Barefoot

What?

A captivating mix of ancient history, rich culture and great natural beauty, Sri Lanka captures the best of all worlds. It basks in glorious sunshine, boasts miles of palm-fringed beaches, water sports, prolific wildlife and no less than seven World Heritage site .

The rich and colourful history of Sri Lanka shows in the diversity of its delightful people. The Hill Country’s colonial roots are reflected in vast tea estates, botanical gardens and cricket pitches. The island’s UNESCO World Heritage sites include the Royal City of Kandy and the Rock Fortress of Sigiriya, each telling their own fascinating, ancient tales. Sri Lanka boasts spectacular birdlife as well as safari opportunities to see elephants, leopards and monkeys. With its mix of races and religions, arts and crafts, festivals and costumes, visitors can’t fail to be enchanted with its exquisite variety. We highly recommend a tailor-made, island tour.

Where?

Sri Lanka is an island nation in the Indian Ocean located in South Asia, southeast of India

When?

Sri Lanka has a tropical climate with two monsoon seasons. Coastal areas are generally hot with humidity and an average temperature of 28 degrees C, whilst the inland hill country can be a much cooler area with an average temperature of 16 degrees C. The most popular areas in the South Western half of the island are best visited during the months from December through April. May to August is monsoon season where it generally rains hard for about an hour during the day and throughout the night.

Who?

Sri Lanka is an island for everyone. Families can relax on calm beaches after a day of spotting elephants and monkeys, miles of endless beaches are perfect for those looking to doing nothing more taxing then sipping a cocktail whilst reading a book, culture enthusiasts will be thrilled by the long history of the island whilst visiting temples and tea plantations and naturists will not be disappointed by the safaris, bird watching and whale watching available.

Why?

Hike up the 2243m Adams Peak in the dark to be able to reach the summit just in time for a breath taking sunrise.

Visit Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage to see the elephant calves, bathing in the river whilst being cared for by the older elephants.

Test your fitness and stamina by climbing Sigiriya rock, a 200m monolith which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
See where your cup of tea comes from and how it’s made by visiting one of the tea plantations in Nuwara Eliya.

How?

The best way to see Sri Lanka is by a private tour. Our private tours consist of your own vehicle with English speaking driver –You get to set your own pace and itinerary!

An example of a 7 day tour is as follows:

DAY 01 : Arrival and transfer to Negombo

Dinner & Overnight stay in Negombo

DAY 02 : After Breakfast leave for Sigiriya

• Visit Sigiriya and climb the 5th century Sigiriya rock fortress (Entrance fees – US$ 20.00 per person) which is a world heritage site, built by King Kashyapa (477-495 AD). The ‘Lion Rock’ is a citadel of unusual beauty rising 200 metres from the scrub jungle. The rock was the innermost stronghold of the 70 hectare fortified town. A moat, rampart, and extensive gardens including the renowned water gardens ring the base of the rock. Visit the world-renowned frescoes of the ‘Heavenly Maidens’ of Sigiriya, which are in a sheltered pocket of the rock approached by a spiral stairway. These frescoes are painted in earth pigments on plaster.
• Lunch at a Restuarant
• Dinner & Overnight stay in Sigiriya / Dambulla

DAY 03 : After Breakfast proceed to Kandy via Dambulla.

• Visit the Dambulla Rock Temple. Climb up to the temple, which was donated by king Walagambahu in the 1st century BC to Buddhist monks. Dambulla is a World Heritage site and is the most impressive of Sri Lanka’s cave temples. The complex of five caves with over 2000 sq. metres of painted walls and the ceiling is the largest area of paintings found in the world.

  These caves contain over 150 images of the Buddha of which the largest is the colossal figure of the Buddha carved out of rock spanning 14 metres.

• Visit a spice garden in Matale to see the different spices, which Sri Lanka is famous for. You will be introduced to different spices and shown how some of these spices are grown and processed.
• Lunch at a Restaurant
• Do a city tour of Kandy. Kandy was the last capital of the Sri Lankan kings, and is a World Heritage Site. The name Kandy conjures visions of splendour and magnificence. Many of the legends, traditions and folklore are still lovingly kept alive. Drive around the Kandy Lake built by the last Sinhala king Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe in 1798. Visit the Kandy town and Bazaar, the arts & crafts centre and a gem museum and a lapidary. In the evening visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic and thereafter witness a cultural show featuring traditional Sri Lankan dancing.
• Dinner & Overnight stay in Kandy.

DAY 04 : After Breakfast proceed to Nuwara Eliya via Peradeniya.

• Visit the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens. This botanical garden was first built as a pleasure garden by a Sinhala king and was expanded by the British. It is 147 acres in extent and provides an amazing variety of trees, plants and flowers.
• Visit a tea plantation and a tea factory, where the best tea in the world is produced. You will be told all about the process of manufacturing tea. You can also see how tea is graded. Taste a cup of pure Ceylon tea in the factory.
• Lunch at a Restaurant
• Visit Nuwara Eliya. Nuwara Eliya, because of its invigorating mountain climate and scenery, is Sri Lanka’s most popular hill resort. Nuwara Eliya is also the heart of Sri Lanka’s tea country producing a significant share of the world’s best tea. Sri Lanka’s highest mountain Pidurutalagala (8282 feet) is located here. Nuwara-Eliya also has one of the finest 18 hole golf courses in South Asia.
• Dinner & Overnight stay in Nuwara Eliya / Kandapola.

DAY 05 : After Breakfast proceed to Beach via Kitulgala.

• Lunch at a Restaurant
• Kitulgala was the location where the famous film ‘Bridge on the River Kwai’ was filmed. Also en route observe the waterfalls St. Clare’s and Devon.
• Dinner & Overnight stay at a Beach Resort.

DAY 06 : At leisure at Beach on Full Board Basis.

DAY 07 : After Breakfast proceed to Colombo.

• Do a city tour of Colombo. Colombo like many capital cities in developing countries is fast changing its face. Almost overnight, skyscrapers arise from where old buildings once stood. Yet in some parts, the Old World charm is retained. As an example there is a 100 year old clock tower and several British built colonial buildings. Other places of interest are the old Parliament in Fort, a Hindu and a Buddhist temple, residential areas where you find the stately homes of the affluent and the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall – BMICH, an outright gift to Sri Lanka from the People’s Republic of China.
• Lunch at a Restaurant.
• Do a shopping tour. Visit the Ceramics Corporation Showrooms, Majestic City Shopping complex and ODEL Unlimited Dress Boutique.
• Dinner at a Restuarant
• Overnight stay in Colombo.