Srilanka

ARRIVE COLOMBO (D) Arrival from Katunayaka Airport and Transfer to Colombo. Check-in to the Hotel. P.M. proceed on a Half day orientation / Shopping tour of Colombo, driving through the Commercial area of the “Fort” so named, because both the Portuguese and Dutch had a Fort at this point. Drive passed “Pettah” – a noisy Oriental bazaar with a hotchpotch of Humanity, ancient vehicles, bargains, mosques & temples. Visit Hindu temple & drive pass Jumi-UL Alfar Jumma Mosque, Continue the tour through the Wolvendaal Dutch Church, Hultsdorf Law courts, to the residential area of Cinnamon Gardens and on to the Independence Square and Bandaranayake Memorial International Conference Hall. Also, visit the ceramics corporation showroom, majestic city shopping complex, House of Fashion, and the Odel unlimited dress boutique. (Time permitting). Overnight Stay at Hotel Grand Oriental or similar at Colombo

KANDY – NUWERA ELIYA After Breakfast leave for Nuwera eliya. (BF, L, D) En-route visit proceed to visit Sri Bhakta Hanuman Temple, The Sri Lanka branch of the Chinmaya mission, commited to promoting the Ramayana philosophy as well as Ramayana Trail pilgrimages, has built a temple with Hanuman as a presiding deity in Ramboda at the Kandy to Nuwara Eliya mainroad. There is a new five metres tall granite statue of Rama's devote supporter. Hanuman is believed to have started his searching for Sita in the Baroda hills. Hanuman traditionally was not as popular among Sri Lankan Tamil devotees as he indeed is in India, because he devastated parts of the island with his burning tail. But in recent times Hindu missionaries and local Tamil spiritual leaders began building shrines for worshipping Hanuman in Sri Lanka, too. The Tamil word for Ramboda, Rampadai, means "Rama's force", this is why Ramboda is believed the area where Rama collected his troops. And also visit The Sita Amman Temple, located halfway between the highland village Sita Eliya and the Hakgala Botanical Gardens, has become the most venerated of all Ramayana Trail sites in Sri Lanka, because it is believed to be the place where Sita lived most of the time of her captivity on the island of Lanka. After she refused to stay in Ravana's magnificent palace she was transferred to Ashoka Vatika or Ashoka Vana where she lived under Ashoka trees. It was here that Ravana's wife Mandodarim visited her and that Hanuman met her for the first time, identifying himself with the finger ring of Rama. Sita is said to have bathed in the nearby stream. There are remarkable holes in the rocks at the river bank believed to be footprints of Lord Hamunan Check-in to the Hotel. P.M. excursion for Hakgala Botanical Garden. The Hakgala Botanical Garden was one of the pleasure gardens of King Ravana of the well-known epic Ramayanaya. This garden was expanded during the British period and has a wide variety of flowers including an excellent collection of orchids Return to the Hotel. Overnight stay at Hotel Summer Hill Breeze or similar at Nuwara Eliya

BENTOTA – GALLE – NEGOMBO (BF, L, D) After Breakfast proceed to visit Galle. The Galle fort was built first by the Portuguese, and then modified by the Dutch during the 17th Century. Even today, after 400 years of existence, it looks new and polished with reconstruction work done by Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka. Today Sri Lankan government and many Dutch people who still own some of the properties inside the fort are looking at making this one of the modern wonders of the world. Then leave for Negombo. Check-in to the Hotel. Overnight Stay at hotel Goldi Sands or similar at Negombo.