Sri Lanka, Beauty of the Indian Ocean (winter)

Departure on a scheduled flight to Colombo. Night on board.

Arrival at Colombo International Airport and meeting with our assistant for the collective transfer to the hotel. Early in the afternoon, departure for a panoramic tour of the city. Colombo is the commercial capital of Sri Lanka and its main port. An incredible mix of cultures and colors on this paradise island. There are many facets of this city of skyscrapers, beaches and a mix of markets and gardens that astonish those who visit it with its perfect combination of well-preserved colonial architecture and modern urbanism. After the visit, return to the hotel. Dinner and accommodation.

Breakfast and departure to Dambulla, in the Cultural Triangle of the country. Stop en route to visit the Millennium Elephant Foundation (MEF), situated on a beautiful 15-acre property known as Samaragiri, which has been the home of the Samarasinghe family for many generations. The family has had their elephants since the 1960s. In 1979 Mr. Sam Samarasinghe (1939-1991), an animal lover, opened the property to the public as a Club, offering guests the possibility of interacting with the elephants by bathing and feeding them. Since the beginning of the foundation of the MEF, it has been home and protection for more than 80 elephants. Today, more than 6 elephants aged between 25 and 60 years are temporarily or permanently residing at the foundation. Lunch at a local restaurant and continue to Dambulla. Dinner and overnight.

Breakfast and departure on an excursion to visit the Sigiriya fortress, one of the best-known images of Sri Lanka. Here, King Kashyapa in the 5th century built his fortified palace on the top of a huge rock 183 meters high. On a protected platform of this mountain, we find the famous Sinhalese art paintings, the “heavenly maidens”, which are part of the UNESCO World Artistic Heritage. At its top we find the remains of the king's enormous palace with its pools and stages for the dancers. Next, we will take a tour of the area, an interesting experience that will allow us to come into contact with the rural life of the local population. The excursion is carried out using the usual means of transportation of the place, starting by oxcart and continuing with a boat ride to end with the typical tuk tuk. We will then taste a typical local lunch. In the afternoon, we will visit Polonnaruwa, the ancient capital of the kingdom of Sri Lanka, an architectural complex made up of temples, palaces and a lotus-shaped pool that is on the UNESCO Heritage list. The place is surrounded by gigantic water reservoirs, the most famous being the Parakrama Samudra or Parakrama Sea, larger than the port of Colombo itself. Dinner and accommodation.

Breakfast and departure to the Dambulla Caves, dating back to the 1st century BC, a series of connected caves within a gigantic rock with thousands of images of Buddha, both in polychrome paintings and stone and wood carvings. This UNESCO World Heritage Site has pictorial inscriptions from the 2nd century BC and its structures were renovated by Vijayabanduhu (1055-110 AD) and later by King Kirtsiri Rajasinha of Kandy. After the visit, we continue to Matale to visit a spice garden and see how they grow in their natural environment. We will learn about their use in medicine and local cuisine, and those who wish can optionally have a small herbal hair massage. Lunch at the Spice Garden and departure to Kandy. Arrival and visit to the Sacred Temple of the Tooth of Buddha (Dalada Maligawa), which houses the most venerated relic in the entire country and is one of the most important pilgrimage points in the Buddhist world. Nestled in the centre of the city, its white walls are covered by cloud-like roofs. Inside the wall, the ancient temple remains majestic, surrounded by a moat and its golden roof that reflects the sunlight while pilgrims deposit their offerings and lotus flowers to venerate the relic of Buddha's tooth. The current building was built under the dynasty of the Kandyan kings from 1687 to 1707 and has beautiful handcrafted details of wood and ivory by the artists of the time. The relic is inside seven golden chests and pilgrims can only see it from behind the altar. At dusk we will have the opportunity to walk and explore this traditional Sri Lankan city. Dinner and accommodation.

Breakfast. In the morning, we will take a tour of the city of Kandy by tuk tuk. We will also visit a workshop for carving Sri Lanka's world-renowned semi-precious stones (with the blue sapphire as the most important stone) as well as a factory manufacturing batiks (Sri Lankan sarongs). Next, we will head towards the mountains of Nuwara Eliya, with stops to visit a tea plantation and factory. Lunch at a local restaurant. Arrival at the hotel and the rest of the afternoon free to enjoy the mountainous landscape of the area. We are in the centre of Sri Lanka, where the famous Ceylon tea grows. The mountains that surround us are perfect carpets of intense green that stretch as far as the eye can see. Streams and waterfalls complete the idyllic landscape. Dinner and accommodation.

Breakfast and departure to Tissamaharama, stopping en route in Ella to visit the Ella Gap and Ravana Falls. Arrival and check-in at the hotel. In the afternoon, we will take a jeep safari in Yala National Park, one of the largest and most classic parks on the island, which covers an area of 1,200 km2 of forests, lagoons and rocky outcrops that offer us a particularly good location for observing elephants. The best time to visit the park is during the dry season from March to April. Return to the hotel, dinner and accommodation.

Breakfast and departure to Weligama to see its traditional fishermen on their poles. Continue to the city of Galle, the main coastal city in the south of the country, a colonial citadel located at the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, with its imposing fortress built by the Dutch in 1663 and which forms a beautiful mix of architectural wonder with the exotic atmosphere of the smell of spices and the sea breeze. This place was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. During the visit to the city we will be able to see the important Dutch influences in its architecture, as well as some old English residences and several mosques with an Arabic aftertaste. Located in the southern province of the country, the city of Galle is a fully operational time capsule in the 21st century. It has the largest occupied fort in Asia and its picturesque beauty extends beyond its golden beaches and blue waters. Its main attraction is undoubtedly its old Fort that immediately transports us to the Dutch colonial era. One can enjoy its picturesque views and rich history while strolling through its narrow streets, having a meal at its interesting restaurants inside the Fort or simply enjoying the gentle sea breeze beneath its ancient lighthouse. Lunch at a local restaurant. Then, departure to Ahungalla to visit a turtle farm. Here we can see five species such as the green turtle (Cheloniamydas), the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelysimbricata), the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta), the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) and the olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea). The eggs are collected by locals and fishermen, and brought to this farm to be buried in small sand pens until they hatch. The newborns are kept in seawater tanks until they are released at night to avoid predators. Arrival at the hotel on the coast, dinner and overnight.