Grand Sri Lanka Odyssey – 4-Star Hotels

You leave Negombo in the morning for the longest drive of the opening days. The road takes you north-east for about three and a half to four hours as far as the Sigiriya and Dambulla area, and the scenery gradually moves from coconut country into the open, dry plains.

Here you swap the vehicle for a more leisurely pace in a farming village. A wooden cart pulled by a pair of bullocks carries you through the paddy fields, and a slim outrigger canoe takes you across the water of the village tank, where egrets and cormorants stand in the shallows. A farmer shows you how a chena plot is worked, then you are invited to a family house to watch the cooking. Rice, lentils, vegetables and coconut sambol are prepared over an open wood fire, and you share the meal at the table. The visit is unhurried and gives an honest picture of everyday rural life.

Afterwards you carry on for roughly one and a half to two hours to Anuradhapura, where you stay two nights. This was the first capital of the island and a centre of Buddhist learning for centuries, and now it is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Check in, rest and have an early dinner. Tomorrow starts at first light, when the city is at its most atmospheric.

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

Anuradhapura is best met early. Soon after sunrise you walk to the Sri Maha Bodhi, the fig tree that grew from a cutting of the original Bodhi tree and has been tended without a break since the third century BC. At this hour the courtyard is full of devotees in white who offer flowers, pour water at the roots and walk slowly around the railings. Join in at a respectful distance, and speak quietly.

From there your guide takes you through the wider ruins of the city, which UNESCO listed in 1982. The giant white stupas are the most striking sight. Ruwanwelisaya rises from a raised platform above the surrounding trees, and Jetavanaramaya towers over everything else. Both are still places of worship, so you will see pilgrims at prayer around the base. Between them the park-like grounds hold old monastery foundations, moonstones and bathing pools, and your guide explains the role of each building. Anuradhapura was the heart of Theravada Buddhism on the island for many centuries, and what remains is only a part of what once covered a very large area.

The practicalities matter here. Dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered. Shoes are taken off at the shrines, and the paving can burn bare feet by midday, so wear socks and plan to see the most exposed sites in the morning. A hat and a water bottle are essential.

If you still have energy after lunch, ask about Mihintale, a hill east of the city where Buddhism is said to have first reached the island. It is an optional add-on with a long staircase and a wide view. Otherwise rest at the hotel through the hottest hours and take an unhurried evening.

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

Today you cross to the other side of the island. After breakfast you leave the dry plains and drive for a few hours towards the east coast, where the landscape opens and the air turns salty. Trincomalee sits beside one of the great natural harbours of the world, and its history goes back so far that it appears in ancient chronicles and Hindu scriptures alike.

The town's spiritual focus is the Koneswaram temple, perched high on a cliff at the end of the headland known as Swami Rock, inside the grounds of Fort Frederick, a colonial fortress. It is a Hindu pilgrimage site in the Dravidian style and is traditionally counted among the five ancient abodes of Shiva, with a lingam believed to have arisen on its own. Come with an open mind and bare feet. Sea breezes blow across the terrace, and you can look down at the waves breaking far below.

Pigeon Island is the other attraction. Two small islands off the beach at Nilaveli, north of the town, form a protected marine area with coral, reef fish and, in the right season, reef sharks and turtles. They are also home to the rock pigeon, which gave the island its name. A short boat ride takes you across, and the snorkelling here is easy. The east-coast sea is calmest from roughly May to September; outside this window the boats may not run, and your guide will suggest a beach walk instead. Bring swimwear, a towel and reef-safe sunscreen. Park and boat fees are paid separately.

Your guide chooses the order of the visits according to the weather and the light. In the evening you reach your seaside hotel with time for a swim.

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

After four busy days there is nothing planned today, and that is the point. Trincomalee's beaches are among the loveliest on the island, with pale sand and clear water, and the town has a laid-back pace that suits a rest day.

Spend the morning in the sea if conditions allow. From roughly May to September the water is calm and warm, and swimming, snorkelling and a walk along the sand are all easy. Outside this period the waves can be rougher, and a stroll or a book by the shore may be more appealing. Ask your hotel about kayaks or paddle boards, and about the best stretch of beach for swimming that day.

If you want to do something, your driver-guide can take you on a gentle outing. Walking along the ramparts of Fort Frederick gives wide views over the harbour and the bay. The local market and fishing harbour are interesting in the early morning, when the catch comes in. Uppuveli and Nilaveli are the two best beach areas to explore, and both have simple seafood restaurants where you can have lunch with your feet in the sand. If you missed Pigeon Island or Koneswaram yesterday, today is the day to fit them in.

Keep the evening easy. Watch the sky change over the water, have an early dinner and pack lightly, as tomorrow is another travel day and you return inland.

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

You say goodbye to the sea after breakfast and head west, back into the dry zone. The drive inland takes roughly three hours, and you arrive in Polonnaruwa in time for a late-morning start. Beside a huge reservoir, the medieval capital spreads over parkland and is a pleasant place to walk.

The city flourished from the eleventh to the thirteenth century. It became the capital after King Vijayabahu defeated the Chola invaders in 1070 and restored rule by the island's own people. His successor Parakramabahu, who reigned from 1153 to 1186, was a great builder of reservoirs and irrigation canals, and the rice that these waterworks produced supported the entire kingdom. The ruins reflect that prosperity. The royal palace still has walls that suggest several storeys. The Vatadage is a round shrine with beautiful stone carving. And at Gal Vihara the granite cliff has been shaped into three huge Buddha figures, one standing, one seated and one reclining, whose calm faces are some of the finest sculpture in the country.

After lunch you drive on towards Sigiriya, one to one and a half hours away. Instead of climbing the fortress today, you look at it from outside. The nearby rock of Pidurangala offers a sunset view of it, along a path past a small temple and over a final scramble of boulders. Wear sturdy shoes and bring a torch for the descent. If the day has been long, your guide can shorten the plan and take you straight to the hotel. Either way, you return to Polonnaruwa for the night, ready for a very early start tomorrow.

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

This is the one day of the tour where the alarm clock really matters. You drive from Polonnaruwa to Sigiriya in the early morning, about an hour to an hour and a half, so you can begin the climb before the heat arrives.

King Kashyapa built his palace on top of this rock in the fifth century, some 200 metres above the surrounding forest. The ascent has a steady rhythm: you pass the pools and fountains of the Water Gardens, climb through terraces of huge boulders, and then reach the exposed stairways on the rock face itself. A gallery with ancient wall paintings of women holding flowers lies on the way, and further up you walk beside the polished Mirror Wall and under the great stone paws that guard the last stage. In total there are about 1,200 steps, and from the summit you can see lakes, jungle and the pale outline of Pidurangala, where you stood yesterday. Take it slowly, carry water and leave around three hours for the visit.

After a late lunch and a rest, the afternoon turns to Dambulla. A short drive brings you to a rock face about 160 metres high, below which five caves were turned into shrines more than two thousand years ago. Inside, painted ceilings sweep overhead and 153 Buddha figures, three kings and four deities fill the chambers. The complex is known as the Golden Temple of Dambulla and is a World Heritage site. Climb the steps in the cooler end of the day, take off your shoes and cover your shoulders and knees.

Return to Sigiriya for the night. You spent your village day earlier in the trip, so this evening is free.

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

Today the plains give way to hills. You leave Sigiriya after breakfast and drive towards Kandy, about three hours from Dambulla, but the best part of the morning is a stop at Matale, a market town in the foothills.

At an Ayurvedic spice garden, a guide walks you through terraces of useful plants and explains how each one is grown and used. You rub cardamom pods between your fingers, smell fresh cinnamon bark, and learn how pepper, cloves, nutmeg and vanilla are harvested and dried. Many of them are also ingredients in traditional herbal medicine, and the staff show how oils and balms are made. A cooperative of local farmers runs the nearby processing and training unit, and you can buy spices if you like.

Then comes Kandy, a lakeside city in the hills that was the last stronghold of the island's kings and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its great sight is the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, where a revered tooth of the Buddha is kept in a golden casket. Tradition says the relic reached the island in the fourth century, smuggled from India in a princess's hair, and for most of the time since it has been the island's most precious treasure. Drums sound in the courtyards, and lines of pilgrims move slowly past the shrine with lotus flowers. Dress modestly and take your shoes off.

At five o'clock you attend a traditional dance performance, about an hour long, with drummers, dancers in elaborate headdresses and a finale of fire-walking. It is a colourful way to end the day, and your hotel is close by.

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

Your second day in Kandy has two main visits and plenty of space around them. In the morning you go to a gem museum and workshop, which makes a good introduction to a trade that has defined Sri Lanka for ages. Galleries display the geology behind the island's deposits and a replica of a traditional mine, while a film shows rough stones being cut, polished and set into rings, pendants and necklaces. Blue sapphires are the island's speciality, but you will also see pearls, other coloured gems and plenty of jewellery in the showroom. You can browse with no obligation to buy.

The rest of the day is yours until the afternoon. A walk around the lake is a pleasant way to see the town, or you can simply put your feet up.

Later, you drive west for about 5 km to the Peradeniya Royal Botanic Gardens. They lie in a loop of the Mahaweli river, at roughly 460 metres above sea level, and they count as the oldest formal gardens in the country. More than 4,000 plant species are cultivated here, and about two million people visit every year. Make for the orchid house, the spice garden, the broad avenue lined with towering trees and the palm collection, then find a shady lawn and rest your legs. The gardens are laid out on flat paths, so the walk is easy, and a couple of hours is enough.

The evening is free, so you could return to the lake at dusk or ask your guide for a local restaurant that serves hill-country food.

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

After breakfast you start the climb into the tea country, a drive of three to four hours that is far more interesting than it sounds. The road rises through villages, vegetable terraces and bright green estates, and the temperature drops with every bend.

The first stop is a tea plantation with a small factory. You learn how the leaves are plucked, left to wither, rolled, oxidised, dried and sorted into grades, and you can smell each stage. The visit ends on a terrace with a cup of the freshly made tea. A bit further on, Ramboda Falls cascades down in several steps beside the road. Near it, a hillside temple is dedicated to the monkey god Hanuman, and inside stands an 18-foot statue, the tallest of its kind in the country. The temple is an important site for those following the Ramayana trail. If there is time, Devon Falls, known as the Veil of the Valley, makes a good photo stop on the way.

You reach Nuwara Eliya, at roughly 1,900 metres, in the afternoon. Often called Little England, it has colonial bungalows, clipped hedges and flower beds. Your guide takes you through the busy market and then out to Hakgala Botanical Gardens, a terraced garden beneath a dramatic cliff that is known for its roses, tree ferns and orchids. Monkeys and blue magpies live among the trees. The Seetha Amman Temple nearby is a bright Hindu shrine decorated with painted figures and linked to the Ramayana.

Evenings are properly cold here, so pack a warm layer for dinner.

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

You wake in the cool air of Nuwara Eliya, have breakfast and drive south-east to Ella, a journey of about three hours by road. The scenery shifts from tea terraces to forested ridges and then to the great view where the hills fall away to the plains.

Ravana Falls is the first sight on the approach. It tumbles roughly 82 feet over a rounded rock beside the main road, inside a small sanctuary. After heavy rain it swells into a broad curtain of white water, while in dry months it becomes slender, so the experience varies with the season. Local tradition links the area with King Ravana from the Ramayana epic, and your guide can tell some of the stories.

Then there is the Nine Arch Bridge near Demodara, finished under British rule in 1921 and built from stone blocks and cement without steel. The arches sweep in a curve across a deep green valley, and it is one of the most photographed spots in the country. The best moment comes when a train rolls across, and your guide will help you time it. Wear shoes with grip, since the track down is often damp.

After you check in at the hotel, the afternoon is yours. If you would prefer to arrive by rail, the scenic train from Nanu Oya to Ella takes about three to four hours and can replace this road transfer, with your luggage following by car. Tickets are paid for separately and seats should be booked well in advance. Whichever way you travel, spend the evening wandering the village and enjoying a quiet meal.

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

This is your second night in Ella, and the day has been left open so you can choose what you enjoy. Most people spend the morning on foot and the afternoon in a cafe.

The best short walk starts at the edge of the village and climbs through tea bushes to the ridge of Little Adam's Peak. It takes around an hour at a relaxed pace and offers a long view along the Ella Gap, where the hills open to the lowlands far below. Go early for cool air and clear light. Ella Rock is a tougher, longer hike that most people attempt with a local guide, and it is entirely optional. Wear proper shoes, and take water and a hat.

If you like trains, Ella station is a pleasant place to watch the carriages arrive, and a short ride along the line is possible for those who want to try it. Seats are sold separately and are best arranged ahead. You could also revisit the Nine Arch Bridge for a different light, or explore the small tea shops and craft stalls along the main road.

Ella is not a place of must-see sights, but a place of mood. The village is full of relaxed cafes and guesthouses, perfect for a long breakfast, a late lunch or a lazy afternoon with a book. Keep some energy for the evening, because tomorrow is a long and varied day on the road.

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

After breakfast you leave Ella and begin to descend towards the southern plains, with several worthwhile stops along the way. The drive to Udawalawe takes around two and a half hours without stops.

You pass Ravana Falls again, so this is a good chance for a few more photographs if the light is right. A little further on you reach Buduruwagala, near the town of Wellawaya. Seven figures are carved into the face of a rock that looks east, and they were noticed by a British surveyor in the early twentieth century, although the local people had always known them. The name is usually explained as meaning images of the Buddha carved from rock. Few visitors come here, and it is a peaceful place to stretch your legs.

In the afternoon you enter Udawalawe, a park of broad grassland and reservoir shoreline. It was created to protect the catchment area of the river and to give refuge to elephants displaced when the Walawe basin was developed, and it is now among the most visited wildlife areas on the island. Elephants live here in large numbers all year, and you can often watch whole families with calves browsing near the water. You may also see buffalo, deer, crocodiles and a variety of waterbirds. The jeep safari lasts around three hours, and the gentle evening light is perfect for photographs. Fees for the park and the jeep are paid separately.

After the safari you continue to Tissamaharama for the night. A shower, a meal and an early bed are all you need, as tomorrow begins before dawn.

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

Today is long but rewarding. Your driver-guide wakes you in the dark and takes you to Yala with a breakfast pack, so that your jeep is among the first through the gates. The tracker sits up front, and you set off through scrub forest and across open plains as the light improves.

Yala is often called the best safari destination in the country, and it holds one of the densest populations of leopards known anywhere. Seeing one takes luck, and a good tracker, but the park has much more to offer: elephants at the waterholes, sloth bears, crocodiles, wild boar, peacocks and an excellent range of birds. Plan on about three hours. No sighting is certain, but early morning is the most productive time. Bring layers, because the open jeep is cold at first and hot later. Park and jeep fees are paid separately.

You return to your hotel for a shower and a proper breakfast, then drive about three hours along the south coast to Galle. This UNESCO fort was started by the Portuguese in 1588 and greatly expanded by the Dutch from 1649. Today it is a pleasant maze of lanes, with white churches, an old lighthouse and many small galleries and cafes. Walk the ramparts, which circle the old town, and spend a leisurely hour or two. A guided walk tells more of the stories.

Finally you drive 45 minutes to Mirissa. Check in and take a walk on the beach. Whale-watching boats leave from here very early in the morning, usually from November to April, and you may want to ask about them for another trip.

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

Spend your final morning as you wish: a last swim, a walk along the sand or a slow breakfast with the sound of the surf. Your driver-guide then takes you to the airport, a drive of roughly four hours, and will let you know the ideal departure time based on your flight. If you have a late flight, a stop at Bentota on the way gives you a place to stretch your legs beside the river. Thank you for sharing the whole island with us, and we hope to welcome you back.

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