Finest Expeditions, Sri Lanka

PLACES OF INTEREST

Habarana

Habarana is the heart of the cultural triangle of Sri Lanka. Located in the dry zone of Sri Lanka Habarana is the centre point from which guests could explore the glorious past and the historical myths of Sri Lanka. Culture tourists as well as wildlife enthusiasts are bound to find this location a haven to escape to. Habarana is closely located to the Minneriya and Kaudulla National Parks which are the transit points to hundreds of Asian elephants and other wildlife during the dry season

Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage

One of the most popular tourist attractions in Sri Lanka is the Pinnawela Elephant orphanage, established as a sanctuary covering 25 acres of lush forest by the Sri Lankan Government and home to a herd of about 75 elephants. Its purpose is to feed, nurse and house young elephants lost or abandoned. The sanctuary also has a breeding programme.
At Pinnawela it is attempted to simulate, in a limited way, the conditions in the wild. Within the sanctuary, the elephants roam freely

Sigiriya (The Lion Rock)

Located to the north of Dambulla, surrounded by the jungle emerges an imperial tower of gneiss rock 370 meters tall, upon which the parricidal King Kassapa built his fortress Sigiriya. This rock is one of the major attractions in Sri Lanka. King Kassapa built this fortress to protect himself from his half brother Mogallana, the rightful heir of the throne. Visiting Sigiriya would be a rock climbing expedition of sorts, visitors need to allocate 2-3 hours to explore all features of the rock

Polonnaruwa

Polonnaruwa rose to fame as the second capital of Sri Lanka following the decline of Anuradhapura, the first Kingdom of Sri Lanka. Polonnaruwa witnessed its period of greatness from the 11th century A.D till the 13th century A.D. Polonnaruwa was chosen by King Vijayabahu 1 for its strategic location that overlooks the crossing of the Mahaveli River. The city was developed by king Vijayabahu 1 and his successors with the addition of palaces, temples, gardens, parks and large man made reservoirs

Kaudulla National Park

This is Sri Lanka's newest national park, the Kaudulla national park was opened to provide the migrating Asian elephants another large area of land to roam about. Kaudulla is attached to the existing elephant corridor between Minneriya and Wasgomuwa national park. The Kaudulla tank is the centre of attraction for the elephants roaming these grounds during the dry season. Visitors to the park could view up to a maximum of 200 elephants at this park. The national park is made up of scrubby forests

Cave Temples of Dambulla

Dambulla is considered to be the centre point of Sri Lanka. Located in this city is a rock mass to which King Valagambahu fled to escape the south Indian invaders in the 1st century BC. The monks at the caves invited the King and concealed him from the invaders for a period of 15 years. When King Valagambahu regained his position he built a rock temple for the monks as a token of his appreciation. These five rock caves contains 14 meter long statues of the Buddha carved out of the rock walls,

Kandy

Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka, at an altitude of  465 m above sea level and encircled by hills. Considered as the Hill Capital of the country, Kandy was the last stronghold of the Sinhala Kings and still retains an aura of grandeur from the past. It is the site of the renowned "Temple of the Tooth" and the Royal Botanical Gardens which is home to one of the best collections of Orchids. During the month of August, Kandy dazzles with the sounds and lights

Temple of the Tooth

The stunning 17th-century Sri Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Tooth) is believed to house the left upper canine tooth of the Lord Buddha himself. This precious relic attracts white-clad pilgrims bearing lotus blossoms and frangipani every day.
The interiors of the building are richly carved and decorated with inlaid woods, ivory, marble and lacquer. The relic of the tooth is kept in a two-story inner shrine fronted by two large elephant tusks. The relic rests on a solid gold lotus

Kandyan Dancers

Developed from the period of Kandyan kings, the iconic Kandyan-style dance forms are a dramatic depiction of the movements of birds and animals and are an explosion of colours and sounds - an absolute must-see in the itinerary of a tourist. The costumes of Kandyan dancers are colourful with white, red, yellow and black mixed. The male dancers with their bare chests decorated with exquisitely silver regalia and spectacular headgear; wear silver bangles on their arms and ankles.

Royal Botanical Gardens

Six Km southwest of Kandy, lie the magnificent and sprawling expanses of the Royal Peradeniya Botanical Gardens, another extremely popular excursion among tourists. Huge tropical trees and a large variety of decorative plants and other creepers among 4000 species of plants are found within its grounds. The orchid house is certainly a centre-piece. There are more than three hundred varieties of superb orchids blooming in profusion.

Tea Factory and Plantation

Sri Lanka is one of the world's largest exporters of tea, hence when venturing into the cool climes of the island one will be surrounded by acres of tea.Tea produced in Sri Lanka has become popularized as the world renowned brew that is known as ‘Ceylon Tea'.  A visit to the tea factory and plantations entails a crash course in plucking tea and a tour of the factory to view the process tea goes through.
 

Nuwara Eliya

Hidden amidst the mountain ranges, Nuwara Eliya was historically popular among the European planters who considered it to be a sanctuary to retreat into. The city is located 2000m above sea level and has a mean temperature of 16°C. This city is famed for it cool breeze, misty mornings and evergreen landscapes. City dwellers often escape to the mountains from March till May to beat the heat.

Jeep Safari at Yala National Park

Yala National Park is famously known for its highest concentration of leopard per square kilometre. Located 288Km away from Colombo, Yala national park is the second largest national park in Sri Lanka. The park covers an area of 1260 square kilometres, however only 141 square kilometres known as ‘block 1’ is open for public viewing. Located in the dry zone of Sri Lanka the park is primarily shrub jungle with rock out crops that dot the park, and there are several salt and fresh water

Galle Fort

Galle fort was built by the Portuguese and modified by the Dutch during the 17th century. After 400 years of existence, the continuous rampart with 14 bastions remains to amaze its visitors. The best method of exploring the fort is by foot, it would be sensible to make this trip during dawn or dusk to protect one's self from the scorching sun. The Galle fort has been declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO because it is the best preserved colonial sea fortress in the whole of Asia.

Sea Turtles Project

The sea turtles project is one of the turtle hatcheries located along the southern coast, this hatchery is located 3 Km south of the Bentota bridge. These turtle hatcheries were constructed to rescue and protect turtle eggs because of the rapidly declining numbers of marine turtle in Sri Lankan shores. Marine turtle eggs are purchased from the fisherman and re-buried along the beach and left there for 48 days allowing the eggs ample time to hatch.