Sri Lanka tour & beach holiday
| country: | Sri Lanka |
| departures: | This trip can be tailormade throughout the year and can be adapted to suit your interests, budget and requirements as necessary |
| price: | From £1525 (15 days) including flights from the UK, half board accommodation, licensed guide & all activities as per itinerary. This trip can also be booked without flights |
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the amazing things you'll be doing
Sri Lanka is a lush, tropical island paradise, known to Arab traders as Serendib – hence "serendipity", meaning discovery by happy accident.
It was famously described by Marco Polo as "undoubtedly the finest island of its size in the world".
For a small island, Sri Lanka has much to offer the discerning traveller.
It is a culturally rich and environmentally diverse country, with nine World Heritage Sites (the oldest dating back to the 3rd Century BC).
It also has 86 species of mammals (including elephant and leopard) and more than 400 bird species (including 26 endemics); a colourful array of flowering plants and trees, and a Hill Country famous for tea; 14 National Parks out of 100 areas protected by the government; and an Indian Ocean coastline boasting palm-fringed and sandy tropical beaches.
This holiday is based at Ranweli Holiday Village, which is situated on a quiet beach in a coastal wetland estuary on Sri Lanka’s west coast. During your two-week stay, you will be able to relax in its eco-friendly surroundings or take advantage of the wide-ranging activities on offer.
A tour of the ancient cities’ area will give you the opportunity of visiting Dambulla, Kandy, Polonnaruwa and Sigiriya, all World Heritage Sites, as well as a jeep safari in a national park for some wildlife spotting.
Sri Lanka lies just north of the equator so temperatures remain almost constant throughout the year (around 27C around the coast). The best time to visit the west coast and ancient cities’ area is from November to April after the southwest monsoon has finished.
However, even during the monsoon season the rain passes through quickly leaving the sky clear and temperatures back up to normal, although the sea is rougher than during the dry season. The advantage is that there are fewer tourists on the island, and the traditional and generous Sri Lankan welcome is always there!
It was famously described by Marco Polo as "undoubtedly the finest island of its size in the world".
For a small island, Sri Lanka has much to offer the discerning traveller.
It is a culturally rich and environmentally diverse country, with nine World Heritage Sites (the oldest dating back to the 3rd Century BC).
It also has 86 species of mammals (including elephant and leopard) and more than 400 bird species (including 26 endemics); a colourful array of flowering plants and trees, and a Hill Country famous for tea; 14 National Parks out of 100 areas protected by the government; and an Indian Ocean coastline boasting palm-fringed and sandy tropical beaches.
This holiday is based at Ranweli Holiday Village, which is situated on a quiet beach in a coastal wetland estuary on Sri Lanka’s west coast. During your two-week stay, you will be able to relax in its eco-friendly surroundings or take advantage of the wide-ranging activities on offer.
A tour of the ancient cities’ area will give you the opportunity of visiting Dambulla, Kandy, Polonnaruwa and Sigiriya, all World Heritage Sites, as well as a jeep safari in a national park for some wildlife spotting.
Sri Lanka lies just north of the equator so temperatures remain almost constant throughout the year (around 27C around the coast). The best time to visit the west coast and ancient cities’ area is from November to April after the southwest monsoon has finished.
However, even during the monsoon season the rain passes through quickly leaving the sky clear and temperatures back up to normal, although the sea is rougher than during the dry season. The advantage is that there are fewer tourists on the island, and the traditional and generous Sri Lankan welcome is always there!
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly to Colombo. | |
| Day 2: | Arrive Colombo. Transfer to Ranweli Holiday Village, which is situated on the beach in a coastal wetland estuary near Waikkal, about 20 km northwest of the airport. This accredited eco-friendly resort, which has been designed to blend into its surroundings, is set in 9 hectares of land on a mangrove-clad peninsula where two rivers converge with the Indian Ocean. Ranweli Holiday Village offers wide-ranging activities including bird watching, local nature walks, cycle hire, fishing in the lagoon and river, and sports such as tennis, squash, archery, table tennis, pool and billiards, volleyball, wave and boogie boarding, paddle boating and canoeing. | |
| Day 3-6: | At leisure. Night stay at Ranweli Holiday Village, Waikkal. | |
| Day 7: | Four-day tour of the Cultural Triangle (ancient cities’ area), beginning with a visit to the magnificent cave temples of Dambulla. Continue on to Heritance Kandalama. Designed by Geoffrey Bawa, Sri Lanka’s most respected contemporary architect, it was the first luxury eco-hotel built in Asia (Green Globe 21 certified), and it is set in its own 250-hectare jungle retreat with unimpeded views across wetlands to Sigiriya rock fortress. Night stay at Heritance Kandalama, Dambulla. | |
| Day 8: | Head to the historic medieval capital of Polonnaruwa for a tour of its well preserved temples and exquisitely carved statues. In the afternoon, take a jeep safari in Minneriya National Park to see elephants and a variety of other wildlife. Night stay at Heritance Kandalama, Dambulla. | |
| Day 9: | Early morning ascent of the rock fortress of Sigiriya to view the surrounding countryside at dawn – a very special experience indeed – followed by a tour of Sigiriya's rock palace and ornamental gardens before continuing on to Kandy. The second city of Sri Lanka has a picturesque setting around its lake, a rich historical and cultural heritage, a pleasant Mediterranean-type climate, and a trip to Kandy is a must for anyone visiting the island. In the early evening, experience a Buddhist puja (blessing ceremony) at the Temple of the Tooth, Sri Lanka's most revered religious relic. Night stay at Serendip, Kandy, a recently refurbished colonial bungalow on the banks of the Mahaweli Ganga, Sri Lanka’s longest river. | |
| Day 10: | Kandy is the perfect size to be explored on foot, since the altitude (500 m above sea level) makes the climate conducive to long and leisurely strolls. A walking tour of the city will take in the Buddhist monasteries and Hindu devales (temples), the lake, and the municipal market. Visit the beautifully presented and well tended Peradeniya Botanic Gardens on your way back to Ranweli Holiday Village. | |
| Day 11-14: | At leisure. Night stay at Ranweli Holiday Village, Waikkal. | |
| Day 15: | Fly to UK. |
travellers' tales
One of the highlights was talking to warm & friendly Sri Lankan people about their lives & particularly the effects of the Tsunami.
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how this holiday makes a difference
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We actively encourage responsible and sustainable travel to Sri Lanka. By working closely with our associate company in Sri Lanka and other partner organisations, we are endeavouring to promote cultural exchange, social awareness, self-employment and self-development.
Ranweli Holiday Village: This is a truly environmentally sensitive and ecologically committed resort. It is recognised as a model ecotourism property worldwide, gaining awards and commendations from British Airways, Virgin Holidays and the World Tourism Organization. Ranweli Holiday Village supports local nature clubs and schools, hires staff locally, and practises environmental principles by efficiently using its resources – energy & water – and effectively managing its waste – liquid & solid waste and emissions – to minimise the impact on the environment. The resort utilises solar energy for showers and uses biodegradable local materials as much as possible. Ranweli Holiday Village is a member of The International Ecotourism Society (with an executive on the Board of Directors), Ecoclub and the Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka, and an affiliate of Birdlife International. Guides: We only employ English-speaking Sri Lankan chauffeur guides who are all licensed by the Sri Lanka Tourist Board. Experienced guides for trekking, safaris and other specialist activities are hired locally and have extensive knowledge of their chosen area of expertise. Transportation: Our small group sizes (up to 8 persons) allows us to use cars, small vans or jeeps when travelling around the island and when visiting rural areas and national parks, where use of larger vehicles in such areas often results in widening and ‘blacktopping’ of rural paths for coach access. The resulting effect on the environment can be devastating. We feel that our small group sizes also lead to less impact both on the environment and the people that we visit as well as allowing for more supervision, advice and explanations with the high ratio of guides to travellers. Accommodation: We actively promote locally owned hotels that employ local workers, particularly accredited eco-friendly accommodation. This policy contributes directly to the local economy and provides local employment while enhancing the visitor’s experience of Sri Lanka.  Restaurants: Embracing local cuisine is an essential part of any holiday if the visitor is to understand the country’s culture and savour its culinary delights. We encourage travellers to eat at traditional restaurants, roadside eateries, street vendors and market stalls in order for them to enjoy and experience authentic Sri Lankan food. Community-led projects: The Asian Tsunami highlighted the plight of coastal communities in Sri Lanka and our initial projects were targeted at Sri Lankan individuals and communities devastated by the tsunami (please ask us for details). However, many other communities away from the coast also lack essential materials and services and our objective is to offer long-term support to such Sri Lankan individuals and communities. By channelling all donations received by Forgotten Village Sri Lanka (a charitable organisation currently applying for charitable status with the Charity Commission) into community-based projects on the island, we hope to provide sustained assistance to these communities in their endeavour to improve their lives. We make a contribution to Forgotten Village Sri Lanka for every holiday booked. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |