Buddhism, elephants and beaches in Sri Lanka

Day 1: France / Colombo
Flight to Colombo.
Night and meals on board.

Day 2: Colombo / Negombo / Sigiriya (about 4h – 180km)
Arrival in Colombo.
Welcome by your guide and our local representative.
En route, stop in Negombo, the “Little Rome”, home to one of the island’s largest fishing communities, mostly Catholic Tamils.
Numerous brightly coloured churches stand close to the shore, where you can see the traditional outrigger boats (Oruwa).
A Dutch fort bears witness to Negombo’s glorious past as a former centre of the cinnamon trade in Asia.
Lunch en route in Kurunegala.
Arrival in Sigiriya in the afternoon and check-in at the hotel.
In the late afternoon, climb the Lion Rock fortress, adorned with magnificent frescoes depicting the Maidens of Sigiriya, creatures half-goddess, half-princess. Perched at 370 m atop a red stone rock overlooking a harmonious complex of gardens laid out in the 5th century, the citadel of Sigiriya has been Unesco-listed since 1982.
Access is through a narrow staircase that winds between the giant paws of a lion. An impressive site set in majestic surroundings. Dinner and night at the hotel.

Day 3: Polonnaruwa / Minneriya – Safari
Breakfast at the hotel.
Excursion to Polonnaruwa, an ancient capital whose remains cover 15 km² and have been Unesco-listed since 1982.
It is a fine complex of stupas and temples, as well as imposing rock-cut Buddhas such as the Gal Vihara and the Tivanka Pilgrimage house with its fragile mural paintings. Built on a monumental terrace in honour of the most precious relic of the Buddhist world, the Tooth of the Buddha, now kept in its temple in Kandy, the Vatadage (circular shrine) and five other religious structures form an architectural ensemble unique in the world.
The Kalu Gal Vihara is the most remarkable monument in Polonnaruwa, with four rock sculptures carved from granite. They are masterpieces of medieval Sri Lankan sculpture.
One Buddha sits in open-air meditation and another in Samadhi at the back of a rock chapel. The neighbouring colossus stands 7 m tall. At its feet, the fourth Buddha, the most striking of all, stretches its 14 m long body in a pose of entering peace. In the afternoon, you will set off on a safari in Minneriya reserve, famous for its large lake and its 8,890 hectares of parkland, an ideal spot for ecotourism in Sri Lanka. The park is made up of forested areas and evergreen scrubland. It is home to some of Sri Lanka’s favourite animals, including deer, leopards and elephants — a chance to discover the local wildlife. Lunch during the visit.
Dinner and night at the hotel.

Day 4: Dambulla / Nalanda / Matale / Kandy (about 2h – 95km)
Breakfast at the hotel, then drive to Kandy.
En route, visit the Dambulla cave sanctuary. You will see a remarkable array of Buddha statues spread across five large caves used by monks since the 1st century BC. The caves are carved into a huge granite outcrop perched more than 160 m above sea level. The view over the plain from the top of the rock is exceptional, especially at dusk.

Continue to visit the Nalanda Gedige reliquary, a jewel of Sinhalese architecture blending Hindu and Buddhist influences, adorned with tantric sculptures featuring erotic motifs.

Continue to Matale. Visit a spice garden in this area of lush vegetation, home to all the tropical plants that made the island famous: pepper, nutmeg, saffron, cardamom, cloves, ginger, and more. You will take part in a Sri Lankan cooking demonstration and learn about the properties of plants used in Ayurvedic medicine.

Arrival in Kandy in the afternoon. At the heart of Sri Lanka’s central highlands, at 500 m altitude, Kandy enjoys a very pleasant climate. Built around an artificial lake, it was the last capital of Ceylon before the island became a British colony. Kandy is famous for its Temple of the Tooth. Today it is the country’s religious capital and one of the great centres of world Buddhism. City tour organised around the artificial lake at the heart of the historic town.
Visit the Temple of the Tooth, home to one of the most venerated relics of Buddhism. In the evening, you will attend a Kandyan dance performance, in which dancers in elaborate costumes perform various traditional dances of the country (the harvest dance, the fire dance, the offering dance…).

Day 5: Kandy / Pinnawala / Chilaw Beach
Breakfast at the hotel.
Departure for the coast. En route, visit the Elephant Orphanage at Pinnawala.
Continue to Chilaw.
Chilaw is best known for its crabs and coconuts. Visitors come to see the famous Hindu temple at Munneswaram, located in the Demala Pattuwa (Tamil) division, in the Puttalam district. Every year, crowds flock to Chilaw for the Munneswaram Festival. Traders sell various hand-painted clay animal figures. In addition to two Hindu festivals, the temple holds its own Munneswaram Festival, a four-week-long event attended by Hindus, Buddhists, Catholics and Muslims alike.

Days 6 and 7: Beach
Free days by the sea, full board.

Day 8: Departure
Last day to enjoy the beach, then transfer to the airport for your flight back to France.

Day 9: Arrival
Arrival in Paris in the morning.