Day 1: Colombo– Negombo
Ayubowan! Welcome to Sri Lanka!

On arrival to Colombo, clear immigration and customs. Proceed to the arrival area, where you will be met by your private chauffeur guide and transferred to your accommodation in Negombo.

Experience your first impressions of this amazing island.

“I am often tired of myself, and I have a notion that by travel, I can add to my personality and so change myself a little. I do not bring back from a journey quite the same self that I took”

Great words from Selina Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon.

 Your home for the first night of your journey will be Uga Riva, a stylishly restored 180-year-old manor house. It is an ideal place to relax and commence your exploring. The verandahs with pillars, stylish arches, and traditional courtyards all blend in to create the feeling of going back in time. The outdoor pool brings in a modern touch and is perfect for a refreshing dip.

Spend the rest of the day at leisure. This evening, enjoy dinner followed by a stroll around the property before retiring for the day. Uga Riva, Negombo – Superior Room (D)

Day 2: Negombo – Kalpitiya 
Tranfer 

After a relaxing breakfast, begin your road trip along Sri Lank’s scenic coastal landscape as your guide transfers you to Kalpitiy, approximately 3.5 hours away, where you will check in and spend the rest of the day at leisure to dine and explore.

Kalpitiya is a coastal town on the island’s Northwestern shores. With the lagoon on one side and the ocean on the other, this unique location boasts great ecological diversity.

Koddu is a nice mid-range boutique hotel on the northern tip of Kalpitiya. This area is known as the ‘Pearl Garden’ by local people because it is where pearl auctions took place. In those days the huts where the pearls were kept were known locally as ‘Koddu‘ and the hotel’s name pays homage to this unique pearl history. The hotel has just six stylishly designed villas and the location is the key here as it offers stunning lagoon views from three sides of the property. Koddu Kalpitiya – Deluxe Villa, (B,L,D)

Day 3: Kalpitiya
Half-Day Tour – Education and Action 
Volunteering Session on Seagrass Restoration

This morning, you will head to the lagoon bordering Kalpitiya and Puttalam for a day of community involvement.

This is conducted in collaboration with the OCEA Sri Lanka project, an environmental charity that operates on the three main pillars of Research, Education, and Action. Seagrass is being lost globally at a rate of 1.5% per year.

Existing seagrass beds need to be conserved and expanded in order to increase marine productivity, biodiversity, quality of water, and fishing resources, all of which directly or indirectly benefit the local communities.

The activity mainly involves collecting plugs of seagrasses from a nearby donor seagrass bed and transplanting them in shallow areas of the lagoon. Prior to commencement, a quick briefing will be given on the methods to be followed. The experience also involves a short boat ride, and at the end, you will be served a simple lunch prepared at a village house.

Note: This is only recommended for travelers who really want to go out and actively take part in volunteering and conservation during their vacation. This involves quite a bit of hard work, working under the hot sun for about 2-3 hours and walking in the muddy areas. 

What to wear: Wear clothes that can get wet and, ideally, quickly dry material. Please bring along a change of clothes to wear after the session.

Upon completing a productive morning, it’s time to retreat to your hotel and indulge in a relaxing afternoon. Koddu Kalpitiya – Deluxe Villa, (B,L,D)

Day 4: Kalpitiya–Puttalam–Thirappane 
Half-Day Tour: Musical and Cultural Heritage
Tour of Sri Lankan “Kaffirs” of Ceylon, an African Community

Today, discover a little village in Puttalam, located in the northwest part of the island, which is home to a community of Ceylon Africans. During the days when Sri Lanka was under colonial masters, many African slaves were brought down to Sri Lanka as laborers or soldiers to fight the Sri Lankan rebels and protect the masters. While some of them left with their masters, a few of them remained in the country. The Sri Lankan “Kaffirs” are those descendants that we will meet today to see a short musical performance.

Although their distinctive “Creole” native language has faded away and is now almost extinct, in an attempt to keep the traditions going, Peter Luvie, one of those fifth-generation descendants, got together some village members and formed a musical band named “Ceylon African Manja.”  Their songs and dances have now become the only form of passing on the language to the next generation.

The songs usually start slowly in a pensive mood, but the tempo gradually increases to a jolly good mood while giving some hints of Baila or Kaffringna, which are more popular forms of dance music that the folk music of the Africans has influenced. Feel free to join them and try a couple of dance steps yourselves, but keep in mind you are not here for a Metallica or Coldplay concert with huge amplifiers and speakers. At most, you will see a local Dolki drum, and many of the other instruments consist of stuff like coconut shells, tablespoons, and empty bottles.

They say Music is a universal language – it’s even more beautiful when it becomes a bridge and means of preserving a culture. While we still prefer to keep these hidden gems as a secret without being commercialized, with this visit we contribute exactly to that.

Afterward, continue your journey to Thirappane, where your accommodations await Uga Ulagalla.

A lovely boutique hotel with a 150-year-old mansion at its center and villas spread around the property, which is based on its own unique style of architecture that blends in perfectly with its surroundings and nature. It’s rare to find the perfect blend of world charm, splendid design, and modern luxury, but this is one of those places. Uga Ulagalla, Thirappane – Ulagalla Pool Villa (  B,L,D)

Day 5: Thirappane – Anuradhapura – Thirappane 
Full-Day Cultural Triangle Experience and Ancient Archaeological Sites with Nerina

At Ulagalla, the Sri Lankan breakfast is suggested. Order the string hopper, which is made of little spider-like dough circles. They go great with pol sambol and a coconut chilly garnish.

Following breakfast, your guide will take you to the ancient city of Anuradhapura, which will take less than an hour to reach.

Today, you will meet Nerina, a Sri Lankan archeologist with international experience. When we travel, sometimes we miss out on the intricate details, for lack of an expert. Her knowledge of the little-known sites in the Cultural Triangle will bring the past to life. Some of our favorite spots to visit with her include Kaludiya Pokuna, hidden little gems that few experience.

When we hear about Sri Lanka’s great archeological sites, the name Kaludiya Pokuna does not come up very often. In fact, you won’t find it in guidebooks, and that is a lucky thing. As the great Paul Theroux once said, “Buy a guidebook to identify where the tourists are going and head the other way.” it’s one of many best-kept treasures”

Now, picture this beautiful man-made lake surrounded by big boulders and small archeological sites dating back 1500 years. What is remarkable about Kaludiya Pokuna is that there are still monks living on the upper slopes of the hill. Visiting this remarkable place is always an option, and your guide is happy to take you; it is only asked to please maintain silence, remove your shoes, and be mindful and respectful while visiting. Most of the monks living there have taken a vow of silence and minimum interaction with people.  Take time to explore at leisure and sit on one of the rocks. You will get enlightened in 20 minutes, take a deep breath, and soak in the beauty of it – it is one of those memorable places that surely stay with you for a lifetime.

Afterward, you will also visit some of the unique sites within the ancient city of Anuradhapura.

The city of Anuradhapura is one of Sri Lanka’s most ancient capitals, famous for its well-preserved ruins belonging to the island’s ancient civilization. There are not many places in the world that can claim to have been continuously inhabited for over two millennia, but Anuradhapura is one of them! As the birthplace of Theravada Buddhism, you will find on this visit that Anuradhapura is not just home to many ancient archaeological sites but is still an important place of pilgrimage for Theravada Buddhists, who come to visit the many stupas, religious sites, and sacred buildings dating back to the 3rd century BC.

Later, Return to your hotel and unwind for the rest of the day, enjoying the serene surroundings and amenities at your leisure. Uga Ulagalla, Thirappane – Ulagalla Pool Villa ( B,L,D)

Day 6: Anuradhapura – Gal Oya
Wildlife Research Centre – Animal Monitoring Program & Research

After a relaxed breakfast, commence your drive towards Gal Oya, approximately 4 1/2 hours away, yet another hidden gem. Gal Oya is an unexplored treasure in Sri Lanka. It is a national park surrounded by water and Islands. It is rustic, but it has all you need: wonderfully appointed lodgings, an excellent team of local guides, and some of the best food in the country. One thing to note is that there are only very poor phone signals—a real luxury in this modern age to get away from your electronic devices!

This evening, you can learn a bit about the animal monitoring program carried out by their naturalists.

The Gal Oya Lodge Team is committed to making a positive impact on the wildlife within the remote region of Gal Oya National Park in Sri Lanka. As part of this initiative, they have an ongoing project to record and monitor the lodge’s resident species of animals. In order to understand them better and take necessary steps to conserve these animals, their team of naturalists regularly embark on evening walks around the lodge to set up camera traps. If you wish to get a glimpse of this monitoring project or want to learn more about the animals, you are welcome to join our naturalists on their evening walk as they do this.

You can also visit the Wildlife Research Centre at the Lodge. Here, you will get an idea about their data collection, results, and discoveries. You will also have the opportunity to visit the various camera trap sites and understand how biologists, students, and naturalists collect the data, prepare it, and analyze it.

They have found multiple species of animal surrounding the Lodge, such as mouse-deer (smallest species of deer in the world), wild boar, land and water monitor, porcupines, and the highly endangered and most trafficked animal in the world, the thick-tailed pangolin. Furthermore, on their camera trap footage, they have observed all four species of wild cats found in Sri Lanka: Fishing cats, Jungle cats, Rusty-spotted cats, and even the elusive Leopard! They aim to determine as much as they can about their population dynamics, diet, and population numbers. They will mostly be doing this using an elaborate grid of 20+ trail cameras and non-invasive DNA analysis.

Imagine the boundless wildlife exploration opportunities surrounding the lodge, all at your disposal. At the end of each day, immerse yourself in nature’s tranquility and indulge in unparalleled relaxation. Gal Oya Lodge – Bungalow (Non A/C) (B,L,D)

Day 7: Gal Oya
Gal Oya National Park Boat Safari
Afternoon Guided Nature Walk with Resident Naturalist 

Today, you will set out on a boat safari into the Gal Oya National Park. Just when you tend to think that Jeep safaris are too mainstream, Gal Oya Lodge presents you a very rare shot at observing wildlife on a boat safari and it is one of the very few places in Sri Lanka where you could do that. Among the chances of seeing many other species like Crocodiles, deer, and endemic birds, you may also be lucky enough to see elephants swimming between islands or bathing at the lake’s edge.

The cherry on top is a picnic on a remote island within the national park. While cruising over the lake, make sure to keep a sharp eye out for the wildlife!

Note: The Boat safari could be scheduled for either early morning or afternoon, depending on the availability of the boats from the Department of Wildlife Conservation, which owns the boats and monitors the movements within the national park. You might need a hat and sunscreen while you are at the national park as it could get rather hot once the sun is up. Please note that this is a shared experience due to the limited availability of boats.

Later in the afternoon, join a resident naturalist for a walk around the lodge, enjoying the abundant birdlife and beautiful surroundings. The walk offers several possible routes through the trees and around the nearby lake to observe a wide range of bird species, such as Kingfishers, Eagles, Kites, and many aquatic birds. Feel free to discuss your interests with your naturalist for a tailored trip to suit your preferences.  Gal Oya Lodge – Bungalow (Non A/C) (B,L,D)

Day 8: Gal Oya
Afternoon Jungle Game Drive

After spending the morning hours at leisure, set out on a jungle drive through the Nilgala section of the park, once protected by ancient royalty for the abundant medicinal plants and endemic birdlife in this unique ecosystem.

Although shy and sometimes hard to spot, the park hosts most of the animals found on the island. Some of the more likely species to look out for include herds of elephants, four species of deer, and many bird species. You can also take a walk to the Makara River mouth with the accompanying naturalist to further experience the jungle and, if you are lucky, see wildlife on foot.

To make the experience complete, a picnic lunch will be served in a scenic spot bordering the national park. Afterward, return to the lodge and relax. Overnight at Gal Oya Lodge – Bungalow (Non A/C) (B,L,D)

Day 9: Gal Oya – Kalupahana 
Transfer Day

After a casual breakfast, commence your drive towards Kalupahana, a 4-hour drive located in the southern hill country.  Your hotel hosts will pick you up from the Kalupahana junction, as you will need to shift to high-ground-clearance vehicles to make the way up to The Capoe House, your getaway for the next couple of nights. Picturesquely tucked within an exclusive cliff amidst a spectacular mountain range,

The Capoe House is an exquisitely designed boutique property that is the perfect hideaway amidst the tea plantations. The continuously changing weather might mean a perfectly clear view would get completely covered in mist within minutes.

Upon arrival, you will be escorted and assisted to check in at the property and spend the rest of the afternoon at leisure, enjoying the cozy climate. The Capoe House, Kalupahana – Deluxe Mountain View Bedroom (Non A/C) (B,L,D)

Day 10: Kalupahana
Water Fall Nature Walk and Picnic

Today after enjoying a relaxed breakfast, set out on a nature walk to experience the two scenic and secluded waterfalls within the estate adjacent to the property. This is a unique experience to bask in the natural beauty of the surroundings and if you feel like it, you can even take a plunge in these cascading water streams. To add on to the experience, a wholesome picnic lunch with a bottle of sparkling wine will be served near the waterfall.

Tip: If you happen to visit during the rainy season, leeches are unavoidable companions. Hence, it’s better to carry some leech repellent with you or wear leech socks.

The way back to the hotel is an uphill climb, so we suggest you spend the afternoon at leisure. If you’re brave enough to beat the cold, you can also take a dip in the pool, but beware, the water could be quite cold. The Capoe House, Kalupahana – Deluxe Mountain View Bedroom (Non A/C) (B,L,D)

Day 11: Kalupahana – Balangoda – Rakwana 
Hill Country – Batik Artistry Workshop in Balangoda

This morning, you will drive towards Balangoda, a village tucked away in the southern hilly country. Here, you will be able to spend a couple of hours mastering the traditional Batik techniques with the guidance of Thanuja, a lady from the village who inherited the art from her previous generations. This experience will take you through the entire process of wax batik manufacturing, where you will first start by drawing a design on a blank cloth and then wax the design. After waxing, the process of dying the batik material begins, and you will experience the boiling of the waxed material.

After the batik experience, until your food is prepared and served, you will head out on a village walk through some beautiful foliage. This will lead you to the “Wae River,” a water stream that is mostly untouched, and if interested, you will be able to take a calm and refreshing dip in the freshest water, which will soothe your body and mind.

Afterward, you will head back to Thanuja`s place, where you can have a simple yet authentic rice and curry lunch before bidding farewell to your hosts and commencing the drive to your next location.

Note: Leeches might be present during the trek, and natural repellents will be provided. The river bath experience will be subject to weather conditions.

Your driver will continue your journey to a unique accommodation in Rakwana, in the Sinharaja Rainforest’s surrounding area.

The Rosewood Manor is an aesthetically designed country house located in Rakwana, bordering the Sinharaja Rainforest. It is tucked away in the tea plantations, offering spectacular views of the mountains in the background. The calming cold environment and the tranquility of the surrounding nature make this the perfect hideaway.

This afternoon, you can enjoy a high tea prepared by the talented in-house chefs.
Rosewood Manor, Rakwana – Mountain View Luxury Bedroom (Non A/C) (B,L,D)

Day 12: Rakwana
Half-Day Serene Rainforest Trek
Discovering Sinharaja’s Natural Treasures

After an early breakfast, venture on a trek through the Sinharaja Rainforest. Dense, dark, and mysterious – the Sinharaja is a picturesque rainforest ideal for meditation, relaxation, and scientific exploration. Located at the heart of the island’s wet zone, it is the last standing rainforest in Sri Lanka. Midst the thick evergreens that stretch over 18900 acres reside some of the rarest wildlife treasures of this paradise island. Upon entering the forest, its visitors become one with nature, embracing the serenity of the lush surroundings. It is literally a stroll in a treasure trove!

Return to your hotel and spend the afternoon at leisure.  Overnight stay at Rosewood Manor, Rakwana – Mountain View Luxury Bedroom (Non A/C)   (B,L,D)

Day 13: Rakwana – Colombo 
Transfer 
A guided experience Behind-the-Scenes of Colombo 

Today, following breakfast and check-out, your journey returns to where it all began. Over the next 4 hours, relax and take in the scenic views as you are driven towards Colombo, where you will check in at the Uga Residence before continuing to the next tour.

Built in the 19th century by a wealthy barrister. The halls and ballrooms of this grand Victorian townhouse once welcomed British governors, Indian maharajas, and the cream of colonial Ceylon society. Today, it is a well-refurbished boutique hotel. Despite its central location, its atmosphere of secluded peace and quiet is ideal for relaxation, too.

Later in the afternoon, you will meet an interesting personality from town who will take you along to explore the behind-the-scenes of Colombo.

Many travelers avoid Colombo because they think it’s boring. Well, that can be true if you are just another tourist on a bus, visiting all the shopping malls and restaurants. But our insider is here to prove them wrong!  Your Host, having been born and bred in Colombo, is the best guy to show you that if you are with an insider, you can unveil the city and find its true vibe, away from the fancy shops and where real life goes on.

Along the way, you will also have the chance to taste some of the best street food in town, which will keep your tastebuds satisfied. Whether it is a local pub or hoppers, samosas, or a Kottu Roti, it will be an authentic local gastronomic experience. 

You will also visit the local market at Pettah, where you will get to see the local vendors who come from different parts of the island. If you are lucky, you might be able to try out some of the seasonal fruits that you probably will not get to see back home.

As your journey leads through the busiest street in Sri Lanka, you will witness people from all walks of life. Think of it as a celebration of their lifestyle—tough but hard-earned. There are no frills or scripts here; simply life in its purest form.

After a filled day of local exploration, you are returned to your accommodations for the remainder of the day to enjoy and relax before your departure the next day. Uga Residence, Colombo – Park Suite (B)

Day 14: Colombo – Airport – Depart
Transfer 1 hour

Sadly, it’s time to leave this lovely little island.  After breakfast, gather your luggage and check out; your private chauffeur will be waiting to transfer you back to the Airport in plenty of time for your departure flight home.  (B)

The price for the land arrangements is based on Double sharing in USD per person per day.

For rates and full accommodation, including inclusive details, please contact us.