8-Day Sri Lanka Highlights Tour from Negombo with Yala Safari

When arranging your transportation, please take into consideration the below time restrictions for joining and departing from your group.

Your flight must arrive by or before 11:59 p.m. on Day 1.
Your flight must depart no earlier than 12:00 a.m. on Day 8.

Get yourself to a destination that's long been a culture-loving backpacker's dream on this affordable 8-day whirlwind tour of the southern half of Sri Lanka. Discover beautiful ruins, hike through tea plantations, tour a spice garden, and then chill out on Hikkaduwa Beach. Explore Sri Lanka with a group of new friends and you'll never want to travel solo again.

Please ensure that you print a final copy of your Trip Details to review a couple of days prior to travel, in case there have been changes that affect your plans.

While it is our intention to adhere to the route described below, there is a certain amount of flexibility built into the itinerary and, on occasion, it may be necessary or desirable to make alterations.

Group Leader Description:
You will be accompanied by one of our Chief Experience Local Guides (CELG). The aim of the CELG is to take the hassle out of your travel and help you have the best trip possible. They will provide information on the places you are travelling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues, and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense, you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the places visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious, and social aspects. We also use local guides where we think more specific knowledge will add to the enjoyment of the places we are visiting - we think it's the best of both worlds.

Group Size - 14 (maximum), 6 (average).

Meals Included
7 breakfasts, 1 dinner

Transport: Private vehicle, train, tuk-tuk, walking

Youth Travellers
We believe youth travellers should not have to pay more to travel, so our group trips are designed for shared accommodation and do not involve a single supplement. Single travellers joining group trips are paired in twin or multi-share accommodation with someone of the same sex for the duration of the trip. Some of our Independent trips are designed differently, and solo travellers on these itineraries must pay the single trip price.

The airport in Colombo (Katunayake) is around 32 km north of the Colombo centre. Taking a cab is the most convenient way to get to your hotel in Negombo. Taxi drivers are famous for overcharging, so we recommend using the prepaid taxi service offered at the airport - you can make the arrangements at designated counters outside the baggage-claim area.

You can change money into the local currency (Sri Lanka Rupee) at exchange counters open 24 hours at the airport. The Airport Taxi service, supervised by the Airport & Aviation Services, operates a counter in the arrival lobby and accepts Sri Lanka Rupees. Please hire the vehicle from this counter and make full payment. They will provide you with an official receipt. Unfortunately, scammers have set up similar services, so make sure the counter is operated by The Airport & Aviation Services. Your destination, the time of your arrival, and the amount of luggage determine the rate, which you pay in advance at the counter, but it should be between LKR 2000 to 3000 to Negombo. A person will escort you to the designated taxi. If the driver demands more rupees, politely refuse. If they have driven safely, you may like to tip around LKR 250.
If you have paid in advance for an arrival transfer, an NIO Adventure representative will be at the airport to meet you. If for any reason you are not met at the airport, please call our local support line. If you are unable to make contact for whatever reason, please make your way to the joining point hotel by taxi.

Please note that Day 1 is an arrival day and no activities have been planned for that day other than your welcome meeting in the evening, so you can arrive at any time. Similarly, the last day is a departure day during which no activities have been planned.
Your representative will organize a short meeting soon after arrival, during which you will meet other tour participants and receive information about general and specific aspects of the trip. A welcome note will be left for you in the hotel so you have all the necessary information regarding the meeting time. If you arrive late, they will leave you a message detailing what time and where you should meet the next morning.

Arrival Complications
We don't expect any problems, and nor should you, but if for any reason you are unable to commence your trip as scheduled, please refer to the emergency contact details provided in this dossier and contact us as soon as possible. If you have a pre-booked transfer and you have not made contact with our representative within 30 minutes of clearing customs and immigration, we recommend that you make your own way to the starting point of the tour.

Emergency Contact
Should you need to contact us during a situation of dire need, it is best to first call our Local Office. If for any reason you do not receive an immediate answer, please leave a detailed message and contact information so they may return your call and assist you as soon as possible.

Airport transfer
If you have purchased an arrival transfer through us, please note that your arrival transfer has been arranged based on the flight information provided to us. If you are advised of a flight schedule change within 48 hours of your scheduled arrival time, we will do our best to rearrange your arrival transfer; however, we cannot guarantee this. If your arrival transfer does not arrive within 30 minutes after you have exited the arrivals area, please take a taxi to your start point hotel.

Dress codes:
Modest clothing that covers knees and shoulders (long pants, long skirts, shirts that cover shoulders)
Shawl or scarf (for temple visits)

Documents to be prepared
Flight info (required) (Printouts of e-tickets may be required at the border)
Insurance info (required) (with photocopies)
Passport (required) (with photocopies)
Required visas or vaccination certificates (required) (with photocopies)
Vouchers and pre-departure information (required)

The months of May-Jul are the rainy season, so please make sure to pack waterproof clothes.

Emergency Fund - Please also make sure you have access to at least an additional USD $200 (or equivalent) as an emergency fund, to be used when circumstances outside our control (for example, a natural disaster) require a change to our planned route. This is a rare occurrence.

Tipping - It is customary in Asia to tip service providers such as waiters at approximately 10%, depending on the service. Tipping is expected - though not compulsory - and shows an expression of satisfaction with the people who have assisted you on your tour. Although it may not be customary to you, it is of considerable significance to the people who will take care of you during your travels. There are several times during the trip when there is an opportunity to tip the local guides or drivers we use. You may do this individually, or your CELG will offer to collect the money and tip as a group. Recommendations for tipping drivers and local guides would range from USD 1-2 per person per day depending on the quality and length of the service; ask your CELG for specific recommendations based on the circumstances and culture. Also, at the end of each trip, if you felt your NIO Adventure CELG did an outstanding job, tipping is appreciated. The amount is entirely a personal preference; however, as a guideline, USD 30-40 per person, per week can be used.

Health - Please note inoculations may be required for the country visited. It is your responsibility to consult your travel doctor for up-to-date medical travel information well before departure. You should consult your doctor for up-to-date medical travel information well before departure. We recommend that you carry a first-aid kit and hand sanitisers/antibacterial wipes, as well as any personal medical requirements. Please be aware that sometimes we are in remote areas and away from medical facilities, and for legal reasons our CELG are prohibited from administering any type of drug, including headache tablets, antibiotics, etc. In Asia, pharmacies tend to stock the same western drugs as you get at home, but they are usually produced locally, so please bring the full drug name with you when trying to purchase a prescription drug. When selecting your trip, please carefully read the brochure and itinerary and assess your ability to cope with our style of travel. We reserve the right to exclude any traveller from all or part of a trip without refund if, in the reasonable opinion of our group CELG, they are unable to complete the itinerary without undue risk to themselves and/or the rest of the group.