Best Western Elyon Colombo
Our CategoryOfficial Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
11 Days 10 nights
Sri Lanka
Cultural Tour, Wildlife Tour
Group & Private
01 Pax onwards
Discover the wonders and delights of Southern Sri Lanka on this fantastic 11 Day tour. Walk in nature and enjoy the scenic mountain views, explore the hill country and tea plantations, take the country’s most spectacular train ride, see elephants in the wild at one of the less-touristed National Parks, walk in the lush rain forest, go whale watching, enjoy seaside towns, gorgeous beaches and more.
TRIP HIGHLIGHTS
Kandy – Visit Budhha’s Tooth Temple, Botanical Gardens and more
Nuwara Eliya & Ella – Scenic Toy Train ride, Tea and Spice Plantation, hike/trek to Horton’s Plains, Little Adams Peak
Udawalwe – Enjoy jeep safari in the park which is renowned for its large herd of elephants as well as deer, wild boar, wild buffalo, jackals and on rare occasions you may even spot a leopard.
Sinharaja – Visit a Elephant transit home and walk in the beautiful rain forest of Sinharaja
Galle and Mirissa – Spend time whale watching or relaxing on the beach. Also explore the Wold Heritage Fort city of Galle
Note: This is a Private Tour with your own private vehicle and personal guides and drivers. We can also book it for couple family or group of friends as per your request. Please raise a request for the same to us and we will revert to you
Your journey begins in Colombo. On arrival at the airport, your driver will be there to meet you and take you to your hotel for check in.
Overnight at Colombo
Meals: none
After breakfast at your hotel, your driver will collect you and take you up into the hills to the city of Kandy (around 4 hours).
Set on a plateau amongst the rainforest with mountain views from every angle, the city of Kandy is a lovely place to visit. In the afternoon, enjoy a city tour of Kandy including the Royal Botanical Garden of Peradeniya.The gardens are home to collection of about 4000 plant species including Giant Bamboo, over 180 species of orchids and the large Ehetu tree which spreads its foliage out to a staggering 2000 square meters. After visiting a gemstone museum and the Kandy Lake, visit the famous Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic - home to one of Buddha's teeth (you won't actually see the tooth as it is kept in a golden casket!). In the evening enjoy a cultural dance show.
*For certain departures in July and August, enjoy the Kandy Esala Perahera Festival. It is also known as the Festival of the Tooth and is one of the grandest Buddhist festivals in Sri Lanka. It is an annual procession that pays homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha - a colourful and lively festival with traditional dances and costumes, fire-dancing, great food and much more.
*Travel during this time incurs a surcharge, please contact us for dates and pricing.
Overnight at Kandy
Meals included: Breakfast and Dinner
Today you will be driven to Nuwara Eliya. Along the way stop at Ramboda Waterfall, visit a tea plantation and factory where you can learn about the process of manufacturing tea and also see how tea is graded.Discover why Sri Lankan tea is some of the world's finest and have a cup of pure Ceylon tea at the factory.
Nuwara Eliya can be translated to "City of Light" and is also known as Little England as colonial times can still be felt and the climate is somewhat cooler here.The mountain slopes are a spectacular sight covered in the bright green tea plantations, all adding to the unique character of Nuwara Eliya.
Enjoy your afternoon at leisure.
Overnight at Nuwara Eliya
Meals included: Breakfast and Dinner
Today set off early for a trek in Horton Plains National Park. Your hotel can prepare a packed breakfast for you.
Horton Plains National Park is a 1.5 hour drive from Nuwara Eliya and is on a plateau in the central highlands near the village of Ohiya.The plateau is at an altitude of 2,100 - 2,300m and the views of the surrounding grasslands and cloud forest are spectacular.The trek today is 9km and can take around 3 hours depending on each individual.
*A reasonable level of fitness is required and we recommend good walking shoes.
On the way back to your hotel visit Gregory Lake, Strawberry Farm and the local bazaars.If you would prefer not to do the hike we can arrange a visit to the Seetha Amman temple and for you to have high tea at the Grand, or you may simply prefer to relax and spend the day at your leisure.
Overnight at Nuwara Eliya
Meals included: Breakfast and Dinner
This morning after breakfast, your driver will take you to the Nanu Oya Train Station where you will board your train to Ella (3.5 - 4 hours journey).This is possibly the most scenic train ride in Sri Lanka and is a highlight for many. Your driver will continue on to Ella (with your luggage) and collect you at the train station.
*Please note: We do our best to book the trains and the majority of the time we can arrange either First Class or Second Class seats. Occasionally we have to book Non AC Class and at times we may not be able to book the train for you - there are some government controls and regulations around the booking process.If we are not able to book you on the train we will arrange your transfer by car - the journey by road is also picturesque and you can stop at various points along the way to enjoy the scenery.
Ella is located in the central highlands and is surrounded with hills covered in tea plantations and cloud forests.It is a laidback town, home to some wonderful local cuisine and has views that are hard to beat.
This afternoon enjoy a trek at Little Adams Peak. The trek is around 3 hours return, is 1,141m in height and the views are fantastic.
*If you would prefer not to trek, please let us know and we can make other arrangements.
Overnight at Ella
Meals included: Breakfast and Dinner
This morning your driver will collect you for the drive to Udawalawe National Park (around 2.5 hours drive).En-route visit Ravana Falls.
Udawalawe National Park is a great place for those who love elephants and for wild elephant spotting.In the afternoon take a jeep safari in the park which is renowned for its large herd of elephants as well as deer, wild boar, wild buffalo, jackals and on rare occasions you may even spot a leopard.
Overnight at Udawalawe
Meals included: Breakfast and Dinner
This morning visit the Elephant Transit Home that is part of the Udawalawe National Park. The transit home was set up to look after the orphaned elephant calves until they could look after themselves and be released back into the wild.Many of the elephants in the park once lived at the Transit Home.
After your visit here, your guide will drive you to Sinharaja Forest Reserve (around 3 hours drive).
Overnight at Sinharaja
Meals included: Breakfast and Dinner
Early this morning join a park guide for a trek in the rain forest of Sinharaja. The starting point for the 6km trek is in Kalawana (Ratnapura) and the trek takes around 3 hours.
*If you prefer to do a shorter walk this can also be arranged. The best time to start the walk is around 6.30 – 7am.
Later drive to Mirissa on the South Coast (around 2.5 hours drive). Here you can spend the day at leisure and enjoy the gorgeous beaches.
Weligama is around 20 minutes drive from Mirissa and you will stay in either Mirissa or Weligama, depending on your choice of accommodation.
Overnight at Mirissa or Weligama
Meals included: Breakfast and DinnerAs well as its gorgeous beaches, Mirissa is known for its marine life including blue whales, sperm whales, dolphins and turtles. Start off early this morning (around 6am) and enjoy a whale watching excursion.
Whale watching is year round in Mirissa, however the best months are from November to March. Return from your boat trip in the afternoon and spend the rest of the day at your leisure.
Overnight at Mirissa or Weligama
Meals included: Breakfast and Dinner
This morning your driver will take you to Galle (around 1 hour drive).
Enjoy sightseeing of the Galle Fort. The walled city was built by the Portuguese in the 16th century, and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.The area is a delight to explore.
Overnight in Galle
Meals included: Breakfast and Dinner
Today your driver will take you back to Colombo (around 2.5 - 3 hours drive).
Enjoy a sightseeing tour visiting the highlights of the city including Independence Square, Wolfendral Church, The Courtyard and also some local shopping areas - the length of the tour will depend on time available to coincide with your departure flight.
When it is time for your flight you will be taken to the airport.
Please note: If you have a morning flight, there may not be time for the sightseeing in Colombo.
**If you wish to start earlier in the day and take a Madu River Safari, visit a turtle hatchery or take part in water sports on the Bentota River, please let us know and we can arrange this for you and provide you with a quote.
Meals included: Breakfast.
10 nights' accommodation.
Check-in & check-out time: generally, check in is after 2 pm and check out before 12 pm.
Early check-in and late check-out are subject to room availability and may generate additional full day room rate.
19 meals as per itinerary - 10 breakfasts, 9 dinners.
All airport transfers - a representative will be there to meet you on arrival and take you to the airport in time for your departure.
Please note: There is one airport transfer on arrival and one airport transfer on departure for the group booked. If within your group you will be arriving separately, please contact us for a quote.
All transportation throughout the tour in a private air-conditioned vehicle. The vehicle used will depend on the size of your group.
Train ride from Nanu Oya to Ella.
*Please note: We do our best to book the trains and the majority of the time we can arrange either First Class or Second Class seats. Occasionally we have to book Non AC Class and at times we may not be able to book the train for you - there are some government controls and regulations around the booking process. If we are not able to book you on the train we will arrange your transfer by car - the journey by road is also picturesque and you can stop at various points along the way including some waterfalls.
Private English speaking driver/guide for sightseeing as per the tour program. Please note your driver will also be your guide.
Entrance and sightseeing fees as stated in the itinerary.
Bottled mineral water (2 bottles per person per day) in the vehicle during journeys and transfersUpon raising request for quote of your tour online, Travelbay will go through your request and will contact you with details regarding price, availability or any other details that you have requested. Our response is typically with-in 24 hrs . Once you give us a go ahead, we will request you to send us a booking advance and start holding accommodation and transportation for your tour.
As soon as we have confirmed the dates (usually within 48 hours sometimes a little longer at weekends) we will email you your booking confirmation.
We will request further information from you to ensure that all your personal preferences are taken care of. This will include details such as dietary requests, allergies, health issues, emergency contact and any special requirements. We will also request a copy of each traveller’s passport and the arrival and departure details.
Capital City: New Delhi
Population: 1.366 billion
Languages: There is no national language in India. Hindi and English are both official languages. India has over 1,000 spoken languages. The languages with the most number of speakers are Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi and Tamil.
Currency: Indian Rupee (INR)
Time Zone: (GMT+05:30) Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi
Dialling code: +91
Religion: Hinduism is the predominant followed by Islam, Christianity, Sikh, Buddhism and Jainism
The best time to visit India is from October through to March. At this time, the weather across India is mostly warm and dry.
India is a large country with a huge range of varying climates. Most of the country is sub tropical with hot, humid summers and mild winters. Below is a very general overview to give you some idea of what to expect.
North India
South India:
How to get there
This tour starts and ends in Delhi.
Flights from Australia to India are approximately $900 – $1,200 per person return. The actual price varies depending on departure city, time of year and luck of the draw!
Travelbay works together with an excellent corporate flight booking company and we would be happy to provide you with a free quote.
If you choose to book your flights with Travelbay, we charge a $50 booking fee for this service.
Most nationalities require a visa when travelling to India. You need to apply for and receive your visa before you depart.
You can apply for an e-visa online or you can apply for your visa via VSF Global who works in conjunction with the Indian embassy. For more information you can visit our visa information page.
To find out the visa requirements for India, you can also check here with Visalink.
Please note: We attempt to provide you with the latest information and links. However, please be aware that it is each traveller’s responsibility (and not Travelbay’s) to ensure that you have a valid visa if required for any country you visit.
