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The leading specialists in cultural walking
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We specialise in guided cultural walking
tours with music festivals, opera, art & architecture,
birdwatching, wildlife and gourmet food & wine.
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Sri Lanka ~ Serendipitous
Strolls …
The tropical island of Sri Lanka offers
travellers a wealth of ‘happy discoveries’,
including walks on the scenic highland plateau, ambles through
spice gardens and forests rich in endemic species of orchids
and birds, and exploratory strolls amidst the magnificent
Buddhist temples, fortresses and palaces of World Heritage
sites at Kandy, Sigiriya, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. Raj era
plantation houses give a taste of colonial life on tea estates
in the hill country; we search for leopards and elephants on
safari in Yala National Park; take a boat trip looking for blue
whales; explore the 17C Dutch walled town of Galle; and enjoy
marvellously varied birdlife, particularly in the gardens of
some exceptional hotels.
TRIP ITINERARY
DAY 1
D included
After meeting at Colombo airport in the
afternoon, a brief road transfer north brings us to our
award-winning eco hotel which has thatched individual cottages
(airconditioned) set back from the private beach and a pool and
extensive gardens in which to relax.
DAY 2
B, L, D included
A day enjoying the coastal surroundings,
swimming, walking along the coconut palm-backed beach, taking a
boat trip to observe egrets, kingfishers and herons, or
possibly choosing a bicycle ride. Sri Lanka's intriguing
cuisine and its use of exotic spices and unusual vegetables and
fruit is explained to us before dinner.
DAY 3
B, L, D included
Travelling by airconditioned vehicle, we
head inland to visit Dambulla, the most impressive cave temple
on the island, with hundreds of painted and gilded statues and
every inch of the walls and ceilings richly decorated. We
settle into our 4 star hotel for the next three nights - set in
beautiful grounds by a lake, it has won international awards
for responsible tourism. A birdwatching stroll introduces the
ubiquitous green barbets, parakeets, bulbuls, mynahs and
monkeys found amongst the stands of mature trees.
DAY 4
B, L, D included
We have a short transfer to the World
Heritage site of Anuradhapura, a great Buddhist monastic city
and capital of the island for over a thousand years, then
explore on foot. This vast, peaceful site, peppered with shady
ornamental gardens and ‘tanks’ (ancient
reservoirs), contains such marvels as a huge dagoba (the Sri
Lankan stupa or pagoda) surrounded by full-size elephant
statues, and the Sacred Bo Tree (descended from the tree under
which Buddha received enlightenment in India 23 centuries ago
& considered the oldest recorded tree in the world). After
lunch in a colonial resthouse we return to our hotel to relax
by the pool or take an optional elephant-back ride.
DAY 5
B, L, D included
We drive to the nearby site of
Polonnaruwa where the impressive remains of the Royal Palaces
(dating from the 11C to 13C AD when the city was the
island’s capital) are dominated by a mighty recumbent
carved Buddha. After visiting the museum, we have lunch
overlooking a large reservoir with omnipresent Brahminy kites
and fish eagles, then return to our hotel - the remainder of
the day is left free for swimming, birdwatching or relaxing
with a good book. At dinner tonight we can sample a fragrant
banana flower curry with coconut milk, accompanied by delicious
chilled local beers.
DAY 6
B, L, D included
In the cool early morning we climb the
great fortress rock of Sigiriya, ascending past the famous
frescoes of elegant women, and the remarkable 7C graffiti on
the Mirror Wall, then passing the enormous lion’s paws
which guard the palace entrance to emerge to splendid views
over the surrounding jungle. The complex also contains a series
of beautiful water gardens, resembling, but predating by a
thousand years, the pleasure gardens of the Persians and
Moghuls. Heading on up into the hill country, paddy fields are
replaced by increasingly thick jungle and some magnificent
specimens of tropical trees, such as the ‘rain
tree’ (samanea saman). We pause to visit the unusual
small temple of Nalanda; then a profusion of cinnamon,
cardamom, nutmeg and vanilla orchids announces the area where
spices are grown for export. Lunch today will be a traditional
Sri Lankan banquet, cooked on open fires. Our 4 star hotel has
magnificent views, a good pool and gardens, and the opportunity
to try a traditional Ayurvedic treatment at the health centre.
DAY 7
B, L, D included
The hill country conservation area where
we walk this morning has sheltered more than one king from
Kandy in times of conflict, but today offers superb walking
with extensive views. Accompanied by a specialist local guide,
we hope to find the many butterflies for which the forest is
noted and to observe endemic birds such as the dusky blue
flycatcher and the yellow-eared bulbul. We continue by road to
Kandy, capital of the Highlands and historically the last
bastion of Buddhist political power against the colonial
forces. Our 4 star hotel for the next two nights is built in
the style of a traditional palace and is set high in the hills
above Kandy - our rooms feature private balconies with fine
views. We visit the celebrated Temple of the Sacred Tooth, one
of the most important Buddhist shrines in the world, witnessing
the dramatic drumming and chanting amidst clouds of incense.
DAY 8
B, L, D included
We spend the morning in the delightful
Peradeniya Botanic Gardens near Kandy, whose 150 acres contain
a complete flora of Sri Lanka, a tropical orchid house, birds
such as Sri Lanka Hanging parrot and Tickell’s Blue
Flycatcher and a large number of giant fruit bats (looking like
untidy umbrellas roosting in the trees). During the Second
World War the house here was S.E. Asia Command H.Q. under Lord
Mountbatten. A short drive takes us to Pinnawela Elephant
Orphanage to watch the young elephants being fed and bathing in
the river. After a light lunch we return to Kandy for a
relaxing afternoon.
DAY 9
B, L, D included
A 4 hour slow train journey, with a
picnic lunch, takes us through a spectacular scenery of green
tea plantations and stands of trees, high up into the hill
country. Situated at 2,000m, Nuwara Eliya attracted British
colonial settlers (initially coffee planters) whose legacy can
be seen in the Victorian architecture and well-stocked trout
streams. We take tea in the wonderfully old-fashioned Hill
Club, visit a tea factory, hope to catch a cricket match, and
walk through the town to the Anglican church. Drinks by the
fireside in our hotel, a stately colonial mansion, precede a
candle-lit dinner and an early night.
DAY 10
B, L, D included
We set off very early by vehicle, with a
picnic breakfast, to reach Horton Plains for an extended walk,
taking in both the incredible views off the escarpment edge at
World’s End (cloud permitting) and Baker’s Falls.
Formerly a hunting reserve for British Governors and now the
Park Wilderness Sanctuary, Horton Plains contain troupes of
Purple-faced Leaf monkey, Tennant’s Giant Squirrel and
black eagles - the open landscape is characterised by small
streams and stands of scarlet rhododendron. Driving on down to
the south coast, we take short stops to observe wildlife along
the way - common mongooses and striped squirrels are easily
seen and any open water has several kingfisher species. Our 4
star hotel for the next two nights has very well appointed
rooms with private verandahs and a pool for a refreshing dip on
arrival.
DAY 11
B, L, D included
We set off early with an expert tracker
accompanying us on a jeep safari into the nearby Yala West
National Park, 500 square miles of mixed open plains, rocky
outcrops (harbouring the rare leopard) and thorn scrub which is
ideal Indian elephant habitat. Large herds of sambar and
spotted deer are common and buffaloes, mongooses and jackals
may well be seen. The brackish lagoons are home to marsh mugger
crocodiles and flocks of wildfowl, including white-winged black
terns, painted storks, spoonbills and pheasant-tailed jacanas.
The afternoon is left free for a walk on the beach or time by
the pool, though indefatigable wildlife enthusiasts may opt to
return again into the Park in the late afternoon.
DAY 12
B, L, D included
After an earlyish start we travel along
the south coast, pausing at Dondra where the southernmost point
of the island is marked by a tall octagonal lighthouse - from
here, the next land south is Antarctica. The photogenic stilt
fishermen at Weligama Bay also draw our attention before we
reach our luxury accommodation for the next three nights, a 5
star hotel on the beach, with a spa and every facility.
DAY 13
B, L, D included
It has recently become more widely known
that the whale watching off the south coast of Sri Lanka is
amongst the best in the world and today we have the option of a
boat trip in search of the largest mammal on earth, the blue
whale, plus sperm whales and spinner dolphins. Sailing, diving,
fishing, canoeing, and birdwatching walks are all available as
alternatives for the energetic, or you may prefer a day of
total relaxation.
DAY 14
B, L, D included
This morning we explore nearby Galle, the
most historically interesting town in Sri Lanka, now a UNESCO
World Heritage site. The Dutch Groote Kerk is the oldest
Protestant church on the island and the collections of the
National Maritime Museum and the Historical Mansion Museum are
worth visiting. We stroll round the fort walls and bastions
(partly built of fossilised coral) before lunch and return to
our hotel for a free afternoon.
DAY 15
B, L, D included
En route north, we visit the Seenigama
Village project, seeing at first hand the work this charity is
doing to re-build communities devastated by the civil war. Our
final destination is a luxury private hideaway near the
capital, Colombo, where we stay for our last night in a
colonial manor house set amongst the finest private gardens in
Sri Lanka. We take the opportunity to shop for silks at
the exclusive ‘Barefoot’ before lunch, then settle
into our hotel for some final pampering. Our farewell
candle-lit dinner is a stylish tribute to Sri Lanka’s
contribution to Asian fusion food.
DAY 16
B included
Our visit to Sri Lanka ends with a mid
morning transfer to Colombo airport.
Price includes:
All accommodation for Days 1 through 16
on a double shared basis
All meals with local beer at lunch and
dinner as listed (cold beer is far more appropriate with Sri
Lankan food and the tropical climate, and we have found that
wine is often spoiled by inadequate storage)
All land transportation in private
airconditioned vehicles (plus train journey in the hills) as
described except during free periods
Boat trip on the river/canal and whale
watching trip
All entrance and sightseeing fees except
during free periods
Services of an expert local guide and a
driver throughout (plus Kudu Travel tour leader)
Services of specialist guides in National
Parks and reserves
Tips for porters, restaurant and hotel
staff
Visa and Health Requirements
Visitors from the UK and USA receive a
30-day tourist visa upon entry. If you are a national of any
other country, please check visa regulations with your nearest
Embassy of Sri Lanka. A Yellow Fever vaccination certificate is
not required when arriving from Europe or the USA.
Immunisation/boosters against Hepatitis A, Tetanus, Typhoid and
Polio are recommended - please consult your doctor about this
and also the latest situation on malaria prophylaxis. You may
also wish to check the advice given to travellers by the Department of Health and the FCO.
Insurance
It is essential, and a condition of
booking, that you protect yourself with a suitable travel
insurance policy as soon as you book a trip. Follow this link
for information on a policy available to UK residents.
If you are already insured or a non-UK
resident, please inform us of your policy at the time of
booking.
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Kudu Travel Limited
Teffont Manor
Teffont Ewyas
Salisbury SP3 5RJ
Phone: 01722 716167
Registered in England
No. 03854049
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