Author's tour "Pearl of the Indian Ocean" 6 days / 5 nights

After breakfast, free time at the hotel, which you can devote to exploring the surrounding area or go on one of the following excursions (optional): Anuradhapura is a city of ancient Ceylon, which remained the capital of the Sinhalese state for 1,400 years. Anuradhapura is not only an ancient capital, but also a sacred city. Every year, thousands of believers make a pilgrimage to the holy places, of which there are eight in the city: the Bo tree and seven dagobas. In the center of the city stands one of the seven stupas - the Ruwanovelli dagoba or Mahathupa (Great Stupa), built on a foundation of golden gravel in the 2nd century BC. Only at the foot it has a diameter of more than 80 m. All stupas contain relics (fragments of the physical remains of the Buddha) or were built on the site of important religious or historical events. Option. Pre-order. US$70 per person (min. 2 persons, including entrance fees) Minneriya. Jeep safari in Minneriya National Park. The park covers an area of over 8,800 hectares. The opportunity to see animal life in the park is very high, there are 9 species of mammals, 160 species of birds, 25 species of reptiles and 78 species of butterflies. Of course, the most interesting part of the program is watching wild elephants on the shore of the Minneriya reservoir, they come here for fresh grass during the dry season. The national park is home to over 400 elephants, and this is the largest population in the world concentrated in one place. Option. Pre-booking. US$80 per person (min. 2 persons, including entrance fees and safari) In the afternoon we will visit the "Fortress in the Sky": Sigiriya. The residence of King Kasap was built in the 5th century AD. Sigiriya or Lion Rock, 370 meters high, got its name from the huge stone lion that once stood at the entrance to the top. At the top are the ruins of the Upper Palace, and at the foot is the Lower Palace, surrounded by walls and a moat filled with water. Steps carved in stone lead to the Upper Palace. During the time of ancient rulers, the surface of the wall, 140 meters long and 40 meters high, was completely covered with frescoes with figures of apsaras - heavenly dancers. Durable plant paints allowed the frescoes to partially survive; even the past fifteen hundred years have not been able to completely erase them. Since 1982, Sigiriya has been under the protection of UNESCO. Batik factory. Batik is a national craft in Sri Lanka. As a result of the painstaking work of local craftsmen, works of art are created that you will not be ashamed to take as a gift to your friends. There are many factories in the country that produce batik, we will visit one of them to admire all the stages of creating a miracle. Dinner and overnight at a hotel in Sigiriya or Habarana.

After breakfast, visit the Dambulla Cave Temple and drive to Kandy. 148 km from Colombo, near the city of Matale, there is a Buddhist cave temple carved by people 2000 years ago. The rock temple of Buddha entering parinirvana is the largest cave temple in South Asia. The complex consists of several caves. In addition to them, there are many niches, the walls of which are covered with paintings with Buddhist motifs with a total area of 2100 m². In total, there are five main caves and twenty-five rock cells with 153 statues of Buddha, 3 statues of kings and 4 gods. Sometimes the temple is called Golden, because 73 statues are covered with gold. Further on the road to Kandy, an extensive program: wood carving workshop; Spice Garden; Museum and factory of precious stones; Temple of the Tooth Relic of Buddha and a dance performance. Spice Garden in Matale. Spices are a treasure that attracted Asian traders to the ports of ancient Sri Lanka. Later, Europeans arrived here and quickly realized that choosing is easier than trading. We will visit the spice garden, where the smells of cinnamon, pepper, cardamom, nutmeg create previously unknown sensations, resurrecting blurred images of the history of the Great Discoveries. Museum and jewelry factory. Marco Polo wrote that the best sapphires and topazes in the world are mined on this island. Nothing has changed since then, the jewelry industry has a very long history. Sri Lanka was once known as Ratna Dvipa, which means the Island of Precious Stones - up to 85 varieties of stones are mined here. Sapphires, tourmalines, amethysts and moonstones are famous all over the world. By the way, the largest sapphire weighing more than 400 carats, called the "Blue Beauty of Asia", was found in an ordinary rice field in Sri Lanka. Kandy is the last royal capital of Sri Lanka of the Sinhalese and the current cultural capital of the island. Among the hilly terrain, in the center of the city there is a lake, next to which is a Buddhist shrine - the temple of Sri Dalada Maligawa, the Sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha. This is one of the most beautiful cities in Sri Lanka, famous for its craftsmen. In Kandy there are art and archaeological museums, a center of traditional crafts. In the evening we will see a performance of national dance. Dinner and overnight at a hotel in Kandy.

Breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast - the Royal Botanical Garden, Ramboda Waterfall, tea plantation and factory. The Royal Botanical Garden is the largest in Asia, it contains 4,000 specimens of southern plants. It has the largest collection of orchids in the world - more than 1,000 species. The famous ficus benjamina occupies an entire meadow, and the giant Burmese bamboo can reach 40 meters in height, growing 30 centimeters in just one day. In the center of the garden is a memorial alley, the trees of which were planted by famous guests of Sri Lanka. Among them were Emperor Nicholas II, A.P. Chekhov, Yuri Gagarin. Ramboda Waterfall. Ramboda is one of the most beautiful waterfalls on the island. With a water fall height of 109 meters, it ranks 11th in Sri Lanka and 729th in the world. The waterfall is located at an altitude of 945 meters above sea level and is surrounded by tropical jungle, creating a sense of peace and tranquility. Tea plantation and factory. Visit a tea factory on the way to Nuwara Eliya. Misty mountains and tea plantations surround Nuwara Eliya at an altitude of up to 2000 meters above sea level. This is the “heart” of tea production not only in Sri Lanka but also some of the best tea in the world. Large plantations grow tea bushes, pick and process the tea leaves. After picking the tea leaves, the tea goes through five stages: drying, rolling, fermentation, roasting, sifting, before it is bagged and packed for sale. Nuwara Eliya is the “Little England” of Sri Lanka, set against a backdrop of mountains, valleys, waterfalls and tea plantations. The town was founded by explorer Samuel Baker, the discoverer of Lake Albert and the Nile in 1846. Many buildings, such as the Queen's Cottage, Grand Hotel, Hill Club and Post Office, retain elements of the colonial period. Attractions in the town include a golf course, trout streams, Victoria Park and boating on Lake Gregory. Dinner and overnight at a hotel in Nuwara Eliya.

After breakfast, departure to Yala via Tissamaharama. Ella. About 250 km from Colombo, in a charming mountainous area lies the picturesque village or small town of Ella. Here are the places described in the legendary Hindu tale "Ramayana" - the cave of the ruler of the island Ravana and the waterfall named after him. Kataragama. According to legend, when the son of Shiva and Parvati, the god of war Skanda descended from Mount Kailash, he decided to go to the place where the trident he threw would fall. Trishula fell on a hill near Kataragama. Now this place is sacred to Hindus, here is the main Hindu shrine of Sri Lanka - the temple of the god Skanda or Murugan. Later, the deity married a local girl named Valli and lived happily ever after with her. In general, members of Shiva's family know how to choose beautiful places to stay. Dinner and overnight at the Yala hotel.

After an early breakfast, visit Yala National Park and then head to the southern beaches via Galle. Ruhunu (Yala) National Park Elephants, spotted deer, sambar, crocodiles, mongooses, wild boars, buffalos and other animals await visitors. Here you can see about 30 leopards that feel right at home. The park has seven bungalows with several campsites from where wildlife lovers can watch more than 130 species of birds. Galle Once an ancient trading center, this city was the hub of King Solomon's ships, from where sandalwood, stones and ivory were transported. Today, it is a hub for tourism with Hindu and Buddhist temples and St. Mary's Cathedral, built by Catholic Jesuits. The Dutch fort in the bay on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka was first built in 1588 by the Portuguese and then fortified by the Dutch from 1649. Interestingly, they still own some of the buildings inside the fort. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (Hotel accommodation not included). Possible continuation of the program to the coast, Colombo or flight home.