Nature and Villages of Sri Lanka

On arrival, you are greeted at the airport by your chauffeur guide, who adapts the day to your wishes.

Depending on your time of arrival and your tiredness, you may or may not choose to visit the city of Negombo, spend time on its beach, take the time to acclimatize yourself to the new sounds, colors and scents.

Active or not, please choose your pace for this first day.

Welcome to Sri Lanka!

You spend the night in Negombo.

Let’s start our adventure!

And we start off beautifully by reaching the city of Kandy, after spending half a day in a small group taking care of an elephant.

Of course, no elephant ride on the program, but a great experience of a long ride alongside an elephant, to the river for the bath of your pachyderm companion of the day.

You spend the night in Kandy.

So here we are in Kandy, with a beautiful day to discover some of its must-see places.

First, a morning walk in the forest sanctuary of Udawatakelle, a former royal domain, to revel in the shade of its impressive trees and other giant lianas.

Then you find a bit of the buzz of the bustling city of Kandy, and can stroll around its markets and historic buildings.

In the afternoon, you go for another walk in the botanical gardens of Peradeniya, to discover its thousands of plant species, from centuries-old trees to ephemeral orchids, including medicinal plants and other giant bamboos.

Take a short break on the central lawn and observe schoolchildren in uniform and local life around you.

The day ends with a visit to the Temple of the Tooth of Buddha, where, as its name suggests, a relic of the tooth of Buddha is kept, and where at 7 p.m. the last offering ceremony of the day takes place, which you can attend.

This is also our last visit to a busy place before we leave the town for the countryside.

You spend the night in Kandy.

Goodbye city of Kandy! Here we are on our way to the surroundings of Ella and its tea fields, which you will reach at the end of the day.

No more traffic jams, the road climbs up and winds between tea plantations with their busy pluckers.

En route, you visit an organic agroforestry project, and can therefore enjoy the beauty and peace of the place while learning to recognize the different spices present, flowers and kithul trees ...

Lunch on site is made with a good number of organic and locally produced ingredients.

After lunch, you will reach the town of Ella by train.

Tea plantations and vegetable gardens as far as the eye can see, hills flanked by forests and successive villages, this is your scenery for the afternoon.

Night around Ella.

Today, we slow down, we let the vehicle rest for a day of immersion in the area of ​​your ecolodge.

Farmers of the day, here you are participating in the various daily works.

Along with local pluckers, you learn and participate in tea plucking, which you then need to dry and handroll.

We are also expecting you in the vegetable garden, to harvest the vegetables needed to make lunch. A nice stroll in the estate with its owner, who is passionate about nature and organic farming, is also on the agenda, among the coffee and cinnamon trees.

There are always shrubs to replant too… a beautiful day to connect with fertile lands and Sri Lankan farmers.

Night around Ella.

After a magnificent sunrise between the hills to get you out of bed, we invite you to visit an organic tea plantation, with a visit to the plantation but also to its traditional factory.

No big machines here, but a good time learning the history of tea in Sri Lanka, understanding the different types of teas, the manufacturing processes ...

You are now well informed to appreciate the final tea tasting and recognize its different colors and flavors.

After lunch, we leave for a good hour and a half of hiking in a surprising landscape of hills and bushes.

Far from the crowds of Ella, here you are alone with your local guide, climbing a rock to reach its summit where a breathtaking view of the surrounding mountains and rocks rewards you for your effort.

At the end of the afternoon, if you feel like it, a little extra walk will give you access to the river and where you might take a refreshing and invigorating swim in the heart of nature.

Night around Ella.

We are back to our vehicle to reach Batticaloa on the east coast.

En route, we stop in a natural park, and the nature rangers take you on their motor boat for their afternoon tour of the lake.

In this nature reserve which is home to many species of birds, you will also be able to appreciate the magnificent landscape of this immense lake bordered by hills and probably meet its inhabitants such as crocodiles and elephants.

Hush… Let’s turn off the engine, pull out our camera, and watch a wild elephant's quiet meal in the tranquility of its natural habitat.

You arrive in Batticaloa at the end of the day and are welcomed by the locals. Dinner with the family.

Now that you have arrived in Batticaloa, a small peaceful coastal town surrounded by a magnificent lagoon, where we are installed, we invite you to stay for 4 nights with two different families.

Today we start gently with a bike ride called "Cuisinons Pêchons", where in the morning, you go to the market with a local guide, before joining a family by bike who teaches you how to cook in 2 hours a delicious "rice and curry".

After lunch, you’ll go for a short bike ride along the lagoon and a traditional local fishing session with a net, aboard a small catamaran with the fishermen of the village.

You spend the night in Batticaloa.

We leave the bike to go deep into the wilderness, by tuktuk, towards Kudumbimalai Rock, a former stronghold of the Tamil rebellion during the civil war that ravaged Sri Lanka for several decades.

On the way, the rice fields quickly give way to an arid landscape, where goats, cows and buffaloes try to find their food for the day.

After climbing the rock, you have lunch in the nearest village, can observe the simplicity of the living conditions, the shy smile of our hostess' children, before visiting the military museum and turning back by mid-afternoon.

You spend the night in Batticaloa.

We get back on the bikes for a 23 km ride south of Batticaloa.

After a colorful stop at the Hindu temple of a village you pass through, the small fish market huts on the beach offer you a picturesque spectacle, with multicolored boats and vendors happy to show you the biggest catch of the day.

Back on the saddle, you pass through Kattankudy, a densely populated Muslim town, and continue to the village of Palamunai, where the call to prayer guides you to the village mosque. You are kindly invited to observe the midday prayer there and can then discuss with the imam and the believers present.

Lunchtime is approaching, at a local family’s home, where a small feast awaits you to recover from your morning emotions.

In the afternoon, you visit a weavers’ workshop, with the different stages allowing the making of soft fabrics in shimmering colors.

On the way back, a visit to the Kattankudy Museum, which retraces the history of Islam in Sri Lanka, concludes this day of discovery of Muslim culture.

You spend the night in Batticaloa.

Today we take an inland road, and the afternoon is devoted to meeting with a Veddha chief, who introduces you to the lifestyle of his community and the tools used by his ancestors, time where this indigenous Sri Lankan community lived hunting and gathering in the thick jungles around.

With his contagious good mood, our Veddha chief takes you to the edge of the forest, teaches you his hunting techniques and shows you around the caves where his ancestors lived.

You spend the night in Maha Oya.

Wake up at dawn today, and very early departure for a jeep safari in Maduru Oya National Park.

No traffic jams here, deserted tracks, many species of birds, walking elephants, deer, giant lizards, and a large bowl of wilderness all to yourself, with kind explanations from your guides.

Then we take the road to Sigiriya, crossing small villages in the middle of rice fields which depict so well rural life in Sri Lanka.

At the end of the afternoon, you return to the main road and climb the mythical Sigiriya Rock, with its historical frescoes, royal gardens and the remains of King Kashyapa's palace.

You spend the night in Sigiriya.

Today, the day begins with a visit to the cave temples of Dambulla, with their many Buddhas, before making a short stop at the Dambulla market.

There you can observe colorful stalls, wholesaling and an endless ballet of small trucks supplying the whole country with tons of fruits and vegetables.

Then, direction Anuradhapura, ancient capital of Sri Lanka.

En route, you visit the site of Ritigala, a former Buddhist monastery, whose ruins scattered in the middle of a thick forest suggest the past activity of this highly spiritual place.

You arrive in Anuradhapura at the end of the day and spend the night there.

One of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the sacred city of Anuradhapura was for many centuries the political and spiritual capital of Sri Lanka.

Numerous remains bear witness to a lost royalty, fortresses and palaces from long ago, sculpted rocks and Buddhist pagodas.

There is also a religious fervor in this city where Buddhist pilgrims come to gather around its sacred tree, a more than thousand-year-old branch of the fig tree of Bodhgaya, India, below which Buddha attained enlightenment 500 BC.

You are therefore invited not only to a day of discovery of the historical and archaeological heritage, but also to an initiation into Buddhist spirituality by observing the pilgrims singing around the sacred tree or making offerings and prayers, at the foot of one of the city's many Buddhist pagodas.

You spend the night in Anuradhapura.

Today, we are heading West!

After so many discoveries and moments of sharing, now is the time to rest a little.

Kalpitiya, a seaside resort on a peninsula surrounded by a lagoon, is a great place for kitesurfing, which you can observe upon arrival.

Then, free day, beach, relaxation… at your own pace.

You spend the night in Kalpitiya.

This new day in Kalpitiya begins, weather permitting, with a sea trip in search of dolphins or even whales, depending on the season.

Then, we let you rest for the day, enjoy your natural habitat, discover the surroundings and small corners of unspoiled nature, in short ... today is your break!

You spend the night in Kalpitiya.

For this last day in Kalpitiya, the more adventurous can decide to treat themselves to a snorkelling or scuba diving session ...

Others will choose a lazy morning or an Ayurvedic treatment ... Don't forget to write your postcards to your loved ones ... and enjoy the beach, the lagoon, the breeze and the sun ...

You spend the night in Kalpitiya.

Now is the time to reach the international airport for your departure.

Along the way, your chauffeur guide tells you the story of Rama and his wife Sita, kidnapped in India and brought to Sri Lanka by King Ravana, before visiting Munneswaram and/or Manavari Sivan Hindu temples, both connected to this captivating story called Ramayana, one of the two Sanskrit epics of ancient India, dear to Indian travelers on pilgrimage to Sri Lanka.

Depending on your departure time, our driver guide adapts the day's program and drops you off at the airport 3 hours before your plane takes off.

Welcome back home, hoping to see you again another time to allow you to discover other gems of Sri Lanka!