9 Days Sri Lanka Tour: Sigiriya, Kandy, Rafting & Beach – 4-Star Hotels

After breakfast you set out for Habarana, the village in the heart of the Cultural Triangle where you will stay for the next three nights. The route takes a good part of the day, but two stops make it easy.

The first is Pinnawala, where an elephant orphanage was set up in 1975 beside the Maha Oya river. Orphaned and injured elephants live here, young calves under three are bottle-fed by their carers, and twice a day the herd is led through the streets to the water for a long bath. It is more rewarding to stand by the river and watch the elephants cool off than to hurry through, so give yourself a couple of hours.

Back on the road, you continue to Dambulla and climb a series of stone steps to its cave temple. Five caves lie under a giant overhanging rock that towers about 160 m over the plains. Inside, 153 Buddha statues sit or recline among figures of kings and gods, and the ceilings are covered with painted scenes from the Buddha's life. The complex was listed by UNESCO in 1991, and pilgrims have worshipped here for many centuries. You walk barefoot inside, so cover your shoulders and knees and carry a hat for the sunny steps.

From Dambulla it is a short drive to Habarana, where your hotel stands among forest and lakes. Check in, cool off in the pool and enjoy dinner. Tomorrow's climb starts early, so most people sleep well.

Transport: Private air-conditioned vehicle with English-speaking driver-guide

Sigiriya is best met early. Your guide collects you soon after sunrise, when the light is soft, the air is cool and the tour groups have not yet arrived. The drive from Habarana takes about twenty-five minutes.

The approach is half the pleasure. You walk through the symmetrical water gardens at the foot of the rock, then up through boulder gardens to a sheltered spot where painted maidens, the famous frescoes, look out from the rock face. They are thought to date from the fifth century, when King Kashyapa built his fortress here. A little higher you walk beside the Mirror Wall and arrive at the Lion's Paws, the great gateway where a stone lion once framed the staircase. From there about 1,200 steps, some on iron stairways bolted to the rock, lead to the summit. The ruins of the royal palace spread over the flat top, around 200 m above the forest, with views in every direction. Take your time on the way down, since the steps are narrow and queues can form.

By mid-morning you are back at your hotel for a rest and lunch.

In the afternoon you drive to a village near the rock for a gentle outing. Your host takes you along tracks between paddy fields in a bullock cart, then you paddle across a lake in a traditional canoe. The highlight is the meal, which is cooked while you watch. Women in the family prepare rice and several curries over a wood fire, and you eat what they have made. A visit to a nearby chena, a small cleared field for seasonal crops, shows how families here still farm. Bring a hat, insect repellent and some small change.

Transport: Private air-conditioned vehicle with English-speaking driver-guide

You have nothing scheduled until the afternoon, which is intentional. After the early start yesterday, this is a day to slow down, so lie in, swim, sit by the lake or walk along a shaded path near the hotel. Habarana's forest edge is a good place for birds in the cool of the morning, and the hotel staff can point out a quiet trail.

If you are keen to use the free hours, you could add a day trip to Polonnaruwa, the medieval capital whose ruins include the circular Vatadage and the serene Gal Vihara Buddhas. It is about one to one and a half hours from Sigiriya and makes a full day, so it is best taken instead of resting. Tell your guide in advance if you would like to do this.

In the late afternoon you set out on a 4x4 jeep safari for elephants. The park at Minneriya is built around an ancient reservoir. As the dry season advances, the water shrinks and wild elephants come out onto the grassy shore in family groups, often with calves, in what is known as the Gathering. Later in the year Kaudulla, a neighbouring park, tends to take over, and your guide chooses whichever is better on the day. The safari lasts two to three hours and ends with the sun low over the water. You will see other wildlife as well, such as buffalo, deer and many birds, though no sighting can be promised.

Park entrance and jeep fees are paid separately. Back at the hotel you can wash off the dust and have dinner.

Transport: Private air-conditioned vehicle with English-speaking driver-guide

This is a transfer day with plenty to see. You leave Habarana after breakfast and head south towards Kandy, a journey of about three hours with stops. Your first is in Matale, a market town in the hills.

Here you visit a spice garden, where a guide walks you through the beds and trees and explains how each plant is grown and prepared. You pass nutmeg, pepper vines, clove trees and cinnamon, and cardamom, which is related to ginger, grows in shade and can only be picked by hand. Local farmers work together in a cooperative, and you can buy small packs of spices or oils afterwards, with no pressure. The visit also touches on herbal remedies used in Ayurveda.

Next is Kandy, the old hill capital, where the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is the spiritual centre of the city. The relic is a tooth of the Buddha, said to have reached Sri Lanka in the fourth century hidden in the hair of an Orissan princess, and it is regarded as the island's most precious possession. You move with pilgrims through the inner halls, passing drummers and offerings of lotus flowers. Dress modestly and remove your shoes and hat.

Your hotel check-in follows, with time to rest.

At five o'clock you attend a cultural performance that lasts about an hour. Drummers, dancers in beaded costumes and fire-walkers present a programme of Kandyan dance, which is a lively and colourful way to end the day. For dinner, the hotel restaurant is the easy option, and your driver can suggest somewhere nearby if you prefer.

Transport: Private air-conditioned vehicle with English-speaking driver-guide

You leave Kandy after breakfast and climb to the tea country, with two cultural stops along the way. The drive to Nuwara Eliya takes roughly three to four hours, though you break it up so that it never feels long.

The first is a gem gallery in Kandy. Sri Lanka has been known for its sapphires and other stones for centuries, and a short exhibit shows how they are mined, cut and set. It is educational, you can browse freely, and nobody expects you to buy.

The second is a tea estate and factory. The hills of the central province are the heart of Ceylon tea, planted by the British in the nineteenth century. You walk through the rows of bushes, watch the leaf move through withering, rolling, fermenting, drying and sorting, and finish with a cup tasted at the source. Even if you rarely drink tea, the terraces and the smell of the factory are a memorable stop. The road then twists upwards through more tea slopes, with views opening at each bend, and the temperature drops noticeably as you climb.

Arriving in Nuwara Eliya, a hill station at around 1,900 m, you check in and visit the market and the town centre. The old colonial bungalows, the manicured lawns and the nearby lake give the place its nickname of Little England. If you have energy left, you can drive out to the Hakgala Botanical Gardens, where roses and tree ferns grow in the cool air and monkeys and blue magpies may appear, and to the Seetha Amman Temple close by. Golf is also possible here at the local course. Evenings are chilly, so wear a jumper to dinner.

Transport: Private air-conditioned vehicle with English-speaking driver-guide

This is the longest day of the tour, so you start early, but it contains the most active moment. After breakfast you leave Nuwara Eliya and descend through the hills, with two waterfalls beside the road.

St Clair's Falls is first, and it is one of the widest cascades on the island, framed by tea terraces. A little farther on is Devon Falls, a tall, narrow drop on a tributary of the Kotmale river and named after a coffee planter. Both can be seen from roadside viewpoints in a few minutes each, so they make good places to stretch your legs.

Then you reach Kitulgala, a small town in rainforest on the Kelani river and the centre of adventure sports in Sri Lanka. A film about a bridge over the river Kwai was shot here in the 1950s. The main activity is white-water rafting. You are fitted with a helmet and life jacket, given a safety briefing and then paddle together in a raft with an experienced local guide steering. Rapids vary from gentle to lively depending on the water level, and the pauses between them are calm enough to look at the jungle. Wear swimwear under quick-drying clothes, bring a change and leave valuables with your driver. Waterfall abseiling, canyoning and jungle walks are other options in the area, if you prefer them.

After lunch you continue towards the coast, a drive of roughly two and a half hours to the beach area, arriving at Beruwala in the evening. Your hotel overlooks a long, calm beach, and the sunset is a pleasant reward after the day on the road.

Transport: Private air-conditioned vehicle with English-speaking driver-guide

Today you stay near the sea and spend a few easy hours on the water. After breakfast your driver takes you the short way south to Bentota, where the Madu River winds through a wetland of mangrove islands. The area covers around 915 hectares, with dozens of islets, some of which are inhabited, and has been protected as a sanctuary since 2006.

You travel by boat along narrow channels roofed by mangrove roots. Along the way you stop at a small workshop where cinnamon bark is peeled and rolled, a tiny island temple and a floating platform where little fish nibble the dead skin from your feet. Most people laugh through the whole experience. Look out for herons, kingfishers and the occasional monitor lizard, although none can be promised.

Close by is a turtle hatchery at Kosgoda, on a coast where five species of sea turtle come ashore to nest. Eggs are protected, injured turtles are cared for and hatchlings are released into the sea at dusk. Conservation groups debate how some hatcheries are run, so ask questions and avoid handling the animals.

By early afternoon you are back at Beruwala. The rest of the day belongs to you. The beach here is long and fairly calm, there is a lighthouse on the headland and a fishing harbour that is worth a short walk at the end of the day, and many guests book an Ayurveda treatment at the hotel spa. Dinner is your own choice this evening, and the hotel restaurant makes it simple.

Transport: Private air-conditioned vehicle with English-speaking driver-guide

Enjoy a last breakfast by the sea, and take a final swim or beach walk if time allows. After check-out, your driver-guide takes you to Bandaranaike airport, a drive of roughly two hours, often passing through Colombo. Your pick-up time is arranged to match your flight, with a comfortable margin.

Thank you for travelling with Volata Travels, and we hope to welcome you back for another part of the island.

Transport: Private air-conditioned vehicle with English-speaking driver-guide