Enchanting North and East – Discover Sri Lanka

Luxury Sri Lankan Experience

Day 01 – ARRIVAL / KALELIYA

Welcome to Sri Lanka, the ‘Pearl of the Indian Ocean’!

On arrival in Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport, you’re met by your private chauffeur-guide and driven to your hotel which is only 20-30 minutes away from airport. Rest of the day is at your leisure.

Casa Heliconia can be described as “Jungle Glam”. At this intimate hideaway with its manicured jungle surrounds striking and stylish pavilions, decorated lavishly and creatively.

Note: Buddhism is extremely respected in Sri Lanka, any disrespectful words or acts may cause deportation or denial of entry, e.g. Buddha tattoos, kissing/climbing/riding Buddha statue, drinking inside a temple, etc.

Check into Casa Heliconia.

Day 02 – KALELIYA / ANURADHAPURA

After breakfast, checkout from the hotel and proceed to Anuradhapura

You will arrive at the hotel in the afternoon. Once a chieftain’s mansion, Ulagalla features a 150-year-old mansion at its centre, with 20 private, ecologically-built pool villas spread across 58 acres of lush greenery. Enjoy the ambiance of ancient kingdoms or nature-based adventures whilst immersed in luxurious, ecologically-sustainable beauty. The lush environment, stunning landscaping, and exquisite attention to comfort makes for an unforgettable experience amidst a green oasis. Ulagalla is also just a 30 mins drive away from Anuradhapura.

After your check in you will visit the Aukana Buddha Statue in the evening.

The statue, which has a height of more than 40 feet (12 m), was carved out of a large granite rock face during the 5th century. It depicts a variation of the Abhaya mudra, and the closely worn robe is elaborately carved. Constructed during the reign of Dhatusena, it may have been made as a result of a competition between a master and a pupil. The Avukana statue is one of the best examples of a standing statue constructed in ancient Sri Lanka. Return to Ullagalla for overnight stay in Anuradhapura.

Day 03 – ANURADHAPURA / WILPATTU NATIONAL PARK / ANURADHAPURA

Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning is free to relax and enjoy. Proceed to visit Wilpattu National Park in the early afternoon. Famous for elephants, sloth bears, leopards, water buffalos, sambhur deer, spotted deer and a variety of birds. Wilpattu National Park is located in the Northwest coast lowland dry zone of Sri Lanka. The park is located 30 km west of Anuradhapura and spreads across 131693 hectares, ranging from 0 to 152 meters above sea level. Nearly sixty lakes and tanks are found spread throughout Wilpattu, and it is the largest and one of the oldest National Parks in Sri Lanka. The Mahavamsa records that in 543 BC Prince Vijaya landed at Kudrimalai Point (Horse Point), married Kuweni and founded the Sinhalese race. In 1905 the area was designated a sanctuary and in 1938 it was upgraded to the National Park status. Return to Ullagalla for overnight stay.

Day 04 – ANURADHAPURA / JAFFNA

Breakfast at the hotel.

Checkout and proceed to Jaffna, the Capital city of the Northern Province. You will drive through the scenic countryside Plus Omanthai and Elephant Pass. Arrive in Jaffna in the late afternoon. Check in to the hotel. The rest of the day is free to explore the surroundings of your hotel.

Traditional Jaffna cuisine has a distinct flavour that is different to the rest of the country and is closer to south Indian cuisine in taste. Thosai, idly, pittu, vades rice and curries including seafood and meats (mainly mutton) are cooked with local herbs and spices and are rich in their flavours. You will have the opportunity to try them at the hotel dinner.

Overnight stay at Jetwing Jaffna.

Day 05 – JAFFNA

Breakfast at the hotel. Enjoy a Delft Island Boat Ride.

Delft Island is about as remote as it gets in Sri Lanka. Located in the Palk Strait – the area between India’s state of Tamil Nadu and the Northern part of Sri Lanka – Delft is a small and isolated island that was out-of-bounds to tourists for many years during the recent civil war, but remained mostly unaffected by major conflict. Delft is perhaps best known for its population of wild horses, which were left on the island by the Portuguese and remain an iconic feature of the rural life here.

 Overnight stay at Jetwing Jaffna.

Day 06 – JAFFNA

Breakfast at the hotel.  Take a tour of the Jaffna Peninsula.

Jaffna, one of the northern most towns in Sri Lanka, is also one of the most fascinating and varies dramatically to the rest of the country. It is well worth a visit if you get the chance. Typical Jaffna scenes include people bicycling home with bananas and firewood on the back of their bicycles and majestic old houses adorned with carved roundels, grand porches and beautiful doors and windows.

With a population of 88,138, Jaffna is Sri Lanka’s 12th largest city. Jaffna is approximately six miles away from Kandarodai which served as a famous emporium in the Jaffna peninsula from classical antiquity. Jaffna’s suburb, Nallur served as the capital of the four centuries-long medieval Jaffna kingdom. Prior to the Sri Lankan civil war, it was Sri Lanka’s second most populated city after the commercial capital Colombo. Since the 1980s insurgent uprising, military occupation, extensive damage, expulsion and depopulation has happened. Since the end of civil war in 2009, refugees and internally displaced people are returning to their homes and government and private sector reconstruction has begun.

You will start your City tour with a visit to the Jaffna Fort. The fort was built by the Portuguese in 1618 under Philip De Olivera following the Portuguese invasion of Jaffna. It was captured by the Dutch under Rijcklof van Goens in 1658 who expanded it. In 1795, it was taken over by the British, and remained under the control of a British garrison till 1948. As the only large military fort in the country, due to the presence of only government and military buildings within its ramparts, it was garrisoned by a detachment of the Ceylon Army.

After which you will visit the Jaffna Public Library.  It is one of Jaffna’s most notable landmarks, and is run by the Jaffna Municipal Council. The library was built in 1933 and burnt in 1981. During the early 1980s, it was one of the biggest libraries in Asia, containing over 97,000 books and manuscripts. In the evening you will visit the Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil in Jaffna. It is one of the most significant Hindu temples in the Jaffna District. Return to Jetwing Jaffna for overnight stay.

Day 07

JAFFNA / TRINCOMALEE

 Breakfast at the hotel. Check out and proceed to Trincomalee. You will arrive in Trincomalee in the late afternoon. Trincomalee which is a natural deep-water harbour has attracted seafarers, traders and pilgrims from Europe, Middle East, Africa, China, East Asia and Australasia since ancient times. Trinco, as it is commonly called, has been a seaport and Hindu pilgrimage centre since 400 BCE. The earliest epigraphic inscriptions found in Trincomalee city are in the Tamil language.

Trincomalee is also the site of the Trincomalee railway station and an ancient ferry service to Jaffna and the south side of the harbour at Muttur.

This luxury beach resort simply known as Jungle Beach, has artfully incorporated existing trees and natural plant life into the hotel’s design, making you feel like you’re in a luxurious tree house. Check in to Jungle Beach for overnight stay.

Day 08 – TRINCOMALEE

Proceed for a Dolphin/Marine mammal watching with a packed breakfast. After your dolphin watching return back to your hotel. Leave the hotel in the afternoon and proceed for a guided city tour. Amongst other things to see, the War Cemetery, Kanniya hot springs and the harbour are of great significance.

Visit the famous Koneswaram temple and the Fort Frederick.  The entrance to the roadway leading to Koneswaram is actually the entrance to what used to be Fort Fredrick. The fort was built in 1623 by the Portuguese and captured in 1639 by the Dutch. It then went through a phase of dismantling and reconstruction and was attacked and captured by the French in 1672. Return to the hotel in the late evening. Overnight stay at Jungle Beach in Trincomalee.

Day 09 – TRINCOMALEE / PASSIKUDAH

Breakfast at the hotel. Checkout from the hotel and proceed to Passikudah.

You will arrive at Passikudah in the afternoon. The rest of the day is free to relax or explore the surroundings of Passikudah.

A unique enchanting getaway with tastefully designed villas, suites and rooms equipped with modern facilities including large open sun decks and plunge pools, Anantaya Resort & Spa is positioned in the best resort area in the Passikudah beach stretch that makes this one of the most sought after Passikudah hotels in Sri Lanka. Overnight stay at Uga Bay in Passikudah.

Day 10 – PASSIKUDAH / BATTICALOA / PASSIKUDAH

Wake up to witness a stunning sunrise, followed by a hearty breakfast…! The day is free to relax by the sea…!! Overnight stay at Uga Bay in Passikudah.

Day 11 – PASSIKUDAH

Wake up to witness a stunning sunrise, followed by a hearty breakfast…! The day is free to relax by the sea…!! Overnight stay at Uga Bay in Passikudah.

Day 12 – PASSIKUDAH/ COLOMBO

Breakfast at the hotel. Travel to the Batticaloa Domestic Airport for your domestic flight to Colombo. Upon arrival in Colombo you will once again be met by your guide who will transfer you to your hotel in Colombo.

Nestled between leafy Park Street and the lakeside Buddhist shrine of Gangarama, Residence by Uga Escapes is amongst one of the most unique boutique hotels in Colombo, Sri Lanka’s commercial capital. Built in the 19th century by a wealthy barrister, Sheikh Salehboy Moosajee, the halls and ballrooms of this grand Victorian townhouse once welcomed British governors, Indian maharajas, European nobility and the cream of colonial Ceylon society. Today, Residence is a unique 11-suite luxury hotel in Colombo. Despite its central location, its atmosphere of secluded peace and quiet is pure balm for weary travellers.

Upon arrival in Colombo enjoy a tour of the bustling city and make your way towards the Galle Face Green where you will have the opportunity to taste various types of food that the locals enjoy during your Colombo Food Tour. Overnight at Tintagel.

Day 13 – COLOMBO / AIPORT

 Transfer to the airport for your onward flight.

Amentities & Facilities