You fly overnight to Colombo.

Ayubowan – welcome to Sri Lanka! Your guide greets you and takes you to the hotel. Later, a city tour gives you first impressions of the capital, which has changed greatly since the end of the civil war: bustle in the financial district, lively bazaar streets, old colonial buildings and Hindu and Buddhist temples. In the evening at the Galle Face Green promenade you see young and old flying kites, picnicking and chatting – try a snack from the stalls. Back at the hotel, a welcome dinner with a Sri Lankan and international buffet awaits in the rooftop restaurant. 1 night in Colombo. (D) (Distance: approx. 33 km; driving time: approx. 40 min)

1 night · Double room · With breakfast The Fairway Colombo is located near the “Dutch Hospital”, a former Dutch hospital now home to shops and restaurants; many sights are within walking distance. The restaurant serves local and international dishes, and the spacious rooms have a modern design.

You head north along the coast, past fishing villages such as Chilaw and Puttalam. At an authentic market in a small town you mingle with the locals, and your guide invites you to taste local treats and seasonal fruit. After checking in at Anuradhapura you climb Mihintale temple mountain with pilgrims at prayer time in the evening – this is where Buddhism was brought from India to Sri Lanka in the 3rd century BC. The white stupa, the many worshippers and the lotus offerings testify to the importance of the site, and you enjoy a wide view over the land. 2 nights in Anuradhapura. (B) (Distance: approx. 205 km; driving time: approx. 4.5 hrs)

2 nights · Double room · With breakfast Rajarata is located in the historic centre of Anuradhapura – ideal for exploring. It has a restaurant serving local and international cuisine, a bar and a café; the rooms are modern.

Anuradhapura was Sri Lanka’s first royal capital, as numerous stupas, temples and ruins still show today (UNESCO World Heritage); you explore them in the morning. Especially revered is the Bodhi Tree, a cutting of the sacred fig in India under which Siddhartha Gautama is said to have attained enlightenment – you will find out later in Jaffna how it came to Sri Lanka. In the afternoon you explore the city on your own or go with your guide to Wilpattu National Park, home to elephants, buffalo and monkeys and one of the parks where you may spot leopards with luck (optional, approx. USD 60 p.p. for 4 participants, bookable locally; wildlife sightings depend on nature). (B)

For a long time the journey north to Jaffna was not possible; since the end of the civil war in 2009 the infrastructure has been restored. In about 3 hours you travel by train to Jaffna, watching the landscape change and perhaps chatting with fellow passengers or snack vendors. From the station you walk about 10 minutes to the hotel; your luggage follows by bus. The north is home mainly to Hindu Tamils, which shapes the whole city – for example the magnificent Nallur temple, one of the most beautiful in the country. You stroll through the bazaar streets, discover the Dutch Fort and are served snacks with spice chutneys on a banana leaf in a local café. If you like, join your guide in the evening at a lovely sunset spot. 2 nights in Jaffna. (B/S/D)

2 nights · Double room · With breakfast Fox Resort Jaffna has an outdoor pool surrounded by palm trees with loungers and a terrace. An international breakfast with Sri Lankan specialities is served daily; the rooms have air conditioning, TV and telephone.

Today you visit more sights: Maruthanamadam temple, dedicated to the god Hanuman, and Kadurugoda with its field of small stupas, considered a Buddhist burial site for monks. At the old port of Dambakola Patuna the nun Sanghamitta is said to have landed – sister of the monk Mahinda, who brought Buddhism to Sri Lanka – bringing the sapling of the Bodhi Tree that stands in Anuradhapura today. At Casuarina Beach you take a refreshing break. In the evening you are invited by a Tamil family who tell you about the time after the civil war and prepare a traditional dinner with you. (B/D)

Through remote villages and wide landscapes you drive to the east coast. On the way you stretch your legs on a walk through the countryside and climb around 300 steps to the ruins of Thiriyai Buddhist temple on a hill, considered one of the oldest stupa sites in Sri Lanka – an authentic place off the tourist trail. In the afternoon you reach the beaches of Trincomalee and enjoy walks by the sea or the pool. 2 nights in Trincomalee. (B) (Distance: approx. 290 km; driving time: approx. 4.5 hrs)

2 nights · Double room · With breakfast Anantamaa Resort in Trincomalee is set in tropical gardens with a large pool; the hotel’s beach is a few minutes away. The functional rooms have a terrace or balcony. The breakfast buffet offers Sri Lankan, Indian and Western dishes; further restaurants are within walking distance.

The morning is yours – sleep in, enjoy a long breakfast or take a sunrise swim in the sea. In the late afternoon you visit Fort Frederick, within whose walls stands a colourful Hindu temple with a large Shiva statue. Its location on a cliff above the sea gives the place a special, spiritual atmosphere; at “Lovers Leap” your guide tells you a tragic legend. (B) (Distance: approx. 15 km; driving time: approx. 30 min)

Back inland, you walk along Habarana Lake (easy, approx. 1 km, approx. 30 min), home to many birds and butterflies, and cross by catamaran to a family farm. Mother and daughter tell you about their daily life and how they protect their crops from wild elephants, and prepare lunch for you. In the afternoon you explore the ancient city of Polonnaruwa (UNESCO World Heritage), once a royal capital and long overgrown by jungle, with the royal palace, magnificent Buddha statues and stupas. 2 nights near Sigiriya. (B/L) (Distance: approx. 200 km; driving time: approx. 4.5 hrs)

2 nights · Double room · With breakfast Kassapa Lions Rock is located in the village of Digampathana near Sigiriya Rock, which you can see from the hotel; Dambulla is about 20 minutes’ drive away. The property is surrounded by greenery, and the restaurant overlooks the rock.

Early in the morning – the rock opens at 6 am – you climb many steps up Sigiriya Rock (UNESCO World Heritage) in the calmest possible atmosphere, admire the frescoes of the “Cloud Maidens” and enjoy the panoramic view in the morning light. A hearty breakfast awaits back at the hotel. In the afternoon you hike through forests, farmland and small villages and along lakes (easy, approx. 7 km, approx. 2.5 hrs, +/- 50 m elevation). Your guide explains how food and spices are grown and processed. To finish, there is a picnic with a view of Sigiriya Rock. (B/P) (Distance: approx. 35 km; driving time: approx. 1 hr)

Today you travel to Kandy, the last capital of the Sinhalese kings. On the way you visit the Dambulla cave temples (UNESCO World Heritage): high up on the rock the caves hold around 150 Buddha statues – some carved directly from the rock – and murals depicting Buddhist teachings. On the way into the heart of the island, climate and vegetation change noticeably. Kandy is beautifully set among hills on Kandy Lake; its landmark is the Temple of the Tooth. Today you arrive at leisure and perhaps explore the town on your own. Dinner is at the hotel. 2 nights in Kandy. (B/D) (Distance: approx. 90 km; driving time: approx. 3 hrs)

2 nights · Double room · With breakfast Thilanka Hotel is quietly located on the edge of Kandy yet central; you can walk to the lake. It has a pool, a restaurant and a bar; the rooms are furnished in harmonious colours.

In the morning you join the worshippers at the Temple of the Tooth (UNESCO World Heritage), where according to tradition a tooth of the Buddha is kept in an ornate golden shrine that is shown during the morning ceremony. Afterwards you explore the temple’s halls and, on a tour, the other sights, the market and the lakeshore. After lunch at a local restaurant you have free time – for example for Peradeniya Botanical Garden, buying spices at the market or visiting an Ayurvedic pharmacy. You can easily return to the hotel by tuk-tuk. (B)

Today you head into the green highlands. In Ramboda, about 50 km from Kandy, you hike downhill through tea plantations, gardens and small spice gardens to a rice field (easy, approx. 3.5 km, approx. 1.5 hrs, +/- 180 m elevation). Hairpin bends lead further uphill through tea plantations that cover the hills like carpets, interrupted only by the colourful clothes of the tea pickers. At a working tea factory you learn about the production steps – rolling, sorting, drying, packing – and taste three to four varieties. In Nuwara Eliya, British colonial flair awaits with houses, gardens, churches and a golf course. After an orientation walk the evening is free. 1 night in Nuwara Eliya. (B/D) (Distance: approx. 80 km; driving time: approx. 3 hrs)

1 night · Double room · With breakfast Montagna Luxury Hotel is located on the edge of Nuwara Eliya, surrounded by tea plantations with wide views. It has a restaurant serving regional and international cuisine, a lounge and a bar. The modern rooms have flat-screen TV, kettle, desk, safe and bathroom with shower or bathtub.

In the morning you browse a bazaar in Nuwara Eliya and then drive to Nanu Oya station, where you enjoy samosas or roti with tea or coffee at the station café. Around midday you board the train to Ella – one of Sri Lanka’s most spectacular railway lines (approx. 2.5 hrs) with views of mountain passes, streams and tea plantations as far as the eye can see. In Ella you have free time before continuing to the hotel in Bandarawela. 1 night in Bandarawela. (B/S/D) (Distance: approx. 25 km; driving time: approx. 1 hr)

1 night · Double room · With breakfast Orient Hotel is a charming, traditional mid-range hotel in the centre of Bandarawela with classic architecture, a well-kept garden and personal service. The practical rooms have a private bathroom, hairdryer, minibar and coffee and tea facilities.

Before leaving the highlands you hike up Little Adam’s Peak with wonderful views (easy, approx. 4 km, approx. 1.5 hrs, +/- 140 m elevation). In Kataragama you visit the temple complex in the evening, where Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims practise their faith. A highlight is the offering ritual in which worshippers smash coconuts on the ground so that a wish may come true. 1 night in Tissamaharama. (B/D) (Distance: approx. 100 km; driving time: approx. 3 hrs)

1 night · Double room · With breakfast Kithala Resort is idyllically set among rice fields in Tissamaharama, a few minutes’ drive from Yala National Park. The restaurant serves local dishes, often from its own garden; there is a pool and a garden, and the rooms look out onto greenery.

Early in the morning you set off on a jeep safari in Yala National Park (approx. 2.5–3 hrs), home to elephants, water buffalo, crocodiles, monkeys and many bird species. Yala is particularly known for its high density of leopards – which also attracts many jeeps (wildlife sightings depend on nature). Along the coast you continue to Galle. On a guided walk through the old town within the walls of Galle Fort (UNESCO World Heritage) with its lighthouse you experience colonial flair. In the evening you toast the trip with your guide at a local restaurant. Then the bus takes you to your beach resort on the west coast. 3 nights in Ahungalla. (B/D) (Distance: approx. 240 km; driving time: approx. 4 hrs)

3 nights · Double room · With breakfast Heritance Ahungalla lies right on the beach on the south-west coast and was designed by architect Geoffrey Bawa in the tropical modernist style, with wide views of the Indian Ocean. Several restaurants, bars and cafés cater for your needs.

The day is yours: let the impressions of the trip sink in, relax with a book, walk along the sandy beach or simply enjoy doing nothing. (B)

Another day of pure relaxation: sleep in, take a dip in the sea or enjoy the amenities of your beach hotel. (B)

In due course you are picked up and taken to Colombo airport. For departures after 11 pm a late check-out is included; for earlier flights the usual check-out times apply. (B) (Distance: approx. 80 km; driving time: approx. 2 hrs)

Today you land back home.