Sri Lanka Maldives Holiday Package Itinerary

DAY 1
Airport – Negombo – Dutch Canal – Waikkal

Arrival at the Bandaranayke International Airport. After you’ve checked into your first hotel in Negombo, it’s time to go on a boat ride on the Colonial Dutch Canal. The boat ride/safari that takes you along the old canal which runs through Waikkal, providing you with the opportunity to see tropical birds close up; waders, stunning kingfishers, rare pied kingfishers, bee-eaters, Brahminy kites, etc. Water monitors, bearing an uncanny resemblance to crocodiles, are also bound to make an appearance, so keep your eye out for a glimpse! If you like, you can prolong your boat journey by following the canal into the Indian Ocean, where you continue to travel onwards to Negombo town.
Overnight at Camelot Beach Hotel, Negombo

DAY 2
Negombo – Elephant Orphanage – Local Village Experience – Sigiriya

After breakfast leave for Negombo Sigiriya. On the way visit the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, established in 1975 to shelter and care for wounded elephants and abandoned baby elephants found in the jungle. The main daily activities within the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage are feeding milk to baby elephants and bathing sessions.
Afterward, experience the traditional village life of Hiriwaduna. Trek through the typical Sri Lankan village, an awesome walk along a bund of a Wewa or manmade reservoir. The reservoir itself, the surrounding scrub jungle, marshland, and village are a hive of early morning or evening activity. The amazing birdlife, butterflies, and possible sightings of crocodiles only add to the charm of seeing the villagers as they go about their tasks of fishing, or washing clothes at the periphery of the lake. Initially one wades through a shallow stream and thereafter crosses a wider tributary in a catamaran of a local farmer to inspect Chena cultivation. Under the guidance of the farmer, pick some fresh vegetables from the plot and join in the preparation of a simple meal, prepared in the traditional method using earthenware pots and firewood as fuel. This is a great opportunity to sample authentic local cuisine. The journey continues through dense shrub forests, home to many forest birds and other wildlife including monkeys, bears, pythons, and even elephants. In Hiriwaduna you can embark on a bicycle-, oxcart- or boat trip. Proceed to Sigiriya.
Overnight at Kassapa Lions Rock, Sigiriya

DAY 3
Sigiriya – Ayrvedic Spice Garden – Temple of the Tooth – Kandy

After breakfast at the hotel, climb the UNESCO World Heritage Site Sigiriya Rock, a part of Sri Lanka’s ‘Cultural Triangle’, where you will have a chance to gaze over the stunning views of Central Sri Lanka. On top of the Sigiriya Rock are the ruins of an ancient palace/rock fortress, overlooking the beautiful plains of North-Central Sri Lanka. Built by an exiled Indian prince, the breath-taking ruins are one of Sri Lanka’s main attractions and date back to AD 477. Despite its age, Sigiriya still retains much of its former beauty and features some of the finest examples of ancient wall paintings, as well as a network of attractive gardens and reservoirs, and Sigiriya’s namesake – a gigantic pair of lion’s paws cut into the rock. With its fascinating history and unerring beauty, Sigiriya is often referred to as the 8th wonder of the world and the UNESCO-sponsored Central Cultural Fund has even restored Sigiriya’s 5th century Water Gardens, so that you can get a glimpse of what Sigiriya might have been.
Proceed back to the hotel.
Leave for Kandy, Sri Lanka’s Cultural Capital. On the way visit the Spice Garden in Matale. Since ancient trading days, Sri Lanka is world-renowned for its Quality Spices. In the 16th century Ceylon, as it was then known, was discovered by the Portuguese who soon began trading in cinnamon and other spices. The Dutch and British followed, bringing with them their own history and influences, forming a strong Western presence which created a history of food expressed with spices which can be tasted in the dishes today. Spices are an essential element of the cuisine of Sri Lanka and the Ayurvedic tradition and a visit to a garden specializes in the cultivation of these substances and an excellent way for purposes of new uses of certain ingredients that perhaps though they knew well. Find cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, vanilla, cardamom, and black pepper, to name a few. Visitors can buy the products in their natural state or in the form of oils and potions that are used by Ayurvedic medicine.
Proceed to Kandy.
Visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy. Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy is the most prominent and sacred Buddhist shrine in Sri Lanka, even in the world. The relic of the tooth is kept in a two-story inner shrine fronted by two large elephant tusks. The relic rests on a solid gold lotus flower, encased in jeweled caskets that sit on a throne. The temple is joined by the Pattiripuwa (Octagon) tower, built in 1803, which was originally a prison but now houses a collection of palm-leaf manuscripts. The king’s palace is also in the temple compound.
Overnight at Topaz Hotel, Kandy

DAY 4
Kandy – Botanical Garden – Tea Plantations – Nuwara Eliya

Breakfast at the hotel. Explore the Peradeniya Botanical Garden. Botanical Garden in Peradeniya is Sri Lanka’s largest garden, an elegant and spacious 147-acres (60-hectares) where plenty of time is needed to stroll along Peradeniya’s imposing Avenue of Royal Palms. There are some 4,000 different species of plants at Peradeniya Gardens. The 10,000 or so trees, which are the stars, are mature, lofty giants, many of them tropical timber trees. Highlights of the collection include the Giant Bamboo of Burma, capable of growing to 40 meters height (130 feet) with a 25-centimeter (10-inch) stem diameter. And it can grow by a rapid 30 centimetres a day (12 inches). Absolutely sensational is the century-old giant Javan fig tree, its tentacle-like roots spread across the enormous area of about 1,800 square meters (19,375 square feet) a massive central trunk beneath the tree’s vast canopy ‘umbrella’. The Cannonball tree is also intriguing, with its cannonball-like fruit hanging off the trunk and large open, waxy pink-white flowers. So is the Double Coconut Palm, one of 200 types of palms displayed at Peradeniya – originating from Seychelles, this tree produces the largest seed known to man. Its fruits take five years to mature. The gardens showcase all of Sri Lanka’s flora and representative species from around the tropical world. Luminaries as varied as Queen Elizabeth II, Marshal Tito and Yuri Gugarin have planted trees to mark their visits to the garden.
Leave for Nuwara Eliya.
No visit to the hill country is complete without a visit to a tea estate, where you can view the vibrant green fields of tea which for so many people epitomize the image of Sri Lanka. Surrounded by the breathtaking, idyllic landscape, you will also get a chance to taste and purchase some of the world’s finest tea. Nuwara Eliya is situated around 2000m above sea level and surrounded by lush tea plantations.
Once a pleasure retreats of the European planters the town is still very much an English town with many English-style bungalows and buildings. Some of the finest teas in the world are produced here, and a visit to a tea factory and a tea plantation is a must. The process is unchanged since Victorian times, and you can follow it through from picking, drying, and crushing to fermenting, packing, and finally tasting.
Overnight at Heaven Seven Hotel, Nuwara Eliya

DAY 5
Nuwara Eliya – Ella Wildlife Sanctuary – Yala National park – Tissahamarana

After breakfast leave for Yala National Park. On the way visit the Ravana Waterfall. This waterfall measures approximately 25 m (82 ft) in height and cascades from an oval-shaped concave rock outcrop. During the local wet season, the waterfall turns into what is said to resemble an areca flower with withering petals. But this is not the case in the dry season, when the flow of water reduces dramatically. The falls form part of the Ravana Ella Wildlife Sanctuary and are located 6 km from Ella.
Proceed to Yala
Visit the Yala National Park. Yala National Park is famously known for its highest concentration of leopards in the world and this is the second largest national park in Sri Lanka. The park is primarily a shrub jungle with rocky outcrops that dot the park, along with several salt- and fresh-water lagoons. Rain is received mainly during the northeast monsoon usually from May to September. At the Yala national park visitors can spot leopards, elephants, sloth bears, Sambar, and spotted deer, jackal, mongoose, wild boar, wild buffaloes, langur and macaque monkeys. Yala is also famous for its birdlife. There are around 130 species of birds that have been spotted at the sanctuary including black-necked stork, sandpipers, pelicans, egrets, hoopoes, parakeets, and bulbuls. One could spot peacocks as soon as they enter the park, unlike the evasive jungle fowl, the national bird of Sri Lanka.
Overnight at Hibiscus Garden Hotel, Yala

DAY 6
Tissahamarana – Weligama – Galle Fort – Hikkaduwa

On the way to Hikkaduwa we stop first at Weligama. Located on Sri Lanka’s picturesque South Coast, Weligama still offers the charm of an idyllic fishing village. Enjoy walks along uncrowded beaches, still untouched by mass tourism, and be fascinated by the famous stilt fishing men. Weligama is more than beach life. Much more. Surrounded by rubber and coconut plantations, ancient temples and spice gardens, natural sanctuaries and exotic wildlife, Weligama offers something for everybody.
Next, you will be visiting the Galle Fort. A Unesco World Heritage Site, this historic city is easy to explore on foot, an endlessly exotic old trading port blessed with imposing Dutch-colonial buildings, ancient mosques and churches, grand mansions and museums. Most travelers are utterly seduced by Galle’s ambiance, and it’s undoubtedly southern Sri Lanka’s one unmissable sight.
Hikkaduwa is a former fishing village in the southwest part of Sri Lanka, about two hours south of Colombo. It’s famous for beaches, surf spots, giant sea turtles, scuba diving and moonstone mining. The Hikkaduwa Coral Reef is located just off the Coral Sands Hotel. You can bring a mask and snorkel from home or rent gear for cheap on the beach. Either way can see tropical fishes in knee-deep water on the reef or on a scuba diving trip. This is such an inexpensive and easy activity anybody who can swim owes it to themselves to check it out.
Overnight at Coral Sands Hotel, Hikkaduwa

DAY 7 – 10
Maldives – Paradise Island

In the morning leave for your flight to the Maldives. A short speed boat transfer will get you to the 5* Paradise Island Villa Resort. Imagine a secluded island with bright white beaches, a lagoon awash in deep blues and aquamarines, and soaring coconut palms swaying in the breeze. A network of paved pathways winds through the lush grounds, connecting the oceanfront accommodation, gourmet dining spots, sports facilities, and an inspiring spa. This is Paradise Island Resort & Spa – a luxury resort in the Maldives where unforgettable experiences await.
Overnight at the 5* Paradise Island Villa Resort

If you haven’t booked your ticket yet, it might be cheaper to include the Maldives Extension into your international flight, but, if required, we can handle the air ticket reservation for you (Flights from/to Colombo to Male only)

Sri Lanka Maldives Holiday Package 10 Days

This tour is fully customizable, or our Travel Experts can help you to create a unique Holiday Experience from scratch.

from – USD 1.145 pp

for more details and all available options contact us:
Mobile/WhatsApp/Viber/Imo : 0094 773 866 315
b2b@sri-holidays.com