Anuradhapura 1st capital visit & back to Kandy

The ruins of Anuradhapura are one of South Asia’s most evocative sights. The sprawling complex contains a rich collection of archaeological and architectural wonders: enormous dagobas (brick stupas), ancient pools and crumbling temples, built during Anuradhapura’s thousand years of rule over Sri Lanka. Today, several of the sites remain in use as holy places and temples; frequent ceremonies give Anuradhapura a vibrancy that’s a sharp contrast to the museum-like ambience at Polonnaruwa.

Current-day Anuradhapura is a pleasant albeit sprawling city; a small town that feels more like a large village. There's loads of good budget accommodation, relaxed pace, making it a good place to spend an extra day.

Kandy – Marawila batik factory, coconut plantation and toddy tapper, Chillaw Munneshwaram Hindu temple, fish markert. Back to Kandy

Tourists visit the well known Hindu temple located in Munneswaram, situated in the historic Demala Pattuva ("Tamil division") region in the Puttalam District. Every year people flock to Chilaw to observe the Munneswaram Festival. Traders sell various hand painted animals made out of clay such as the deer, money box tills and 'raban' (traditional hand drums) from stalls all over the town, during the Munneswaram Festival.

The main festivals celebrated at the temple include Navarathri and Sivarathri. The former is a nine-day-long festival in honour of the presiding Goddess, while the latter is an over-night observation in honour of Lord Shiva. In addition to these two Hindu festivals, the temple has a festival of its own, the Munneswaram festival, a four-week-long event attended by Hindus and Buddhists..

Kandy – Sigiriya, Dambulla Cave Temple, Back to Kandy

SIGIRIYA :- Sigiriya, is an ancient rock fortress located in the northern Matale District near the town of Dambulla in the Central Province, Sri Lanka. The name refers to a site of historical and archaeological significance that is dominated by a massive column of rock nearly 200 metres (660 ft) high. According to the ancient Sri Lankan chronicle the Culavamsa, this site was selected by King Kasyapa (477 – 495 CE) for his new capital. He built his palace on the top of this rock and decorated its sides with colourful frescoes. On a small plateau about halfway up the side of this rock he built a gateway in the form of an enormous lion. The name of this place is derived from this structure —Sīhāgiri, the Lion Rock. The capital and the royal palace was abandoned after the king's death. It was used as a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century.

Dambulla (Dambulla cave temple) :- It is the largest and best preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. The rock towers 160 m (520 ft) over the surrounding plains.There are more than 80 documented caves in the surrounding. Major attractions are spread over 5 caves, which contain statues and paintings. This paintings and statues are related to Lord Buddha and his life. There are a total of 153 Buddha statues, 3 statues of Sri Lankan kings and 4 statues of god and goddess. The latter 4 include two statues of Hindu gods, Vishnu and Ganesh. The murals cover an area of 2,100 m². Depictions in the walls of the caves include Buddha's temptation by demon Mara and Buddha's first sermon.

Kandy – Kosgoda turtle hatchery, Balapitiya river boat trip, Hikkaduwa Coral Garden, Ambalangoda traditional mask museum, Galle Fort. Back to Kandy

Balapitiya river boat trip :- Madu ganga is located in Balapitiya, 80 km away from Colombo, close to Sri Lankas southern coastal belt. This wetland spreds over 900 heactares of area and most of it covered with water. There are totally 64 island in Madu Ganga. This tour will take around 2 hours and it’s advisable to bring drinking water, Sunglasses and hats. Some boats have adjustable roofing covers.

Galle Fort :- Galle Fort, in the Bay of Galle on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka, was built first in 1588 by the Portuguese, then extensively fortified by the Dutch during the 17th century from 1649 onwards.

Kandy – Kalpitiya for dolphin watching and back to Kandy

Kalpitiya, that affords the opportunity to view large pods of Dolphins, often numbers running to hundreds, is becoming a celebrated location in Sri Lanka of the lovers of Spinner Dolphins. Kalpitiya Whales Kalpitiya, for its presence of Sperm Whales and an occasional Blue Whale alone is a world class attraction of marine life. Whales are regularly seen around the Kalpitiya Peninsula.

Interestingly it was only from around February 2010 that Kalpitiya was finally considered as a destination to catch sight of the majestic whale. Boat trips are regularly taken from the Kalpitiya Peninsula to an off-shore site away from the reef to catch sight of Sperm whales, who is also the largest toothed whale in the world. The Sperm Whale, in the hunt of Giant Squid, dives several hundred meters into the ocean. Kalpitiya Peninsula with its continental shelf provides an ideal habitat to the Sperm Whale.

The season to view Sperm Whale at Kalpitiya The season to view the Sperm Whale at Kalpitiya Peninsula is between December and mid-April. The sight of the magnificent Blue whale too could be possible occasionally. The season for the beaches at Kalpitiya where you can enjoy the most memorable beach holiday is from October to May.

Kandy – Elephant orphanage, Tea Factory and plantation, Botanical Garden, Kandy Temple & City.

Pinnawela orphanage :- Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is an orphanage, nursery and captive breeding ground for wild Asian elephants located at Pinnawala village, 13 km (8.1 mi) northeast of Kegalle town in Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka. Pinnawala has the largest herd of captive elephants in the world. In 2011, there were 88 elephants, including 39 males and 49 females from 3 generations, living in Pinnawala.

The orphanage was founded to care and protect the many orphaned unweaned wild elephants found wandering in and near the forests of Sri Lanka. It was established in 1975 by the Sri Lanka Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC).

This 24 acres large elephant orphanage is also breeding pace for elephants, twenty elephants were born since 1984, and it has the greatest herd of elephants in captivity in the world.

Kandy :- Kandy is a major city in Sri Lanka located in the Central Province. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka.[1] The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is both an administrative and religious city and is also the capital of the Central Province. Kandy is the home of The Temple of the Tooth Relic (Sri Dalada Maligawa), one of the most sacred places of worship in the Buddhist world. It was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1988.

Negombo is located approximately 37 km north of the commercial capital of Colombo in Sri Lanka. It is located at the mouth of the Negombo lagoon. The major beach resort in the West Coast is Negombo. The wide sandy beaches and the safe sea are the main attractions of Negombo and it is perfectly located within 7 km from the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake, Sri Lanka.

Negombo has a small port, and its economy is mainly based on tourism and its centuries-old fishing industry. Negombo is a traditional fishing town in Sri Lanka, and no wonder the town is a gourmet food lover’s paradise with seafood available in plenty. Negombo also produces spices, ceramics and brassware. The town has a majority of Roman Catholics along with Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims while it has been given the name “Little Rome” due to the highly ornate Portuguese-era Roman Catholic churches found within the township. The town has several buildings that date back to the Dutch and Portuguese colonial era. Attractions in the city include the old Dutch fort gate built in 1672 now a part of the prison, the Dutch Canal which was then a supply route to the Dutch administration, old churches and fishing villages. The 100km long canal running through the town is still being used and is an attraction for those who want to see the country from a different perspective.

Kandy – Elephant orphanage, elephant ride. Back to Kandy.

Pinnawela orphanage is situated northwest of the town Kegalla, halfways between the present capital Colombo and the ancient royal residence Kandy in the hills of central Sri Lanka. It was established 1975 by the Sri Lanka Wildlife department. This 24 acres large elephant orphanage is also breeding pace for elephants, twenty elephants were born since 1984, and it has the greatest herd of elephants in captivity in the world.

Kandy – Rathnapura, rubber plantation, gem mine and museum. Back to Kandy.

Ratnapura is a major city in Sri Lanka. It is the capital city of Sabaragamuwa Province, as well as the Ratnapura District, and is a traditional centre for the Sri Lankan gem trade. It is located on the Kalu Ganga (Black River) in south-central Sri Lanka, some 101 km (63 mi) southeast of the country's capital, Colombo. Ratnapura is also spelled as Rathnapura.

The name 'Ratnapura' is a Sanskrit word meaning "city of gems", from the Sanskrit words pura (town) and ratna (gemstone). Over 2000 years ago, when the first Buddhist monks arrived here from the north eastern provinces of India namely Bodh-Gaya, Varanasi and Pataliputra, they not only brought with them the Buddhist religion, but since their teachings were mainly in Sanskrit and Pali they also influenced the local language. While candy produced from the jaggery palm is traditionally known in this region as ratnapura, it is more likely that the candy was named for the locale rather than vice versa.

It is the centre of a long-established industry of precious stone mining including rubies, sapphires, and other gems. Apart from gem mining, the city is known for the production of rice and fruit. Large plantations of tea and rubber surround the city. Tea grown in this region is called low-country tea. There is a well-established tourism industry in Ratnapura. Nearby Sinharaja Forest Reserve, Udawalawe National Park, Kitulgala, and Adam's Peak are especially popular among tourists.

Kandy – Muthurajawela wet land with boat trip in the lagoon. Back to Kandy

Muthurajawela is a marsh in Sri Lanka in the southern region of the Colombo lagoon, 30 km (19 mi) north of Colombo. The Muthurajawela Marshes are 3,068 ha (7,580 acres) in area and the country's largest saline coastal peat bog. The marsh is notable for its unique and highly diverse ecosystem and is listed as one of 12 priority wetlands in Sri Lanka. "Muthurajawela" translates to "Swamp of Royal Treasure".

The marsh is believed to have originated about 7,000 years ago. In 1996 1,777 ha (4,390 acres) of the northern part of the Muthurajawela marsh was declared a wetland sanctuary by the government, under the Flora and Fauna Protection Act, in recognition of its vast bio-diversity. The region supports 192 distinct species of flora and 209 distinct species of fauna, including Slender Loris, as well as another 102 species of birds. Some of the identified species have been shown to be indigenous to the marsh.

The marsh is a major local and tourist attraction, primarily for sightseeing and boating tours, and the area also supports local agriculture and forestry. Visitors to the region are guided through the sanctuary areas by the staff of the Muthurajawela Marsh Centre to avoid serious harm to the marsh ecosystem.

Colombo city tour and shopping excursion.

Colombo, is the commercial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo metropolitan area has a population of 5.6 million, and 752,993 in the city proper. It is the financial centre of the island and a popular tourist destination. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to the Greater Colombo area which includes Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, the legislative capital of Sri Lanka and Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia. Colombo is often referred to as the capital since Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is within the urban area of, and a suburb of, Colombo. It is also the administrative capital of Western Province, Sri Lanka and the district capital of Colombo District. Colombo is a busy and vibrant place with a mixture of modern life and colonial buildings and ruins.It was the legislative capital of Sri Lanka until 1982.