Experience Sri Lanka’s relaxed lifestyle, culture and spiritual side. Get close to elephants and blue whales, try cooking traditional Sri Lankan food. Learn all about how to grow and make tea or explore the meditative world of Buddhism.
This trip takes you around Sri Lanka’s tea plantations in the mountains and offers a hike to the beautiful “end of the world” of beautiful Horton Plains. You will learn how to cook traditional Sri Lankan food and look for both elephants and blue whales. Relax in a hammock out on the coast, get a relaxing massage and end with a nice city feeling in Colombo. See agooddir for modern history of Sri Lanka.
Day 1: Departure from Scandinavia
You fly from Scandinavia to Sri Lanka and arrive the next day.
Day 2: Arrival in Colombo
You will arrive at the lively, colorful city of Colombo, which is full of characteristic red and green tuk-tuks. There are also many nice food stalls here. You arrive at a small cozy hotel in Colombo after being picked up by our driver. In Colombo you have the opportunity to get an insight into the culture, for example during a visit to Colombo’s National Museum. You can also take a leisurely stroll through the city’s largest park, Viharamahadevi, or visit Buddhist and Hindu temples. ( F )
Day 3: By train to the cultural city of Kandy
After breakfast, hop on the train and enjoy a fabulous trip to Kandy. The train pushes through small villages with sleepy stations, lined with flowers and beautiful nature as far as the eye can see. The journey goes through the mountains and near several waterfalls. On arrival at the cultural city of Kandy, you will be welcomed by the driver who will drive you to your hotel. Take the chance to see the city from a bird’s eye view by going to Kandy Viewpoint. You can also go to an entertaining and colorful performance with Canadian dance, to join the Buddhists in the Sri Dalada Maligawa Temple later in the evening. It is called the “Temple of the Tooth” because it is said to house one of the Buddha’s teeth. This treasure is a very important one for the believers and it is stored in several gold chests. ( F )
Day 4: Visit tea plantations in the mountains
After breakfast, you will be driven around the lush mountain landscape, among workers who look eye-catching where they stand in colorful clothes and harvest the tea leaves. The car ride later reaches the waterfall Ramboda. After stopping and having lunch, pay a visit to the Labookale Tea Estate, which is known for its fine selection of mountain teas. Follow the production from leaf to teacup, while you hear the story of the country’s tea plantations. You will arrive in the afternoon at your hotel in Nuwara Eliya, where relaxation is on schedule. If you have a little energy left over, you can visit Victoria Park or warm up for tomorrow with a short hike. ( F )
Day 5: Morning hike and the mountain village Ella
Your adventure starts before the sun has really picked up speed during the day. Your first stop is Horton Plains where you will hike in the peaceful nature. Soon you will be at the Horton Plains, also known as the “End of the World”. Here it feels like the whole of Sri Lanka is at your feet. Later you drive through the impressive mountain landscape to the peaceful mountain village of Ella. Check in at an outstanding hotel with mountain views. If you still have some energy left over, you can go to the nearby waterfall and see the breathtaking views as the sun goes down. Of course, it is also wonderful to stay at the hotel and watch the beautiful sunset from here. ( F )
Day 6: Cooking class in Ella and relaxation in nature
Treat yourself to a quiet morning and enjoy the day’s simple but inspiring cooking class. You cook some Sri Lankan delicacies and eat your homemade meal for lunch. Then you can sit back for the rest of the afternoon, or head to the beautiful Ravana waterfall. Enjoy the view on the way here, past colorful food stalls, tall exotic trees, tranquil market towns and a steady stream of tuk-tuks. In Ella there are ancient temples to explore and a cave to visit during a possible evening walk. ( F )
Day 7: See wild elephants in Uda-Walawe National Park
Today you travel to Udawalawe National Park. You take a jeep on the grasslands of the national park and can keep an eye out for the hundreds of elephants that live here. If you are lucky, you will see them up close. You also have the opportunity to see wild buffalo, crocodiles, deer and a large variety of bird species. After lunch you drive to Tangalla. Before evening, check into your hotel located on a secluded beach near Tangalla. Here you can enjoy a relaxing evening, go on a barefoot walk along the beach, take an evening dip in the sea and maybe see the turtles come in to the beach to lay eggs. ( F )
Day 8: Free days, beach coziness and hammocks
The day is devoted to relaxation. Enjoy the day in a hammock or go for a swim at the fantastic secluded beach. ( F )
Day 9: Spiritual journey to a Buddhist temple
Today you drive towards the city of Mirissa. You will stop in central Tangalla and have an early lunch, after which the journey continues towards the Wewurukannala Vihara temple. It is an incredible building and here you can hear stories about the consequences of good and evil religious acts. It is a unique, beautiful and peaceful Buddhist temple with a 50 meter high Buddha statue – the largest and tallest in Sri Lanka. On arrival at Mirissa you can relax in the garden for a while, or take a walk to the beach and enjoy a colorful sunset. ( F )
Day 10: Blue whale safari in Mirissa
The day starts early when you are picked up and go on a whale safari. The captain steers the boat out on the dark blue sea and you can keep an eye out for the sea giants – blue whales. There are very few places where you can get this close to the largest creature in the world. Blue whales eat eight tons of food every day to maintain their beauty and figure. Your breakfast will be served on the boat. Back on dry land, you should go to Colombo again. On the way there you can explore Galle, a former Dutch colony. Here you will find architecture from the colonial era, with nice old brick houses, cafes and restored hotels. At the same time, the city has managed to maintain its Sri Lankan charm. You have time to order afternoon tea or coffee at one of the many restaurants in the city and then drive back to Colombo. ( F )
Day 11: Well-being in Colombo before departure
Start your last day in peace and quiet with a good breakfast. To give you the perfect end to the journey, you get a full body massage with acupressure. Blind massage therapists are trained in this technique and perform the massage. All focus is on the body during the treatment and there will not be much conversation during the massage. When you drive to the airport to go home to Sweden, you are hopefully still relaxed after the treatment. ( F )
Day 12: Arrival in Scandinavia
Arrival time to Scandinavia depends on which airline you travel with.
Overnight stays
Nine nights at the guesthouse
