Day 01 – Airport / Pinnawala / Kandy

Arrival at Bandaranayake International Airport and welcomed by our airport representative followed by the transfer to your hotel in Kandy. En-route visit Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage. In the evening you’ll be watching a cultural performance by traditional Kandyan dancers and drummers.

Dinner & overnight stay in Kandy.

Pinnawala elephant orphanage

The foster – home of elephants (around 70) of different age and size feed, bathe, play together. These great animals have been found injured or left abandoned in the wilderness. Now they even breed in captivity.

Temple of the tooth relic

This temple, the most important one for The Sri Lankan Buddhists was built in the 16th Century A.D. solely for the purpose of housing the tooth relic. Observe the magnificent Architecture of that period and experience the tranquility of the atmosphere.

Traditional dancing show

The Dance was done during the king’s times as an entertaining show for the kings. However its popularity reduced when the British took over, but now it’s revived and taken on for the stage. The Kandyan Music & the Dresses all are a beauty to watch.

Day 02 – Kandy / Seetha Kotuwa / Kandy

After breakfast travel to visit Seetha kotuwa. Dinner and overnight in Kandy.

Sita Kotuwa

Sita was kept at Queen Mandodari‘s Palace and later moved first to Sita Kotuwa (translated “Sita’s Fort”) and finally to Ashoka Vatika. The ruins found here are the remnants of later civilizations.

Day 03 – Kandy / Nuwara Eliya

After breakfast travel to Nuwaraeliya. En-route visit Hanuman temple and Ramboda waterfall. Then see a tea plantations and a tea factory. Dinner & overnight in Nuwaraeliya.

Sri Bhakta Hanuman Temple

In the hills of Ramboda where Hanuman was searching for Sita, the Chinmaya Mission of Sri Lanka built the Sri Bhakta Hanuman Temple which is visited by thousands of devotees every year.

Nuwara Eliya

Drive through the little town of Nuwara Eliya observing the well-maintained buildings of colonial Architecture. Visit the busy market where the tea plantation workers rush in and out with their days provisions. Visit the lake Gregory built for generating power during the British Colonial age but now a feature that adds beauty to the city.

Day 04 – Nuwara-Eliya / Bandarawela / Ella

After breakfast visit Ramayana sites around Nuwaraeliya & Ella. Dinner & overnight stay in Nuwaraeliya.

Sita Amman Temple

The Sita Amman Temple can be seen en route to the Hakgala Botanical Gardens. The prominent temple architecture will not fail to attract your attention. Ancient statues of Rama and Sita can be seen on one side of the temple. The temple today is a modern building with its paintings, statues and pillars decorated with sculptures; all depicting the tale of Rama and Sita.

Hakgala Botanical Gardens

The Hakgala Botanical Gardens was one of the pleasure gardens of King Ravana. This garden was expanded during the British period and has a wide variety of flowers including an excellent collection of orchids. This is the exotic pleasure garden where King Ravana kept the depressed Sita, insisting that she marries him. It was here where the heartwarming meeting took place between her and Hanuman, who brought her Rama’s ring with the news that Rama was looking for her. He offered to carry her back but she refused saying it would be an insult to Rama’s honor if she did so. Part of this majestic garden still exists. It is also said that Hanuman nearly destroyed it in order to prove to Ravana of the forces against him.

Divurumpola Temple

Still revered by thousands, this holy haven was the place where Sita performed her Agni Pariksha (proving her chastity) to her husband Rama. Continuing the practice for thousands of years, villagers still pledge their fidelity or take oaths there and even in certain courts, this agreement was binding. This place has been respected and worshipped by people down the ages.

Ella

Ella is a small mountain village near Bandarawela and boasts three locations linked to the Ramayana where local legend claims Ravana was hiding Sita. First there is the Ravana Ella Cave, located at the massive Ella Falls; a breathtaking 1080 feet high waterfall that cascades into several falls. The rocky undergoes of the waterfall is Khondalite, a kind of limestone which undergoes faster decay as hard gneiss or granite. This has resulted in many caves being formed near the falls. King Ravana is said to have lived in one of the caves above the waterfall. A nearby pool bored out of the rock by the gushing waters is where Sita is said to have bathed Ravana.

Day 05 – Nuwara-Eliya / Colombo

After breakfast we leave for Colombo. Colombo is the commercial capital of the country. Attractions are Buddhist temples, Hindu temples, churches, the old parliament building, the zoo, museums and art galleries. In evening visit Anjaneyar Temple in Kalubowila. Dinner and overnight in Colombo.

Anjaneyar Temple

This is the first Anjaneyar Temple in Sri Lanka and also the only Panchamuga (five faced) Anjaneyar Temple in Sri Lanka. Its the only temple in the world to have a chariot for Ajanyear.

Day 06 – Colombo / Chilaw / Colombo

After breakfast we leave for the Munishwaram Temple & Manavari Temple in Chilaw. Dinner and overnight in Negombo.

Munishwaram Temple

It is believed that Munishwaram predates the Ramayana and a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva was located here. Munishwaram means the first temple for Shiva (Munnu + Easwaran). A Shiva Lingam was already here when Lord Rama visited this place. Lord Rama after his victorious battle left for Ayodhya with Sita in one of King Ravana’s Vimanas. He felt he was being followed by a Bramhaasthi Dosham (a malevolent black shadow) as he had killed King Ravana who was a Brahmin.

Manavari Temple

When the Vimana was passing over Munishwaram, he felt the Vimana vibrating, and realized the Brahmaasti Dosham was not following him at this particular point. He stopped the Vimana at this juncture and asked god Lord Shiva for advice. Lord Shiva blessed Lord Rama and advised installing and praying at four lingams located at Manavari, Thiru Koneshwaram, Thiru Ketheshwaram and Rameshwaram in India as the only remedy to get rid of the dosham. The first lingam was installed at Manavari about 5km from here, near the banks of the Deduru Oya. At the Manavari Temple Chilaw Manavari is the first lingam installed and prayed by Rama and till date this lingam is called as Ramalinga Shivan. Rameshwaram is the only other lingam in world named after Lord Rama.

Day 07 – Negombo / Airport

Travel to airport for your flight.