100% customisable travel idea
Discover Sri Lanka Buddhism, beaches and Ceylon tea
Sri Lanka - Dambulla - Kandy - Nuwara Eliya - Yala - Ahungalla
Sri Lankan premier
Your journey
Your driver-guide is one of the key elements of the journey. They drive you around, but also make the many visits easier for you, answering practical questions as well as those about etiquette. In short, a travel companion who spares you any worry. You communicate with them in English: no matter how comfortable you are with the language, it’ll be fine. The train journey between Kandy and Nuwara Eliya is a little Sinhalese bonus experience, with high standards of comfort at every stop-off. Lord Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of India, lived where you stay in Kandy. The Scottish planter’s house in Nuwara Eliya is rather impressive too. These are just examples. In any case, comfort and a sense of spirit is everywhere, and a swimming pool almost everywhere. Along the way, some activities are already entered on your itinerary. They include cultural sites, such as Polonnaruwa or the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy; vast natural areas: Horton Plains, Yala National Park and Madu Ganga Lagoon; and hybrids, such as Pidurangala Rock and Peradeniya Botanical Garden. Explore by tuk-tuk, on foot (depending on ability), or in a suitable vehicle. And you still have plenty of time to continue exploring or to unwind as you please. The pace is steady, but not frantic. Would you like to witness the Buddhist offering ritual, learn to cook Sri Lankan dishes, or step into the history of Galle? You just need to tell us. And if an off-the-cuff wish or a minor setback arises along the way, you have the contact details for our on-site Concierge service who will assist you.
Itinerary
100% customisable for you
Night on board, arrival the next day.
Meet your English-speaking driver-guide. Drive to Dambulla. You’ll stay for two nights on the shores of Kandalama reservoir. The villas are tucked away beneath the trees; they open onto the gardens and offer the easy-going comfort that suits travellers. This is the spirit of the estate: a certain elegance without airs. As for meals, you’ll enjoy skilfully crafted fusion cuisine in the dining room, in your home, or outdoors, just about anywhere in the park. While some head to the spa, others play ping-pong, badminton, volleyball or go cycling. Then of course there’s the pool. You can also go canoeing on the lake.
On your itinerary - Polonnaruwa, by tuk-tuk and in private. The tuk-tuk - a motorised tricycle - is an excellent way to explore the capital of Ceylon from the 11th to 13th centuries. The estate features remarkable attractions, but the Buddha sculptures (standing, seated and reclining) of the Gal Vihara, a 12th-century rock temple, are especially impressive. UNESCO has listed it as a World Heritage Site. You will also visit, still accompanied by your driver-guide, the cave sanctuaries of the Dambulla Golden Temple - ancient Buddhist statues and mural paintings from the Kandy school, 18th century. As for climbing Pidurangala Rock in Sigiriya, you need to be in good physical shape: There are 1,200 steps and a final rock climb. A local guide will accompany you. The toque macaques you’ll meet along the way, an ancient rock-cut Buddhist monastery and a splendid view of Lion Rock - home to the eagle’s nest of King Kashyapa the Parricide, 5th century - are well worth the effort.
Optional - Alms-giving to the monks.
First, you’ll drive to Kandy. Then you’ll spend the night in the hills. During the Second World War, Louis Mountbatten, then head of the South East Asia Command, came here to rest from his duties. The décor, entirely British Empire in style, preserves its memory. The natural surroundings are splendid. The interior strikes a balance between grand British style and contemporary rigour. It is always very well maintained and comfortable. The restaurant offers Sri Lankan and international cuisine, prepared with perfect skill. Afternoon tea follows tradition. The spa showcases the therapeutic benefits of tea. A beautiful swimming pool is available.
Scheduled - In the former royal palace, the Temple of the Tooth preserves one of the Buddha’s teeth. It is a precious relic, and possessing it ensures a certain religious and political standing. Every day, many pilgrims come to venerate it. Private visit. Next, you have your tickets for the Royal Botanical Garden of Peradeniya in yourpocket. It is renowned for its collections of orchids and palm trees, as well as its garden of aromatic plants. Developed in the 1840s, this site is marked by both a romantic design and the exuberance of local plant life. The encounter makes it a uniquely appealing park.
Optional - A private Sri Lankan cooking class.
Train to Nanu Oya. These few hours are a true journey within a journey - a Belle Époque atmosphere and spectacular scenery. At the destination, you’ll meet your driver and the journey to Nuwara Eliya ends. You’ll settle in for two nights at Regala. The main house dates from 1884, built for Scottish planters. A recent renovation has restored all its charm and fitted it with state-of-the-art amenities. The result is full of antique furniture and entirely comfortable. Your room is elegant, bright. The living room, the library and the dining room are in perfect harmony. In the latter, there is a return to the tradition ofthe appus, cooks from the colonial era who were both specialists in curries and trained in the Sunday roast. In the afternoon, you can go hiking or cycling through the tea plantations, or play tennis on the estate clay court.
Nuwara Eliya is the “Little England” of Sri Lanka’s highlands. During the colonial era, the British travelled up to this high-altitude town - a hill station - to escape the stifling heat. There, as if weightless in the shadow of Pidurutalagala, they found a Britain more authentic than the real thing, complete with all the essentials: Anglican church, post office, pub, club, botanical garden and golf course. These still captivate today.
Scheduled - hiking in the Horton Plains. This famous national park lies south of Nuwara Eliya, on a vast plateau with moorlands and the finest remaining stretches of Sri Lanka’s cloud forest. Birdwatchers will be delighted, with twenty-one endemic species, including four from Sri Lanka found only in Horton Plains: the Sri Lanka blue magpie (Urocissa ornata), the Sri Lanka white-eye (Zosterops ceylonensis), the Sri Lanka wood pigeon (Columba torringtoni) and the dull-blue flycatcher (Eumyias sordida). You can hike up to the breathtaking viewpoint of World’s End, for example, as long as you have some stamina. A specialist guide will adapt the itineraries to suit your abilities.
You’ll drive to Yala, where you’ll meet the ocean. Then you’ll stay overnight in a large contemporary establishment known for its transparency, wide terraces and a long swimming pool. Here you will find the qualities and functional approach of the international style. The cuisine and services are on par with it.
Scheduled - A private visit to Yala National Park. The park is home to several ecosystems, including humid tropical forest, dry evergreen forest, grasslands and mangroves. The Sri Lankan elephant feels at home here. The buffalo and the toque macaque are seen more often than the saltwater crocodile or the spectacled cobra. In the end, that’s not a bad thing. The Ceylon panther and the sloth bear are found here, but they are elusive. From the endemic Lafayette's junglefowl to the widespread Eurasian curlew, birds are flapping their wings everywhere. A safari in an off-road vehicle with a park ranger has been scheduled.
Drive to Ahungalla. You’ll stay for two nights between the lagoon and the ocean, in a colonial house - once a cinnamon distillery - truly charming. This is not because of the concept, but to the care taken everywhere with aesthetic details and to increase the pleasure of the guests. Outside, the white walls are dazzling; inside, they are calm. The furniture is unusual; it comes from reputable antique dealers and adds to the enjoyment of life here. This hedonistic spirit is also reflected in a flower-filled garden, where a large pool is gently warmed. Under the verandas, you’ll settle into a place where you could spend hours - the bliss of the shade… The dining room is a kiosk in the garden. Sri Lankan and French cuisines are brilliantly orchestrated here. Ayurvedic treatments are provided on site by an experienced practitioner.
Optional - Galle with a historian.
Already planned - A special day on Madu Ganga Lake. This lagoon is a Ramsar site - a wetland of international importance, notably for its ancient mangroves. And for the wealth of birdlife. You’ll set off on a journey across tranquil waters, which generously nourish both birds and people. The people here catch shrimp with traditional traps. Among these are the Oriental darter, little egret, Indian openbill, double-barred green imperial pigeon, Sri Lanka grey hornbill, and others. You’ll disembark on Merala Island, where pineapples, vegetables and spices are grown. Guided walk in English. Cinnamon gets a special chapter. Whether peeled or distilled, it is a flagship product of the sector. You’ll also pass the distillery. Have lunch with a local family.
Of course, your accommodation’s location is perfect for the beach. Ahungalla beach stretches for nearly 5 km (3 miles).
Transfer to Colombo Airport. Return flight. Night on board, arrival the next day.
À la carte
This suggested itinerary can be customisable down to the smallest detail, including duration, stops and content. An à la carte menu of experiences is also available to create a journey that reflects who you are.
Dambulla - Alms to the monks
Pindapata, or offering the bowl, is a precept and a practice that stems from the life of poverty led by Buddhist monks. The ritual of almsgiving is its enactment. This establishes reciprocity between the clergy and laypeople: the latter provide the necessary material goods, while the former offer spiritual goods. The practice thus helps to cement Buddhist society. Almsgiving is therefore a daily occurrence. Together with your driver-guide, you’ll help a family to prepare and share a meal. An experience that takes you to the heart of traditional Sri Lankan life.Private Sri Lankan cookery lesson
Stepping into their kitchen is always an excellent way to connect with people. We invite you to pull on an apron and grab a saucepan alongside a family from Kandy. First things first: a trip to the market for fresh ingredients, since that is where it all begins. Next, prepare an iconic dish under the supervision of the home chef. This will probably be a curry! Everyone does their best, as the result will be shared and evaluated there and then. Attentiveness easily makes up for any possible gaps in your English.Galle with a historian
Galle Fort is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is the largest fortress built by Europeans in Asia. Founded by the Portuguese in the 16th century, it was later expanded and embellished by the Dutch. It’s fortune was in fact made by the trade of the Dutch East India Company. Civil and religious buildings still bear witness to this prosperity. For example: the Groote Kerk, the Dutch Reformed church dating from the 18th century, or the old hospital from the 17th century. You will be thankful for the Tharanga Liyanarachchi, who provided the English translation, particularly ensuring the appropriate historical order and sharing fitting anecdotes.
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