Discover

Safaris & Spices of Sri Lanka

Large Rock boulder high on the hill with the rolling green escarpment below

Overview
Accommodation
Itinerary
Fares

A journey overview

Colombo
Kandalama
Sigiriya
Polonnaruwa
Kandy
Nuwara Eliya
Yala National Park
Galle

14 Days Explorations

Departing:
16 Apr 2020
19 Nov 2020

From rainforests to tea plantations and kingdoms of old, explore Sri Lanka by rail, helicopter, seaplane and safari.

Cooked crab, lemon wedges, greens, dressing and a glass of wine served on a slate platter

Dine at Sri Lanka’s Best Restaurant

During our Welcome Dinner, you’ll get to feast on sweet and spicy giant Lagoon Crab at the Ministry of Crab – voted the Best Restaurant in Sri Lanka and #29 in Asia in 2017.

Aerial view of the tea plantations covering the rolling hills

Swap Highway for Helicopter

We give the busy roads a miss and travel over countryside carpeted in green from Colombo to Dambulla by helicopter, privately chartered from the Sri Lankan military.

Single leopard lying down can be seen through the greenery

Look For the Elusive Leopard in Yala National Park

On safari deep in the grasslands of Yala National Park, we aim to spot as many species of wildlife as possible – Yala has the highest density of leopards in the world.

RESIDENCES OF THE HIGHEST STANDARD

Domed accommodaton with round port hole windows and large canopy bed

Wild Coast Tented Lodge, Yala

Opened in 2017, we will be among some of the first to experience Wild Coast Tented Lodge’s luxurious, cocoon-like lodgings on the shores of the Indian Ocean.

At dusk the hotel exterior of the Heritance Kandalama amidst the lush greenery surrounded by thick forest

Heritance Kandalama Resort

Nestled on a hillside overlooking the rock fortress of Sigiriya, ease into a peculiar world of indulgence, where spa treatments are standard and monkeys guard the entrance to an illuminated cave.

Lush rolling green hills covered with tea plantations

Heritance Tea Factory, Nuwara Eliya

Once serving as the tea factory’s withering loft, this converted, stately retreat high in the mountains of Nuwara Eliya provides guests with breathtaking views of the lush tea plantations.

Itinerary

Days 1-3

Arrive Colombo (Sri Lanka), Dambulla, Kandalama

Landing in Colombo, the Galle Face Hotel welcomes us. Local expert Mark Forbes guides us through the city before a much-anticipated dinner at the Ministry of Crab. The next day, we make our way to the Colombo Air Force base where a helicopter is waiting to whisk us away to Dambulla. Once on the ground, our exploration of the World Heritage-listed Dambulla Cave Temple complex culminates with a candle-lit dinner inside one of the caves.

Days 4-5

Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa

From our next residence, which overlooks the rock fortress of Sigiriya, Your World experiences offer the chance to hike up the rock on which our hotel is built, trek through the village of Hiriwadunna or enjoy a spa treatment. In the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, we join a Jeep safari with a conservationist and see hundreds of elephants descend on Minneriya National Park in a spectacle known as The Gathering.

Days 6-7

Kandalama, Kandy

Immersed in the heady aromas of the spice garden in Matale, we learn to identify the flavours of cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. In Kandy, we accept an invitation to the home of a batik artist for lunch, then visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic for a Hindu pooja ceremony. After a free morning, we arrive at Peradeniya Botanical Gardens by tuk tuk and join a professor of botany for a walk.

Days 8-9

Kandy, Nuwara Eliya

Aboard the Viceroy II, a private vintage carriage attached to the public train, we roll into Nanu Oya in the heart of Sri Lanka’s tea country. From our hotel, the Heritance Tea Factory, we step out to admire the city’s architecture that spans Georgian and Queen Anne eras, before dinner at the intimate Carriage Restaurant.

Days 10-12

Yala National Park, Galle

We arrive at Yala National Park by seaplane and check into Wild Coast Tented Lodge. During our time here, safaris take us into the national park, where, among many species, we hope to spot the leopard. We also have the chance to hone our cooking skills or take a guided nature walk thanks to the Your World experiences on offer. On our way to Galle, we stop for lunch by Weligama Bay.

Days 13-14

Galle, Depart Colombo

We explore the city of Galle with a local storyteller, who paints his tales of history and colonial life with a thought-provoking stroke.