Compare Sri Lanka Express by G Adventures vs Rural Sri Lanka: off the beaten track by Audley Travel
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| Trip |
5 | Excellent
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5 | Excellent
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| Duration | 8 days | 14 days |
| Price From | $ 999 | $ 3,827 |
| Price Per Day | $ 125 | $ 273 |
| Highlights |
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| Trip Style | Small group tour | Private guided tour |
| Lodging Level | Standard | Premium |
| Physical Level |
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| Travel Themes |
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| Countries Visited | ||
| Cities and Attractions |
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N/A |
| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Ground transport included |
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| Meals Included | 6 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 3 dinners | N/A |
| Description |
Discover Sri Lanka's incredible cultural and natural highlights on this eight-day tour. Explore a spice plantation, look for elephants on safari in Udawalawe National Park, and visit a stunning tea plantation. Wrapping up in Unawatuna, this tour is designed for add-on beach time to complete your vacation. |
An incredibly diverse but relatively small island nation, Sri Lanka offers magnificent wildlife, world-class cultural attractions and glorious beaches. With no long distances to cover, even a short trip can include a wide range of experiences and activities such as spotting leopards and elephants on safari, observing whales and dolphins off the south coast or marvelling at the wonders of the Golden Triangle. Step back in time with a visit to the ancient capitals of Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa or the Dambulla cave temples. Visit colonial Galle or simply relax beneath swaying palms on the golden beaches of the southwest or less-visited northeast. |
Day 1 Negombo
Arrive at any time.
There are no planned activities until an evening welcome meeting.
Day 2 Negombo/Kandy
Drive to Kandy, visiting a spice plantation en route. Enjoy lunch at G Adventures-supported Sthree Craft Shop and Café. Later, explore Temple of the Tooth.
Day 3 Kandy
Explore Kandy with a free day.
Day 4 Kandy to Ella area
Travel by private vehicle to the historic town of Nuwara Eliya and enjoy some free time. Continue the journey to the rolling green valleys of the Ella area and spend 2 nights at the G Adventures-supported AMBA estate, an organic farm and guest house.
Livelihood opportunities in the valley of Bandarawela, Sri Lanka are limited for low income community members. Many rely on agricultural work, especially in the tea plantations, which can be arduous with little financial gain. Amba Estate came to the area with the purpose of promoting economic growth through their organic tea plantation, paying fair wages, sharing their profits with their workers, and creating opportunities for growth. Having established its place in the travel market, Amba is now ready to support community cooperatives as a means of better spreading the income of tourism throughout the valley. Planeterra is working alongside Amba Estate by supporting the initial investment for the first community-led microenterprise that will work in partnership with Amba. Planeterra’s catalyst grant covers the equipment, training and setup costs for a group of six women to formally become a chutney co-operative. The chutney will be sold back to Amba Estate for travellers to consume, as well as sold to guests and in markets throughout Sri Lanka. G Adventures travellers began visiting Amba in July 2018. They now have the opportunity to eat the delicious chutneys, meet the women and see how it’s made!
Day 5 Ella area
In the morning, enjoy a tour through the tea plantation and learn about one of the nation's most popular exports followed by a tea tasting. After enjoy free time to soak in the stunning scenery, opt to hike to Ella Rock, or visit Ella town by tuk tuk. This evening, enjoy a cooking demonstration of classic homestyle Sri Lankan dishes, a delicious mixture of savoury and sweet.
Day 6 Ella/Udawalawe National Park
Depart Amba Estate in the morning after enjoying a delicious home cooked breakfast. Begin the journey to Udawalawe National Park and visit the Elephant Transit home before enjoying an afternoon wildlife safari through Udawalawe National Park. Afterwards, head to a tented camp by the lake on the boundary of National Park and relax with a BBQ dinner around the campfire.
Day 7 Udawalawe National Park/Unawatuna
After breakfast transfer from Udawalawe to Galle for a tour of the fort and city. Later, head to Unawatuna, on the south coast.
Day 8 Unawatuna
Depart at any time.
The Colombo airport can be reached by taxi or there are train and bus connections from nearby Galle for much less. Your CEO can help you arrange a transfer.
Day 1 : International outbound flight
Today you begin your journey by boarding your international outbound flight to Colombo.
Day 2 : Wadumunnegedara
On arrival in Colombo you will be met by one of our representatives and then driven to your accommodation in the countryside. Horathapola Estate is an old planter's house set in the middle of a coconut plantation, surrounded by paddy fields.
Day 3 : Wadumunnegedara
Visit Yapahuwa this morning. Built around a granite rock, the remnants of this city show where one of the ancient capitals of medieval Sri Lanka once was. Explore with your chauffeur-guide before returning to Horathapola to relax this afternoon. The swimming pool and gardens are ideal to unwind.
Day 4 : Pallepola
After a leisurely breakfast you will be driven (approximately three hours) to your next hotel, a farmstay which is more luxurious than it sounds - an Audley favourite. Jim's Farm is a wonderful base for exploring within the cultural triangle. En route you will have chance to stop for photo opportunities or for a refreshment break.
Day 5 : Pallepola
This morning you will visit Sigiriya Rock accompanied by your chauffeur guide, who will be able to provide you with the history of the rock as you admire the views on the top. Ensure you wear sensible shoes and take water with you - although not the easiest of climbs, the views reward your hard work.Afterwards you will visit the Dambulla Caves, dating back to the 1st Century. All of the caves contain varying sizes of statues of Buddha and several have impressive ceiling frescos.
Day 6 : Pallepola
Today you will visit nearby Aluvihara and Matale. In Aluvihara, you can spend time exploring the rock temple, which is said to date back to the 1st Century BC. If you like temples, the Sri Muthumariamman Temple in Matale is also worth seeing. Otherwise, Matale is well known for its spice markets, which are fun to explore.
Day 7 : Pallepola
Your chauffeur guide will collect you after breakfast and accompany you to Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka's second capital. The drive there takes around 90 minutes. The ancient city ruins have a mix of both Buddhist and Hindu influence, and are a great place to learn more about the history of Sri Lanka.
Day 8 : Anamaduwa
This morning, after a leisurely breakfast, you will drive north to The Mudhouse. The drive will take around three hours, but you will get to see more of the lovely Sri Lankan scenery en route. On arrival you will be made to feel very welcome by the staff who will show you to your accommodation for the next two nights.
Day 9 : Anamaduwa
Enjoy a leisurely day today taking in the surroundings of The Mudhouse. You can take kayaks out onto the lake, borrow bicycles to explore, or if you are interested in learning about Sri Lankan cookery you would be most welcome in the kitchen to watch or help out.
Day 10 : Alankuda
After a leisurely breakfast you will have the chance to visit Paramakanda Temple before being driven for around 90 minutes to the coast where you will then spend the last four nights of your holiday at leisure.
Day 11 : Alankuda
Day at leisure. If you wanted to see some wildlife, consider a day excursion to Wilpattu National Park - Sri Lanka's largest park who's name literally translates to 'land of the lakes'.
Day 12 : Alankuda
Day at leisure. If you're feeling active, take to the ocean to go kite-surfing (seasonal - weather dependent), lobster fishing or diving. The hotel will be happy to help with arrangements.
Day 13 : Alankuda
Day at leisure. If travelling between November and April, arrange a boat trip with the hotel to head out and be amongst the dolphins which play off this coast during these months. For a more relaxing day, book ahead and spend a day in the hotel's spa.
Day 14 : International return flight
You will be driven back to Colombo for your flight today. Depending on flight times, you may need to spend a night in Colombo as the drive from Alankuda takes around four hours. Your return flight will arrive the same day.
