pigeon Island

A motorboat takes you early in the morning to Pigeon Island, a marine national park, famous for the many species of fish, crustaceans, turtles and sharks that thrive in its crystal clear waters.

With your mask and snorkel, it’s up to you to go and meet the rich underwater life.

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…

Visit to a former war zone

The civil war that raged in the North and East of Sri Lanka for several decades left deep scars in the Mullaithivu and Kilinochchi regions that you travel through to reach Jaffna.

It was here that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) had declared their own state, known as Tamil Eelam.

Your guide tells you the poignant story of the populations trapped in the bloody clashes of the civil war, and shows you along the way touching vestiges of these years of conflict.

Relaxing morning

After yesterday’s long drive, a short break is welcome, to give you some time for personal exploration, or to allow yourself a lie-in at the hotel.

Jaffna City Tour

The city of Jaffna is home to many buildings that bear witness to its colonial past, especially its fort.

It was also the scene of the clash between the Tamil Tigers and the government armed forces for decades.

The Nallur temple is very important to the Hindu people who gather there in their thousands during its festival.

Delft Island

Delft Island, located off the coast of Jaffna, is accessible only by boat, making it a relatively unexplored place.

This beautiful island is known as much for its natural beauty and wild ponies as for its historical and cultural sites.

You spend the day there today.

Day 14: Jaffna – Anuradhapura

Ascent of the Rock of Mihintale

A few kilometres from Anuradhapura stands the rock of Mihintale, which can be climbed by a granite staircase.

It is also called the mountain of Mahinda, named after the Indian Buddhist missionary who introduced Buddhism to Sri Lanka, converting King Devanampiya Tissa in 243 BC.

You will surely come across pilgrims during the climb and will be able to visit some of the 68 caves that once housed monks.

The Stupa dates back to the 1st century BC, and from the top of the rock, you can enjoy a 360-degree view of the green and peaceful surroundings.

Day 15: Local Transfers

Walk around the sacred Sri Maha Bodhi tree

There is a religious fervor in Anuradhapura, with Buddhist pilgrims gathering around its sacred tree, the Sri Maha Boddhi, a more than thousand-year-old branch of the Bodhgaya fig tree in India, under which Buddha attained enlightenment 500 BC.

You are invited to discover Buddhist spirituality by observing the pilgrims chanting around the sacred tree. A beautiful and serene experience.

Climbing Sigiriya Rock

The spectacular citadel of Sigiriya rises out of the barren plains of the dry zone, around 660 ft above the surrounding countryside.

The shortest but most extraordinary of all Sri Lanka’s medieval capitals, Sigiriya (“Lion Rock”) was declared a World Heritage Site in 1982.

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!