Tour Pearl of the Indian Ocean 5 days / 4 nights

After breakfast we leave for the Pinnawela elephant nursery. Next we go to Sigiriya, check into a hotel and explore Polunnaruwa. Pinnawala. On the way from Colombo to Kandy is Pinnawela. There, on the banks of the Maha Oya River, an elephant orphanage was founded in 1975 for orphaned calves and injured elephants. Currently, the shelter has become the largest in the world; it houses and protects about 90 orphan elephants, of which 60 are newborns. Here they receive food and education. The role of elephants in the life of Sri Lanka is invaluable - they work in logging, participate in shows and religious processions. Pinnawala is a unique place where you can not only watch elephants bathe in the river, but also wash them and feed them fruits. And for babies - milk. Polunnaruwa - second capital of Sri Lanka, 11th-13th century AD. The main attraction of the city is the Gal Vihara Temple - the most famous temple in Sri Lanka. Four Buddha statues in various poses, carved into granite rock, have been called “the best group of sculptures in the whole world.” On the left edge is a meditating Buddha sitting on a lion throne, next to him is a seated Buddha 7 meters tall with his hands folded on his chest. It is believed that this is the figure of a disciple of Buddha Ananda, bending towards his teacher and escorting him to the world of nirvana. To confirm this, there is a statue of a reclining Buddha nearby, about 14 meters long. The Polonnaruwa Archaeological Museum contains a collection of jewelry, household items, ancient coins, and religious statues. Polonnaruwa is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Dinner and rest at the hotel in Sigiriya or Habarana.

After breakfast, free time at the hotel which you can devote to observing the surrounding area or take one of the following excursions (optional): Anuradhapura - the city of ancient Ceylon, which remained the capital of the Sinhalese state for 1400 years. Anuradhapura is not only an ancient capital, but also a holy city. Every year, thousands of believers make pilgrimages to 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 Ruvanovelli dagoba or Mahatupa (Great Stupa), built on a foundation of golden gravel in the 2nd century. BC. At the base alone it has a diameter of more than 80 m. All stupas contain relics (fragments of the physical remains of the Buddha) or are built on the site of important religious or historical events. Option. Pre-order. US$ 70 per person (Min 2 persons includes entrance fees) Minneriya. Jeep safari in Mineriya National Park. The park covers more than 8800 hectares. The opportunity to look at animal life in the Park is very large: 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 banks of the Minneriya reservoir, where they come for fresh grass during the dry season. There are more than 400 elephants in the national park and this is the largest population in the world concentrated in one place. Option. Pre-order. US$ 80 per person (Min 2 people includes entrance tickets and safari) In the afternoon we visit the “Fortress in the Sky”: Sigiriya. The residence for King Kasap was built in the 5th century AD. e. Sigiriya or Lion Rock, 370 meters high, was so named because of 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 into stone lead to the Upper Palace. During the time of the ancient rulers, the surface of the wall, 140 m long and 40 m high, was completely covered with frescoes with figures of apsaras - celestial dancers. Persistent plant paints allowed the frescoes to be partially preserved; even the past fifteen hundred years could not completely erase them. Since 1982, Sigiriya has been under the protection of UNESCO. Batik factory. Batik is the national craft of Sri Lanka. As a result of the painstaking work of local craftsmen, works of art emerge that you would not be ashamed to take as gifts to friends. There are many factories in the country that make batik; we will stop by one of them to admire all the stages of the creation of a miracle. Dinner and overnight at a hotel in Sigiriya or Habaran.

After breakfast, visit Dambulla Cave Temple and depart for Kandy. 148 km from Colombo, near the town of Matale, there is a cave Buddhist 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. There are a total of five main caves and twenty-five rock cells with 153 Buddha statues, 3 statues of kings and 4 gods. Sometimes the temple is called the Golden Temple due to the fact that 73 statues are covered with gold. Further along the road to Kandy there is an extensive program: a wood carving workshop; Spice Garden; Museum and factory of precious stones; Temple of the Tooth Relic and dance performance. Spice garden in Matale. Spices are the jewel that attracted Asian traders to the ports of ancient Sri Lanka. Later, Europeans arrived and quickly realized that it was easier to take away than to trade. We will visit the spice garden, where the smells of cinnamon, pepper, cardamom, and 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 those times; the jewelry industry has a very long history. Sri Lanka was once known as Ratna Dwipa, which means the Island of Gems - up to 85 varieties of stones are found here. Sapphires, tourmalines, amethysts and moonstone are world famous. By the way, the largest sapphire, over 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 for 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 stands a Buddhist shrine - the Temple of Sri Dalada Maligawa, the Sacred Tooth Relic. This is one of the most beautiful cities in Sri Lanka, famous for its craftsmen. Kandy has an art and archaeological museum and a center for traditional crafts. In the evening we will see a national dance performance. Dinner and overnight at hotel in Kandy.

Breakfast in the hotel. After breakfast - Royal Botanical Garden, Ramboda Falls, tea plantation and factory. The Royal Botanic Garden is the largest in Asia with 4,000 specimens of southern plants. Here is the world's largest collection of orchids - more than 1000 species. The famous Ficus Benjamin occupies an entire clearing, and the giant Burmese bamboo can reach 40 meters in height, growing 30 centimeters in just a 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, Yu.A. Gagarin. Visit to a tea factory in Giragama. Visit to a tea factory. Next, departure to the hotel on the coast.