12-Day Sri Lanka Highlights Tour from Negombo with Yala and Mirissa

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Day 01

Arrival in Negombo

• Welcome to Sri Lanka. Upon touchdown at the airport, our representative will facilitate your transfer to your hotel. Once there, put your bags in one corner of your room, fish out your sandals, and head for the warm beaches of Negombo to get a taste of that warm Sri Lankan air.
• Remember that you have a meeting scheduled with your Tour Leader at 6 pm, followed by a chance to spin some yarns over an optional group dinner.

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Day 02

Negombo Fish Market and Dambulla

• Following breakfast, watch the locals pick their fish and bargain back and forth like skilful orators as you meander through the bustling fish market in Negombo.
• Pick your way through the stingrays, pearl spots, snappers, and a dazzling variety of fish that lie dormant in sharp contrast to the constant chatter of voices, knives being sharpened, and the real hustle of vendors trying to make themselves heard over the fierce competition.
• Once you're done, climb on board your bus and stop at the bewitching 2000-year-old Cave Temple en route to Dambulla, where we retire for the night.

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Day 03

Sigiriya Fortress and Onward to Kandy

• Rise early today to visit the mysterious Sigiriya Fortress, or Lion Rock, rising almost 200 metres from the ground. Getting to the top might do something awful to your thighs, but once you're there, the views are as spectacular as the frescoes that adorn the walls.
• After you're done contemplating the mysteries of what instigated the building of this fortress and watching the clouds collect over the canopy of a luxuriant forest, chew on some real food before heading out to Kandy.
• Before reaching Kandy, however, treat your stomach to a delicious lunch at a spice garden and also make a pit stop at the Dalada Maligawa Temple to witness, if you're lucky, the cleansing ceremony of the Buddha's Tooth Relic.

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Day 04

Free Day in Kandy

• Wake up to a wholesome breakfast and enjoy a free day in Kandy. A good starting point to get a feel for the city might be the lake itself, where you can take a boat ride, step back from the bustle of it all, and observe the city at a distance. Alternatively, if you want to get up close to the city's pulse, there's no one to stop you from taking a walk around the lake.
• Top it off by joining a cooking class and getting yourself acquainted with the country's culinary delights. Try your hand at that tablespoon of care and a pinch of spice to perfect that local recipe.
• However, if all you want to do is raise your feet, there's no better way to do it than by booking a relaxing massage.
• Check with your Tour Leader to coordinate these activities for you and ask for a few more suggestions on how to spend your day.

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Day 05

Tea Country Journey to Ella

• Travel from Kandy to Ella by bus and train.
• En route, we visit a local tea plantation and factory, where we're taken on a tour and where words such as curl and twist, withering and twining, unravel to acquire new meaning.
• Step out with your head buzzing with knowledge about what makes Sri Lankan tea one of the best in the world, and step onto another high as we board the scenic train trip to Ella from Nuwara Eliya.

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Day 06

Free Day in Ella

• Make the most of your free day by considering a walk up to Ella Rock via changing vistas of railway tracks, tea plantations, verdant forest, and eucalyptus trees standing sentinel to guide you on your way.
• Trudge through the scarred path that delivers you to the cliff and sit down to decode whether your quickening heartbeat is the result of breathtaking views of Ella town or your effort at getting there. If the walk sounds a bit too physical for your liking, try the Nine Arch Bridge.

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Day 07

Wildlife Encounters in Yala

• We make our way to Yala National Park today to hunt for the elusive leopards, bears, elephants, deer, and monkeys that might play the understudy to the top feline, but to see them wild and free is indeed a rare opportunity that's not to be missed.
• While at the National Park, get as close as you will with elephants at the Elephant Transit Home, an organization that seeks to rehabilitate orphaned elephants and then release them into the wild when they're fit to begin their life anew.

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Day 08

To the Beaches of Mirissa

• Today we edge further away to the southern coast of Sri Lanka and one of its most famous beaches.
• Join your tour leader as you're shown the ropes while you circle the sand and the many restaurants and bars for an evening of music and fun.

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Day 09

Free Day at Mirissa

• There's more of that lazy vacation feeling today since you've got no schedule to keep. Blue sea, balmy sun, the crunchy sound of the sand, wide-brimmed hats, and cocktails till midnight.
• Enjoy your free day in Mirissa. However, if you're visiting Mirissa between November and April, don't miss out on the opportunity to go whale watching.

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Day 10

Historic Galle Fort

• Step into the distinctly different world of Galle Fort with its cobbled streets, neat little pathways, art galleries, coffee shops, and Dutch-style houses; the only semblance of a Sri Lankan identity stamped by a carelessly parked tuk-tuk or the inevitable rickety bicycle.
• Explore this corner of Sri Lanka and get some historical perspective on the country's relationship with Europe and the changing fortunes of the fort itself.
• Wander around to the Clock Tower and perhaps take a moment to reflect on the views of the ocean rushing to embrace the cliffs - a hint of serenity after the buzz of Galle City.

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Day 11

Colombo City and Farewell Dinner

• Whiz through the city of Colombo on a whirlwind tour as we hit the most interesting and diverse spots the city has to offer. Put a finger on its cultural texture, embrace its bustling streets, visit bargain markets, and uncover a path that is a blend of cultures, religions, and socio-economic classes.
• From the traditional to the offbeat, discover a life lived by an everyday Sri Lankan right from the Floating Market of Pettah to the Red Mosque, the Ganga Ramaya Buddhist Temple, and a lot more.
• Later, with the evening closing in, join your tour mates for the last dinner together and drink up to the experiences shared on your Sri Lankan adventure.

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Day 12

Departure from Colombo

• It's time now to bid farewell to your tour leader and new friends, but not without a backpack full of memories.