100% customisable travel idea
Active Sri Lanka with your teens Safari, lost cities and Orange Pekoe
Sri Lanka - Colombo - Gampola - Kandy - Kalkudah - Sigiriya
100% customisable travel idea
Sri Lanka - Colombo - Gampola - Kandy - Kalkudah - Sigiriya
100% customisable for you
Night on board, arrival the next day.
Meet your English-speaking driver-guide. Your accommodation is not far from the lively centre of Colombo, yet it is shielded from its hustle and bustle. A peaceful night after the flight is always refreshing. The accommodation provides the essentials that travellers need: good facilities and comfort, friendly service and a pleasant atmosphere. Here, it is generally in marble. Breakfast is served on site. The terrace lets you enjoy the early hours. And the garden provides the greenery.
Scheduled - Colombo like a local. Here, you’ll meet Olivier, a French native from Colombo. He knows the city inside out. Nothing is standardised. A meeting and an exchange of perspectives, curiosities, passions and expectations help set out the action plan: the idea is to step into Colombo’s rhythm and to experience a few hours as its residents do. Port or lake, culture or entertainment, cricket or street food, Dutch Hospital or Nelum Pokuna Theatre - anything is possible. You’ll get straight to the heart of the matter with someone who has both knowledge and experience, and who also knows how to adapt to a younger audience.
Optional - A treasure hunt through Colombo by tuk-tuk.
You’ll drive to Gampola, in the Kandy district. Stay for three nights just outside the village at an altitude of 800 metres. The elevation brings a promise of mild temperatures. A large garden surrounds the British-era villa. And around that, there are tea and spice plantations and orchards, along with dense and vibrant vegetation over misty backdrops. The interior design has respected the cottage’s original spirit while giving it the necessary facelift. Here you’ll find the main elements of British aesthetics: evocative furniture from the empire’s golden age, impeccably shiny red tiles, ceiling fans, carpets and printed fabrics. All of this, however, has been refreshed and given a contemporary style, with a taste for white and fluid spaces. The rooms are fully equipped. The common areas invite lively conversation. At the restaurant, you’ll find rice and curry, of course, but also international dishes that the chefs prepare with flair. Massages and yoga classes are available. There is also a lovely infinity pool in the garden.
Scheduled - Orange Field Tea Factory. Not far from the hotel, this small factory works with more than 700 producers. The tour provides insight into the art and method of preparing tea leaves for infusion. Black tea is served. The process is rather meticulous. Especially for premium quality teas, crafted from the most tender leaves. These are the Pekoe teas, often called “Orange” because Dutch merchants reserved the first pickings for the princes of Orange-Nassau. At the end of the tour, with an English-speaking guide, you’ll have a taste, of course! Then, by tuk-tuk, we’ll travel through the rice fields to Ganegoda temple. This shimmering landscape is one where Asia combines agriculture and landscape art. The Kataragama Devalaya is a small rural shrine, low and white against the vibrant green of the rice plants. Historians agree that it was built in the 17th century. Kataragama is one of the leading figures in the Buddhist pantheon, according to local tradition. An insight into the religion of the countryside.
Optional - Hike on the Pekoe Trail.
Scheduled - A walk in the countryside, accompanied by a private guide. These gently undulating landscapes, this lush vegetation, the edges of the waterfalls teeming with life are all so thrilling to glimpse among the foliage and on the rocks. It must be said that you’ll find plenty of bird names here: Pompadour green pigeon, red-crowned barbet, Chinese oriole, golden-eyed moupinia, and so on. During the hour and a half walk, there will be plenty of oohs and aahs of surprise and excitement. The walk is also a chance to see the countryside at work, in the fields and gardens. Its good health is the result of persevering work.
You’ll take the train to Kandy, where you’ll meet the driver. In Sri Lanka, the railway service, which is still very British, is an experience in itself, a little journey within the journey. 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 keeps this memory alive. The natural surroundings are splendid and abundant, beyond the manicured lawns. The interior strikes a balance between grand British style and contemporary rigour. It is always very well maintained and comfortable. The restaurant serves both Sri Lankan and international cuisine with flawless expertise. Afternoon tea follows tradition. The spa showcases the therapeutic benefits of tea. A lovely swimming pool is available.
Scheduled - In the former royal palace, the Temple of the Tooth preserves a tooth of the Buddha. It is a precious relic, and possessing it ensures a certain religious and political standing. Every day, many pilgrims come to venerate it. It’s not so surprising when you think about the veneration of relics at home. Private tour in English.
Also planned - a private Sri Lankan cooking class. It's always a great way to connect with people to step into their kitchen. You’ll therefore be invited to tie on an apron and grab a saucepan with a family from Kandy. First of all, you’ll take a trip to the market for fresh ingredients, since that's where it all begins. Next, under the supervision of the home chef, you’ll prepare a signature dish. It will most likely be a curry. And everyone will put in their best effort, as the result will be shared and assessed on the spot. Attentiveness easily makes up for any gaps in English.
Drive to Kalkudah. The driver will then depart. Settle in for three nights on Kalkudah Bay. The tented suites are set up under the palm trees that line the beach. This way, they are not fully exposed to the wind or the sun. They’re protected. They are also very well equipped, comfortable and elegant. The indoor/outdoor bathroom is very pleasant. The openings widen or narrow according to your needs. You’ll feel in tune with the environment. The call of the sand is palpable. The beach is suitable for swimming, but two pools are available for those who prefer calm, controlled water. International cuisine, seafood, pizza - the restaurant welcomes families as they are, with a commendable culinary realism. And professionalism. You’ll find this same attitude at the Ayurvedic spa, where parents can really unwind.
The beach is long and still natural. There is some equipment in the northern part, but it is basic. Elsewhere, you’ll find outrigger boats. There is space for everything you can imagine doing on the sand. And in the water (in supervised sections). Boat trips will take you to beautiful snorkelling or diving spots. We can adapt the programme to each person’s abilities. Nevertheless, in this context, doing nothing is not entirely without merit. It would actually be quite logical. The overall gentleness and the soft rustling of the rolling waves invite you to relax. Taking it easy is still making the most of the moment. But the young people are calling! How about a game of beach volleyball or a bike ride?
Optional - Cycling in Palamunai.
New driver-guide. You’ll then drive to Sigiriya. You’ll settle in for three nights a few kilometres north of the site. Two ponds give the estate a gentle lakeside feel. It was built in a reimagined Sinhalese style, with great clarity. This character is reflected in the layout and décor. This overall balance is truly relaxing. The bungalows (on platforms) offer a lovely space for the whole family. Not feeling cramped - that’s a truly pleasant feeling, enjoyed by adults and children alike. At the restaurant, the cuisine is pan-Asian. In the garden, the pool is perfect.
Scheduled - Polonnaruwa by bike. In the 12th and 13th centuries, Polonnaruwa was the capital of Ceylon. The site features remarkable monuments, but the Buddha sculptures—standing, seated and reclining—at the Gal Vihara rock temple, and the Lankathilaka temple, a royal foundation, all from the 12th century, are especially impressive. The bike is for getting around - and for fun.
Scheduled - Simhagiri, Lion Rock. The fortress of the mad king Kashyapa - parricide and usurper of the Anuradhapura crown - is perched atop the 180 metres (590 feet) of red gneiss of Lion Rock and dates back to the 5th century. The hydraulic engineering of the site is highly sophisticated, and the Demoiselles (royal concubines or apsaras) painted on the stone walls are exceptional - both for their beauty and because they are the only known female images from that period in Sri Lanka. UNESCO could not overlook such achievements. You’ll climb up via metal stairs. From there, the panorama is splendid. The driver will accompany you on the visit. At the foot of the rock, Sigiriya is easily explored by bicycle. You’ll put on a helmet and hop on the bike, then, following a private guide, you’ll pedal through the protected area and its surroundings. A playful way to approach archaeology.
Optional - a game of cricket.
Scheduled - Safari in Minneriya National Park. This park was established to protect a 3rd-century artificial lake and its ecosystem. The meadows along the reservoir attract many elephants, especially during the dry season, as well as sambar and axis deer - a welcome food source for the Sri Lankan leopard. The pale semnopithecus - with sideburns reminiscent of Emperor Franz Joseph I - and the crowned macaque are at home here. Among the birds, the Lesser Adjutant and the Painted Stork, both with long beaks on long necks, as well as the Spot-billed Pelican, are particularly fond of the creatures that live in these wetlands. The private safari takes place in a specially equipped off-road vehicle, with an English-speaking guide. Next, you’ll visit the cave sanctuaries of the Dambulla Golden Temple: ancient Buddhist statues and mural paintings from the Kandy school show the demon Mara trying to divert the Buddha from the path to enlightenment - 18th century.
Optional - Alms offering to the monks.
Drive to Colombo Airport. Return flight. Night on board, arrival the next day.
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