Exquisite Sri Lanka

After breakfast, visit Negombo local market. Thereafter, proceed to Anuradhapura (Approx. 4 Hrs). Upon reaching Anuradhapura, Check in at the hotel and spend the evening at your leisure.

Negombo local market

Negombo is one of the country’s oldest centres for the fishing trade and it is worth the early start to see the fascinating main fish market at its busiest. You will be picked up at approximately 05:30 for the drive to the market. Take a walk around the market where you will see fishermen bringing in the catch of the day and traders preparing their wares, before returning to your hotel for breakfast (closed on weekends, Poya days and public holidays).

Anuradhapura

Located in the remote northwest, Wilpattu is Sri Lanka’s largest national park but is relatively undiscovered. Enjoy a game drive around its forested terrain which is home to crocodiles, elephants, sloth bears and the elusive leopard. This excursion is possible from Anuradhapura hotels or from one of the tented camps situated outside the park.

Enjoy an early morning visit to Wilpattu National Park for a private jeep safari. Here, you can look out for fascinating wildlife while enjoying a packed breakfast. Explore the Anuradhapura Ancient City by Bike later in the afternoon. Return to the resort upon exploring Anuradhapura and spend the evening at leisure.

Wilpattu National Park

Located in the remote northwest, Wilpattu is Sri Lanka’s largest national park but is relatively undiscovered. Enjoy a game drive around its forested terrain which is home to crocodiles, elephants, sloth bears and the elusive leopard. This excursion is possible from Anuradhapura hotels or from one of the tented camps situated outside the park.

Anuradhapura Ancient City

Ancient cities don’t get much bigger than Anuradhapura, and few capitals around the world have ever been as long-lasting. Dating back to the fourth century BC, Anuradhapura was the spiritual and secular capital of the island for well over a millennium. At its height, the city was dotted with monasteries and home to over 10,000 monks, many of these monasteries and colossal dagobas can still be seen today. The story of Anuradhapura can be mystic at times, and visitors to the sacred site have been said to feel a stillness in time.

Anuradhapura consists of more than a dozen archaeological sites. Typically one moves around from site to site either by bike or inside the vehicle. The most important/significant sites are the 3 largest man mad stupas in Sri Lanka, which were – at the time of the pyramids of Egypt – the second-largest man-made structures in the world. You can also see Sri Maha Bodhi, a Sacred Fig said to be the southern branch of the tree under which the Buddha was enlightened. Altogether the visit to Anuradhapura takes approximately 2 to 3 hours.

Enjoy breakfast at the resort and proceed to Sigiriya. Check in at the resort and spend some time at leisure before exploring a rural village in Sigiriya and enjoying a local farmers’ lunch. Return to the resort thereafter, and spend the evening at leisure.

Rural Village Visit in Sigiriya

Enlightening and exhilarating, this village safari gives you a glimpse of a uniquely interlinked Sri Lankan village life where the villagers go about their daily lives with the greatest respect for nature. Spend a morning in the remote village of Hiruwadunna – an area the locals call ‘God’s village’ and said to be a refuge of King Wasaba (66-110 AD). A farmers lunch is included.

Explore the cultural triangle by hot air balloon at sunrise (Available between November and April). Return to the resort afterwards, and spend the afternoon at leisure. Enjoy a lakeside BBQ dinner later in the day

Cultural triangle by hot air balloon at sunrise

Take off as the sun rises and drift above the beautiful countryside on an unforgettable hour-long flight. Enjoy the cool morning air as you try to spot elephants roaming below, with the incredible rock fortress of Sigiriya in the distance. Upon landing, you will be served a glass of champagne. This tour is available from November to April only.

Enjoy breakfast at the resort and proceed to Kandy (Approx 2.5 Hrs). Explore Kandy city, local markets and visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. Check in at the resort to spend the day at leisure.

Kandy City

Kandy was once the capital of the venerated 16th century Kandyan Kings, who fiercely and successfully defended their kingdom against Portuguese and Dutch invaders for 300 years. It eventually fell to the British in 1815, but the salubrious hill station has maintained its position as an epicentre of Sinhalese culture and the site of an important spiritual pilgrimage for Buddhists. Many of the legends, traditions, and folklore are still lovingly kept alive by the region’s friendly people.

The city tour will include a visit to the local markets, the lake area, and Kandy town.

Your guide will park the car and walk through Kandy’s streets with you, showing you the vegetable, meat and fish markets as you walk along the main streets of Kandy ending or starting at the Queens Hotel. This visit is very much tailored to your interests and to the time you have. Nothing is set in stone. The walk could span 30 minutes or even a few hours. Kandy is safe, but still keep an eye on small children, as streets are sometimes congested with pedestrians. Appreciate the hustle and bustle, and the madness of it all around you. Your guide will attempt to make sense of it all for you.

Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic

Sri Dalada Maligawa or the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is a Buddhist temple in the city of Kandy, Sri Lanka. It is located in the royal palace complex which houses the relic of the tooth of Buddha. Since ancient times, the relic has played an important role in local politics because it is believed that whoever holds the relic holds the governance of the country. Kandy was the last capital of the Sri Lankan kings and is a UNESCO world heritage site partly due to the temple.

Monks of the two chapters of Malwatte and Asgiriya conduct daily worship in the inner chamber of the temple. Rituals are performed three times daily: at dawn, at noon and in the evenings. On Wednesdays, there is a symbolic bathing of the Sacred Relic with a herbal preparation made from scented water and fragrant flowers, called Nanumura Mangallaya. This holy water is believed to contain healing powers and is distributed among those present.

The visit typically lasts 1 hour. First, you walk towards the temple through the gardens. Your guide will buy you the entrance tickets. As part of the experience, visitors can buy a lotus flower right at the entrance for 100 LKR per set. Your guide will walk you through the various chambers explaining the history and significance of the temple.

Enjoy breakfast at the resort. Enjoy the Art & Philosophy experience later in the afternoon. Return to the resort to spend the day at leisure.

Art & Philosophy experience

Whilst you are in Kandy, the artistic heart of Sri Lanka, visit two of the island’s best and most captivating artists in the region’s countryside.

Well-known for dancing and artwork including religious frescos, Kandy has fascinated and produced a marvellous group of artisans. For hundreds of years, some of the best national art originates from the emerald Kandyan hills. You will be welcomed with a glass of juice and serene views from your hosts’ veranda before exploring the house and gaining privileged access to this father and daughter’s celebrated artwork. This is a private experience at your hosts’ own home and their inspiring studio, settled in the leafy hills of central Sri Lanka. Spend the evening drinking tea on the veranda, chatting about philosophy, music and – of course – art.

Enjoy breakfast at the resort and proceed to Hatton, which will take approximately 3 hours by train. Check in at the resort and spend the day at your leisure before enjoying a special Tea Infused Dinner.

Hatton by Train

Train tickets are subject to availability

Train tickets can only be confirmed approximately 28 days prior to the train journey, and unfortunately, seats cannot be guaranteed as they are often pre-reserved by government officials and groups. We will be in touch to let you know if we have been able to confirm the tickets in the carriage requested or an alternative carriage. If we have been unsuccessful, we will continue to try to obtain tickets up until the date of the train journey, and your chauffeur will inform you of the status. In an event where train tickets are not obtained, the sum will be refunded immediately.

One fabulous way of exploring the tea country is to jump aboard the train. The dramatic landscape of the highlands stirs the senses as you wind past lush tea plantations, majestic peaks and rushing waterfalls.

The Sri Lanka Railways (the government railway network) was first started in 1864 during the colonial period. The main reason for building a railway system in Sri Lanka (Ceylon) was to transport tea and coffee from the hill country to Colombo. Today, Sri Lanka Railways runs on Victorian-era infrastructure and ageing equipment. Slowly this is changing and the railway systems are being updated. With modernisation, greater efficiencies will be achieved, however, part of the old world charm that surrounds train travel in Sri Lanka will be lost forever.

The train departs from Nanuoya. Your guide will take you to the station around 30-45 minutes in advance. He will have your tickets and will hand them over to you. You may leave your luggage in the vehicle. The vehicle will drive to the station where you will be picked up on the other side. It is recommended that you take only essentials. Your guide will accompany you into the station and show you where the platform is and reconfirm the arrival time with the station master. Feel free to walk around the train station and explore this wonderfully nostalgic setting. Don’t be afraid to ask the Station Master questions about their systems and the technology they use. You can also ask the station master to explain the ‘tablet’ system – it’s fascinating. Your guide will give you water to take with you. When the train arrives, you will be shown to your seats. If you are travelling with a National Guide he will go with you on the train. If you are travelling with a chauffeur guide he will drive the vehicle to the train station down the line where you will be picked up. Your chauffeur guide may be pressed to ‘rush off’ so that he can make it to the other station on time.

Special Tea Infused Dinner

Bringing together the subtle influences of the flavours of tea (not to mention the health benefit), the Tea Infused Dinner is a signature culinary experience unique to Tea Trails. Teas grown in various areas of Sri Lanka have distinctly different flavour profiles, and each lends a different effect to the types of ingredients and methods of preparation.

Enjoy breakfast at the resort before experiencing a planters lunch followed by a tea experience. Then, spend the evening at your own leisure.

Planters lunch & Tea experience

In the early days of the tea industry, before motorized travel could be utilised, tea planters conducted field inspections across a vast area of tea fields and forest, either on foot or on horseback. At midday, they would take a break under the shade of a tree or the shelter of a makeshift hut for lunch and a rest. The Planters Lunch is a more luxurious, four-course version (to Relais and Chateaux standards no less!) served in tiffin boxes in a picnic setting.

The location is on the hillside above Dunkeld Bungalow flanked by tea and jungle on either side, with vistas of the rolling tea fields that start from the glassy Castlereagh Lake and creep up onto jagged mountaintops. The way up to the picnic spot is via a scenic trail that commences at Dunkeld Bungalow and we recommend guests take the walk either up to the picnic spot or from lunch back down to the Bungalow.

We also offer a “hosted” version of this experience in the company of our resident planter Bernard Holsinger, who can provide a fascinating account of life as a planter in the “good old days” to give richer context to the experience. Spend the next day at leisure and enjoy the islands stunning tea country.

Enjoy breakfast at the resort. Thereafter, a sea plane air will transfer you to Yala via Mattala airport, which will take approximately 1 hour, followed by a 45-minute drive. Check in at the resort and enjoy an afternoon jeep safari at the Yala national park. Return to the resort afterwards and spend the evening leisure as well as the following morning.

Jeep Safari – Yala National Park

The following afternoon, head out on a Jeep Safari to Yala National Park, the second-largest yet most famous national park in Sri Lanka. Yala is famous for its high concentration of leopards. In its essence, the park consists of shrub jungle with rock outcrops along with several freshwater and saltwater lagoons. Some of the most prominent sightings in Yala are of leopards, elephants, sloth bears, sambar, spotted deer, jackals, wild boar and buffaloes, langur and macaque monkeys. Yala is also famous for its birdlife, with around 130 species of birds that have been spotted at the premises including black-necked stork, sandpipers, pelicans, egrets, hoopoes, parakeets and bulbuls. You can spot flamboyant peacocks as soon as you enter the park, but will have to search for the evasive jungle fowl, the national bird of Sri Lanka.

Enjoy breakfast at the resort and proceed to the Weligama (which takes approximately 2 hours). Check in at the resort and spend the day at leisure. The following day, leave early to enjoy a private whale watching experience in the morning (includes breakfast). Return to the resort at noon and spend the day at your leisure again.

Enjoy the breakfast at the resort and proceed to Colombo. Check in at the hotel and spend some time at leisure. Enjoy Colombo’s culture walk later in the afternoon. The Dinner will be at The Ministry of Crab, Colombo’s premier seafood restaurant, ranked among the top 50 restaurants in Asia. Afterwards, return to the resort and spend the evening at your leisure.

Colombo’s culture walk

Take a peek into a handful of Colombo’s sacred spaces, as you stroll with your guide through Kochichikade into the sights and sounds of Pettah’s lively streets.

Meet at the floating Gangarama Buddhist temple, Seema Malaka on Beira Lake. Then travel by tuk-tuk to Sri Ponnambalam Vanesar Kovil, an intricately carved granite Hindu temple, a short walk from St. Anthony’s Shrine, a national Catholic monument where you can hear the story of Anthony of Padua. Follow a chain of flower garland kades (shops) into the cacophony of Pettah life and the smell of Indian short eats sold from local stalls. Pass by the old town hall, an eye-catching neo-gothic building and Kayman’s Gate, a more inconspicuous Dutch bell tower, before finishing your walk outside Jami Ul-Afar Mosque, the exterior of which resembles a pomegranate.

Enjoy a final breakfast at the hotel and proceed to the airport for departure.