12-Day Cultural Sri Lanka Trip: Enjoy The Best Of Sri Lankan Traditional Food

Day 01
– Arrival at Colombo International Airport and meet with our representative at the arrival lounge
– Proceed to Nattandiya, quant countryside town which is popular for coconut estates – 1-hour drive approximately
– Dinner and overnight stay at a Horathapola Coconut estate bungalow or Similar

Day 02
– Breakfast at the Hotel
– A walk around the coconut estate will let you acquire knowledge and firsthand experience of how an organic coconut estate works. You can witness coconut plucking and husking in addition to learning how coconut oil is produced in the nearby coconut processing mill. You can also take a look at how raw cashew nuts are peeled by the village women, a skill to be admired. In the afternoon you could either relax on the estate or take a leisurely-guided stroll to the nearby village where you could interact with the friendly locals.
– Dinner and overnight stay at a Horathapola Coconut estate bungalow or Similar

Day 03
– Breakfast at the Hotel
– Proceed to Habarana – 4 hours drive approximately
– Climb Sigiriya Rock Fortress
– Overnight stay at Cinnamon Lodge or Similar in Habarana

Day 04
– Breakfast at the hotel
– Indulge in an interesting rural village walk in Sigiriya to experience the traditions and lifestyles of the villagers, the vendors and the inland fisher folk. Visit the rice fields, vegetable plots and take a look at the intriguing tree top watch huts used for watching over the crops from wild elephant attacks. You can also visit Chena cultivation, regarded as the oldest form of cultivation in Sri Lanka.
– Afternoon safari in Minneriya National Park to see wild Elephants.
– Overnight stay at Cinnamon Lodge or Similar in Habarana

Day 05
– Breakfast at the hotel
– Visit Dambulla Cave Temple
– Proceed to Kandy – Approximately 3 hours drive
– Learn how to make Hoppers prepared from rice flour and coconut milk, a unique Sri Lankan delicacy. Enjoy fresh crispy hoppers plain or with an egg broken on it, accompanied by a spicy onion symbol called ‘lunch miris’
– Overnight stay in a homestay Tree House with a local family or Similar

Day 06
– Breakfast at the Hotel
– Take an early morning guided village walk to observe the spice trees, mostly Pepper, Cloves, Nutmeg and Cinnamon in the home gardens, and if you are lucky enough you can also watch it being harvested and processed During this trip you will visit a centuries old ancestral mansion and the village temple too This trail will enable you to have an indepth understanding of the spice trail in addition to the everyday lifestyles in an upcountry village.
– Return to the homestay for a hearty breakfast of ‘Kiribath’ or milk rice.
– Join the host in her indigenous kitchen to watch the local spices, which were observed in the morning trail being powdered and processed for cooking. Thereafter participate in preparing a traditional meal of Jak fruit and dried fish.
– Overnight stay in a homestay Tree House with a local family or Similar

Day 07
– Breakfast at the home stay
– Pay a visit to the traditional market to purchase vegies, meats, spices, herbs and fruits to be taken to the home stay, where you will witness the preparation of an authentic Sri Lankan meal cooked on a wood fire hearth. This would be an ideal opportunity to learn more about Sri Lankan cooking, its nutrients and health benefits and of course take back some handy hints and awesome recipes.
– After a wholesome lunch, spend some relaxing time
– In the afternoon you can observe the making of traditional sweetmeats using rice flour, treacle and coconut milk.In the evening pay a visit to a traditional clay oven bakery to see how bread is baked using a firewood hearth.
– Enjoy bread and curry dinner at the homestay
– Overnight stay in a homestay Tree House with a local family or Similar

Day 08
– Breakfast at the Hotel
– Get on board the train to Ella at 8.30 am and enjoy a scenic train journey, known as one of the most beautiful stretches of rail road in the world, on your way to beautiful Ella Our chauffeur will receive you in Ella by 4 Pm and transfer you to the hotel for overnight stay
– Overnight stay at 98 Acre Resort in Ella or Similar

Day 09
– Breakfast at the hotel
– Full day relax at the hotel
– Overnight stay at 98 Acre Resort in Ella or Similar

Day 10
– Breakfast at the Hotel
– Take a tuk-tuk ride to a tea plantation where you can observe and also participate in the picking of tea leaves and thereafter watch the intricate process of tea production, the making of Pure Ceylon Tea known as the finest in the world
– Proceed to Negombo – 5 to 6 hours drive approximately
– Overnight stay in Negombo at Paradise Beach Hotel or Similar

Day 11
– Breakfast at the hotel
– After breakfast, it will be time to participate in cooking an authentic seafood meal with a fisher family from Negombo. It will take place possibly by the beach or on the Negombo lagoon. The trip starts with an early morning boat ride along the Hamilton canal through the fish market and fishing village where we will buy freshly caught fish from the fishermen themselves. Cooking a mouthwatering seafood dish with a fisher couple would follow this.
– Afternoon relax by the beach
– Overnight stay in Negombo at Paradise Beach Hotel or Similar.

Day 12
– Breakfast at the hotel
– Relax by the beach
– Transfer to Colombo International Airport for departure – 20 minutes drive approximately