A busy itinerary packing a lot in a short time, but giving a real taste of the country. An odd... kim simkins, 2019 See more reviews
I came away from this trip with a great understanding of Sri Lanka. It is a beautiful country... Sarah Hollander, 2018 See more reviews
This was a great way to see and experience a lot of Sri Lanka in a short space of time Kate Mason, 2018 See more reviews
The trip was excellent thanks to the leadership of Suresh and the interesting sites we visited. Dieter and Sigrid Kadolsky, 2017 See more reviews
A brilliant getaway, with a bit of something to suit everyone. A friend and I picked this trip... Rachel Homewood, 2017 See more reviews
A busy, interesting and varied short trip which gives you a good overview of the history,... Julia Larsson, 2017 See more reviews
A very enjoyable trip thanks mainly to our guide Nalaka Wiswamith who was very knowledgeable,... Allan Cook, 2017 See more reviews
This was a very well-managed and memorable trip. It was jam packed full of sites to visit plus... Philip Kay, 2016 See more reviews
If you are looking for a quick introduction to Sri Lanka then this is a very good trip. The... Tom Richmond, 2016 See more reviews
We booked this as a land only group of 4 and booked our flights separately plus extended to stay... Stephen Sinnhuber, 2016 See more reviews
Itinerary Include flights Expand all Day 1 Depart London. The group flight usually departs in the evening from London Heathrow. Day 2 Arrive Colombo; transfer to Wattala. The group flight arrives at Colombo's Bandaranaike Airport and transfer to our hotel at Wattala on the coast. The rest of the day is free to relax at the hotel and recover from the flight. Those not flying with the group will meet us at the hotel.Pegasus Reef Hotel or similar Day 3 Game drive near Giritale to see elephants in their natural habitat. Today we travel to Giritale, where we will stop in one of three parks, either the Kaudulla or Minneriya National Park or the Hurulu Eco Park for a game drive. We will take to jeeps to explore the park and observe elephants in their natural habitat. We then continue onto Giritale where we stay overnight. Our hotel overlooks the Giritale Tanks – the island’s early inhabitants solved the dual problem of heat and lack of water in this dry area by constructing these large tanks to act as reservoirs and to help cool the air. Nowadays these provide an important habitat for birdlife, particularly between April and August.Giritale Hotel or similar Meals included: Breakfast Day 4 Cycle trip to Dambalawewa Lake with a village lunch. Today we cycle at a leisurely pace through a series of small villages to Dambalawewa Lake. We should see plenty of birdlife including Egrets, Brahmany Kites, Kingfishers, Bulbuls. We stop for lunch in a traditional village which will break up the journey. In the late afternoon we return to our hotel in Giritale.Giritale Hotel or similar Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Day 5 Visit ancient capital city of Polonnaruwa; to Sigiriya; evening visit to rock fortress. After breakfast we take a short drive to Polonnaruwa, the ancient capital of the Sinhalese. There are many Buddhist relics and ruins dating from a thousand years ago when Sinhalese culture reached its zenith. Polonnaruwa flourished in the 12th century after the decision was made to move the capital from Anuradhapura so it was further away from the incursions from southern India. We visit many of the temples, palaces, huges dagobas and remarkable Buddhist sculptures. After lunch we drive to Sigiriya about an hour away. This impressive 5th century rock fortress rises 180m from the plains overlooking the surrounding countryside giving far-reaching views. Used as a safe haven from invaders, the route to the top is up a series of steep steps and gangways. From the base, where a moat surrounds impressive water gardens, we ascend 200m, passing an overhanging rock under which superb portraits of native maidens holding flowers and temple offerings still adorn the rock wall. Crowning the flat-topped summit of the rock are remains of the King's Summer Palace from where there are breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside. The descent is much easier and you can cool off in the hotel pool at dusk.Hotel Sigiriya or similar Meals included: Breakfast Day 6 To Kandy via the cave temples at Dambulla; visit Temple of the Tooth. Today we head into the hills to the picturesque town of Kandy. On the way we stop at Dambulla, famous for its cave temple, one of Sri Lanka’s most impressive sights. There are colourful, well preserved paintings and statues of the Buddha inside, some of which date back as far as the 1st century BC. Kandy is located on a small lake and we spend time in and around the town. Visiting the Temple of the Tooth, which houses Sri Lanka's most important Buddhist relic. The Tooth of Buddha which was taken from the funeral pyre in 543 BC and only found its way to Sri Lanka in the 4th century AD. There are literally hundreds of worshippers who visit the temple each day and in July/August the most spectacular ceremony takes place. Some of our trips in July/August should coincide with the Kandy festival, but the exact dates, decided by priests (depending on the auspicious time), are not known until 5 months prior to the event. We drive to a beautiful viewpoint to get a great view of Kandy and its environs that are overlooked by a huge Buddha and visit a gem museum where you can see the products of the traditional methods of gem extraction. In the evening we may have the chance to attend a performance of the athletic Kandian Dancing and fire walking.Royal Kandyan Hotel or similar Meals included: Breakfast Day 7 Free day to explore Kandy; optional day excursion to Knuckles Mountain Range. Today you are free to explore Kandy at your leisure or take an optional excursion to Knuckles Mountain Range (including Lunch). This mountain range is named due to its formation that resembles the knuckles of a clenched fist. They loom 1860m above the Dumbara Valley. The surrounding areas have been declared as a strict natural reserve. A large variety of indigenous plants are found in this area. We return to Kandy in the evening.Royal Kandyan Hotel or similar Please note: If there has been a lot of rain it is generally not advisable to do the optional excursion in the Knuckles mountain range as it can be very slippery underfoot. If this is the case a visit to Nuwara Eliya is generally offered as an alternative. Meals included: Breakfast Day 8 To Wattala via Peradeniya Botanical Gardens and tea estate. Today we proceed to Wattala via a tea plantation and Peradeniya Botanical Gardens, which houses species of orchid and other plants unique to Sri Lanka. We arrive at our hotel in the evening.Pegasus Reef Hotel or similar Meals included: Breakfast Day 9 Fly to London. If you are travelling on the group flight we will have a morning transfer to the airport for the daytime flight to London. The arrangements for those not flying with the group ends after check out. Meals included: Breakfast
Maldives If you are keen to end your holiday on a very relaxed note we can arrange a visit to the Maldives for you. The flight from Colombo is around 1 hour and upon arrival you will be transferred by speedboat (approximately 20mins) to the Paradise Island 4* resort. Paradise Island is a beautiful coral island with a total land area of 178,900 square metres, covered with lush tropical vegetation, numerous palm trees, surrounded by a wide sandy beach and the crystal clear waters of an azure lagoon. You can choose to add on as many extra nights to your trip as you wish; your time on the island will be at leisure for you to do as you wish. The accommodation used has a swimming pool, restaurant, bar, room service and all rooms are air‐conditioned and have en suite facilities. As well as the modern amenities of the resort there is also access to scuba diving and snorkelling or for the less active the chance to swim in these wonderful, calm waters. Either way it is a veritable paradise and a memorable end to the trip. If you choose to take advantage of this opportunity then we can arrange flights for you to Malé as well as booking the hotel and speedboat transfer to the island.
Sri Lanka A visa (Electronic Travel Authorisation) is required if you are British and for most other nationalities. If you do not hold a British passport, please check the visa requirements with your local Sri Lankan Embassy or the ETA website www.eta.gov.lk. Passengers should also be aware of local laws and customs in Sri Lanka (https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/sri-lanka/local-laws-and-customs). The mistreatment of Buddhist images and artefacts is an offence; please note that people have been refused entry to Sri Lanka because of visible tattoos of Buddha.
Sri Lanka There are no mandatory vaccination requirements. Recommended vaccinations are: Polio, Tetanus, Typhoid, Hepatitis A. The risk of malaria is slight but you may wish to consult your GP or travel health clinic for further advice. Dengue fever is a known risk in places visited. It is a tropical viral disease spread by daytime biting mosquitoes. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available for Dengue, and therefore the best form of prevention is to avoid being bitten. We recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.
Hotels Hotels on this trip of are generally of a good standard, all with swimming pools and with good facilities. Our property in Sigiriya is of a particularly high standard with a lovely pool, looking out over the famous Lion Rock. Single accommodation available on request. Please note paying the single supplement may not mean that you receive a double or twin room for sole use. The room you are allocated may differ from hotel to hotel , and on some nights a smaller room for ‘one person’ may well be allocated.
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Reviewed January 2019 kim simkins Trip: Sri Lankan Highlights Great mix of culture and scenery A busy itinerary packing a lot in a short time, but giving a real taste of the country. An odd mix of frenetic activity, bustling cities and spiritual calm of the temples! Some beautiful scenery and the climb up Sigiriya was worth every step! What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Elephants in the wild and alongside the road, Sigiriya at sunset Lakeside location of the Tanks Cave temple at Dambulla Lunch in the local people's house, eating off banana leaves with fingers What did you think of your group leader? Group leader was very good, polite, organised, and good at trying to keep everyone happy. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Be prepared for some long drives on pretty chaotic roads with a lot of traffic so takes a long time to cover short distances. Hotels quite variable, relatively expensive. Watch your drinks, we were served measures of water with lime instead of gin on new years eve! Reasonable level of fitness helps as there was quite a lot of walking involved around sites with a climb up Sigiriya which might not suit those with vertigo Is there anything else you would like to add? Unable to do the optional day to Knuckles Mountain Range trip due to rain and they couldn't give us anything else for less tha 8 people. We ended up doing our own hike up the mountain at the back of Kandy and visited the tea plantations and museum.
Reviewed August 2018 Sarah Hollander Trip: Sri Lankan Highlights Beautiful country, stunning scenery... I came away from this trip with a great understanding of Sri Lanka. It is a beautiful country with stunning scenery, interesting buildings and lovely people. Our fantastic guide Dileepa made the trip easy for us ( we were a very small group), and he was extremely knowledgeable with the ability to answer our many questions. The hotels were of good standard- especially Hotel Sigiriya with its stunning location. Highlights for me were the elephant safari, climbing Sigiriya Rock and the cycling morning and local lunch ( delicious). It was a busy trip but there was time for relaxing by the pool too. The whole trip was very well organised. I am grateful to our guide who helped make this trip such a fantastic one. I will definitely use Exodus again! What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Seeing elephants in the wild and the stunning scenery from Sigiriya Rock. What did you think of your group leader? Dileepa was fantastic- enthusiastic and very knowledgeable. He answered questions in depth and I have learnt alot about Sri lanka. He was kind, patient and understood the needs of the group. He was sociable and had great communication skills ( superb english). He was very well organised, and knew exactly the best times to go to places. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Take trainers and or walking style shoes for some activities. A lightweight day rucksack would be useful.
Reviewed March 2018 Kate Mason Trip: Sri Lankan Highlights A fantastic Trip This was a great way to see and experience a lot of Sri Lanka in a short space of time What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? While tracking in the Knuckle mountains we came across a tiny school in the middle of nowhere -there were 6 young children who looked very anxious when we all trooped into their simple classroom-within minutes one of our group who was a teacher had us all singing a song with them trying to join in -It was a lovely experience . What did you think of your group leader? Sujee was an excellent tour leader -informative entertaining and a great sense of humour -He also went above and beyond in terms of advice for those of us staying in Sri Lanka after the end of his tour. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Don’t wait too long -this tour is suitable for any age !! Is there anything else you would like to add? This was our 1st Exodus trip and we were a little apprehensive -It definately exceeded our expectations and we will be booking with Exodus again
Reviewed January 2018 Helen Furniss Trip: Sri Lankan Highlights A quick tour to get a taste of Sri Lanka If you are looking for an introduction to Sri Lanka, the Sri Lankan Highlights tour is a good way to see a bit of the country and get to see some of the highlights. We packed a lot in but still got to see most of the things I was interested in. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Going on the game drive to see the elephants on Christmas day was fantastic. It was the best day of the trip for me. We were there for a few hours and got to see three separate groups of elephants. It wasn't rushed and our driver gave us plenty of time to get photos etc. What did you think of your group leader? Bop was a good guide. Very organised and always positive and upbeat. Our driver and his assistant were also helpful. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? This is not what I would consider a leisurely tour. While you are not rushing and moving onto a new hotel every day there is certainly a lot of activity! The bike ride is flat and manageable if you can ride a bike. It rained the day we did this and we got really muddy but it didn't impact the ride. There is a tuk tuk made available if you don't want to ride. The climb up Sigririya Rock was very strenuous and I think people who are less mobile would have difficulty completing it. There is an option to wait at a lower level but there is still a lot of stairs to get to this point and you are climbing in the hot sun so that is something to consider. Make sure you've got plenty of water! The walk up to the cave temples at Dambulla is also very steep and the path is a bit rocky. It's the morning after the Sigiriya Rock climb which probably made it a bit more difficult. Is there anything else you would like to add? While the hotels are all nice and of a high standard (particularly at Sigiriya), it would be great if they were closer to the action so you could do a bit of exploring on your own in the afternoons and evenings. While I appreciate this may not be possible in places like Giritale and Sigiriya, it certainly is in Kandy and Colombo where I am sure there are hotels of a good standard that are actually in the town rather than being a distance away. I didn't like being stuck at the hotel and not being able to get out and go for a walk to a local restaurant in the evening. Particularly as the hotels only offered international buffets which meant the opportunities to eat local Sri Lankan food were extremely limited.
Reviewed September 2017 Dieter and Sigrid Kadolsky Trip: Sri Lankan Highlights Sri Lankan Highlights - Suresh Bandara The trip was excellent thanks to the leadership of Suresh and the interesting sites we visited. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? It was a shock to us that in the rural area a Sri Lankan took a bath in a very polluted small canal ... and had a toothbrush and toothpaste next to him. What did you think of your group leader? Suresh was on the trip a very attentive and pro-active guide, caring for each of the members of the group individually and so made this trip most enjoyable. As he informed us at the end of the tour that although he had led this tour for the first time, he still was able to give us many details about the sites we visited and about Sri Lanka. Also, he went at lengths to take us to very special restaurants outside the hotels. We feel priviledged to have had Suresh as a group leader. Is there anything else you would like to add? After the trip, we spent five days at the Anantara Hotel in Kalutara at the seaside. Our hopes for quiet days at the beach were disappointed because the sea was too rough. We think we should have been advised of this.
Reviewed August 2017 Rachel Homewood Trip: Sri Lankan Highlights Great introduction to Sri Lanka! A brilliant getaway, with a bit of something to suit everyone. A friend and I picked this trip simply because we were limited to a week away and wanted to go somewhere neither of us had been before. This trip was perfect. The pace is spot-on, with lots to see and do through the week but still with enough opportunities for a bit of pool time and chill out. It's also a great introduction to Sri Lanka and has definitely whetted our appetite for a return visit to see some of the areas not covered first time around. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Impossible to pick just one. I loved the half day cycling (I'm not a frequent cyclist) but this was a great way to see a bit more of village life. The couple of stops along the way were also great, especially the impromptu cricket knock about! Climbing Lion Rock was another highlight. The view from the top is beautiful, well worth the effort. Our trip coincided with the Esala Perahera festivities in Kandy. The parade is long but felt like a once lifetime opportunity. What did you think of your group leader? Suresh is nothing short of brilliant!! He really got to know us as a group and always went the extra mile to make sure everyone was happy. His genuine enthusiasm for sharing his passion for all things Sri Lankan was infectious and I really feel this added to our overall experience, thanks Suresh! Do you have any advice for potential travellers? This is a great trip for a quick getaway.
Reviewed January 2017 Julia Larsson Trip: Sri Lankan Highlights Sri Lankan Highlights A busy, interesting and varied short trip which gives you a good overview of the history, wildlife and beauty of this island. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The gave drive in Kaudulla where we saw lots of elephants, the cave temples at Dambulla, the cycle trip through the countryside and visiting Kandy. I suffer from severe vertigo so didn't climb Sigiriya. What did you think of your group leader? Nalaka Wiswamith was excellent. He was very caring and supportive when I was unwell one day. He integrated very well with the whole group and was very knowledgeable about the history, wildlife and bird life of Sri Lanka. As I was not on the group flight he also arranged for me to keep my room until just before I had to leave for the airport and booked a taxi to take me there. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Do make sure you use insect repellant during the day. Drink lots of water as the humidity is high. Is there anything else you would like to add? All the hotels were of a good standard but were 'out of town' so expect to eat in the hotel restaurants every night. This wasn't a huge problem as the choice and variety of food was huge but it did mean that we didn't experience any local restaurants. We did have a wonderful lunch when on the bike ride.
Reviewed January 2017 Allan Cook Trip: Sri Lankan Highlights Sri Lankan Highlights A very enjoyable trip thanks mainly to our guide Nalaka Wiswamith who was very knowledgeable, good with people and passionate about the treasures of his country. It did help to have a small manageable group which all got on well with each other What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? . To see over 100 elephants from one spot was very memorable. The ceremony in the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, with the smell of incense, the sound of drums and the vibrant colours was not to be missed What did you think of your group leader? see my summary Do you have any advice for potential travellers? If they have travelled before then not really Is there anything else you would like to add? To see more of how local people live and work as for example our visit to be shown the harvesting of coconuts from a tall palm, cutting the nuts to drink the water and the making of coconut milk. Perhaps something to do will growing rice including water management, the production of spices and logging are possibilities
Reviewed August 2016 Philip Kay Trip: Sri Lankan Highlights Sri Lanka adventure This was a very well-managed and memorable trip. It was jam packed full of sites to visit plus many activities. We all got on really well as a group and experienced a great deal together. Our guide, Rasah, was a great character, being very knowledgeable but never boring. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Lots of answers to this question. The amazing temples and the two safaris were some of the highlights, plus we timed our trip to coincide with the Kandy Festival (Esala Perahera). What did you think of your group leader? Very cheerful with a great sense of humour. Happy to answer all our questions and was very knowledgeable. An ideal companion who got on well with all the members of the group. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Forget any preconceptions. Just go and experience the warmth of the people in a very green and varied landscape. Is there anything else you would like to add? Just to say that, as well as our guide, our coach driver and his mate were excellent. Driving in Sri Lanka is definitely an acquired art and despite the chaotic traffic, we always felt perfectly safe.
Reviewed April 2016 Tom Richmond Trip: Sri Lankan Highlights Great trip but not that 'leisurely'! If you are looking for a quick introduction to Sri Lanka then this is a very good trip. The itinerary includes some great moments and you get to see quite a lot in a short space of time. It was a really nice group of travellers and the tour guide Dileepa was good fun throughout and certainly knew his stuff. The weather was very hot and humid, which was to be expected in March/April, and it only rained once during the daytime. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The jeep safari to see elephants roaming around was a fantastic few hours. What did you think of your group leader? Dileepa was excellent, very friendly and knowledgeable. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? You do need to be prepared for the short duration of the trip because you have to move hotels almost every day, which means a lot of fairly early starts and constant packing/repacking. The heat and humidity can also be quite draining in March and April! Is there anything else you would like to add? The only slight issue with this trip was that it was described as 'leisurely' (lowest activity rating) on the Exodus website. Seeing as our first day involved a 15km bike ride - albeit fairly flat - in blistering heat and humidity and on another very hot day we walked to the top of Sigiriya rock (200m high), I don't think the trip should be described as leisurely. Although none of this was a problem for me personally, I can imagine that some slightly less active travellers could find these types of activities very strenuous. A few group members did not make it to the top of Sigiriya rock for precisely this reason. I would suggest to Exodus that this trip is given 2/9 for the activity rating rather than 1/9.
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