TEL AVIV – COLOMBO
We will meet at the airport at night for our flight to Colombo , the capital of Sri Lanka. The 25th largest island in the world, named consists of a combination of two words which in Sanskrit mean ‘Holy Island’. The Dutch who arrived in 1658 developed a system of canals reminiscent of Holland and the British who arrived on the island in 1815 changed its name to Ceylon , paved railways, planted orchards and erected impressive buildings.
Upon landing and meeting our representative, we will drive to our hotel for dinner and overnight.
After breakfast we will go to Havarna. Already in the first trip in Sri Lanka we will be exposed to the contrasts and the inherent diversity in the country. On our way we will stop to visit an elephant breeding and conservation farm in Pinawala.
Upon arrival in Habarna we will visit at the impressive golden temple and at the end of the visit we will arrive at our hotel for dinner and overnight.
Breakfast at the hotel and start your day with a tour of the Rock Fortress – Sigiriya which is considered one of the eight built wonders of the world. Parts of the citadel were designed in the shape of a giant lion, but today only the giant feet have been preserved, through them we go to the top. We will enter the site, see the canals and water pools, including fountains which in the rains still work. We will continue to the impressive gardens and climb to the “Rock Fortress” which was built in the 5th century AD. On the way up, on the side of the rock are the murals of the “Heavenly Maidens” – delicate and beautiful murals whose original colours have not faded for over 2000 years.
In the afternoon, we will go on a tour of the local market of Dambulla, near the Golden Temple. We will visit the largest wholesale market of vegetables and fruits in Sri Lanka. We will also visit the temple complex built inside a cave. In the evening, we will leave the reserve and make our way back to Habarna and enjoy a cruise on the lake. At the end of the day, we will return to our hotel for dinner and overnight.
Today after breakfast we will drive to the heart of the spice plantations – the town of Matale, the spice growing Island area. We will stop to visit a spice farm, hear about the adventurers who were drawn to the magic of exotic flavours and the trading companies that came to the place in search of exciting flavours. We will see the spice gardens, and we will learn what Kerry looks like, what is the shape of vanilla, and what is the real taste of cinnamon and black pepper as live plants. We will continue our journey to Kandy, which was the last capital city (until the arrival of the English) of the kings of Sri Lanka. We will go to a view and see why the attempts to conquer the city failed. We will continue to the maze of alleys of the old city and get lost among the old buildings, shops, restaurants and delicatessens. Fragrances of old and new are mixed. We will continue to visit the temple.
The Tooth” – a temple where one of Buddha’s teeth from 2500 years ago is preserved, which was declared a world heritage site. Ceremonies are held in the temple during the day, and it is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the Buddhist world. We will also visit a museum of precious stones and a workshop for making art pieces. We will end our day with a folklore show, local music – movement and dance accompanied by the beat of the drum, another touch in the world of Sri Lanka. In the evening, we will arrive at our hotel for the night.
After breakfast we will visit the Pradania Botanical Garden and see the abundance of cultivated vegetation there, as a religious and cultural motif – and as an ecological motif advocating the preservation and cultivation of the environment. Before we reach Nuwara Eliya we will visit the Ramboda Falls Reserve. Nuwara Eliya , means “City of Lights”, but the British who founded the city, called it “Little England” . Most of the buildings in the city preserve the colonial Victorian style that the British brought with them in the 19th century. The large central square, the old post office, Lake Gregory where you can sail and fish, and the park named after Queen Victoria located in the heart of the town – is as if for a moment we landed in Great Britain. Later in the evening, we will arrive at our hotel.
In the morning, we will visit the tea plantations that the whole area is immersed in. Then drive through hills, a beautiful green mountainous area, with tea plantations, cloud forests, lakes, rivers and waterfalls. The climate is great and cool, a refreshing change to the tropical climate prevailing in the whole island. We will visit the tea plantations and a local factory for the black drink, we will see the production process and hear the story of the green drink and the leaf from which it is prepared. We will continue driving towards the beach area. On our way we will stop to visit a Hindu temple – Sita Aman which contains an epic story. We will continue to the resort town of Bentota and on our way we will stop to visit the waterfalls and spectacular observation points. Towards evening we will arrive at our hotel for dinner and overnight.
After breakfast we will go on a safari cruise to Cinnamon Island. We will continue and visit the sea turtle reserve and then we will visit the GALLE fort – an old Dutch fort. We will continue to Unawatuna Beach and see a traditional fishing method that is over 350 years old, when the fishermen stand-leaning with their rods on a wooden pole, floating above the water. After enjoying a spectacular sunset, we will return to our hotel for dinner and overnight.
Free day and rest on the beaches of Sri Lanka, simply lie on the fine sand of one of the deserted beaches and enjoy the silence, or stretch out in a hammock, tied between two tall coconut trees, with a glass of colourful drink with a parasol in your hand and the spectacular horizon in front of you. At noon we will go to Colombo, free time will be given for shopping and at late in the evening we will arrive at the airport for a night flight back to Tel Aviv, where we will land on the 9th day.
