Perahera Kandy 2016 Package
Sri Lanka Island Tour Combo (6d/5n)

Airport - Pinawella - Dambulla - Sigiriya - Kandy - Bentota - Colombo - Airport

The Esala Perahera in Kandy is one of the oldest and grandest of all Buddhist festivals, featuring dancers, jugglers, musicians, fire-breathers, and lavishly decorated elephants This is held in the month of Esala (July or August) as to celebrate Buddha's conceive and many years later his leaving of the family home. The Kandy Esala Perahera lasting for ten days. The Sinhalese term 'perahera' means a parade of musicians, dancers, singers, acrobats and various other performers accompanied by a large number of caparisoned Tuskers and other elephants parading the streets in celebration of a religious event.

The meaning of this Kandy Esala Perahera Pageant Procession is to beseech blessings of the gods to obtain rain for the cultivation of crops etc. This ritual is performed by carrying the sacred tooth relic of the Buddha through the Kandy city streets which is done with great ceremony. This is the most beautiful pageant in South Asia.

This Perahera is to honor of the Sacred Tooth Relic and the four 'guardian' Gods Natha, Vishnu, Kataragama and Pattini.. Kandy Maligawa Perahera followed in order by those of the Natha, Vishnu, Kataragama and Pattini 'devales' (temples dedicated to these Gods) situated in the neighborhood of the Kandy Maligawa.

All our Sri Lanka Cultural Tours can be easily combined with each other, allowing you the flexibility to choose the perfect arrangement.
Additionally the tours can be to added to one of our Holiday or Hotel/Villa Packages.
Transportation is by limousine or mini van, air conditioned and fully insured to guarantee the maximum safety of the traveler. 
Our experienced Chauffeur / Guides are fully licensed and they leave no question unanswered.
If you have any questions and/or need to customization, please contact us or use the "Notes" field in the form below.

Day 1 : Arrival at Bandaranayke International Airport and welcomed by a representative of Sri Holidays. Transfer to a hotel in Sigiriya, En-route visiting the Elephant Orphanage in Pinnawela, which is a home to about 60 Elephants found abandoned or orphaned in the wild. Also, accompany the Elephants to a river close by to see them having their daily baths.Arrive Sigiriya, In the afternoon You will climb the UNESCO World Heritage site Sigiriya Rock, your last stop in Sri Lanka’s ‘Cultural Triangle’ where you will have a chance to gaze over the stunning views of Central Sri Lanka. Sigiriya (sometimes called Lion’s Rock) is the ruins of an ancient palace in a 200m high rock fortress, overlooking the beautiful plains of North-Central Sri Lanka. Built for an exiled Indian prince, the breathtaking ruins are one of Sri Lanka’s main tourist attractions and date back to AD 477. Despite its age, Sigiriya still retains much of its former beauty and features some of the finest examples of ancient art in the form of wall paintings, as well as a network of attractive gardens and reservoirs, and Sigiriya’s namesake – a gigantic pair of lion’s paws cut into the rock. With its fascinating history and unerring beauty, Sigiriya is often referred to as the 8th wonder of the world and the UNESCO-sponsored Central Cultural Fund has even restored Sigiriya’s 5th century Water Gardens, so that you can get a glimpse of what Sigiriya mighthave been like thousands of years ago. If you are feeling tired after the climb, you may spend you evening relaxing at your hotel.
Dinner & Overnight stay at hotel in Sigiriya. KASSAPA LIONS ROCK 3***
Day 2 : After breakfast you will leave for visit Ritigala. Ritigala is an ancient Buddhist monastery
and mountain in Sri Lanka. The ruins and rock inscriptions of the monastery date back to 1st century BCE. It is located 43 km away from the ancient monasticcity of Anuradhapura. At 766 m above sea level, and 600 m above the surrounding plains, Ritigala is the highest mountain in northern Sri Lanka. The modern name Ritigala is derived from the ancient name Ariṭṭha Pabbata (Dreadful Mountain), mentioned in the Mahavamsa. The climate at the summit is in sharp contrast to the climate at the foot; it is cooler in comparison to hot and dry climate of the region. Its rainfall records the highest in the whole of dry zone surrounding it by a good margin during the northeast monsoon of dry zone of the tropical island of Sri Lanka. Afternoon you will visit Minneriya National Park. Minneriya National Park is a national park in North Central Province of SriLanka. The area was designated as a national park on 12 August 1997, havingbeen originally declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1938. The reason for declaring the area as protected is to protect the catchment of Minneriya tank and the wildlife of the surrounding area. The tank is of historical importance, having been built by King Mahasen in third century AD. The park is a dry season feeding ground for the elephant population dwelling in forests of Matale, Polonnaruwa, and Trincomalee districts. Along with Kaudulla and Girithale, Minneriya forms one of the 70 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) of Sri Lanka. Thepark is situated 182 kilometers (113 mi) from Colombo. The area is situated in dry zone of Sri Lanka and receives an average rainfall of 1,500–2,000millimeters (59–79 in). Evening you will return to hotel in Sigiriya.
Dinner and overnight stay at hotel in Sigiriya. KASSAPA LIONS ROCK 3***

Day 3 : After breakfast you will leave for Kandy. En-route you will visit Dambulla cave temple. Dambulla cave temple also known as the Golden Temple of Dambulla is a World Heritage Site. It is the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. The rock towers 160 m over the surrounding plains. There are more than 80 documented caves in the surrounding area. Major attractions are spread over 5 caves, which contain statues and paintings. These paintings and statues are related to Lord Buddha and his life. There total of 153 Buddha statues, 3 statues of Sri Lankan kings and 4 statues of gods and goddesses. The latterinclude two statues of Hindu gods, the god Vishnu and the god Ganesh. The murals cover an area of 2,100 square meters. Depictions on the walls of thecaves include the temptation by the demon Mara, and Buddha's first sermon. Prehistoric Sri Lankans would have lived in these cave complexes before thearrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka as there are burial sites with human skeletons about 2700 years old in this area, at Ibbankatuwa near the Dambulla cave complexes. Arrive Kandy and proceed to visit TEMPLE OF THE SACRED TOOTH RELIC. It was built within the royal palace complex which houses the only surviving relic of Buddha, a tooth, which is venerated by Buddhists. The relic has played an important role in the localpolitics since ancient times and it's believed that whoever holds the relicholds the governance of the country, which caused the ancient kings to protect it with great effort. Kandy was the capital of the Sinhalese Kings from 1592 to 1815, fortified by the terrain of the mountains and the difficult approach. The city is a world heritage site declared by UNESCO, in part due to the temple. Monks of the two chapters of Malwatte and Asgiriya conduct daily ritual worship in the inner chamber of the temple, in annual rotation. They conduct these services three times a day: at dawn, at noon and in the evening. In the evening you will visit Kandy Esela Perahara. Esala Perahera (the procession of Esala) is the grand festival with elegant costumes held in July and August in Kandy, Sri Lanka. This historical procession (perahera) is held annually to pay homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha, which is housed at the Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy. A unique symbol of Sri Lanka, the procession consists of many traditional local dances such as fire-dances, whip-dances, Kandyan dances and various other cultural dances, in addition to the elephants who are usually adorned with lavish garments. The festival ends with the traditional diya-kepeema ritual, a water cutting ceremony which is held at the MahaweliRiver at Getambe, Kandy.
Overnight stay at the hotel in Kandy. SWISS RESIDENCE 3***
Day 4
After breakfast you will leave for Bentota via Kithulgala, If you are feeling more adventurous, you have the option of go white water rafting in Kitulgala . Spend an adrenalin-filled morning racing along the Kelani River on its grade 3 rapids to take in the beautiful surroundings of the hill-country at high-speed! After this you will move on to Bentota. Late afternoon relax at the beach or doing water sports .
Dinner and overnight stay at a hotel in Bentota. TAPROSPA FOOTPRINT 3***
Day 5
After breakfast you will leave for visit Galle & Hikkaduwa. Morning you will visit Galle, a bustling provincial capital and administrative centre for the South. Once a port, Galle was Sri Lanka’s first international commerce and trade centre, and these days the streets are still awash with a cosmopolitan range of goods available to buy in exotic markets and quirky art galleries. The Dutch presence is still visible in Galle, and should you want to retrace the footsteps of the Dutch rule, let our guide give you the tour of the Old Dutch fort (a UNESCO World Heritage site), the Dutch Government House, the New Oriental Hotel (built in 1684), the old bell tower, and the Dutch tide-based sewage system. If you fancy a break from the hustle and bustle of city life, however, you can make your way down to Galle’s beautiful Unawatuna Bay, one of Sri Lanka’s finest beaches, where the crystal-clear sea laps the white sand, and wilting palm trees frame the picturesque coastline. After you will leave for visit Hikkaduwa, a small beach-side town with an excellent stretch of sand and a biodiversity underwater world. Here you will take to the seas on a glass-bottomed boat to see the best of the marine life here from the comfort of your seat. After this it is time to get up-close and personal with some of Sri Lanka’s most adorable sea creatures at a turtle farm, after you will move into Bentota,
Overnight stay at hotel in Bentota. TAPROSPA FOOTPRINT 3***
Day 6
After breakfast you will leave for Airport. En-route you will visit Colombo city. Observing the old Parliament, the residential areas and the BMICH (Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall) and visit Fort. Late evening you will leave for airport.

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