The Essence of Sri Lankan Culture – All-inclusive Tour

Meet and greet by Serendipity Tours representative and leave for Sigiriya. En route visit Anuradhapura. Anuradhapura city tour There are eight significant icons that represent Sri Lanka’s connection to Buddhism, and all of them are situated in Anuradhapura, thus calling this collection “Atamasthanaya,” meaning “eight sacred places.” There is a unique story or history connected to each one of them. Most of them were built by kings that ruled the Anuradhapura Kingdom. You will visit all these places on our hop-on, hop-off Anuradhapura City Tour. • Ruwanwelisaya: It is a “stupa” that was built by King Dutugamunu and is one of the biggest completed ones to date. • Thuparamaya: It is the oldest ‘dagoba’ in Sri Lanka and possibly the oldest visible one in the world. • Lovamahapaya: The significance of this building is that the roof was once covered in bronze tiles. • Abhayagiri: It is one of the biggest viharas in Anuradhapura. It was a monastery of 5000 monks. • Jethavanaramaya: It is a sacred world heritage site and accommodated some 3000 monks at the time. It is also quite similar to Abhayagiri. • Mirisavetiya: This stupa was built by King Dutugamunu after defeating King Elara. • Lankaramaya: This is also built by a king called King Valagamba in the Anuradhapura Kingdom times and is one of the eight sacred places in the city. Aukana Buddha statue The Avukana statue is considered one of the best examples of a standing statue of the Buddha from ancient Sri Lanka. The Avukana statue is a standing statue of the Buddha near Kekirawa in North Central Sri Lanka. The statue, which has a height of more than 46 feet (14 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 built in Sri Lanka. It is now a popular tourist attraction. Mihintale Mihintale is a mountain peak near Anuradhapura. It is one of the oldest religious sites in the world, dating back to the 2nd century BC. King Devanampiyatissa built it. Temple is now a pilgrimage site and the site of many important religious monuments and abandoned structures, such as an Ayurveda hospital. Heinz E. Müller-Dietz (Historia Hospitalism 1975) describes the hospital of Mihintale as being perhaps the oldest in the world. Activities Anuradhapura historical city tour, Aukana Buddha statues, Mihintale Accommodation Hotel in Sigiriya

After breakfast, leave for Polonnaruwa ancient city, en route, Stop At: Polonnaruwa Sri Lanka Polonnaruwa is the second-most historical city in Sri Lanka. It was made the capital of Sri Lanka after Anuradhapura. The ruins in Anuradhapura are much older than the ruins in Polonnaruwa; therefore, the ruins in Polonnaruwa are in much better condition than the ruins in Anuradhapura. On your hop-on, hop-off city tour, you will be visiting palaces, dagobas, and temples, which provide a good example of Sri Lankan historical craftsmanship. In this 3-hour guided tour of the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, you will cover some of the following attractions:. • Royal Palace (Palace of King Parakramabahu, the most prolific and gifted builder of the era) • Nissankamulla Palace (royal audience hall with impressive stonework) • Gal Viharaya (Contains some of the best rock sculptures in the country) • Thuparama & Lankathilaka Image Houses (good examples of vaulted shrine rooms) • Vatadage (gives an idea of what a complete vatadage may have looked like) • Rankoth Vehera (largest stupa in Polonnaruwa) • Parakramabahu Statue (Statue of one of the greatest kings of ancient Sri Lanka) Stop At: Ancient Sigiriya Rock Fortress Sigiriya is located in the central Matale District near the town of Dambulla in the Central Province, Sri Lanka. The name refers to a site of historical and archaeological significance that is dominated by a massive column of rock nearly 200 meters (660 feet) high. According to the ancient Sri Lankan chronicle, the Culavamsa, the site was selected by King Kasyapa (477–495 CE) for his new capital. He built his palace on the top of this rock and decorated its sides with colorful frescoes. On a small plateau about halfway up the side of this rock, he built a gateway in the form of an enormous lion. The name of this place is derived from this structure—Sīhāgiri, the Lion Rock. The capital and the royal palace were abandoned after the king's death. It was used as a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century. Uttarama rock temple The Uttararama is a rock temple of the Buddha situated in the ancient city of Polonnaruwa. It was fashioned in the 12th century by Parakramabahu I. The central feature of the temple is four rock relief statues of the Buddha, which have been carved into the face of a large granitic (granite gneiss) rock. The images consist of a large, seated figure, another smaller seated figure inside an artificial cavern, a standing figure and a reclining figure. These are considered to be some of the best examples of ancient Sinhala sculpting and carving arts and have made the Gal Vihara the most visited monument at Polonnaruwa. Safari of Minneriya National Park Get a thrilling look at the elephants of Minneriya National Park during this 3-hour private Jeep safari. Travel to a wilderness refuge known for hosting one of the largest gatherings of Asian elephants on earth (each June through September), observing these giant creatures as they drink, feed, and congregate. This activity will include a safari tour by Jeep with a jungle tracker, where you can see animals in the jungle, including elephants, bears, wild boars, deer, buffalo, monkeys and many other animals (if you are lucky, leopards too). Return to Habarana. Activitie Visiting Sigiriya Rock, Polonnaruwa Ancient City, Museum, Minneriya National Park Safari Accommodation Standard hotel in Sigiriya

Breakfast at the hotel and leave for Kandy; en route, visit Dambulla Golden Temple, Matale Aluvihara Temple and Spice Garden. In the evening, visit the tooth relic temple (ceremony). Stop At: Dambulla Cave Temple Dating back to the 1st century BC, this is the most impressive cave temple in Sri Lanka. It has five caves under an overhanging rock, carved with a drip line to keep the interiors dry. Inside the caves, the ceilings are painted with religious images as well as various gods and goddesses. There are images of the Buddha and the bodhisattvas. The temple has several caves that have been converted into shrine rooms. The caves were built at the base of a 150-meter-high rock during the period of the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa kingdoms. The famous Dambulla Cave Temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Dambulla cave monastery remains the best-preserved ancient edifice in Sri Lanka. Temple of the tooth relic (1 hour) Sri Dalada Maligawa (Sinhala), or The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, is a Buddhist temple in the city of Kandy, Sri Lanka. It is located in the royal palace complex, which houses the Relic of the Tooth Buddha. Since ancient times, the relic has played an important role in local politics because it is believed that whoever holds the relic holds the governance of the country. Kandy was the last capital of the Sinhalese kings and is a world heritage site partly due to the temple. Kandyan cultural show (1 hour) The Cultural Dance Show. Sri Lanka's culture is so closely connected to dance and drama, and no function will be complete without displaying a dance or even a drama. As a multi-ethnic land, Sri Lanka boasts of a rich conflux of dance and drama. The two main ethnic groups share two spectacular dance and drama traditions, which enrich the fame Sri Lanka has gained in this sphere. National Museum The Kandy National Museum, opened in 1942, is located next to the sacred Temple of the Tooth and is housed in a section of the Royal Palace where the King’s concubines resided. This museum has over 5000 objects on display, and among the most impressive exhibits are King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe II's golden crown and a copy of the 1815 treaty known as the ‘Kandyan Convention’ by which, on March 2, 1815, Ceylon ceded to the British, ending 2,357 years of monarchy. Arts and crafts center Arts and crafts are an integral part of Sri Lanka’s ancient cultural heritage. Traditional Sri Lankan crafts are vital industries in many parts of the island that include wood carving, mask making, drum making, mat weaving, handlooms, lacwork, rush and read products, etc. The royal palace The last king to reside in the Royal Palace was King Sri Wickrama Rajasinhe until he was overthrown by the British in 1815 with the aid of Kandyan chieftains. Once part of a large palace complex that included the Raja Wasala (King’s Palace), Magul Maduwa (Royal Audience Hall), Meda Wasala (Queens’ Palace), Palle Wasala (King’s Harem Quarters), and Ulpange (Queen’s Bathing Pavilion), together with the Temple of the Tooth. Royal audience hall The ‘Magul Maduwa’, a finely carved masterpiece in timber, is where the king met his ministers and carried out his daily administrative tasks. Many historic events have taken place at this location, and it was here that the British handed over the death sentence to the Sri Lankan national heroes Keppatipola Disave and Madugalle Disave. A replica of the Royal Audience Hall of Kandy was constructed in granite in Colombo in 1948 to commemorate Sri Lanka’s independence from the British. Kandy city walk Your Kandy city walk starts near Kandy Lake. Your guide leads you to the picturesque and important corners of the city, such as Kandy Lake, Kandy fish market, vegetable market, clock tower area, and Bazar area. The walking tour lasts about 1 hour. CITY and SHOPPING (optional) The city tour will include places of tourist interest such as Kandy Lake, a historical church, the Buddhist Hindu Temple, and the Batik factory. Activities Dambulla golden temple, Kandy city tour, visiting spice/herbal garden, the temple of the tooth relic, museum, Kandyan cultural show Accommodation Standard hotel in Kandy

Breakfast at the hotel and leave for Colombo, en-route Kandy sightseeing tour, Peradeniya botanical garden Peradeniya botanical garden is the most popular botanical garden on the island, with many thousands of years of history. Today it is visited by thousands of visitors every day, and it harbors more than 4000 plants, trees, veins, dendrobiums, and much other flora. Tea plantation/factory You will be visiting a tea plantation after the Botanical Garden. The tea plantation is situated in the mawanella just a few kilometers from the main road. You will witness the tea manufacturing process in the tea factory and taste cups of unblended Ceylon in the tea center. Pinnawala elephant orphanage The first orphanage dedicated to jumbos started in 1975. Spreads over 9 hectares near the river of Kumbukan Oya, which is the bathing spot for elephants. You will be guided to the bathing spot as the elephant bathes, plays, and enjoys the water. Activities Visiting Peradeniyagarden, Tea Estate/Tea Factory, Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. Accommodation No accommodation today.