Upon arrival in Colombo, meet and assist and then drive to Negombo. Check in at your hotel. Rest of the day free at leisure. Dinner & Overnight in Jetwing Lagoon Hotel (www.jetwinghotels.com)

Early morning visit to the Negombo Fist Market and return back to the hotel for breakfast. P.M. You will be met by the hotel chef, who will show you how to prepare a typical Sri Lankan Fish curry – Fish Ambulthiyal – which signifies how dishes were preserved in ancient Ceylon. Following which, you will be enjoying these dishes along with few other dishes for your lunch. Rice and curries cooked with a blend of spices, herbs and coconut milk is the island’s main meal. Sri Lankan like their chillies and the redder the curry, the more chillies it will have. Sri Lankan dish using tuna, called Ambul Thiyal–also known as sour fish curry. Dinner & overnight in Hotel.

After breakfast leave for Sigiriya enroute visit Dambulla. Dambulla is famous for its rock paintings and rock temples and is one of the most important sites for Buddhist pilgrimage. Dambulla leaves a lasting impression on many visitors. The heady mix of ancient art and fervent religious activity combined with the spiritual location leaves many visitors overwhelmed by the experience. Upon arrival, check in at your hotel. In the evening demonstrate the traditional sweets including Levariya, Kokis (a savoury crispy biscuit like dish make from flour), and pancake – prepared mainly for festive occasions followed by high tea at Vil Uyana. Dinner & Overnight in Jetwing Vil Uyana Hotel (www.jetwinghotels.com)

After breakfast, visit the local Market to buy fish, vegetables and ingredients for cooking lesson. On completion, proceed to the village house to experience a typical Sri Lankan cooking lesson and enjoy a typical village rice and curry meal served on a banana leaf at the ‘Kamatha’ by the paddy fields. You’ll also take a trip to the local market to take fresh vegetables, fresh seafood, ingredients for cooking lesson etc. and proceed to the village house to experience a typical Sri Lankan Cocking lesson and enjoy a typical Sri Lankan village rice and curry meal served on a banana leaf. Rice and curries cooked with a blend of spices, herbs and coconut milk is the island’s main meal. Afternoon, visit Polonnaruwa (A UNESCO World Heritage site), the medieval capital of Sri Lanka. Visit the world famous rock – cut Buddha statues of Gal Vihara and The Parakrama Samudra (Sea of Parakrama) a 2500 – hectare man made reservoir built by king Parakramabahu (1153 – 1186 AD) with a capacity of 134 million cubic meters.

Morning, visit to Sigiriya Rock Fortress. It is situated in the north central province belonging to the ‘Cultural Triangle’, in the dry lowlands of Sri Lanka. After lunch, climb the 5th century AD fortress palace built by King Kasyappa, but suspected to have been in use of Mahayana Buddhists for many centuries previously. The rock is an inselberg, which dominates the landscape and with both a military refuge as well as aesthetic refuge for king who was as patron of the arts. Later transfer to Kandy enroute visit Coconut Roper Maker and Spice Garden. O/N in Kandy House Hotel (www.thekandyhouse.com)

Morning visit to Royal Botanical Gardens Kandy This is a much visited and acclaimed botanical garden, which is also good for birds. It is bounded on three sides by the Mahaveli River, which snakes around the 60-hectare gardens. Before its use as a botanical gardens it had served as a royal pleasure garden. Peradeniya is the second largest botanical garden in Asia. It has an orchid house, which botanists should visit. In 1905 an avenue of palms were planted and now is one of the most photographed places in the gardens. The oldest tree here is a 150 year old double coconut tree. The Giant Fig tree on the Great Lawn is another notable tree. During World War II, it served as a base for Lord Mountebatten. Today it is a haunt for day trippers, botanists and birdwatchers. Afternoon, visit the Kandy Temple The Sacred Tooth Relic, housed in the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy is an object of veneration to Buddhists and the most important sacred relic in the country is. The temple is one of the most sacred places in the world for Buddhists. From ancient times kings have kept the Sacred Tooth Relic in their kingdoms as a symbol of power. History records that the Tooth Relic was first brought to the Island by Prince Dhantha and Princess Hemamali during the reign of King Kirti Sri Meghavanna (301 - 328 AD). It is a traditional belief that, whoever takes possession of the Tooth Relic, ruler or invader, has the power to rule the people. Dinner & Overnight in Hotel.

Morning enjoy train ride from Perdeniya to Nanyu Oya. Afterwards, leave for Bandarawela. Upon arrival, check in at your hotel. It is a refurbished planter’s bungalow set amidst the 50 acre Aislaby tea estate in Bandarawela. Surrounded by mountain peaks in the breath taking southern highlands. Dinner & Overnight at Kirchhayn Bungalow (www.kirchhaynbungalow.com)

This morning you visit a Tea Factory and take a guided tour to learn about the tea industry, manufacture and finally some tea testing. A guided tour around a Tea Factory is an enlightening experience, which explains the whole process of tea production before it reaches your cuppa. First, visit a Tea plantation where you will see tea pluckers busy picking the precise `two leaves and a bud’ followed by a visit to a tea factory where the processing begins. Later back to Hotel. In the evening high tea at Hill Club. High tea at the famous Hill Club, Nuwara Eliya is a buffet of mini savories and sweets which includes a Swiss roles, patties, pancakes, sandwiches etc. The Verandah is a perfect setting for a meal like this, where you can sit and enjoy. Dinner & Overnight in Hotel.

After breakfast, leave for Yala. Enroute visit Mleasna Tea Centre. Upon arrival, check in at your hotel. Dinner and overnight in Cinnamon Wild (www.cinnamonhotels.com)

Morning and afternoon visits to Yala National Park. Research on Leopards in Yala Block 1 has shown it has one of the highest densities of Leopards in the world and it is the best place in Asia to see Leopards. Other large animals you may see include Elephant, Sloth Bear, Mugger Crocodile, Spotted Deer, Sambhur, Barking Deer, Wild Boar, Wild Buffalo, Jackal, Grey Langur and Mongoose. Dinner & Overnight in Hotel.

After breakfast, leave for Tangalle. Upon arrival, check in at your hotel. Rest of the day free at leisure. Dinner & Overnight in The Last House Hotel (www.thelasthouse.com)

Morning Cooking Demonstration followed by Lunch at the hotel. Good food is found in abundance in Sri Lanka, with a wide choice of cuisine to choose from. The Portuguese, Dutch and British invaders as well as the Indian, Arab, Malay and Moor traders have all contributed to the variety of Sri Lankan cuisine. In the afternoon, you will meet the local celebrity chef at the hotel. With his guidance you will prepare lamprai, a Dutch delicacy of a meal wrapped in banana leaf. Rest of the day free at leisure. O/N in hotel.

After breakfast, leave for Colombo. Upon arrival, check in at your hotel. Rest of the day free at leisure. Dinner & Overnight in Mount Lavinai Hotel (www.mountlaviniahotel.com)

After breakfast, transfer to airport to board your flight for onward journey.