Sri Lanka yoga holiday, meditation & ayurveda
| country: | Sri Lanka |
| departures: | This trip can be tailor made to suit your budget, interests and requirements |
| price: | From £760 - £894 (15 days) excluding flights depending on departure. Includes twin share accommodation, meals per itinerary, private a/c car & English-speaking driver, entrance fees |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Yoga, with a deep rooted history in Sri Lanka, is practiced widely in ashrams, retreats, guesthouses and hotels throughout the island, often in conjunction with guided meditation sessions and Ayurveda therapies.
This holiday is designed to provide a holistic approach to well-being: Yoga to create inner balance between mind and body; Meditation to improve your concentration; and an option of benefiting from Ayurveda, an ancient holistic approach to life, good health and healing.
These ancient philosophies will be experienced in the most picturesque and tranquil retreats in rural Sri Lanka where life is `unhurried’ and people lead a `balanced existence'.
This Yoga-focused journey takes you from the unique eco-retreat of Ulpotha in the Cultural Triangle – surrounded by mountains, a lotus filled lake, and green paddy fields – to the picturesque Unawatuna bay in the south coast by the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean.
Holiday highlights
This holiday is designed to provide a holistic approach to well-being: Yoga to create inner balance between mind and body; Meditation to improve your concentration; and an option of benefiting from Ayurveda, an ancient holistic approach to life, good health and healing.
These ancient philosophies will be experienced in the most picturesque and tranquil retreats in rural Sri Lanka where life is `unhurried’ and people lead a `balanced existence'.
This Yoga-focused journey takes you from the unique eco-retreat of Ulpotha in the Cultural Triangle – surrounded by mountains, a lotus filled lake, and green paddy fields – to the picturesque Unawatuna bay in the south coast by the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean.
Holiday highlights
- Ulpotha’s tranquil surroundings
- Rural village life
- Yoga & the ancient healing wisdom of Ayurveda
- Ancient kingdom of Anuradhapura & Polonnaruwa
- Magnificent Sigirya rock fortresses
- Dambulla’s serene Buddhist cave temples
- Kandy’s Temple of the Tooth
- Galle’s 17th century Dutch Fort
- Turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Upon arrival in Sri Lanka transfer to The Beach set on a beautiful stretch of private beach just 20 minutes away from the International Airport - an ideal place for acclimatising to Sri Lanka’s tropical climes and rejuvenating after the long flight. (B) |
| Day 2-7: | Travel to the north central region to Ulpotha, one of Sri Lanka’s greatest secrets, a Yoga-focused eco-retreat, hidden away in the heart of the Cultural Triangle close to Anuradhapura. Stay six peaceful nights and enjoy the serenity and beauty of this remarkable rural hideout, a retreat that was first conceived as an escape for its nature-loving owners. Yoga sessions are conducted in an open sided building with a thatched roof or in the cool shade of a Banyan tree. Ayurveda, an ancient form of healing and well being practiced in Sri Lanka, is also a specialty at Uplotha. (B,L,D) |
| Day 8-9: | Today you journey to Sri Lanka's hill capital, the small lakeside city of Kandy, and check into the Kandy House a beautiful and stylishly renovated old colonial 'Walauwe' (ancestral mansion) located away from the town centre, but close enough to use as a base for seeing Kandy’s most memorable sights. (B) |
| Day 10-14: | Travel to the south coast fishing village of Unawatuna, just minutes away from the historic town of Galle. Check into the Secret Garden located a short stroll away from the beautiful bay of Unawatuna, a tranquil guesthouse that offers daily yoga classes in its tropical gardens. (B) |
| Day 15: | Well rested, depart in good time to the Bandaranaike International Airport to catch you’re return flight home. |
travelling with a local operator
This holiday is operated by a company based in the holiday destination and they will be able to provide expert local knowledge. They will be able to tailor make your holiday to suit your requirements not only concerning the dates of travel but also typically the standard of accommodation, and thus price. It is rare for local operators to be able to help with the booking of your flights.how this holiday makes a difference
 Environmental and socially committed hotels: The `Sri Lanka Yoga Retreat’ takes you to some of the most tranquil and picturesque settings in the island. Ulpotha where you will spend most of your holiday - is a natural sanctuary where you will experience Sri Lanka's traditional `unhurried’ lifestyle and a `balanced existence' with the greatest respect to nature that is still practiced in many of the rural villages. Ulpotha is a traditional working village which is only open to guests during 7 months of the year - 8 weeks in June -July and for another 14 weeks from November to March. This eco retreat provides an invaluable contribution towards the preservation of an agricultural way of life in Sri Lanka including bio-diverse organic farming and reforestation of the surrounding area. You will experience traditional Sri Lankan rice and curry cooked in clay pots over a hearth using firewood. Meals are prepared using fresh vegetables and fruit from the village home gardens or seafood brought in from the mornings catch. During the months that it is open to guests, much needed employment is also provided to the youth from the village. Local employment and Responsible tour operations: The tour operator uses only experienced local drivers and guides who are ever willing to share their knowledge with you. All drivers are employed on fair terms, ensuring they receive a proper wage for their services and have access to acceptable facilities, including good, clean, comfortable accommodation. In addition local staff is employed for sales, IT and technical development, web production, writing, and handling holiday enquiries. |
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