Two Centre Holiday – Kandy And
Sri Lanka’s Beaches
Kandy And Sri Lanka’s Tropical Beaches
Kandy was the last Royal Capital of Sri Lanka and contains the sacred Temple Of The Tooth,
one of Buddhism’s holiest sites. The Old Town has a beautiful colonial ambience on account of
many fine Raj Era buildings as well as unique
Kandyan architecture with sloping roofs.
Kandy Lake provides a pretty focal point to the
town, which can be seen in all its beauty from Lake
Drive high up on a hill above the town.
Imperial memories abound, from the colonial era
Hotel Suisse (Lord Mountbatten’s Staff
Quarters during WW2) and the Queens Hotel to Peradeniya Botanical Gardens with its lines of
tall Talipot Palms and Orchid Houses.
A day trip from Kandy to the Cultural Triangle will
enable you to visit the historic sites of Sigiriya and
the Dambulla Golden Cave Temple.
You can then head to a luxury beach hotel of your
choice on the beautiful South West Coast of Sri
Lanka for the remainder of your holiday. A visit to
the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage makes a
welcome break on this journey.
Recommended For: Anyone wishing to see a
good amount of Sri Lanka’s attractions while
based at one location in the interior.
Day 01
Depart UK
Depart UK – Overnight flight
Day 02
Pick up from Colombo and travel through the low
foothills of the island to reach Kandy.
Day 03
Dambulla
Temple Of The Buddha’s Tooth
It is best to visit the temple in the evening, for the
‘’pooja ceremony’’ that starts around 6:30 pm. At
this time crowds gather to offer flowers and prayers
to the sacred relic in the inner sanctum and the
temple drummers are in full swing.
Just outside the shrine, oil lamps are lit on a
platform overlooking the old Audience Hall of the
Kandyan Kings (1783). On the way back, don’t
forget to walk through the Hindu Shrine enclosures, an idyllic sanctuary in the middle of
the temple complex.
Day 04
Dambulla
Leave Kandy to head north to the Cultural
Triangle where the two important sites below can
be seen as a day tour.
The Golden Cave Temple At Dambulla
The 5 Cave Temples Of Dambulla are a series of
rock temples that have been hewn from a gigantic
boulder that contain a very beautiful collection of
sculptures, paintings and frescoes from various
periods of the island’s history. Cave No 2 – The
Temple Of The Great Kings is the biggest and
most spectacular cave temple with over 150
statues and 1500 paintings! The ceilings and walls
are covered by the finest murals to be seen in
Sri Lanka.
Sigiriya Rock Fortress
The so-called 8th Wonder Of The Ancient World is easily the most impressive sight in Sri Lanka.
There is a fabulous new museum at the base of
the rock that is highly recommended.
You enter via a water-filled moat through The
Royal Pleasure Gardens - one the oldest in the
world and make the ascent of the rock fortress
through a series of dramatic staircases.
During the ascent of the rock a hidden cave
reveals The Sigiriya Frescoes. This is Sri
Lanka’s premier artistic treasure and is a must for
all visitors. If you have a head for heights, you can
reach the top via the gigantic Lions Paws, which
are the remnants of a huge stone lion that used to
guard the entrance. There are stunning views of
the forested plains below from the top.
Day 05
Dambulla
Peradeniya Gardens And Its Beautiful Orchid
Houses
The gardens at Peradeniya are one of the jewels
of Raj era Ceylon, and were initially developed to
try out introduced tropical crops like rubber in the
island. It soon expanded to become one of the
great tropical collections of the world. During WW2,
the Supreme Headquarters of Lord Mountbatten
Of Burma were hidden inside the gardens.
The Orchid House at Peradeniya contains 300
varieties of orchids that are beautifully displayed.
Day 06
Dambulla
Relax At Kandy
Kandy is the centre of Sri Lanka’s arts and crafts
industry with many handicraft shops selling
carvings, brasswork and ornate jewellery.
If you want to appreciate more of Kandy’s history,
there is a museum in the old Royal Palace behind
the Temple Of The Tooth. Alternately head to
Lake Drive Viewpoint with a spectacular view of
the town and mist laden hills in the distance.
If you are interested in Golf or other leisure
activities you can head out to the Victoria Golf
And Country Resort (Local Charges And Fees
May Apply) which is 45 minutes away.
Kandyan Cultural Performance
Actually a very interesting evening and not as
touristy as
the name suggests! You can experience some very
authentic Sri Lankan dances to the sound of
rhythmic temple drums. Examples include Devil
Dancing, Fire Walking and Kandyan Temple
Dancing.
Day 07
To Sri Lankas Beaches
Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage
Pinnawela is Sri Lanka’s most visited attraction,
but is still very un-commercialised and is a great
place to spend a few hours watching elephants.
It is home to the largest group of orphaned
Elephants in the world! Most of the 70 animals
have been found injured or abandoned in the wild.
The whole herd can be seen either bathing in the
river or grazing in a field with misty mountains in
the background. A not to be missed experience!
Bathing And Riding With Elephants At The
Millennium Elephant Foundation
A charitable foundation next to the elephant
orphanage that looks after the welfare of
domesticated elephants in Sri Lanka. You have a
chance to try an Elephant Ride and even bathe
with one of their elephants!
Beach Stay On Sri Lanka’s South West Coast
For the second part of this holiday you head off to
the island’s South West Beach resorts that
contain a selection of the island’s beast beach
hotels.
There is also the possibility of a stay on the
amazing East Coast of Sri Lanka which is easily
accessible from Kandy. The East Coast has the
best beaches in Sri Lanka during the Summer months, from May to September.
NOTE: You can choose as many beach nights
as you require.
Depart Sri Lanka
Depart Sri Lanka – Daytime flights arrive back in
the same day.
* We will send you a detailed quote with flight
options, descriptions of hotels used and daily
schedules.
Dambulla Golden Cave Temple
Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage
Kandyan Dance Performance
Beach On The South West Coast
Tony 
Samanthie
Aaron
Bernard
Natalie
Rebecca
Justin
