Post Tour Sightseeing Extensions

England Cricket Tour to Sri Lanka 2020

England Cricket Tour to Sri Lanka 2020

1st – 7th April 2020

Embrace the culture of Sri Lanka with one of these sightseeing options, offering the best this fantastic country has to offer. Head to the Northern, and less travelled, part of the island. Rich is history and boasting some of the worlds best tea, this is an experience that will live long in the memory. Or for those looking to take in the most famous sights on the island, head to Dambulla, Sigiriya and Kandy – climb the world famous Sigiriya Rock and Temple of the Tooth Relic, along with countless other world heritage sights. Both options are on a tailored basis, so please contact us for information and pricing.

Prices on request

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Post Tour Sightseeing Extension Options

Tour package includes

Stated nights’ accommodation on a Bed & Breakfast basis.
All sightseeing & entrance fees.
All coach transfers with Wi-Fi.
Mineral Bottled Water throughout the tour (Two 500ml bottles per person, per day)

Full inclusions will be communicated at the quoting stage.

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Sightseeing Destinations

Anuradhapura, Jaffna, Trincomalee & Negombo

Tour Itinerary

Post Tour Sightseeing Extension

Northern Sri Lanka Highlights

This is an example itinerary

Wednesday 1st April – Colombo/Anuradhapura
After breakfast, check-out of your Colombo hotel and travel to Anuradhapura (Travelling time approx. four-and-a-half-hours). Upon arrival, check-in to your hotel. This afternoon, we will visit Anuradhapura. This city was the first capital and undoubtedly the grandest city of the ancient Sri Lanka, and is the home of two World Heritage sites. Many places of historical and archaeological interest could be visited. Sri Maha Bodhi (Sacred Bo-Tree) was brought as a sapling of the tree under which prince Siddhartha attained to enlightenment and it is over 2,200 years old and is the oldest historically documented tree in the world. At Brazen Palace (2nd century B.C), the 1600 stone columns you see are all that is left of a magnificent multi-storied residence for monks. Also visit Ruwanweliseya (2nd century B.C), the most famous of all the Dagobas. It originally depicted the perfect ‘bubble shape” that modern restoration has not been able to accurately reproduce. Samadhi’ Buddha statue (4th century AD) is one of the most famous statues, depicting the Buddha in a state of ‘Samadhi’ or deep meditation. Isurumuniya rock temple (3rd century B.C) is well known for its rock carvings of ‘The Lovers’ while Kuttam Pokuna – twin ponds (6th century AD) was used by the Buddhist monks as a bathing pool. Thuparama Dagoba (3rd century B.C) is the oldest Dagoba in the island, which enshrines the right collarbone of the Buddha. After a day’s sightseeing, return to the hotel.
Thursday 2nd April – Anuradhapura/Jaffna
After breakfast at the hotel, leave for Jaffna (Travelling time approx. four-hours). Upon arrival check-in to your hotel and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.
Friday 3rd April
After breakfast at the hotel, proceed on a sightseeing tour of Jaffna including a visit to the Jaffna Fort. This ancient fort is the second largest existing fort on the island. Originally built by the Portuguese in 1619, it was then re-built and expanded by the Dutch during the second half of the 17th and the 18th centuries to facilitate trading activities of Sri Lanka’s northern region. This indicates not only of Jaffna’s strategic importance to Europeans but its significance throughout Sri Lanka’s history. Also visit the Nallur Hindu Temple. Nallur Kandasamy Kovil is Jaffna’s premier place of Hindu worship and is characterised by a golden arch and elaborate gopuram attracts hundreds of pilgrims and worshippers. The present building of the Kovil goes back to the 18th century. This temple is a place of the most important religious festival on Jaffna’s Peninsula, it lasts 26 days and finishes on the first day of August’s full moon. Finally, the Nagadeepa Buddhist Temple. This temple is among the country’s sixteen or seventeen holiest Buddhist shrines. According to contemporary history, the Gautama Buddha visited the site after five years of attaining Enlightenment to settle the dispute between two warring Naga kings, Chulodara and Mahodara. At the end of the day, return to the hotel.
Saturday 4th April – Jaffna/Trincomalee
After breakfast at the hotel, leave for Trincomalee via Vauniya (Travelling time approx. four-and-a-half-hours). Check in to your hotel and enjoy the rest of your day at leisure (our tip would be to enjoy the beach!)
Sunday 5th April
After breakfast at the hotel, proceed on a sightseeing tour of Trincomalee including a visit to Thirukonamalai Konesar Temple, The Temple of the Thousand Pillars and Dakshina. Kailasam is a classical-medieval Hindu temple complex in Trincomalee, a Hindu religious pilgrimage centre in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka. Built significantly during the reign of the early Cholas and the Five Dravidians of the Early Pandyan Kingdom atop Konesar Malai, a promontory overlooking Trincomalee District, Gokarna bay and the Indian Ocean. This afternoon return to the hotel and continue to enjoy the beach or any leisure activity you may wish to partake in.
Monday 6th April – Trincomalee/Negombo
After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to Negembo (Travelling time approx. five-hours). Enjoy an evening at leisure prior to your international flight back to the UK tomorrow.
Tuesday 7th April
After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to Bandaranayake International Airport for your flight back to the UK.

Please contact us for information and pricing >

Dambulla, Sigiriya, Kandy & Negombo Itinerary

This is an example itinerary

Wednesday 1st April – Colombo/Dambulla
After collection from your Test tour hotels, you’ll leave for Dambulla (Travelling time approx. five-and-a-half-hours). En route visit Elephant Orphanage at Pinnawela. This orphanage is the home for about 89 elephants, out of which some are baby elephants found abandoned or orphaned in the wild. They are being cared, fed and trained by the wildlife authorities. Upon arrival in Dambulla, check in at Jetwing Lake – Superior Room – Rest of the day at leisure.
Thursday 2nd April
After breakfast at the hotel, proceed to Sigiriya. Climb the 5th century Sigiriya rock fortress which is a world heritage site, built by King Kashyapa (477-495 AD). The ‘Lion Rock’ is a citadel of unusual beauty rising 200 meters from the scrub jungle. The rock was the innermost stronghold of the 70 hectare fortified town. A moat, rampart, and extensive gardens including the renowned water gardens ring the base of the rock. Visit the world-renowned frescoes of the ‘Heavenly Maidens’ of Sigiriya, which are in a sheltered pocket of the rock approached. After this, leave for Polonnaruwa, which was the 2nd capital city of Sri Lanka, built in the 11th and 12th centuries AD, and which is a world heritage site. Here you can see the ruins of the Royal Palace, the Gal Viharaya, where four splendid statues of the Buddha in ‘Upright’, ‘Sedentary’ and ‘Recumbent’ postures carved out of rock, the Audience Hall, the Lotus Bath, king Parakramabahu’s statue, and the Parakrama Samudraya lake built by King Parakramabahu the great. There are also monuments of famous places of worship such as the Shiva Temple, the Lankathilake, the Watadage, the Galpotha, the Kiri Vehera and the remains of a former Temple of the Tooth Relic. Return to hotel for an evening at leisure.
Friday 3rd April – Dambulla/Kandy
After breakfast at the hotel, leave for Kandy via the Dambulla Rock Temple (Travelling time approx. two-and-a-half-hours). Climb up to the temple, which was donated by king Walagambahu in the 1st century BC to Buddhist monks. This World Heritage site is the most impressive of Sri Lanka’s cave temples. The complex of five caves with over 2000 sq. meters of painted walls and the ceiling is the largest area of paintings found in the world. These caves contain over 150 images of the Buddha of which the largest is the colossal figure of the Buddha carved out of rock spanning 14 meters and visit a spice garden in Matale, to see the different spices, which Sri Lanka is famous for. You will be introduced to different spices and shown how some of these spices are grown and processed. Depart this Rock Temple and check in at Cinnamon Citadel Hotel – Superior Room. The depart on a sightseeing tour of Kandy. Kandy was the last capital of the Sri Lankan kings, and is a World Heritage Site. The name Kandy conjures visions of splendor and magnificence. Many of the legends, traditions and folklore are still lovingly kept alive. Drive around the Kandy Lake built by the last Sinhala king Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe in 1798. Visit the Kandy town and Bazaar, the arts & crafts centre and a gem museum and a lapidary. In the evening visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic. Return to the hotel for an evening at leisure.
Saturday 4th April – Kandy/Nuwara Eliya
After breakfast, visit the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens. This botanical garden was first built as a pleasure garden by a Sinhala king and was expanded by the British. It is 147 acres in extent and provides an amazing variety of trees, plants and flowers. Afterwards head towards Nuwara Eliya via a visit to a tea plantation and a tea factory, where the ‘best tea in the world’ is produced. You will be told all about the process of manufacturing tea. You can also see how tea is graded. Taste a cup of pure Ceylon tea in the factory. On completion, proceed to Nuwara Eliya (Travelling time approx. two-and-a-half-hours) which, because of its invigorating mountain climate and scenery, is Sri Lanka’s most popular hill resort. Nuwara Eliya is also the heart of Sri Lanka’s tea country producing a significant share of the world’s best tea. Sri Lanka’s highest mountain Pidurutalagala (8282 feet) is located here. Nuwara-Eliya also has one of the finest 18 hole golf courses in South Asia. Check in at the Grand Hotel 4* – Deluxe Room. This evening leave on a sightseeing tour of Nuwara Eliya, including driving through ‘Little England’.
Sunday 5th April – Nuwara Eliya/Negombo
After breakfast at the hotel, leave for Negombo via Kithulgalle (Travelling time approx. four-and-a-half-hours), the location for the academy award winning film Bridge over the River Kwai. Upon arrival in Negombo, check in at Jetwing Blue – Deluxe Room. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.
Monday 6th April
After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to Bandaranayake International Airport for your flight back to the UK.