Days 1 – 4: Ancient Cities:
3 nights at Vil Uyana

On arrival at Colombo airport, you will be met by a representative from Hemtours
who will take you to Vil Uyana, a five-hour drive by chauffeur driven car where you will be staying in a Jala Mandapa (Water Dwellings) Room on a bed and breakfast basis. Your chauffeur will be your guide throughout your tour allowing you the flexibility of creating your own schedule.

During the first part of your stay, you will have the opportunity to visit:

Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka’s first capital city; the Sacred Bo Tree considered by some to be the oldest documented tree on earth.

the ruined city of Polonnaruwa, dating from the 10th century AD and abandoned in 1288. Many of the remains are in an excellent state of repair although several of the residential buildings remain to be excavated.

Sigiriya, a massive rock famous for its ‘mirror wall’ dating from the 5th century AD, so-called because of its highly polished surface, has galleries with pockets of frescoes in brilliant tempera.

Dambulla, an ancient historical site with caves and temples set on a large granite outcrop towering 160m above the surrounding land.

Day 4: Kandy: 2 nights at The Kandy House

You will leave the Sigiriya and go by road
to Kandy (approx 3 ½ hours) where you will stay at the Kandy House, a superb colonial estate bungalow, situated in a spice estate of rolling hills on the edge of Kandy City. You will be in a Gallery Room on a bed and breakfast basis.

While in Kandy, take the opportunity to visit the Temple of the Buddha’s tooth relic, nearby tea plantations, the Royal Botanical Gardens, the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage.

Days 5-6: Hill Country: 2 nights at Castlereagh Bungalow

You will leave Kandy and drive to the Hill Country (approx 2 ½ hours) where you will be accommodated in a Garden Suite on a full board basis at Castelreagh Bungalow, an old painter’s bungalow which has been restored to provide guests with sumptuous surroundings reminiscent of an English country house.

Nestling in the hills of the Dickoya region in central Sri Lanka, at over 5000 feet above sea level, is Ceylon Tea Trails – four classic colonial bungalows, built originally for the British tea estate managers in the days of the Raj, now boasting luxurious suites and butler service. On your way to these bungalows you will pass through low hills whose slopes are covered with the ‘green gold’, Sri Lanka’s largest export, tea.

The resident staff at Castlereagh Bungalow will help you organise activities in the area: walking and biking trails, white water rafting, riding, excursions to tea estates and boating on the lake.

Day 7: Galle: 1 night at The Dutch House

You will leave the Hill Country and drive to Galle (approx 4 hours) where you will be accommodated at The Dutch House in a suite on a bed and breakfast basis. The Dutch House or ‘Dornberg’ is a hilltop colonial mansion overlooking Galle harbour and the historic fort.

Galle is the most important town in the south and has retained much of its colonial atmosphere. The town was originally Sri Lanka’s main port (before the growth of Colombo) and has a world heritage listed fort that dominates the town.

Days 8-12: Thalpe: A beach stay, 4 nights at Apa Villa

You will leave Galle and drive to Thalpe (approx 30 minutes). You will stay at the
Apa Villa in the Cardamom Suite on a bed and breakfast basis. Located in a mature coconut grove, Apa Villa is a small boutique hotel offering some of the most refined accommodation on the resplendent Sri Lankan south coast.

The style of the villas befits a gentle tropical existence of monsoon rains, surf and splendid sunsets. All suites are oriented to the sea. A unique elongated swimming pool is shaded by swaying palm trees and at its beach end is a wooden deck positioned to watch the rolling waves and spot the occasional ship passing or a sea turtle surfacing for air.

Meals can be chosen from a mixture of Sri Lankan curries, or fresh seafood of lobsters, tiger prawns and yellow-fin tuna cooked to recipes of the world. Dining in the main house living room if you wish is for 12, though guests may choose to have breakfast or dine in the shade of the coconut palms, the beach deck or their own veranda.

Day 12: Colombo: 1 night at the Galle Face Hotel

You will leave Apa Villa and drive to Colombo (approx 4 hours). You will stay at the Galle Face Hotel in an Oceanic Deluxe Room in the Regency Wing on a bed and breakfast basis. With a swimming pool on the seafront, the Galle Face Hotel is a haven of calm in the heart of the bustling city of Colombo.

Colombo is the economic and political capital of Sri Lanka. Places worth exploring are the Fort, the Cinnamon Gardens and Pettah (an old and historically interesting district).

Day 13: Colombo

Your driver will collect you from the Galle Face Hotel and drive you to Colombo
airport for your departure.

Price :

Per person sharing - USD $2930
(10th January to 30th November 2007)

Per person sharing - USD $3230
(1st December 2007 to 30th April 2008)

The price includes:

1. Accommodation on Bed and Breakfast sharing double/twin basis for 12 nights (except at Castlereagh Bungalow where you will be on Full Board basis).
2. Transportation by air-conditioned vehicle from AIRPORT to AIRPORT.
3. Entrance fees for Kandy sightseeing, Galle sightseeing only.
4. Services of an English-speaking chauffeur.

The price does not include:

1. Optional Air taxi Transfer cost (From US$ 165 per person approximately).
2. Expenses of personal nature (e.g. Video and Camera permits) or any other services not specified above.
3. Lunch/Dinner throughout the tour.
4. The visits to wild life parks will be at client's own risk. The jeeps available are very basic with basic insurance cover (not comprehensive as in the case of the vehicle which will be used on the tour).
5. Christmas and New Year period supplements.