Ultimate Sri Lanka Off the Beaten Track

Overview

This adventure is perfect for couples or families with older children who want to explore Sri Lanka in a truly authentic way. The itinerary showcases the variety of Sri Lanka’s nature and wildlife, packed with experiences and cultural highlights that are not to be missed!

From the moment you touch down on your Sri Lankan adventure, you can relax and soak up the incredible sights, flavours, and culture of this gem of an island, thanks to your local guides, drivers and hosts, who will ensure everything is taken care of.

Tour Summary:
Day 1 Negombo
Day 2 & 3 Pallepola
Day 4 & 5 Gammaduwa
Day 6 – 8 Gal Oya
Day 9 & 10 Wellawaya
Day 11 – 13/14 Arugam Bay (depending on the time of year)
Day 14 Galle (Summer Months Only)
Day 15 Departure

When you land in Negombo, you will be met at the airport and taken straight to your tranquil hotel, situated on the edge of a gorgeous lagoon where you can relax, refresh, and get ready for your adventure of a lifetime in Sri Lanka.

Your next stop is a villa set in the heart of a 50-acre eco-farm, nestled in the countryside under lush forests and rolling hillsides where elephants roam freely. Here, you’ll be able to immerse yourself in authentic Sri Lankan rural culture, as you can learn about day-to-day life on an eco-farm.

Whilst here, visit the renowned ‘cultural triangle’, and join a guide who will lead you to jaw-dropping fortresses atop 200m rocks, as well ancient temples hidden deep in the jungle.

From there, it’s time to start your days of trekking, setting off from the small village of Andawala and following your guide along trails only the locals know, passing by magnificent mountain views and sleepy villages far off the beaten track.

At the end of your trek, you’ll reach a little relic of Sri Lanka’s colonial past, a little hillside bungalow nestled in tea country, where you’ll rest and stay for the next couple of nights. During your time here you can go out and discover what life in the tea plantations is like, go swimming under cascading waterfalls, or make the most of the brilliant local hiking or mountain biking trails.

After leaving Gammaduwa, you’ll head to Gal Oya National Park, and stay in an incredible wildlife lodge in the very heart of the park. Spend your time here heading out on game drives to spot wildlife, enjoying boat trips on Sri Lanka’s largest lake where you can see elephants bathing, and drinking in the wild, off the beaten track setting of the lodge.

Eventually you’ll leave this wonderful wildlife haven and head for a truly unique place to stay, an agro eco-retreat where you’ll be able to experience authentic farming, an important part of Sri Lankan culture, and the countryside, whilst enjoying your luxurious surroundings.

Finish your Sri Lankan adventure with three days relaxing on stunning white sand beaches, and reflecting on a travel experience that will stay with you forever.

*From price based on travel for 2 people between 1st August 2024 until 31st October 2024. For larger groups or solo travellers please enquire directly to hello@nitgb.com

*Please note
All accommodation will be reserved at time of booking. Depending on availability there may be changes to similar accommodation.
This is a private itinerary but on some experiences throughout the tour you may join a small group.

Arrival in Negombo

Welcome to Sri Lanka! You will be picked up from the airport and we will transfer you to the hotel.

Spend the day acclimatising to the country and get ready for your amazing Sri Lankan adventure.

Relax by the pool or swim in the sea, or take a leisurely stroll around the hotel and explore the nearby old Dutch Canals.

Accommodation: Villa Hundira

Meals: None

Transfer to Pallepola

After a delicious breakfast, your driver will take you to Pallepola, your base for your visits to the awesome sites of the cultural triangle. (around 3 hour drive).

The property you’ll be staying at is a 50 acre organic farm with stunning mountain views. Today you’ll explore the organic farm, learning about the day to day life on the farm, seeing the banana trees, coconut palms, papaya trees and more – it is an amazing place to walk around.

Take a walk through the farm, learning about the organic methods of cultivating coconuts, bananas and other crops on the farm, including black pepper, mangoes, papaya, cinnamon, coffee and cocoa, you can take a fun tuk tuk ride around the local village or borrow a bicycle to see Sri Lankan village life first hand.

You’ll also learn about the positive impact the Villas have on the local environment and community, as they provide fresh fruit and vegetables to help boost the economy of the local village, and use almost entirely renewable energy to keep the site running.

Accommodation: Jim’s Farm Villas

Meals: Breakfast and dinner

Cultural highlights at Sigiriya and Dambulla

After breakfast at the hotel you will begin your exploration of the cultural triangle, starting with Sigiriya in the early morning to avoid the crowds.

Today you’ll head south to Sigiriya and Dambulla. Though you may have see many pictures of ‘Lion Rock’, nothing can quite prepare you for the real thing.

Sigiriya, the 5th century “Fortress in the Sky” is perhaps the most jaw-dropping single wonder on the island. It’s known as Lion Rock because it was said there was a huge lion that used to stand at the entrance to the Palace, on the summit of the 600-foot high rock.

The walk to the summit leads you on paths and staircases through some of the oldest landscaped gardens in the world, past pools, statues, carvings and caves with ornate frescoes. There are plenty of stopping places on the ascent where you can admire the stunning panoramic views.

Once you reach the summit you can still find the foundations of the Royal Palace, which you will explore with your guide and learn the many fascinating stories about what took place in this incredible location.

Lunch is at your leisure at the hotel before we head to Dambulla Cave Complex, the largest and best-preserved cave temples in Sri Lanka. There are more than 80 documented caves in the surrounding area. We spend the rest of the afternoon exploring the cave complex, and its many statues and paintings before heading back to the hotel for dinner.

In the evening you might like to check out the hotel’s Ayurvedic massage facilities!

Accommodation: Jim’s Farm Villa

Meals: Breakfast and dinner

Hike to Gammaduwa

After breakfast, you will check out of your villa and take a short transfer (30 minutes) to the small village of Andawala, where your guided hiking trail for the day begins.

Your hike starts along tiny village paths before you travel across small paddy farms and you will walk along irrigation streams for the first 2 kilometers before turning off into the forest.

Then you will continue your journey through areas of forest interspersed with pepper farms until you reach the tiny village of Hanguranketa. Here, you will take a short break and refill your bottles before the next stretch. The remaining hike is on rugged jeep tracks until you reach the forest bungalow.

The hiking terrain is not challenging and is around 8 kilometers, it can always to amended depending on your ability or how you are feeling about the hike today. Your driver will be on hand if you would like to take a shorter walk.

Accommodation: Gammaduwa Bungalow

Meals: Breakfast and dinner

Exploring Gammaduwa

Your wonderful Bungalow is located on its own tea estate, which you’re free to explore at your leisure today. After breakfast, spend the day exploring the local walking or biking trails, go for a swim in a beautiful waterfall, or simply relax and soak up the tranquil atmosphere.

You’ll also be able to spend time with your host, plucking tea and learning about how tea is made in their own small boutique tea factory – a real authentic experience not to be missed.

Accommodation: Gammaduwa Bungalow

Meals: Breakfast and dinner

Gal Oya Lodge

Today, head to famous Gal Oya Lodge, located in Gal Oya National Park, one of the most untouched of all national parks in Sri Lanka, and the only one where you can take a boat safari on the largest lake in Sri Lanka, and, if you are lucky, see elephants swimming and crocodiles basking.

On the way there you will break up the journey with a visit to a waterfall for a refreshing swim and a delicious lunch made with local produce from the nearby village.

The Gal Oya Lodge is a stunning eco wildlife resort and is your base for the next 3 nights. Your days will be wildlife-focused with game drives, boat drives, walks and more! Spot elephants, cruise on Sri Lanka’s largest lake, or head out on a jeep safari with an expert guide to really make the most of this incredible, untouched setting.

Take your time enjoying this natural paradise, explore with your guide from the the Vedda tribe, one of the last remaining communities of the forest-dwelling, indigenous people of Sri Lanka, enjoy guided hikes to stunning viewpoints over the jungle, take a cooling swim in the river.

Accommodation: Gal Oya Lodge

Meals: Breakfast and dinner (Lunch included on day 6 and 7)

Wellawaya

You’ll now move from the jungle to a deluxe eco-agro resort for the next 2 nights, nestled amidst the paddy fields and rolling hills with stunning views.

For centuries, agriculture has shaped the way of life for civilisations across Sri Lanka. Villages such as the one you are to visit were home to farmers who have inspired a the simple, wholesome life. Farmers are also held in high regard for their service to these traditional lands, once thriving with a culture that represents the heart of Sri Lankan hospitality.

You’ll stay at an icon of agro-tourism, which continues to embody this legacy within luxury accommodation in Wellawaya. Modelled on a traditional village home, your stay will be an authentic yet luxurious look into the life of the rural communities that have made their homes here for centuries, and is a truly unique place to stay.

There is much to do here, from touring the farm and visiting waterfalls to exploring local villages and historical sites, bird watching, cycling or going on safari to spot leopards and elephants. Your host will advise you and make recommendations about activities for you to do each day.

On day 10 you will take a visit to Diyaluma Falls which will include a picnic lunch.

Accommodation: Jetwing Kaduruketha

Melas: Breakfast and dinner (Lunch included on day 10)

Relax and enjoy the wonderful Sri Lankan coast

Summer (April to October):
Days 11 – 13 will be spent on another side of Sri Lanka, far east from the cacophony of Colombo. This sandy stretch of pristine coastline rests upon the Indian Ocean, where in the mornings you will wake to the serene sounds of crashing waves. In Pottuvil, where hotels and villas dot an unexplored shoreline flourishing with natural wonders.

You will spend the next 3 nights here relaxing your way; surfing, swimming, exploring the wild jungles nearby, in the nearby town you will find bars shops and restaurants.

Accommodation: Kottukal Beach House
Meals: Breakfast

On Day 14, you’ll leave the calm of the beach and slowly make your way back to the west coast for your final night in Galle’s old town which is one of Sri Lanka’s great monuments to the island’s rich history. Each of Galle Fort’s narrow streets, lined with evocative centuries-old villas, atmospheric churches and ochre spice warehouses, recounts the past.

You’ll stay in the must-see iconic Galle Fort – the perfect spot to spend your last night in Sri Lanka. Walk around the ramparts, grab a drink in one of the trendy bars and enjoy a delicious meal before your departure the next day.

Accommodation: Fort Bazaar
Meals: Breakfast

On day 15, you will be transferred back to the airport in time for your return flight home.

Winter (November to March):
If you’re travelling in the winter months, days 11 – 14 will be spent by the stunning beaches of Ahangama for your last four nights of complete relaxation. Indulge in a treat to the senses as the gentle breeze enfolds you and the warm rays kiss your skin at one of Sri Lanka’s most breathtaking seaside villages!

Accommodation: Mosvold Villa
Meals: Breakfast

On Day 15, you’ll leave the calm of the beach and make your way back to the west coast for our departure.

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