Sigiriya… a Royal Citadel for 20 years in the 5th Century AD – stark and forbidding, haunted by an epic story of murder and betrayal is attributed to King Kasyapa who found hiding here after killing his father more fruitful than meeting the wrath of the people who loved King Dhatusena much more before meeting his rival – Prince Mugalan who had fled to India seeking reinforcements of his Army. This unique Rock Fortress or “castle in the sky” – a massive monolith of red stone that rises 600ft above ground , derived the name “Lion Rock” as the entrance to the climb to the summit is reached between the paws of a lion .

Climb the Rock Fortress of Sigiriya, a Royal Citadel for 20 years in the 5th Century AD built by King Kasyapa, contemporary with the paintings of Ajantha and Ellora Caves in India, highlights being the Frescoes, Mirror Wall and the Lion’s Paw, considered as the 8th Wonder of the modern world, thought to be equivalent to the “Alakamanda” – Celestial Palace of God Kuvera

Negombo… One of the major tourist beach resorts of the island, this lively town is mainly inhabited by the fisher-folk. This is also one of the strongholds of the catholic community of Sri Lanka, located along the picturesque Negombo lagoon, along which hundreds of fishing boats and catamarans could be seen most of the time. Town is dotted with several churches, some dating from the earliest colonial times. Sightseeing at Negombo includes the remains of theOld Dutch Fortress from 1678, the Dutch canal constructed for the transportation of cinnamon, St. Mary’s church and the Old Dutch cemetery, and naturally, the Negombo fish market. Brief sight seeing in Negombo including the “Lellama” the Fishing Harbour from where the Fishing Trawlers take off, Retail Fish Market, a Fishing Village, Hindu Kovil etc…..

Dambulla… a collection of five caves of different sizes full of paintings , sculptures, statues of Lord Buddha, his desciples, Kings , Gods etc. considered to be the largest painted caves in the world with more than 22,000 sq ft of painted surfaces declared a World Heritge Site.Initial authorship is attributed to King Valagambahu who  took refuge here after being driven out of Anuradhapura by invading armies, although the works span over all periods since then to the late Kandy Period in the 18th Century.

Pinnawala… established in 1975 as an effort towards education and conservation by way of scientific captive breeding. The Elephant Orphanage located on the banks of the Maha Oya, established to give shelter to elephants who are displaced from their natural habitats due to various reasons such as environmental changes due to development projects, being abandoned by their parents when they fall into pits and ravines, etc. It is most interesting to visit Pinnawala at feeding time when the baby elephants are bottle fed their milk, or at bath time when the whole herd is walked down to the river for their baths.

Kandy………….literally the “City on the Hills” so named as it was protected by the nature – water, rocks and jungles. The last capital of the Sri Lankan kings before falling to the British in 1815AD which is a World Heritage Site. The name Kandy conjures vision of splendour of magnificence. Many of the legends, traditions and folklore are still lovingly kept alive. The centre of attraction is the golden roofed Temple of the Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha .The Kandy Lake built by the last King Sri Wickramarajasinghe in 1806 holds a prominent view of the City. It is a City for arts and crafts as well culture and history.

Leave for a City Tour including the Upper Lake Drive – a place where one could have a bird’s eye view of the city below, theTemple of the Sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha – by far the most important place of worship for Buddhists world over, a Gem Museum – to see how the valuable gems that you see on a shop shelf are turned out from a raw stone with the back ground history.

Colombo…. is a fascinating city, not only for its comfortable blend of East and West, but also for its casy mixture of the past and the present. It is the Commercial Capital of the country, and is only 35 km south of the country’s only International Airport. Many attractions, opportunities for shopping, availability of tasting a multitude of cuisine etc makes it an interesting city

Undertake a City Tour of Colombo including the A Buddhist Temple, Dutch Wolvendhal Church, a Hindu Temple, Town Hall, BMICH (Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall), Cinnamon Gardens – Prime Residential Area etc., and continue the tour with a little bit of shopping as well.

The Royal Botanical Gardens – one of the best of its kind in Asia with more than 5000 species of different varieties of flora which incidentally was the Headquarters of Lord Louise Mountbatten – the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces during the 2nd World War.

Galle …………… is a town situated on the south-western tip of Sri Lanka, 119 km from Colombo. Galle was known as Gimhathiththa before the arrival of the Portuguese in the 16th century, when it was the main port on the island. Galle reached the height of its development in the 18th century, before the arrival of the British, who developed the harbour at Colombo. The major river is Gin River (Gin Ganga) which starts from Gongala Kanda and passing villages such as Neluwa, Nagoda, Baddegama, Thelikada, Wakwella and kisses the sea at Ginthota. In Wakwella over the river there is Wakwella Bridge which is the longest bridge in Sri Lanka.

Visit the Galle Dutch Fortress – a World Heritage Site, a Mask Museum and Turtle Hatchery

Bentota……….Facing the Indian Ocean, a tropical lagoon and a major river Bentota offers water sports possibilities nowhere else to be found. Being one of the most established beach resorts in Sri Lanka, Bentota is known for its professional touristic infrastructure.

Apart from swimming, body-surfing or diving in the sea, you can jet-ski, windsurf, parasail or enjoy a romantic river safari on the river and lagoon.

Optional

Water Sports Activities at Confirm Marina Bentota