Sri Lanka tailor made tours
The range spans budget boutique properties to luxury heritage propoerties throughout.
All activities as stated with dedicated Guides.
Description of Sri Lanka tailor made tours
This tailor made tour takes you to the island of Sri Lanka, in the Indian Ocean. Covering a total area of 65,000 square kilometres, it lies close to the subcontinent of India but couldn't be more different.
Buddhism laid the foundations for the ancient culture of this island nation and this is evident in the magnificent architecture and sites that are around today. From the ancient 5th-century rock fortress at Sigiriya, the home of early Buddhist monks, to the temple complex near Kandalama, the influence of Buddhism is still evident in the lives of the people that live around these ancient sites and on the island in general.
Sri Lanka's abundant wildlife, unique birdlife and diverse topography are arguably one of the island's greatest attractions. There aren't too many places on this earth that can boast having the highest leopard population density in the world! With diverse topography ranging from prehistoric rock and mud plains, to moist monsoon forests and marine wetlands, Yala National Park offers you the opportunity to see these magnificent cats on safaris that can last for up to seven hours!
Not to be left behind the leopards, the awesome elephants at Minneriya National Park boast some of the largest free-roaming herds on the subcontinent. Also at the National Park are endemic species of Gray Hornbill and Hanging Parrot. For the more water inclined, Sri Lanka's east, west and southern coasts offer a diverse range of scuba dive options from historic wreck-dives to a fascinating diversity of reefs and marine life. But on this experience, Whale watching off the Coast of Mirissa is a definite must do!
Colonialism left its mark on this small island nation and the results can be seen in the plantation-rich and culturally distinct mountain regions of Ella and Kandy.
We believe a journey through this tropical island isn’t complete without a rail experience. Some of the most scenic rail roads exist on this compact Indian Ocean Island and we’ll have you experience one of them. Situated in Central Sri Lanka you’ll experience a journey from Kandy through fascinating countryside, culminating in the tea country of Ella!
Capping the trip is the historic and atmospheric Galle Fort with it’s lovely walking and culinary trails that we curate through.
Itinerary
| Days 1-2 | Colombo and Pettah - You arrive into Colombo, where after some time to acclimatise to local conditions, you’ll experience guided walking trails that serve to highlight the culture and trading heritage of Colombo and Pettah. |
| Days 3-4 | Dambulla and lofty Sigiriya Rock - Heading inland, we’ll head to experience the caves complex at Dambulla. The following day would be the climb up the lofty Sigiriya rock to experience rock art and the awesome vistas to behold from up top. Towards the afternoon, you’ll experience the vast Elephant herds of Minneriya National Park! |
| Days 5-6 | Colonial Kandy, its monuments & Kandayan traditions - Historic buildings, well laid-out botanical gardens and bazaar streets define what Kandy is all about. We'll cap these experiences with a performance of the 2,500-year old dance and drummer routine. |
| Day 7 | A Scenic Train - Badulla via Ella! - Through the heartland of Central Sri Lanka, lies this magnificent rail experience. Cutting through mountainous Sri Lanka and offering up breathtaking vistas en route, this journey from Kandy to Badulla, ultimately via Ella, is a highlight not to be missed on the island! |
| Days 8-9 | Countryside walking in Ella - You spend these days at leisure, soaking in your plantation surroundings and experiencing fantastic walking through mountainous Ella. |
| Days 10-12 | The Leopards of Yala! - These two days will cover some of the most comprehensive sojourns into the Yala National Park with the hope of catching sight of the elusive Leopard, known to thrive in it's greatest numbers here other than any where else in the world! With two full-day safaris, this wildlife experience through Yala would be a thoroughly comprehensive one, giving you not only an insight into Leopard habitat, but also the topography and varied terrain of Yala National Park by the coast. |
| Days 13-14 | Whales off Mirissa - Seasonal it might be, but spotting the Blue Whales off the south west coast of Sri Lanka are a treat and we cover these experiences through ethical boat services that serve to take you out onto open water to watch these magnificent mammals. However before you get to the coast, we will give you a comprehensive insight into another traditions of Sri Lanka - elaborate face-masks, proudly displayed in their heritage museum. |
| Days 15-16 | Colonialism, Colombo & Galle - We complete the circuit of the island but not before re-visiting the history of the Colonial British and Dutch and the influence they had on the western coast of this Island Nation with comprehensive insights into their history in the town of Galle. |
| Day 17 | Leaving the Island - You depart Sri Lanka from Colombo after completing a circuit hopefully covering the unique culture and natural beauty of this Island nation. |
Price information
The range spans budget boutique properties to luxury heritage propoerties throughout.
All activities as stated with dedicated Guides.
Departure information
Travel guides
Reviews
4 Reviews of Sri Lanka tailor made tours
Reviewed on 15 Apr 2016 by David Carter
Our holiday was a lifetime experience in a lot of ways. We had so many great moments and would not have managed to do so much without the opportunity of our own chaffeur guide. Ash was a star! Read full reviewReviewed on 22 Mar 2016 by Oana Timofte
It was really wonderful. We still have a million things that we would like to do next time we go to Sri Lanka :)It was relaxing to have it all reserved and taken care of in advance. Read full reviewReviewed on 10 Mar 2015 by Sandy Easterbrook
It was excellent thanks to the organizational skills of the tour company, and to lovely people of Sri Lanka, who always had a smile and a greeting for us. Read full reviewReviewed on 10 Jul 2014 by Eliana Sofia da Silva Pereira
Great moments full of adventure, culture, history, natural and wild life along with a deep buddhist culture. Read full reviewResponsible Travel
Planet
Eco-conscious family staysWe support Carla & Muna, a Sri Lankan Family and their quaint eco-homestay situated near Yala National Park. As a company we will only use their property for all our travelers in the area due to their policies on conservation, eco-sensitivity and their rich local knowledge.
Carla & Muna have a small property, situated by a river besides the Yala National Park with cottages constructed entirely out of local eco-material such as compacted earth, coconut thatch, the wood from coconut trees and other materials sourced locally. As pure vegetarians, they ensure that all their food prepared, served and consumed is from raw materials present on their property and additionally from only local farmers in the region that surrounds them.
Given Carla & Muna’s respect for their local environment, their property is designed and laid out to be as natural as possible with a proliferation of natural flowering and fruiting plants and trees; all set within a few metres away from the river. As a result their property attracts a multitude of endemic bird species from the nearby Yala National Park, making their property an important pollen generator for the surrounding region.
People
Local Driver and GuideJayanth De Silva is a not only a local expert and Guide on Sri Lanka’s history, sights and the local cultures but is also an expert Driver. As an professional, Jayanth has the ability to not only chauffer visitors through Sri Lanka safely, but also provides unique insights into this Island Nation’s unique culture, the history of it’s people and the nuances of the various communities and their religions; all this apart from being a qualified Guide to all the local Monuments and historic sights of the regions.
Like Jayanth de Silva, we hire only locals to serve this exact role for all our travelers through the Island Nation of Sri Lanka. With this job, Jayanth is not only able to support his family and give his children the future they deserve, but also serves as an inspiration and model for other young Sri Lankans who realize that there is such a great potential in being a professional like Jayanth.
Local employment
We use local, eco and socially responsible properties such as the property of Carla & Muna near the Yala National Park. As local Sri Lankans themselves, they strongly believe in employing locals from their surrounding villages. This serves a couple of functions where firstly it gives locals a form of steady, well paying employment without having to travel away from their home bases and it encourages and keeps alive the traditions of local cuisine styles and practices – from the use of local ingredients to the use of age-old cooking practices and use of spices and ingredients. For example, the property and the locals who work there have expert knowledge on the right use of all the elements of the Coconut tree, from construction to the use of it’s fruit in cooking and as an effective repository for natural minerals that the body requires.
Scuba Diving is another area that provides much needed training and employment to the boys of local Fishing families by the coast, especially since the devastating Tsunami. Since then we have supported PADI training institutes and organizations that recruit and train locals and who have helped them overcome the trauma of the water and return to life by the coasts.
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