TOUR AYUBOWAN SRI LANKA ESTATE - 7 GIORNI / 6 NOTTI

Reception in Italian upon arrival and transfer to the hotel. The driver/guide will be waiting for you in the airport arrivals hall holding a sign with your surname on it. If you are unable to locate them, please go to the Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts desk and give them your surname. In the afternoon a visit of the city of Colombo is scheduled, starting at around 15:00. To take part in the city tour, the arrival flight into Colombo must be booked to land by late morning. Dinner at the hotel.

Breakfast. Departure for Dambulla. During the journey, we will stop to visit the Dambulla Cave Temples.
This is the largest cave temple in Sri Lanka, dating back to the first century BC, and contains over 150 images of the Buddha, softly illuminated. Comprising a series of five caves, the temple is known locally as Raja Maha Vihara. From the site, you can admire the rock fortress of Sigiriya, some 20 km away. Lunch at a restaurant. Transfer to the hotel. Visit to Hiriwadunna. A journey through a typical Sinhalese village, offering a wonderful opportunity to immerse yourself in the nature and culture of Hiriwadunna, famous for its
fantastic dry zone, a haven for birds. The walk begins with a ride on an ox cart through a quiet village, before continuing the adventure on a catamaran towards the scenic Hiriwadunna Lake – which offers a splendid view of the Sigiriya rock fortress and Pidurangala Rock. The spring is surrounded by dense jungle, marshland and cultivated fields. After the catamaran trip, visit local homes for a culinary taste
of authentic cuisine, a meal prepared using traditional methods, with earthenware pots on a wood-burning stove. Dinner at the hotel.

Breakfast. Departure for Sigiriya. In the morning visit to Rocca Fortezza di Sigiriya. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, built by King Kashyapa (473–491 AD). The Lion’s Rock is a citadel of extraordinary beauty, rising 200 metres above the forest. It is the innermost fortress of a 70-hectare fortified city. The base of the fort is surrounded by a moat, a rampart and a vast garden. The frescoes, which once depicted 500 women (now only 19 remain), are located in a protected area of the fort near a spiral staircase and are the main attraction. Many of them were lost because they were painted over when the rock became a monastery, so as not to disturb meditation. The frescoes are painted on plaster using earth pigments.
Sigiriya is not a ‘difficult and impossible’ climb, but it is certainly a hike that requires a fair amount of activity and a minimum level of physical fitness. If there are people with physical limitations, disabled visitors or pregnant women, the climb is not recommended. It is important to bear in mind that there are 1,200 steps to the top.
Generally speaking, the visit takes 2–3 hours, depending on each person’s fitness level. The site opens at 7 am and closes at 5.30 pm. The best time to climb is definitely in the morning or late afternoon, when visitor numbers are at their lowest and temperatures are cooler. We recommend light, comfortable clothing and definitely trainers. Lunch at a restaurant. I return to the hotel and have the rest of the day available. After the visit of the Rock, optional visit (at a supplement) of Polonnaruwa, the second ancient capital of Sri Lanka.
Built between the 11th and 12th centuries A.D., the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here you can visit the ruins of the Royal Palace and the "Gal Viharaya" (3 splendid statues of the Buddha standing, seated and reclining, carved into the rock). Also wonderful are the audience hall, the lotus bath, the Polonnaruwa statue (12th century) and the "Parakrama Samudra" Lake built by King Parakramabahu the Great. There are also ruins of famous places of worship such as the Shiva Temple, the Lankatileka, the Watadage, the Galpotha, the Kiri Vihare Dagoba and the remains of what was originally the Temple of the Tooth. During the visit there is also a stop at a wood-carving centre.
At the end, transfer to Sigiriya of approximately one and a half hours (65 km). Dinner at the hotel.

Breakfast. Departure for Kandy. In the morning visit to un giardino di spezie. Lunch break along the way. In the afternoon visit to Tempio del Dente d'Oro. Visit to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy. The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is the city’s most important attraction and the main point of interest for anyone visiting Kandy. The temple stands to the north of the lake and owes its importance to the fact that it houses one of the most precious relics for Buddhists in Sri Lanka. The Sri Dalada Maligawa indeed holds a tooth of the Buddha: hence the name Sacred Temple of the Tooth. According to legend, the tooth was salvaged from the flames of the Buddha’s funeral pyre. The relic was initially taken to Anuradhapura, then to Polonnaruwa and finally to Kandy. In 1200, an invading army took it to India, but it later returned to Sri Lanka. Over time, the tooth of the Buddha took on an extremely important role: indeed, as well as being a sacred relic, it was believed that whoever possessed it had the legitimate right to rule the island. The Portuguese attempted to destroy it during their rule, trying to throw it into the flames. But it turned out that what they had burned was merely a copy. Continuation to visita della città e danza show. Free time for some shopping. Dinner at the hotel.

Breakfast. Departure to Nuwara Eliya. Passeggiata lungo le piantagioni di tè. Visita di una piantagione di tè e una fabbrica di tè dove verranno spiegati i procedimenti per la produzione di questa bevanda tipica dello Sri Lanka. Lunch at a restaurant. In the afternoon visit to Nuwara Eliya. It is the heart of Sri Lanka’s hill country. It is home to the world-famous Ceylon tea, and the hills are covered in a carpet of tea plantations interspersed with streams and small waterfalls. The area is characterised by a healthy, cool climate, unlike the rest of Sri Lanka, where the climate is warmer and more humid. The atmosphere has a distinctly English feel, and this little country within a country attracts many visitors for its uniqueness. Dinner at the hotel.

Breakfast. Departure for Negombo, il viaggio dura circa 5 ore (180 km). Negombo is a town with a population of around 145,000 and is situated approximately 37 km north of Colombo. It lies at the head of Negombo Lagoon, roughly 7 km from Bandaranaike International Airport. Negombo has a small harbour, and its economy is based mainly on tourism and its centuries-old fishing industry, although ceramics, brassware and cinnamon are also produced there. Lunch along the way or upon arrival. I will arrive at the hotel in the afternoon. Free time. Dinner at the hotel.

Breakfast. Airport transfer.