Knowledge of paradise.

TOUR PROGRAMME

Duration: 08 nights / 09 days

Day 1

Arrival at Colombo International Airport.

Meet and greet the Russian-speaking representative of Let's See Asia in the waiting room. Moving to Colombo.

Stay at the hotel of the selected category. Dinner.

Day 2

Breakfast at the hotel.

Moving to Anuradhapura. Tour of the ancient capital.

Anuradhapura is not only an ancient capital, but also a holy city. 247. Buddhism became the official religion of Sri Lanka, and monks from Northern India brought to the island relics - symbols of this special religion, filled with philosophical meaning. Every year, thousands of believers make a pilgrimage to the holy places, of which there are eight in the city: the Bo tree and seven dagobs. Anuradhapura was and still is the capital of Buddhism. The Bo Tree is one of the holiest objects of worship for millions of Buddhists around the world. In the center of the city stands one of the seven stupas - Dagoba Ruvanovelli or Mahatupa (Great Stupa), built on the foundation of gold gravel in the II century BC. Only at the foot it has a diameter of more than 80 m. Dagoba Jetavana (120 m), the tallest brick structure ever built by man, (IV century AD) was the third largest monument in the world, second only to the pyramid of Cheops at Giza.

Moving to Sigiriya.

Stay at the hotel of the selected category. Dinner.

Day 3

Breakfast at the hotel.

Climb the lion's mountain Sigiriya.

Sigiriya – “Fortress to Heaven”

This picturesque mountain is located in the center of the island and is one of the main attractions of Sri Lanka. Here, at an altitude of 200 meters, the remains of the palace of the late 5th century are preserved. 18 frescoes with the image of half-naked beauties deserve close attention.

Moving to Polonnaruwa.

Polonnaruwa. The medieval capital of the island, where art, architecture and engineering skills reached unprecedented development in the period from the XI to the XIV century. Here you can see the remains of the palace of King Parakramabahu, once brilliant. Among the attractions are four magnificent Buddha statues carved into granite rock (Gal Vihara), which have been named the best sculptural group in the world. Back to the hotel.

Stay at the hotel of the selected category. Dinner.

Day 4

Breakfast at the hotel.

Moving and visiting the cave temple in Dambulla.

In the town of Dambulla on the top of the mountain (350 meters above sea level) is a Buddhist cave temple, consisting of 5 caves. It contains the largest collection of Buddha statues, many of which are over 2,000 years old. The frescoes that adorn the walls and ceiling are a real treasure of temple wall painting.

Moving to Kandy, on the way to visit the spice garden.

Kandy is located in the central part of the island. In the center of the city there is an artificial lake, the creation of the last king of Kandy. North of the lake is the ancient Udawatta Kele Forest, the only forest in the world located right within the city limits. The residential area is located in the mountains south of the lake, and the city itself occupies the northern and western regions. In the center, on a small island, the Royal Summer Palace is built, where Sri Vikrema Rajasinghe kept his harem. On the shore of the lake is Dalada Maligava - Temple of the Sacred Tooth of Buddha. Since 311, when the tooth appeared on the island in the hair of Princess Hemamala, the relic has become a symbol of sovereignty. The state capital was the city where the tooth of Buddha was located. When the Tooth arrived in Kandy in 1590, King Vimala Dharma Surya I built a two-story temple on the grounds of the royal palace, where the relic was placed. Wood carvings, painted ceilings, doors trimmed with silver and ivory decorate the temple.

Stay at the hotel of the selected category. Dinner.

Day 5

Breakfast at the hotel.

Move to the Vedd village.

In the depths of Sri Lanka, about 60 km east of Kandy, among the jungles, there are still 340 families, ancient Vedd tribes, leading a primitive lifestyle. Each tribe has a leader, and after a short negotiation with him, you can go to the village and get acquainted with their way of life. The tribes mainly hunt and sometimes wander. The only weapons for hunting they use bows with arrows, axes and knives. The only clothing men wear is a loincloth or sarong. The main food product is small and medium game - deer, rabbits, birds. Residents of the village will show all kinds of ceremonies, the procedure of breeding fire with the help of two stones, show how the hunting of animals takes place.

There are different opinions about the appearance of “wild people” (Veddas) on the island. Some consider them to be “people who came from nowhere”, while others consider them to be the first inhabitants to arrive in Sri Lanka thousands of years ago. The ethnographer Seligmans, who studied the Vedds in 1911, classified the tribes into the Veddas, Village Veddas, and Coast Veddas. Only the "Veddas" are the "pure" true Veddas, who preserve the old way of life. Return to the hotel, dinner and rest.

Day 6

Breakfast at the hotel.

Visit the Royal Botanical Garden in Peradenia.

The Royal Botanical Garden in Peradenia is one of the best in Asia. Created in 1821, the garden is located 12 km from the city of Kandy, at the bend of the Mahaveli River - the largest river in Sri Lanka. The best gardeners of Sri Lanka have broken up a huge hilly area into park areas reflecting different types of tropical flora. The contrast of the color range of ornamental and flowering trees, most of which bloom in the dry season, fascinates visitors. One of the amazing areas is a collection of houseplants (750 species), the advantage of which is the unique shape of leaves and a variety of colors. But the main attraction of the garden is decorative orchids (about 100 species). The garden is famous for its collection of 175 species of palm trees, and these trees not only adorn the landscape, but also provide a person with everything he needs: food, clothing, shelter, fuel.

Moving to Nuwara Eliya.

Nuwara Eliya. High-mountain resort "city of light", located at an altitude of 1884 m above sea level at the foot of Mount Pidurutalagala, the highest peak of Sri Lanka. A mild favorable climate (average annual temperature of +15 - +20 degrees), picturesque meadows and valleys, mountain landscapes - all this made Nuwara Eliya a very popular resort. Nuwara Eliya is known as Little England. An excellent 18-hole golf course – one of the best in Southeast Asia – is known all over the world to true lovers of this sport.

Move to the foot of Adam's Peak Mountain.

Stay at the hotel of the selected category. Dinner. Night climb to Adam's Peak.

Adam's Peak - Mount Sri Pada is located in the town of Hatton, 108 kilometers serpentine from Nuwar Eliya. The mountain rises 2,234 m above sea level (see map) and is a pilgrimage site where tens of thousands of worshippers climb to touch the sacred footprint on top of the mountain. Believers of all four religions consider the mountain sacred. Buddhists call it Sri Pada ("sacred footprint"), believing that Gautama Buddha himself visited this place. Hindus claim that the imprint belongs to Shiva, the supreme god, and call Mount Srivan Adipatam ("Shiva's cosmic dance"). Muslims insist that Adam first set foot on earth (Adam's Peak, the name given by the Portuguese). Christians believe that St. Thomas, a Christian apostle who preached in southern India, left his mark here. The pilgrimage season begins in December and continues until the Wesak Festival (full moon in May). At other times of the year, the mountain is colorless and gloomy, and frequent rains make climbing quite dangerous. Most pilgrims climb the stairs illuminated by daylight at night, not only to fall to the sacred trail, but also to witness a unique phenomenon at sunrise that causes delight and awe. In a ghostly fog, the shadow of the mountain is girdled with rainbow glow and unusual mirages arise over the famous “footprint”.

Day 7

Descent from Adam's Peak. Breakfast at the hotel and a little rest.

Moving to Ratnapura.

The city of Ratnapura is located 101 km southeast of Colombo, 15 km from the foot of Adam’s Peak and in the south borders the Kalu Ganga River. Since ancient times, Sri Lanka has been known as Ratnadvipa, the land of gems. Perhaps the island was the biblical Tarshish, from where King Solomon received precious stones, elephants and peacocks. Marco Polo in his notes mentions a huge ruby that adorned the Ruvanveli Stupa in Anuradhapura - "a flawless ruby 9 inches long and the thickness of a man's hand." Perhaps he exaggerated a little, but the stones mined here are highly valued by jewelers around the world.

Stay at the hotel of the selected category. Dinner.

Day 8

Breakfast at the hotel.

Excursion to the Sinharage rain forest.

Observing wildlife scenery.

Sinharaja Forest, more precisely Sinharaja Rein Forest (rainforest) is declared a biosphere reserve and included in the list of World Natural Heritage by UNESCO. It is the oldest tropical forest in Sri Lanka. The forest consists of huge, closely growing trees that form a dense canopy over the explorer who climbed into the forest. The forest is inhabited by armadillos, macaques, leopards, a giant squirrel, a purple-faced monkey. According to the number of species of birds living in the forest, the reserve is delighted even by ornithologists.

Moving to Yala.

Stay at the hotel of the selected category. Dinner.

Day 9

Early departure to Yala National Park.

One of the main attractions of Yala National Park are numerous animals that live peacefully here. Four dozen predatory cats – leopards – are not the only animals in the park. For lovers of large animals, meeting with a herd of elephants will be a real exotic when traveling on jeeps, and such representatives of the fauna as crocodiles, buffalo and deer

Departure to Halle. Tour of the Portuguese port.

Departure to the coast.