Have a slow morning at the hotel. This day is kept light so you can adjust to the time difference, shake off the jet lag, and settle into the tropical rhythm. Your Lagoon Suite gives you plenty of space to relax, sit by the balcony, and enjoy the quiet views over the water.
If you’re up early, you can do a bit of “armchair birdwatching” — the lagoon is often lively in the mornings with egrets, herons, and kingfishers passing by.

In the afternoon, you’ll head out on a gentle boat ride through the Muthurajawela Wetlands.
This coastal marshland is an important sanctuary for birds and small wildlife. The narrow waterways move through mangroves and reed beds where you may spot water birds, monitor lizards, and even a few monkeys along the branches.

Sunset is one of the best times to visit. The heat eases, the light softens over the water, and many birds return to roost, making the surroundings peaceful and full of movement.

After the boat ride, you can either:
• head into Negombo town with your chauffeur to check out a few bars and restaurants along the beach road, or
• return to Villa Hundira for a quiet evening by the lagoon.

In the morning, if you’re up for it, your chauffeur can take you to Negombo Lellama between 6.00–9.00 am. This is when the fishing harbour and market are most active, with boats coming in, baskets of fresh catch, and locals starting their day. The light is soft at this time, making it great for simple, natural photos and a chance to see daily life up close. Return to the hotel for breakfast before starting your journey inland.

The drive to Sigiriya is smooth and takes you through long stretches of paddy fields and small villages, giving you an easy introduction to rural Sri Lanka. It’s a gentle landscape of open fields, roadside stalls, and farmers going about their work.

Roo Mansala is a modern boutique retreat set at the edge of the forest, designed with open halls, clean lines, and wide views towards Sigiriya and Pidurangala. The property feels airy and peaceful, with a large central pool looking out over the surrounding landscape.

You’ll stay in the Suite with Private Pool, a spacious room that opens to its own plunge pool and terrace facing the greenery. It’s a quiet, private space to unwind after exploring the area — with the comfort of stepping straight from your room into the water.

Later in the afternoon, visit Sigiriya Rock Fortress. Walk through the water gardens and follow the stepped path to the top, where wide views open up over the central plains. The climb is steady and usually takes 1.5–3 hours return, covering 2.4 km with an elevation gain of about 130 metres. It’s one of Sri Lanka’s most iconic sites and a beautiful way to end the day.

Climbing in the late afternoon helps you avoid the mid-day crowds and stay cooler, with softer light as you reach the top.

Return to the hotel for a relaxed evening.

Theme for today is to stay close to your surroundings and avoid long drives. Before sunrise, you’ll head to Pidurangala Rock, a forest monastery with a simple stone path leading to the top. The last few metres involve a short scramble, and then the view opens up — Sigiriya standing alone above the trees as the first light moves across the landscape. It’s a quiet, grounded way to start the day.

Return to the hotel for breakfast and a relaxed morning. The rest of the day is free until the late afternoon, giving you time for a swim, some poolside rest, or to catch up on your travel read.

Have lunch at the hotel, and later you’ll head out on a village gravel-road cycle ride followed by a gentle boat trip on the local lake. This is a slow way to see daily life — farmers in their fields, small homes among the trees, birdlife settling for the evening, and the sky changing colour over the water as the sun sets.

Return to the hotel for dinner or a quiet night.

Have a restful morning at the hotel, then head out to explore deeper into the Cultural Triangle. Today you’ll visit Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka’s second citadel, built more than 950 years ago.

On the way, you’ll stop for lunch at a small village house, where you can taste dishes made with local ingredients, cooked in a simple hut setting. It’s a gentle way to ease into the day before stepping back in time.

Your first stop in Polonnaruwa is the museum, which gives you a clear overview of the ancient city — helpful context before walking among the ruins. Afterwards, explore the site itself, guided and explained by your chauffeur. You’ll see royal palaces, temples, bathing pools, and the famous Gal Vihara statues carved from a single rock.

This route is planned to avoid the midday heat, letting you experience the ruins in the softer afternoon light. As the sun drops, the stone glows in warm tones and the whole place feels calm and open — a relaxed, unhurried way to see one of Sri Lanka’s great historic capitals before returning to your hotel for the evening.

Today, after breakfast, you’ll leave the dry-zone forests of Sigiriya and begin the drive toward the lush central hills. On the way you’ll stop at the UNESCO-listed Dambulla Cave Temple, a centuries-old cave complex filled with statues, painted ceilings, and quiet spaces used for worship for over 2,000 years. The gentle climb to the caves gives you wide views over the countryside and marks the moment you begin your ascent into Sri Lanka’s hill country.

From here the road becomes cooler and greener as you enter the mountains. By early afternoon you’ll arrive in Kandy and check into Kings Pavilion, one of the most peaceful boutique hotels in the region. Stepping into the property feels like entering a botanical garden or a small pocket of rainforest, with fresh air and the sound of birds replacing the bustle of the city below.

Your room is elegantly furnished and comes with a private balcony overlooking greenery. The pool sits at the edge of the garden and frames the scenery beautifully — a calm space to unwind after the journey. Kings Pavilion is known for its warm, attentive service and the sense of quiet it creates.

In the evening, take a short drive into Kandy’s old town, a lively area with colonial-era buildings, small shops, lakeside paths, and everyday life unfolding around you. You can visit the Temple of the Tooth for the evening pooja between 6.30–8.00 pm, where traditional drumming and candlelight create a gentle, atmospheric experience.

Another easy day without long drives. You can spend a restful morning at the hotel, enjoying the quiet garden, the views from your balcony, or some time by the pool.

If you feel like a morning walk, your chauffeur can take you on a short 3 km drive to Udawatta Kelle Sanctuary, a peaceful forest reserve that sits just above Kandy. Once used as a royal forest during the Kandyan Kingdom, it’s now a protected area with quiet, shaded trails. A naturalist will guide you through the paths, pointing out birds, trees, and small forest life as you move at an easy pace.

Return to the hotel for a relaxed afternoon.

Later in the day, you’ll visit the Kandy markets to pick fresh ingredients before heading to your cooking experience. This can be arranged either with the hotel’s chef or at a nearby village home. You’ll learn how simple local dishes are prepared and then enjoy them for dinner — a warm, hands-on way to end the day.

Today you’ll leave Kandy and continue deeper into the mountains, traveling into the heart of Sri Lanka’s tea region. The road winds steadily upwards, taking you through cool air, terraced tea fields, and views that open with every bend. You will move away from the busier tourist trail and into quieter hill country.

Your stay for the next nights is Norwood Bungalow, one of the original planter homes of Ceylon Tea Trails. The bungalow sits high in the hills, surrounded by green slopes, old tea bushes, and wide valley views. Inside, the atmosphere is calm and homely, with generous rooms, open verandas, and a relaxed sense of space. The service is warm and attentive, giving you the feeling of staying in a private mountain home.

The afternoon is yours to slow down. You can rest at the bungalow, enjoy the gardens, or take an easy walk along estate footpaths. This area is ideal for gentle wandering — small lanes through tea fields, quiet viewpoints, and glimpses of estate life.

This morning is a good time to see estate life in motion, with tea pluckers beginning their day in the cool air. After breakfast, you’ll take a scenic drive through the mountains to Dunkeld Tea Factory for a guided tour. This is where you’ll learn how Ceylon tea is grown, picked, and transformed — from the fresh leaf in the field to the final cup. It’s a relaxed, informative look into one of Sri Lanka’s most important stories.

Return to the bungalow afterwards for a quiet afternoon. You can rest on the veranda, read in the garden, or enjoy the calm views over the valleys.

Later in the day, you’ll head out for a gentle lake cruise on Castlereagh Reservoir, a peaceful stretch of water surrounded by steep green hills. The light softens beautifully in the late afternoon, and you’ll enjoy evening tea on board as the shadows lengthen across the lake. It’s an easy, soothing way to end the day before returning to Norwood for dinner.

Today you’ll travel on one of Sri Lanka’s most scenic train routes. Your chauffeur will drive you to Hatton Railway Station and guide you to your carriage before saying goodbye for the moment. He will then drive ahead with your luggage and meet you in Haputale.

The train ride from Hatton to Haputale winds through high mountain slopes, old tea estates, pine forests, and small rural stations. You can choose 1st Class for air-conditioned comfort, or 2nd Class with open windows and a fresh breeze — a relaxed way to enjoy the scenery. This section of the railway is slow and steady, giving you time to look out over valleys, ridges, and mist drifting through the hills. You can also walk through the carriages to get a glimpse of everyday life, as this is a train still used by local commuters

Haputale sits along a long mountain ridge and feels more elevated than the rest of the hill country, with wide viewpoints and clear air. It also connects to several Pekoe Trail walks if you wish to explore later.

You’ll stay at Dream Cliff Mountain Resort, a small boutique hideaway set right on the edge of a cliff, with wide, open views across the hills. The resort is known for its unique bee-hive–style chalets, built in a circular pattern facing the mountains so every room opens out to the scenery. The design uses glass, stone, and simple natural finishes to create an airy, peaceful atmosphere that blends into the landscape.

Your Suite with Outdoor Hot Tub gives you a private space to unwind, with the tub set on your balcony looking out over the valleys below. It’s quiet, calm, and surrounded by fresh mountain air — a comfortable place to settle in after the train journey and ease into Haputale’s slower pace.

Today is all about exploring the mountains on foot. You’ll be joined by a local trekker who knows these hills well and will guide you through tea estates, small villages, and quiet forest patches, sharing stories of the landscape and the people who live here.

There are two trail options, depending on what you feel like:

Option 1 – Pekoe Trail Stage 14 (St. Catherine → Haputale)
This is the more scenic of the two walks, with wide views, open tea fields, and a real sense of mountain life.
Your chauffeur will take you to the trailhead in the morning (about an hour’s drive through the hills). From there, you walk back towards Haputale, mostly on a gentle downhill path. Expect around 4–5 hours of walking at an easy pace. You’ll pass tea pluckers at work, small village homes, and stretches of mountain ridge where the views open on both sides. Tea and snacks are provided along the way.

At the end of the walk you’ll reach Haputale town and visit your trekker’s home for a simple, home-cooked South Indian–style lunch, a relaxed way to finish the hike.

Option 2 – Idalgashinna → Thangamale Bird Sanctuary → Haputale
For keen bird-watchers, this is a lovely alternative. The walk starts near Idalgashinna and takes you through forest edges and grassland that form part of the Thangamale Bird Sanctuary, home to over 100 recorded bird species, including drongos, barbets, and several endemics. This route has fewer wide views than the Pekoe Trail but offers more chances to pause, listen, and spot birdlife. This walk also ends in Haputale with lunch at the trekker’s home.

Whichever route you choose, the day is set at a gentle, enjoyable pace — time to breathe, walk, and take in the quieter side of Sri Lanka’s hill country.

Today you’ll leave the cool mountains and descend slowly into the lowlands, passing paddy fields, dry forests, and small farming villages as the landscape becomes warmer. By early afternoon you’ll arrive in Yala for your safari experience and stay at Chena Huts, one of Sri Lanka’s most unique wilderness lodges.

Along the way you’ll stop at Buduruwagala, a quiet forest setting with a group of ancient rock carvings dating back over a thousand years. It’s a peaceful place, often with fewer crowds around, and a nice contrast to the mountain views you’ve been surrounded by.

By early afternoon you’ll arrive in Yala for your stay at Chena Huts, a boutique wilderness lodge set between the jungle and the ocean. Its location is ideal — close to the quieter entrance of Yala National Park and surrounded by natural bushland where elephants, deer, and birdlife often pass through.

The design follows a modern take on the traditional “chena” farming hut, with curved thatched roofs, large glass panels, and natural materials used throughout. Each luxury cabin is spacious and private, set among the trees, with a deck and plunge pool looking out to the surrounding landscape. Inside, the layout is simple and comfortable, with thoughtful touches and a gentle blend of timber, stone, and light.

Service at Chena Huts is very hands-on. Your ranger and butler team look after everything — from organising game drives and meals to small details in your cabin — creating a smooth and personal stay. Many guests appreciate the calmness of the lodge, the short distances to the park, and the feeling of being surrounded by nature while still having all the comfort you need.

Later in the day, you’ll head out on your afternoon game drive with a driver and tracker from the lodge. Yala National Park is known for its rich wildlife — elephants, sloth bears, crocodiles, birdlife, and one of the highest leopard densities in Asia. The mix of scrub forest, grasslands, and wetlands means no two drives feel the same.

Having a dedicated tracker adds depth to the experience, helping you understand animal behaviour, spot wildlife you might otherwise miss, and enjoy a more meaningful safari.

Today begins with an early-morning safari, the best time of day for wildlife activity. Dawn is when the park wakes up — the light is soft, the air is cool, and animals are on the move before the heat builds.

Early this morning, you’ll head out on your second safari. Dawn is one of the best times to be in Yala — the air is cooler, animals are more active, and the soft light is ideal for photography. Leopards often use the gravel roads at this hour because it gives them an easy path to move between hunting areas, mark their territory, or survey the land before the day warms up. These open tracks also make it easier for you to see them, as they briefly step out from the bush before disappearing again into the scrub.

Early mornings are also a great time to see elephants, deer, crocodiles, and a wide range of birds beginning their day.

With your driver and tracker guiding the experience, the safari is unhurried and focused, giving you the best chance to enjoy the park in its most active hours.

After the safari, return to Chena Huts for a late breakfast and a relaxed day. You can spend time by the pool, unwind in your villa, or enjoy the quiet atmosphere of the lodge.

In the late afternoon, hotel naturalist will take you on a bush walk around the property. This area sits between the forest and the coast, with sandy paths, dunes, and pockets of dry woodland. It’s a nice to explore the landscape on foot and end the day before settling in for a calm evening back at your hut.

After breakfast you’ll leave Yala and head towards the coast for a few restful days by the ocean. The drive takes you through small villages and farmland before reaching the quiet shores of Mawella — one of the most peaceful beaches in the south.

Mawella is ideal if you’re seeking space, calm, and a slower pace. The beach stretches for nearly 2–3 km and stays quiet throughout the day, giving you long uninterrupted walks and plenty of room to relax. A natural breakwater near the western end helps keep the water calm, making it one of the safer swimming bays in this part of Sri Lanka.

Your stay is at Halcyon Mawella, a small boutique hideaway set just across from the beach. The design is simple and contemporary, with open spaces, natural tones, and a light, airy feel that fits well with the slow rhythm of the bay. Rooms are comfortable and uncluttered, with outdoor areas that catch the sea breeze and let you settle into coastal life easily.

The rest of the day is yours — beach time, a swim, or simply resting with the sound of the waves nearby.

Today is a quiet beach day with no fixed schedule. Mawella has a long, uncrowded stretch of sand where you can easily find your own space and settle into a slower rhythm. You can take gentle walks, read under the shade, or simply sit and listen to the waves.

If you like, in the morning you can head out by boat to a nearby reef for some relaxed snorkelling. The water is usually calm at this time, and you’ll have a chance to see small reef life in a simple, easy way.

Later in the afternoon, paddle a kayak on the Mawella Lagoon. The water becomes still and the light softens, making it a peaceful time to be out on the water.

The rest of the day is yours to enjoy — swimming, resting, or unwinding by the sea.

After two easy days at the beach, you’ll continue east along the coast to the city of Galle. The highlight here is Galle Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site first built by the Portuguese and later expanded by the Dutch. It feels more like a small walled town than a fort — with narrow streets, old merchant houses, small cafés, temples, churches, and views over the ocean from the ramparts. It’s one of the best-preserved colonial areas in Asia and a pleasant place to explore on foot.

For your last night you’ll stay at Galle Fort Hotel, a restored 18th-century merchant home set inside the fort walls. The design keeps much of the building’s history — high ceilings, inner courtyards, verandas, and quiet corners — while adding a simple, refined sense of comfort. Being right in the centre of the fort gives you the freedom to walk around and experience the atmosphere at your own pace.

In the evening, you’ll take a guided walk with a local historian. This is a relaxed way to understand the fort’s layered past — traders, colonial powers, local communities, and how all of these shaped the culture of Galle today. It adds depth to the place and brings the stories behind the walls to life.

Your last day in Sri Lanka begins with a quiet morning at the hotel. If you feel like stretching your legs, take an easy walk along the Galle Fort ramparts. The early hours are calm, with soft light, sea breeze, and locals starting their day around the old streets.

When you’re ready, your chauffeur will drive you to Jetwing Lighthouse for afternoon tea. This hotel was designed by Geoffrey Bawa and is a good final glimpse of Sri Lanka’s architecture — open spaces, natural light, and wide views over the ocean.

You’ll have an extended checkout until 6.00 pm, giving you time to relax before the journey home.
In the evening, you’ll be driven to the airport for your departure.