SRI LANKA - JEWEL OF THE INDIAN OCEAN
A cultural tour of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, or Ceylon as it was known for many years, is an ancient land with a recorded history that began around 4th century BC when people settled in Anuradhapura. History, however, is just one small part of what this country has to offer. Breathtaking landscapes, a calm yet dynamic culture, and warm hospitality, influenced by Buddhism, is a large part of what one will experience on this island off the coast of India. Explore Buddhist and Hindu temples, lush green tea estates, sandy beaches and rich culture on this enchanting island.

Tour Summary	Map
Day Place 01 Colombo 02 Colombo / Kandalama 03 Kandalama / Sigiriya / Kandy 04 Kandy / Nuwara Eliya 05 Nuwara Eliya / Mount Lavina 06 Mount Lavina / Colombo 07 Colombo

Day 01: Arrive Colombo
Enna vishayam! (Welcome in Tamil) Upon arrival in one of the world's oldest countries we are welcomed in traditional Sri Lankan style and transferred to your hotel.
Overnight: Hotel Ceylon Continental, Colombo (1 night)

Day 02: Colombo / Kandalama (Drive 285 kms / 177miles)
After an early breakfast we head off for the Elephant Orphanage at Pinnawala for the (0900 hrs) feeding of the elephants and bathing in the river. After this unique experience we visit Dambulla, to explore the rock cave temple, which is comprised of a series of 5 caverns with ceilings of natural rock covered with intricate paintings. The natural folds of the rock have been skillfully used to given the illusion of a cloth. Forty eight statues of the Buddha and images of the various deities can be seen inside the cave. Thereafter we proceed to the 11th Century A.D capital city of Polonnaruwa where the South Indian influence on the architecture is still noticeable. The Gal Vihare is where four colossal statues of the Buddha carved out of the living rock stand testimony to the skill of master craftsmen. We also visit the Tivanka Pilgrimage with its priceless murals and the vast man made lake that is the Sea of Parakrama - a feat of ancient engineering. Evening we proceed to Kandalama
Overnight: Deer Park Hotel, Kandalama (1 night) (B, D)

Day 03: Kandalama / Sigiriya / Kandy (Drive 155 kms / 96 miles)
The day starts with a visit to the World Heritage site at Sigiriya where we climb the 5th century A.D. Rock Fortress. The vision of a patricidal king named Kasyapa transformed an awesome monolith into a cloud swept city. The mirror wall that protects a series of exquisite murals (frescoes of celestial maidens using natural pigments) and the Lion's Paw entrance to the ruined palace on the summit are well worth the effort of the ascent. We proceed to Kandy visiting en route the Spice Gardens at Matale. Kandy was the seat of the Kandyan Kings from the 14th century A.D. and is a repository of Sinhala culture. Evening is an interesting cultural experience as we enjoy a Kandyan Cultural Dance complete with fire eating and fire walking.
The day culminates with a visit of the Dalada Maligawa, the Temple of the Tooth in time for the pooja (sacred offering).
Overnight: Hotel Suisse, Kandy (1 night) (B, D)

Day 04: Kandy / Nuwara Eliya (Drive 120 kms / 74 miles)
Our morning tour of Kandy takes us around the beautiful lake and the upper lake drive. We visit the Arts and Crafts center where we can buy Kandyan silver and brassware, metal work, lacquer work, wood and bone carvings, pottery and hand woven fabrics. Next we visit the Royal Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya, formerly the pleasure gardens of the Sinhala Queens. The gardens contain over 4000 species of plants. The avenue of the Royal Palms, the bamboo fringed Riverside drive, the Bat drive with a vast collection of flying foxes who spend the daylight hours hanging upside down, are some of the special features of this lovely garden. There is also an Orchid house, a Spice garden, a Herb garden and Glass house of Begonias, African Violets and other greenhouse plants. We then proceed to Nuwara Eliya in the heart of the tea country, which was established by the British as a replica of a little English village reminiscent of the Lake District. Even today Tudor and Victorian style houses with trim English gardens speak of a gentler age. An 18 holes golf course and the picturesque lake are a year round attraction. Tour this unusual little city and en route visit a tea factory where you can see the intricacies that go into the manufacture of the world's best loved brew.
Overnight: Hill Club Hotel, Nuwara Eliya (1 night) (B, D)

Day 05: Nuwara Eliya / Mount Lavina (Drive 185 kms / 115 miles)
An interesting day ahead as we head off for Ratnapura, the City of Gems, famous for blue, yellow and star sapphires, cats eyes, rubies, alexandrite and a multitude of semi precious stones in every hue of the rainbow. Gems are found very close to the surface and a visit to a gem "pit" is on every visitor's itinerary. We then proceed to Mount Lavinia. Evening is at leisure or laze by the pool or walk along the beach
Overnight: Mount Lavinia Hotel, Mount Lavina (1 night) (B, D)

Day 06: Mount Lavina / Colombo (Drive 40 kms / 25 miles)
A scenic drive through the city brings us to the busy commercial areas as well as the tree lined residential Cinnamon Gardens. Visit Sea Street - the Goldsmith's quarter in Pettah, the bazaar area, a Hindu Temple, the Dutch Church of Wolfendhal dating back to 1794, the historical Davatagaha Mosque, the Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara (Buddhist Temple) believed to be the site visited by Lord Buddha 2500 years ago.
Overnight: Hotel Ceylon Continental, Colombo (1 night) (B, D)

Day 07: Depart Colombo
VarOnga naan (goodbye in Tamil). After an interesting journey to the gem of the Indian Ocean, we are transferred to the airport for your departure flight. (B)

Departure Dates

2008 English Speaking Departures Daily

Inclusions

Tour Price Includes Tour Price Does Not Include Accommodation as mentioned or similar, including hotel taxes Meals as mentioned (B=Breakfast D=Dinner) All sightseeing and transfers Services of a local English speaking driver/guide Entrance fees to museums and sites included in the itinerary Cultural Dance Show ticket in Kandy Any airfares Departure/airport taxes Insurance/Visas Tips/Beverages

Tour Price

We accept payment in US $ (US Dollars), CA $ (Canadian Dollars) or equivalent EURO (for clients outside North America). Bestway Tours & Safaris offers conversion rate protection. Once full payment has been received, and no modification has been made to the tour itinerary, we will honour that rate. For complete payment procedures, please download Bestway_Payment_Info.pdf Note: to read this file you must have Adobe Acrobat.

Departure Double Occupancy Single Room Supplement 2008 US $ 1335 • CA $ 1335 US $ 305 • CA $ 305 Peak season surcharges for traveling during the months of Feb., Jul. & Dec. will be advised at time of booking.

Estimated International Airfare - International airfare is NOT included in this tour

Canada - West Coast CA $ 1600 USA - West Coast US $ 1400 Canada - East Coast CA $ 1400 USA - East Coast US $ 1200

Participants

This tour operates on a minimum of 02 participants.

Notes

Customised Itinerary If you would like to have a tour on dates other than the above ones or with a customised itinerary, please contact us and we will be happy to work out an exclusive program for you. Foreign Language Departures Please contact us for information on French, German, Italian and Spanish speaking departures. You may e-mail us at bestway@bestway.com or call us at 604.264.7378. Residents of U.S.A./Canada may call us toll free at 1.800.663.0844.