Sunocean Holidays

HISTORY ILLUMINATION

8 Days - 7 Nights

£1300
Per Person

Holiday Highlights

Aukana Buddha statue
Museum of Archeology
Sigiriya rock fortress
Polonnaruwa
Jeep Safari-Minneriya Park
Spice Garden in Matale
Batik Factory
Royal Botanical Gardens
Visit to a tea estate

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Day 1
Vil Uyana

AIRPORT / SIGIIRYA / DAMBULLA / SIGIRIYA
Arrival at the Bandaranaike International Airport Colombo.
Transfer to Vil Uyana resort in Sigiriya for lunch.
Proceed to Dambulla Temple in the evening.
The Dambulla Caved Temple, created in the 1st Century BC, contains the most extensive collection of Buddhist imagery in the world. The walls are covered in paintings depicting Lord Buddha during his different reincarnations as well as historical narratives.
Return to hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 2
Vil Uyana
SIGIRIYA - AUKANA - ANURDHAPURA - MININTALE - SIGIRIYA
Breakfast at hotel followed by departure to ancient city of Anuradhapura
Visit the Aukana Buddha statue en-route to Anuradhapura; dating back to the 5th century AD, the statue is one of the largest and most well-preserved Buddha statues in the world.
Arrive in Anuradhapura and visit the ruins of the Old City.
Anuradhapura was the first ancient capital of Sri Lanka; remaining thus for more than 1400 years. Its magnificent monuments, sculptures and paintings are testament to a culture that is seemingly as old as time itself. - Lunch at the Miridiya Lodge in Anuradhapura.
Visit the Museum of Archeology in Anuradhapura and proceed to Mihintale.
Mihintale is regarded as the cradle of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. The area is dotted with numerous shrines and rock dwellings.
Return to hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 3
Vil Uyana
SIGIRIYA / POLONNRUWA / MINNERIYA / SIGIRIYA - SIGIRIYA
Breakfast at hotel and depart for Sigiriya rock fortress
Sigiriya is a massive rock set against scrub jungle in Central Sri Lanka; atop which is built a remarkably well-preserved fortress and an ancient Buddhist monastery complete with caved temples, bathing pools, ponds and Asia’s oldest surviving landscaped gardens. Sigiriya is also famous for its’ stunning frescoes, the ‘Lion’s Stairway’, the ‘Mirror Wall’ and the ‘Water Gardens’. Proceed to Polonnaruwa for lunch.
Polonnaruwa was the medieval capital of Sri Lanka and remains one of the most beautiful and evocative centers of Sri Lankan culture. Due to its relatively shorter history and dozen rulers, the ruins in Polonnaruwa are better preserved than those in Anuradhapura. Among the highlights is the ‘Gal Vihara’ complex where 3 gigantic Buddha statues are carved out of a single piece of rock. Enjoy a Jeep Safari at Minneriya National Park en route back to the hotel,.
Built on the banks of the picturesque Minneriya Reservoir, which was built in the 4th century BC, Minneriya plays host to several herds of elephants. It is also home to a number of bird species such as Grey Heron, Open Built storks and Painted Storks as well as 3 distinct species of primates, including the Pink-faced Leaf Monkey and Grey Langur.
Return to hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 4
Club Bentota
SIGIRIYA / MATALE / KANDY
Breakfast at hotel and depart for Kandy, visiting the Spice Garden in Matale
For centuries, spices have been one of Sri Lanka’s most important exports. Spices are widely used, not only in food preparation but also in medicine and cosmetics. Visit a Spice Garden and sample such scents and flavors as cinnamon, ginger, pepper, vanilla and cardamom and see how these wonderful ingredients are propagated. Proceed to Kandy visiting a Batik Factory en route.
Batik is the ancient art of cloth painting; today Sri Lanka is a world leader in the export of Batik clothing. Batik galleries and factories offer batik from simple, single-colored designs to intricate multi-colored masterpieces. Arrival in Kandy in time for lunch.
Visit the ancient citadel of Kandy in the evening.
Sri Lanka’s second city is Kandy, its hill capital. It is not only known for its great kings who ruled the city for more than 225 years independently until the British took over in 1815, it is also home to the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Lord Buddha.
Visit parts of the Old Palace and Temple of the Tooth Relic and view the daily intricate rituals of the temple; including a special cultural performance by a troupe of Kandyan Dancers.

Day 5
Club Bentota
KANDY / PERADENIYA / PINNAWELA / KANDY
Breakfast at hotel and proceed to the Royal Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya. The Royal Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya was established in 1821 and currently covers a total area of 140 acres, snuggled along a loop in the Mahaweli River, the longest in Sri Lanka. The gardens were established with the aim of testing and acclimatizing plants for commercial use in Sri Lanka. Today, the Gardens have one of the largest collections of flora from sub-tropical climates around the world. Visit the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage for lunch
The orphanage was established to feed, nurse and house young elephants abandoned by their mothers, displaced from their natural environment by development projects. Most of the orphans cannot be introduced back into the wild as other elephant family groups will not accept them. They enjoy a good relationship with their human minders and many find good foster homes in zoos around the world. Return to Kandy and visit an Arts and Crafts Centre and Gemology Museum. Return to hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 6
Club Bentota
KANDY / TEA PLANTATI N / KANDY
Breakfast at hotel. Visit to a tea estate and tour of a tea factory.
It is generally accepted that tea was first discovered in ancient China. The Chinese say it was their Emperor Shen-Nung who first tasted tea in 2737 BC. The story goes that while he was boiling his drinking water a few leaves from a wild tea bush accidentally fell into the water. The Emperor liked the delicate flavor the leaves imparted, and the rest they say is history. Today, Ceylon Tea is arguably the best in the world. Sri Lanka’s climate is ideal in imparting a variety of flavours and aromas to its’ tea buds, the cultivation and production of which is a highly technical process, with Sri Lanka producing some of the most fragrant teas in the world.
Return to hotel for lunch. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 7
Casa Colombo

KANDY / COLOMBO
Breakfast at hotel and leave for Colombo.Arrival in Colombo, the commercial capital of Sri Lanka.
Colombo stretches along the western shore of Sri Lanka for nine miles. This bustling metropolis is home to one and a half million people, where different ethnic groups, religions and culture inter-mingle. Here, the contrast between high rise hotels and colonial mansions and modern department stores and traditional street bazaars linger in the mind. From world class restaurants and night clubs to art galleries and colonial era architecture, Colombo has it all. Arrival at hotel for lunch. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 8
Casa Colombo

COLOMBO / AIRPORT

Breakfast at Hotel
Transfer to Airport for departure.