Day 01 – Airport – Beach Stay

On arrival at Colombo Airport the group will be met and welcomed by the representatives of Tropical Asia Tours. All members of the group will be welcomed with a special Orchid garlands and thereafter directly proceed towards client’s preferred beach in down south part in Sri Lanka.
(Katunayake to Beach stay is approximately. 2 ½ – 3 hours.)

Overnight stay at Beach stays Hotel –
Meal option – HB or FB or AI BASIS

Day 02 – Day 13 -Beach Stay

After Breakfast full day enjoy the beach at hotel.
Clients can enjoy with day excursions while stay in beach stay in between days 02 -13.

GALLE CITY TOUR –
From Tangalle to Galle – approx. 1 ½ hours
From Beruwala to Galle – approx. 1hour 15minutes
From Bentota to Galle – approx. 1hour
From Hikkaduwa to Galle – 30minutes
From Mirissa to Galle – 1 hour
From Unawatuna to Galle – 15minutes

GALLE – (Approx. 2 hrs. Excursion time)
The South Coast’s major city is Galle, whose oldest landmark is the massive Portuguese and Dutch Fort which is a “World Heritage Site” in which the central city is contained. But the city may be much older. Some scholars believe it to be the “Tarshish” of the Old Testament, to which King Solomon sent his merchant vessels, and to which Jonah fled from the Lord. Today, the 90-acre Galle Fort shows no evidence of the Portuguese founders.

MADU BOAT RIDE – BALAPITIYA

From Tangalle to Balapitiya – approx. 2 hours
From Beruwala to Balapitiya – approx. 40 minutes
From Bentota to Balapitiya – approx. 25 minutes
From Hikkaduwa to Balapitiya – approx. 35minutes
From Mirissa to Balapitiya – approx. 1 ½ hours
From Unawatuna to Balapitiya – approx. 1 hour

MADU RIVER – (Approx. 3 hrs. Excursion time)
The Maduganga River is a shallow water body in south-west Sri Lanka, which enters the sea at Balapitiya. The Buddhist Amarapura Nikaya sect had its first upasampada (higher ordination ceremony) on a fleet of boats anchored upon it in 1803. The Buddhist Kothduwa temple is situated on an isolated island in the lake. Together with the smaller Randombe Lake, to which it is connected by two narrow channels, it forms the Madu Ganga wetland. Its estuary and the many mangrove islets on it constitute a complex coastal wetland ecosystem. In has high ecological, biological and aesthetic significance, being home to 303 species of plants belonging to 95 families and to 248 species of vertebrate animals. It might be one of the last remaining tracts of pristine mangrove forests in Sri Lanka.

STILT FISHING – KOGGALA

From Tangalle to Koggala – approx. 1 hour
From Beruwala to Koggala– approx. 1 hour 45 minutes
From Bentota to Koggala– approx. 1 ½ hour
From Hikkaduwa to Koggala – approx. 1 hour
From Mirissa to Koggala– approx. 40 minutes
From Unawatuna to Koggala– approx. 30 minutes

STILT FISHING – (Approx. 30 minutes. Excursion time)
This excursion is famous among tourist and located in Koggala, near to Galle (from Galle to Koggala- 30 minutes) Stilt fishing is a method of fishing unique to the island country of Sri Lanka, known as “the Pearl of the Indian Ocean”. The fishermen sit on a cross bar called a ‘petta’ tied to a vertical pole and driven into the sand a few meters offshore. From this high position, the fishermen cast his line, and waits until a fish comes along to be caught. Although the approach looks primitive and ancient. And best time to visit early morning and evening.

HIKKADUWA MARINE NATIONAL PARK

From Tangalle to Hikkaduwa – approx. 1 ½ hour
From Beruwala to Hikkaduwa– approx. 1 hour
From Bentota to Hikkaduwa– approx. 50 minutes
From Mirissa to Hikkaduwa– approx. 1 hour and 15 minutes
From Unawatuna to Hikkaduwa– approx. 40 minutes

HIKKADUWA MARINE NATIONAL PARK – (Approx. 2 hrs. Excursion time)

The Hikkaduwa National Park is one of the three marine national parks in Sri Lanka and is situated in Hikkaduwa. This national park contains a coral reef of high degree of biodiversity. It was declared as a wildlife sanctuary on May 18, 1979. Later on August 14, 1988, it upgraded to a nature reserve with extended land area. The reef was declared as a national park on September 19, 2002. The Hikkaduwa National Park is governed by the Department of Wildlife Conservation. The national park situated in the wet zone and receives a 2,000 millimeters (79 in) of annual rainfall. The rain is received in both southwestern and northeastern monsoon seasons, in April–June and September–November respectively. Inter-monsoon season is a dry period which is considered the best season to visit the park. The reef is rich in fauna. It encompasses 60 coral species and 170 species of reef fish. The corals include Staghorn, Elkhorn, cabbage, brain, table and star collar and species belonging to Montipora, Faviidae and Poritidae families. The reef serves as a habitat for Dugongs, sea turtles and various invertebrates such as prawns, crabs, shrimps, oysters, and sea worms. Apart from these, marine plants also exist underwater.

TURTLE HATCHERY – KOSGODA

From Tangalle to Kosgoda– approx. 2 hours
From Beruwala to Kosgoda– approx. 30 minutes
From Bentota to Kosgoda– 20 minutes
From Hikkaduwa to Kosgoda – approx. 50 minutes
From Mirissa to Kosgoda– approx. 1 ½ hour
From Unawatuna to Kosgoda– approx. 1 hour

KOSGODA TURTLE HATCHERY – (Approx. 1 hr. Excursion time)

The Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery is the place where you can see five species of turtles who are known to be facing the threat of extinction -Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas), Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta), Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) and Olive Ridley Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea). The eggs collected by the Villagers and Fishermen are purchased by the Kosgoda Hatchery and kept in sandy pens until they are hatched. The newly hatched ones are kept in seawater tanks and released to the sea in the night. This Hatchery alone has released more than 1,750,000 young turtles to the sea. An endowment by the Hasselblad Estate was responsible for the establishment of this hatchery.

LUNU GANGA ESTATE – DEDDUWA

From Tangalle to Dedduwa– approx. 2 hours
From Beruwala to Dedduwa– approx. 20 minutes
From Bentota to Dedduwa– approx. 5 minutes
From Hikkaduwa to Dedduwa– approx. 1 hour
From Mirissa to Dedduwa– approx. 1 hour and 40 minutes
From Unawatuna to Dedduwa– approx. 1 hour

LUNU GANGA ESTATE – (Approx. 1 hr. Excursion time)

In the South Western town of Bentota, further inland, away from the crowds and hubbub of the beach tourists, you will find the Lunuganga Estate that was once the house of the renowned architect Geoffrey Bawa. It overlooks the breathtaking Deduwa Lake, and the 15 Acre property has sprawing gardens with ponds, walkways and gardens and being a tourist attraction in itself, is opened to the public daily, and a guided tour will be available on request. The estate consists of a total of six suites, two of which are housed in a separate cottage on the same property, each taking on a theme of their own. Not only is it an architectural masterpiece, but is also tastefully decorated with well-preserved antique furniture.

WHALE WATCHING – MIRISSA

From Tangalle to Mirissa– approx. 1 hour
From Beruwala to Mirissa– approx. 1 hour and 40 minutes
From Bentota to Mirissa– approx. 1 hour and 30 minutes
From Hikkaduwa to Mirissa– approx. 1 hour
From Unawatuna to Mirissa– approx. 45 minutes

WHALE WATCHING – (Approx. Half a day Excursion time)

Whale and dolphin watching in Mirissa & in Trincomalee are one of the most exciting water activities you can do during your holiday in Sri Lanka. Often spotted blue whales are the biggest animals in the world. Whale watching season in Mirissa is from November to April & in Trincomalee it’s from May to October due to the monsoons. You can take an exciting yet comfortable boat trip out to sea and be fortunate to see Blue Whales; the largest creatures on earth, Bryde’s Whales, Sperm Whales, Killer Whales, and Fin Whales. You can also meet pods of friendly Dolphins such as the Common dolphins, Bottlenose dolphins, Spinner dolphins, Risso’s dolphins and striped dolphins as they playfully somersault and dance on the ocean waves. There’s also a good chance of seeing flying fish, turtle, manta rays and even sharks.

MULKIRIGALA TEMPLE – MULKIRIGALA

From Tangalle to Mulkirigala– approx. 30 minutes
From Beruwala to Mulkirigala– approx. 2hours
From Bentota to Mulkirigala– approx. 1 hour and 50minutes
From Hikkaduwa to Mulkirigala– approx. 1 hour and 20 minutes
From Mirissa to Mulkirigala– approx. 1 hour
From Unawatuna to Mulkirigala– approx. 1 hour

MULKIRIGALA

Mulkirigala Raja Maha Vihara is an ancient Buddhist temple in Mulkirigala, Sri Lanka. It has been built on a 205 m (673 ft) high natural rock, surrounded with another four rocks known as Benagala, Kondagala, Bisogala and Seelawathiegala. The temple site is located about 2 km (1.2 mi) from the Mulkirigala junction and can be reached from either Dikwella or Tangalle towns. According to the ancient chronicle Mahavamsa, the Mulkirigala Vihara was constructed by King Saddhatissa in the third century. The temple has been formally recognized by the Government as an archaeological site in Sri Lanka.

UDAWALAWE NATIONAL PARK AND ELEPHANT TRANSIT HOME – UDAWALAWA

From Tangalle to Udawalawa– approx. 1 hour and 20 minutes
From Beruwala to Udawalawa– approx. 2hours and 50 minutes
From Bentota to Udawalawa– approx. 2 hours and 40minutes
From Hikkaduwa to Udawalawa– approx. 1 hour and 15minutes
From Mirissa to Udawalawa– approx. 1 hour and 50 minutes
From Unawatuna to Udawalawa– approx. 2 hours

UDAWALAWE NATIONAL PARK – (Approx. 3 hrs. Excursion time)

The Udawalawe National Park covers over an area of 230,821 hectares and was declared as a National Park in 1972. It is only 115 miles from Colombo via Ratnapura and Pelmadulla. This Park is rich in Elephant population as the Park has about 500 Elephants. Wild Buffalo, Spotted Deer, Barking Deer, Wild Boar, Sambhur, Hare, Mongoose, Crocodile and several species of Snakes are recorded. A total of three members of the Sri Lankan Big Five can be seen in this National Park. (The Sri Lankan Leopard, the Sloth Bear and the Sri Lankan Elephant)

ELEPHANT TRANSIT HOME – (Approx. 1 hr. Excursion time)

Elephant Transit Home (ETH) takes care of orphaned elephant calves – until they are independent and able enough to be released back to the wild. Although, a majority of the general public enthusiastically supported this endeavor, at the inception many conservationists doubted its feasibility. Some openly opposed the initiative and tried to stop the conservation program. With minimum resources and manpower, ETH has successfully grown to be a successful entity in a short period. It has been recognized as one of best wild animal rehabilitation centers in the world. Situated in the western border of the 33,000 hectares of Udawalawe National Park, ETH is adjacent to the “Udawalawe reservoir”. The elephant calves have no boundaries in the area and have freedom to roam wherever they want. Similarly, wild elephants also visit the ETH premises. Seasonal fluctuating water level of the reservoir creates a diverse environment for both the baby elephants and wild elephants.

MARTIN WICKRAMASINGHE FOLK MUSEUM – KOGGALA

From Tangalle to Koggala – approx. 1 hour
From Beruwala to Koggala– approx. 1 hour 45 minutes
From Bentota to Koggala– approx. 1 ½ hour
From Hikkaduwa to Koggala – approx. 1 hour
From Mirissa to Koggala– approx. 40 minutes
From Unawatuna to Koggala– approx. 30 minutes

MARTIN WICKRAMASINGHE FOLK MUSEUM – KOGGALA

Martin Wickramasinghe was a Sri Lankan novelist. His books have been translated into several languages.The house in which Martin Wickramasinghe was born has inspired the Martin Wickramasinghe Trust to established a Folk Museum Complex, surrounded by a restored ecosystem planted with hundreds of varieties of indigenous trees and shrubs in which bird life abounds. The house and the surroundings brings to life a little part of the Koggala which is so vividly depicted in Wickramasinghe’s writings.Wickramasinghe’s house miraculously escaped the fate of others in his village. The Folk Museum was long a desire of the author who wanted to recapture within it the technological and cultural artifacts which were a familiar part of his childhood. The various objects of folk culture acquired during his lifetime have been the starting point of the collection found in the museum, which was opened in 1981.

Overnight stay at Beach stays Hotel –
Meal option – HB or FB or AI BASIS

Day 14 – Beach Stay – Airport
After breakfast check out from the hotel and proceed to the Airport for departure.
(Beach stay to Airport is approx.: 2 ½ – 3 hours.)