Sri Lanka - Itinerary

Day 1

Departure for Colombo

Day 2

We reach Colombo airport and go from there to Negombo which is 7 km away and make ourselves at home at our hotel. Negombo is one of the biggest fishing harbours on the western shore of Sri Lanka. Before eating dinner and going to bed you can take a dip in the ocean.

Day 3

In the morning we go into Colombo to discover the largest city on Sri Lanka. Many different kinds of people from many different countries have made their impressions on the city: the Portuguese, the Dutch and the English have all controlled the island. We visit the mosque Jami Alfar, the area where the Portuguese built their forts and go to a bazaar in the Pettah district. Maybe we make a visit to Galle Face Hotel to drink ”hightea” as well. Towards evening we go back to our hotel in Negombo.

Day 4

We visit DemCollective, the Swedish textile company which specialises in the making of clothes in ecological and fair-trade labeled cotton and fabric. After that we go to an orphanage run by the Red Cross. In the evening we go for an evening swim. For those inclined, lying on the beach all day is a good alternative.

Day 5

Today we set off for the inland parts of the country. We stop in Anarudhapura, the capital in the first kingdom on Sri Lanka in the 1000 century BC. The nature along the road is green and lovely and offers many types of scenery to enjoy. We will stop several times along the way to buy fruit and other interesting things. When arriving in Anarudhapura there is a lot to discover. Many traces from the old city are still visible and Jetavanaramaya Dagoba still holds the epithet as the highest brick building in the world. There are also a lot of lakes in this area created to provide water to the city. The oldest tree in the world, Sri Maha Bodhi, is 2300 years old and to visit it is a matter of course. The tree was put on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1982.

Day 6

We continue towards Sigiriay and climb up to the Rock Fortress (UNESCO World Heritage List 1982). The mountain is an extinguished volcano with steep sides, 180 meters high. At the top are the remains of a palace. Around the cliff are a moat and big beautiful gardens. Around the cliff are a moat and big beautiful gardens.

In the afternoon we take a look at the town Polonnaruwa (UNESCO World Heritage List 1982). The well- planned city has temples, convents, parks and ponds. The ruins are amazingly well-kept.

Day 7

We set out for Dambulla ( UNESCO World Heritage List 1991). The city is built where the granite rock meets the day. 80 caves are hidden in this mountain. They have also got 5 sanctuaries, 4 convents, 157 statues and 153 pictures of Buddha. The cave murals take up 2100 m²! On the road to Kandy (UNESCO World Heritage List 1991) we visit a spice farm in Matele. In Kandy we make a visit to the Sri Dalada Maligawa-tand temple which is built around what Buddhists believe to be one of Buddha’s teeth. Next to the temple is a fantastic botanic garden.

Day 8

We continue the exploration of Kandy with taking the train to Badulla. The building of this railway was started in 1865 and is one of the most beautiful railway stretches in the world. The nature changes all the time and rubber trees, teak trees, tea plantations, vegetable gardens, fruit trees, waterfalls and flowers are some of the things visible from the train.

Day 9

Nuwara Eliya is built 1889 meters above the ocean, the highest situated city on Sri Lanka. When Sri Lanka was a colony the city was popular with the British because of its mild climate. The view from its plateau is fantastic with the tea plantations around the mountain. We visit one of these and are guided through the tea -making process all the way to the product we buy in Sweden. We take the opportunity to drink some tea of the local produce as well as buy some to take with us home.

Day 10

We leave the interior of the country for Unawatuna, a fishing village right on the beach. The beach is on the top 12 of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Thanks to the protective coral reef the water here is calmer than in other places.

Day 11-15

We enjoy the sun and the sea. There will be the possibility to snorkel and visit Galle situated north of Unawatuna (UNESCO World Heritage List 1988).

Day 16

Departure from Sri Lanka. We are very pleased and look forward to returning in the future!