Kandy - Nuwara Eliya Tour
Two-day excursion to Kandy - Nuwara Eliya: Royal Garden, elephant, waterfalls and tea plantations
Kandy - Nuwara Eliya excursion is one of the best selling tours in Sri Lanka.
Organizer:
Luong · online |
"It is my pleasure to help people around the world to get better understanding about Sri-Lanka and Vietnam" |
Price:
Hotels 4* | Hotels 5* |
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$400 |
$800 |
Highlights of the tour:
- Sacred Buddha Tooth Temple, Buddha Tooth Museum
- Bahiravakande Monastery, Buddha Statue on the Hill and The Observation Point
- 700-year-old Royal Botanical Garden in Peradeniya, where you can see trees planted by the last Russian emperor, many kings and presidents
- Tea Plantations, Tea factory
- Lake Gregory
- Elephant Dung Paper Factory
- Ramboda Waterfall
- Nuwara Eliya town
Other attractions in Nuwara Eliya (optional):
- Tea tasting ceremony (15 usd/pax)
- Horton Plains National Park and World's End (40 usd/pax)
- Train ride
- Ride the Elephant through the jungle ($25)
- Batik factory
- National Dance Show
- Village tour, immersion in authentic village life and cooking class
- Gem Museum
- Rafting, Cycling
- Sinharaja Rainforest
Detailed Program
Day 1: Kandy
Buddha Tooth Temple
Around 540 BC, the deceased Buddha was cremated and four teeth were taken out of the fire, which were transported around the world. The tooth was brought to Ceylon in 371.
The city of Anuradhapura was chosen as the initial storage location, then the tooth was transferred to the city of Polonnaruwa, and already at the beginning of the 18th century it was transported to Kandy.
The shrine, after several centuries in India, was sent to Ceylon IV by the ruler of Kalinga, who suffered defeats in wars and feared for the fate of his state. The relic on the island was transported by the ruler’s daughter, hiding it in her hairdo. Magical power has long been attributed to this tooth: possessing it, he possessed all the fullness of power. Therefore, the tooth of the Buddha became the possession of the royal dynasty. Inside the Temple there is also a Buddha Tooth museum, which displays a variety of historical artefacts and offerings donated to the temple.
Bahirawakanda Buddha Statue and Observation Point
Next, we will visit the monumental statue of Buddha, located on top of a hill towering above the city.
Royal Botanic Garden
Royal Botanic Garden, whose history spans over 700 years.The shrubs and trees here are gigantic in size, reminiscent of Gulliver's Travels to Lilliput Kids.
Here we can see the magnificent orchid garden, as well as the Alley of Memorial Trees planted by famous historical figures, among whom are Nicholas II (Last Russian King), many British Kings and Queens, first spaceman Yuri Gagarin, etc.
Tea plantations and tea factory
We will visit a tea plantation and a factory where we can see how it is assembled and produced, and even we can taste the legendary, universally recognized Best Ceylon Tea in the World.
Ceylon tea became the front-runner of the industry and was much loved for its unmatched quality and variety. The alchemy of land, sun and rain in the Paradise Island of Ceylon, as it was known 40 years ago, presents the ideal climatic conditions for cultivation of tea.
Elephant Dung Paper Factory
Elephant Dung Paper Factory is an eco-friendly factory that introduces and explains the unique steps involved in making our much talked about paper products from elephant poop fibers!
What else we can do while visiting Kandy:
- Participate tea ceremony and do the degustation of more than 10 premium varieties of tea ($15)
- Ride the Elephant ($25)
- Visit batik factory where you can try traditional dresses including kandian sari (the only sari in the world which is different from indian sari)
- National Dance Show
- Gem Museum
Day 2: Nuwara Eliya
Ramboda Falls
One of the biggest and remarkable waterfalls in Sri Lanka.
Nuwara Eliya
Nuwara Eliya, called Little England, was a hill country retreat where the British colonialists could immerse in their pastimes such as fox hunting, deer hunting, elephant hunting, polo, golf and cricket.
It is known for its temperate, cool climate – the coolest area in Sri Lanka.
Lake Gregory
Lake Gregory is a reservoir in heart of the tea country hill city, Nuwara Eliya.It was constructed during the period of British Governor Sir William Gregory in 1873. This lake is popular with tourists who enjoy strolling the footpaths, taking out a swan-shaped pedal boat or trotting around on a pony .
Optional activities (can be added to the program upon request):
Train Ride
The train from Ella to Nuwara Eliya powers up through Sri Lanka's southern hill country, through the tea plantations, into the clouds and then weaves in and out of the many mountain tunnels as it descends to reach Ella. This is a journey not to be missed!
The World's End and the Horton Plains
Horton Plains National Park is definitely one of the most beautiful World Heritage Sites in Sri Lanka.
The star attraction of this national park is the World’s End, which is where the plateau of the park comes to a sudden end and has a deep plunge of over 800 meters. On clear days, you can see Adam’s Peak from the World’s End.
Hotels where we stay:
Hotel Topaz (Kandy)
Excursion features
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Tour price:
All inclusive, 4-star hotel*
(Transfer along the route, hotel accommodation, meals, entrance tickets)
$900 If there are 1-2 of you; $400 per person if there are 3 or more
All inclusive, 5-star hotel*
(Transfer, hotel accommodation, meals, entrance tickets)
$1700 If there are 1-2 of you; $800 per person if there are 3 or more
Entrance tickets are included in the price: Temple of the Tooth Relic, Bahirawakande Monastery, Royal Botanical Garden in Peradeniya, Tea ceremony and tasting at a tea factory, Ambuluwawa (including a ride up the mountain by tuk-tuk).
You can visit if you wish:
Elephant Museum + Elephant ride + Eco-paper Factory - $20
Moon Plateau - $25
Jeep safari - $80 per person ($120 if 1 passenger) - check with the manager (depending on the starting point).
Reviews about the organizer
15.03.2023
14.07.2022
I, as a professional wildlife photographer, traveled to Sri Lanka with some unusual requests. Igor helped not only to plan the route through the national parks and provided a very good driver, but also helped to find professional ornithologists in all the necessary locations.
We traveled to almost all national parks - Udawalawe, Minneriya, Yalu. We went to Sinharaja. There are many elephants and birds everywhere. Yala confirmed its reputation - here we managed to see leopards, however, unfortunately - very far away. I really liked Khabarana - the best place for shooting birds that you can find. We took a half-day ride to Wilpattu - a little-known park among tourists, which Igor recommended to me. The park itself is beautiful, comfortable, good paths, it is clear that they are taking care of it. You can definitely put it on a par with Yala. Unlucky to see leopards, but lucky to see Himalayan bears and giant squirrels. Of the minuses in Wilpattu - the complete absence of normal hotels near the park. I would not advise anyone to stay here overnight.
The rain spoiled the experience a bit. Complicated filming in Sinharaja. It is a pity that because of the rains it was not possible to shoot in the forests in the Kandy region. If you go to Sri Lanka for the sake of animals and national parks, you still need to take into account the season. But anyway, a huge thank you guys for organizing! With all the difficulties, it was thanks to them that we managed to squeeze the maximum out of this trip. Organization at the highest level - the guys will solve any problems, always in touch, find hotels in the right places at any time, organize transport, professional guides and ornithologists will prompt. Definitely 5+
25.04.2019
Good afternoon, the tour went great. Very good guide, we will recommend you to all our friends. THANK YOU!