Asia

Arrival, welcome by a Representative of LMT and transfer to Hotel
Evening City Tour of Negombo including a Fishing Village, Old Dutch Fortress from 1678 converted to prison, the Hamilton Canal which was built by the Dutch for the transportation of Cinnamon; St. Mary’s Church and the Old Dutch Cemetery and naturally the Negombo Fish Market.
Negombo, Being one of the major tourist beach resorts of the island, this lively town is mainly inhabited by the fisher-folk. This is also one of the strongholds of the catholic community of Sri Lanka and quietly correctly considered as the “Little Rome”, located along the picturesque Negombo lagoon, along which hundreds of fishing boats and catamarans could be seen most of the time. The Town is dotted with several churches, some dating from the earliest colonial times.
Sightseeing in Negombo includes the remains of the Old Dutch Fortress from 1678, the Dutch Canal constructed for the transportation of Cinnamon, St. Mary’s Church and the Old Dutch Cemetery, and naturally, the Negombo Fish Market –more famously known as the “Lellama”.

Dinner & overnight stay at Negombo

After early breakfast leave for Anuradhapura – “The first Capital – 5th Century BC:. Visit Haththikuchchi Monastic Complex – belonging to the early Anuradhapura Period still to be excavated fully. Anuradhapura,. the most celebrated of Sri Lanka’s ancient ruined cities dating back to the 5th Century BC which formed the foundation for a magnificent civilization spanning over a few centuries. According to the Mahavamsa – the great Sinhala Chronicle, this was a model of planning with precincts set aside for different vocations as well as for foreigners. There were separate cemeteries for high and low castes, hostels and hospitals and water supply was assured by the construction of reservoirs.

Its greatest treasures are its dagabos constructed of small sun-dried bricks and are hemispherical in shape two of which have been identified by the UNESCO as World Heritage Sites. The reservoirs used for storage of water formed the basis of the hydraulic civilisation which later on spread to the entire

Visit the Sacred City of Anuradhapura
Visit many sites of the City of archaeological and historical interest including Isurumuniya – the first temple to be built in the island, Sri Maha Bodhi Tree- with an authenticated history of more than 2300 years which has been planted from a sapling from the original tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment , Ruwanveliseya – the largest stupa in the island,  Jethawanaramaya and Abhayagiriya – which in their original form have been equivalent in size to the Great Pyramids in Giza and have thus been declared as World Heritage Sites , Eth Pokuna (Size is 06 times larger than Olympic swimming pool) Twin Ponds, Thuparamaya- the first Stupa to be built in Sri Lanka enshrining the left collar bone of the Buddha, the Samadhi Statue -meditating posture etc In the afternoon.
Dinner & overnight stay at Nuwarawewa rest or similar in Anuradhapura

After breakfast leave for Polonnaruwa En route visit Mihintale – the cradle of Buddhism where the message of Buddha was received by the then King of Sri Lanka from Arahath Mahinda – the son of Emperor Asoka of India- climb up to the summit through the 1840 granite slab steps.
Then proceed to Polonnaruwa- the Medieval Capital of Sri Lanka- 11th Century AD.

Polonnaruwa, the island’s Medieval Capital (11th – 13th Centuries AD) which rose to fame after the decline of Anuradhapura.. The city was fortified with three concentric walls, beautified with parks and gardens and
sanctified by many shrines. A unique Irrigation complex watered the city as well as the surrounding plains helping in agriculture which made the island “the Granary of the East” . The largest of the man made reservoirs, the huge
Parakrama Samudra (the Sea of Parakrama), is larger in size than the Colombo Harbour. Polonnaruwa is home to two magnificent World Heritage Sites and numerous other sites of archaeological and historical interest , some of
which depict the influence that Hinduism had on the Buddhist Civilisation during that period of history.

In Polonnaruwa, visit the many sites of archaeological and historical interest in the Sacred City of Polonnaruwa including the Grate Statue, Quadrangle, Royal Palace, Vatadage, Hatadage, Siva Devalaya, Gal Viharaya, Alahana Pirivena Complex, Kumara and Lotus Ponds, Thuparamaya, Rankoth Vehera,
Pabalu Vehera , Thiwanka Image House , The Museum etc some of which depict the influence that Hinduism had on the Buddhist Civilisation during that period of history.
Dinner & overnight stay at Fresco Water Villa or similar in Sigiriya

After breakfast climb the Rock Fortress of Sigiriya. Sigiriya, a Royal Citadel for 20 years in the 5th Century AD – stark and forbidding, haunted by an epic story
of murder and betrayal is attributed to King Kasyapa who found hiding here after killing his father more fruitful than meeting the wrath of the people who loved King Dhatusena much more before meeting his rival – Prince Mugalan who had fled to India seeking reinforcements for his Army. This unique Rock Fortress or “castle in the sky” – a massive monolith of red stone that rises 600ft above ground , derived the name “Lion Rock” as the entrance to the climb to the summit is reached between the paws of a lion .

Then visit the Dambulla Cave Temple
Dambulla, a collection of five caves of different sizes full of paintings , sculptures, statues of Lord Buddha, his disciples, Kings , Gods etc. considered to be the largest painted caves in the world with more than 22,000 sq ft
of painted surfaces declared a World Heritage Site Initial authorship is attributed to King Valagambahu who took refuge here after being driven out of Anuradhapura by invading armies, although the works span over all periods
since then to the late Kandy Period in the 18th Century

Tel: +94 11 2 081967 | Email: sales@tcholidays.lk

-in time is 14:00hrs /Check-out time is 12:00hrs

After breakfast leave for Kandy – The Hill Capital Kandy, literally known as the “City on the Hills” so named as it was protected by the nature – water , rocks and jungles. The last capital of the Sri Lankan kings before falling to the British in 1815AD which is a World Heritage Site. The name Kandy conjures vision of splendour of magnificence. Many of the legends, traditions and folklore are still lovingly kept alive. The centre of attraction is the golden roofed Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha .The Kandy Lake built by the last King Sri Wickramarajasinghe in 1806 holds a prominent view of the City. It is a City for arts and crafts as well culture and history En route walk in to a Spice Garden and take part in a conducted tour to get some knowledge about the
growth and use of spices in the day to day life In a Batik Making Factory, see how beautifully the village girls turn out beautiful colored cloths for different purposes with colorful designs. After breakfast leave for a City Tour including the Upper Lake Drive – a place where one could have a bird’s eye view of the city below, a Gem Museum – to see how the valuable gems that you see on a shop shelf are turned out from a raw stone with the back ground history.

In the evening watch a Cultural Performance by traditional Kandyan Dancers and Drummers including devotional “Fire Walking” and walk across in the star lit night to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha – by far the most important place of worship for Buddhists world over.

Dinner & overnight stay at Oakray Regency Hotel or similar in Kandy. http://www.oakrayregency.com/

After breakfast leave for Galle .
Visit Galle Dutch Fortress – a World Heritage Site, Mask Museum & Turtle Hatchery etc. Galle, the southern capital of Sri Lanka, 115km from the City of Colombo linked by the Galle Road is a port city; standing on one of the main sea routes in the southern part of the country encircling the Galle Harbour It has a unique charm among the many historic places in Sri Lanka. The Dutch built the 1st Protestant Church in Sri Lanka within the Dutch Fortress
famous with its many bastions surrounded by the ramparts which were later on declared by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

More recently came in to lime light with the International Cricket Stadium.
Dinner & Overnight stay at Sanmira Renaissance Hotel or similar in Galle
http://www.unawatunasanmirahotel.com/

After breakfast leave for Colombo

Visit the Paramananda Raja maha Viharaya Galle

Sri Paramananda Raja Maha Vihara has the historical significance the bilateral relations between Thailand and Sri Lanka. In 1897, King Chulalongkorn of Thailand paid a visit to Sri Lanka, on his way to Europe. While in Sri Lanka, he visited a number of temples, including the abovementioned temples on 19 April 1897.He laid a foundation stone for the construction of Chulalongkorn Memorial Hall at Sri Paramananda Raja Maha Vihara while, after renovations, now remains in good condition. Also, a stone pillar was erected at Gangarama Viharaya to commemorate the visit.

Visit Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya.
Dinner & overnight stay at Hotel Fairview or similar in Colombo
http://www.tangerinehotels.com/fairview

Day 8 Colombo /Airport
After Breakfast undertake a city Tour in Colombo

Proceed to Colombo and upon arrival commence a city tour.

Colombo is a modern city which blends the beauty of the old world charm and modern day development. The busy Bazaar, Fort & Pettah area, Old Dutch church, Kovil, Temple in Gangaramaya, Town Hall, Independence square and
other areas in Colombo could be explored whilst on tour apart from the argain shopping at popular stores.

What was once a swamp adjoining the famous Beira Lake, a landmark in the capital city, is today a vibrant complex comprising the Gangaramaya temple, the ‘seema malaka’ – an assembly hall for monks – in the picturesque Beira Lake and a vocational training institute. The temple has been in existence for over 120 years having being established by one of the most famous scholar monks, Venerable Hikkaduwe Sri Sumanagala Nayaka Thera, founder of the Vidyodaya Pirivena, originally an institute of oriental learning for monks, now a State University – Sri Jayewardenapura University.

Consider going shopping in Colombo.
When shopping in Colombo, your options are anything but limiting. From modern, air conditioned malls to the famously buzzing street markets, there’s something for everyone. Knowing where to go is the key to getting the best out of Sri Lanka’s shopping haven.Colombo itself has a fair share of shopping malls and department stores. With everything from the latest pair of shoes & designer jewelry to mobile phones and electronic items, Colombo has an exhaustive variety of things to buy.

No matter how much of shopping you do in Colombo, your shopping isn’t complete without experiencing the hustle and bustle of Pettah. With almost anything being available in the many narrow streets, you will have
plenty of shops to choose from that will satisfy your retail needs. Shops are located in clusters, with specific types of items being sold in each cluster. Although driving through, and parking maybe problematic, the entire stretch of shops are located within a “walkable” distance. Whatever you choose to purchase, be sure to polish your bargaining skills, which is important to fetch the best prices.

END OF TOUR