We start the day with one of our favorite spots in the country: Ritigala ancient monastery - with inscriptions dating back to the 1st century BC. This is a very underrated site and - in our humble opinion - a must do.

In this not-so-classical site, you will feel like explorers as we walk through historical remains of a Buddhist temple, an old hospital, and some grottos, surrounded by a lush forest and humongous trees that are impressive in their own right. 

The rest of the day, we will enjoy the hotel facilities - and the extras they offer!

An Ayurveda session followed by a 30-minute head,   shoulder and neck massage at the hotel will be a great way for you to relax and rest and enjoy - until dinner.

After breakfast, we have prepared 3 different programs for you to choose from, depending on your mood:

A Tuk-Tuk ride from the hotel to the 1st visit of the day - approx. 20 min. during which you will enjoy the lovely views of the paddy fields of Sigiriya.

1. A very early rise and climb on the Lion Rock of Sigiriya (to avoid the touristic rush hour). We will visit the citadel, a World Heritage Site since 1982, and built on a 370-meter high rock. A Sri Lankan artistic Gem is found there: the portrait of 21 young women, the colors of which have not lost their luster since they were drawn, 1500 years ago. And just on the mirror wall on the opposite side, graffiti dating back to the 6th and 13th century praise the women’s grace. Eagle nest of a king who killed his father, the palace atop the rock is reached by a narrow staircase that snakes in and around the paws of a lion.

2. The climb on top of Pidurangala Mountain, another archeological site. However, beware: the climb up is more sinuous, albeit a bit shorter. The end of the climb is a bit hard. There you can visit the grottos that house the Sigiri Pidurangala Raja Maha Viharaya temple, built by the king Kashyapa in the 5th century, and the huge statue of the Sleeping Buddha. The view is absolutely breathtaking. 

3. A free morning in the beautiful hotel to enjoy the pool, more sleep, more food, or to simply relax with a book. 

Afterwards, proceed to Polonnaruwa for lunch first -  in a family owned restaurant, just next to paddy fields where we will enjoy a traditional Sri Lankan lunch.

Then, on to explore the Polonnaruwa ancient city by bicycle or by walking. 

Capital of the country in the 12th century, and today a UNESCO World Heritage site, it holds the Royal Palace, the Royal pool, the Gal-Vihara with the 3 sculpted statues of the Buddha and, the main attraction of the site, the 14-meter long Sleeping Buddha carved in the mountain. You can choose to visit this impressive site by bus or by bike (our favorite way).

Return to the hotel, relax for the rest of the day.

Special candlelight dinner at the pool deck.

Dambulla, one of Sri Lanka’s unmissable sites: it is a temple carved in the mountain 2000 years ago, that holds more than 100 statues of Buddha in 5 different caves. Walls and ceilings are covered with beautiful frescoes.

Those who want to skip the Temple can discover the market of Dambulla where pineapples, bananas of all colors, ambarellas and hundreds of fruits and vegetables are traded everyday.  

Then, continue the drive to Heeloya to experience the authentic Sri Lankan lifestyle of locals and learn traditional terraced paddy cultivation, which uses farming methods that are still without the use of machinery.

(Approximately 2hrs 50mins drive from Dambulla to Heeloya)

Lunch

Transfer to Kandy for dinner and overnight.

(Approximately 1hr 15mins drive from Heeloya to Kandy)

After breakfast, visit Peradeniya Royal Botanical Gardens - one of the highlights of Kandy. It is the largest garden of the country and houses 4000 species of plants. 

Then, we visit a  small-scale, house based Sri Lankan traditional batik making factory in Kandy to learn how this technique is made - and shop!

Lunch.

City tour of Kandy that will include the Temple of the Sacred Tooth where the relic of the left canine tooth of the Buddha is enshrined - the temple was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988 and is a major religious site for locals and foreigners alike. We end the day with some free time at the Kandy Bazaar.

Sri Lanka is famous for its tea, and it is impossible to miss the gorgeous landscapes of tea plantations. So we will enjoy a Sri Lankan tea visit at Girigama where we learn more about tea plantation, harvest, and processing.

Then, on to see the elephants! But in a sustainable way - where no harm is done to these majestic animals - at the Millennium Elephant Foundation whose purpose is to offer better life conditions to domesticated elephants in the country. You will be able to help bathe an elephant, understand the Mahouts language (elephant “tamers”), and even do a very gentle elephant ride (not hurting them). You can even adopt one if you want (without taking it back home of course!).

We will have lunch at the foundation and will visit a paper factory unlike any other; unique, typical, and 100% eco-friendly.  

Exclusive garden/beach dinner and overnight stay in Bentota. 

(Approximately 3hrs 20mins drive from Pinnawala to Bentota)

This is a day we love - touristic but oh so charming!

the day will be spent in Galle, a town where there remains many Dutch traces and landmarks with hundreds of colonial houses and many churches. There you will have a very distinct European feel. The 17th century fort is a World Heritage Site. You will be able to wander in the streets of this cultural and artsy town, and enjoy the many coffee shops and boutiques. 

For lunch, we chose to offer you a very fine lunch in a restaurant in a 400-year old building (once a bakery, today a 5-star hotel). 

After leaving Galle (where there will be a lot of shopping to enjoy - and for dog lovers, a mandatory stop at the Embark boutique), we will visit a Sea Turtle Hatchery in Kosgoda - one of the rare places of the country where all 5 species of turtles make their nests.

Dinner and overnight stay in Bentota.

After breakfast you can either choose to leave or extend your stay for 2 days to enjoy the beach and the facilities in Bentota.

Or else, simply enjoy 2 days in Bentota on your own. Accommodation and breakfasts are covered, lunches an d dinners however are on you to give you the lee-way to decide what you want to eat, at the time you want to. 

Beach days at Bentota - or walking around actually.

These extra days are for you to enjoy as you see fit.

Make the most of them.