SPECIALLY PREPARED ITINERARY FOR MR. & MRS. GAMINI & LISA RATNAVIRA & FAMILY X 5 JULY 21st TO AUGUST 2nd 2007 21/07/07 Arrival and transfer to Negombo. In the PM sight seeing of the Negombo town and surroundings. Overnight Seashells Hotel Negombo. (Arranged directly by Aloy) 22/07/07 After breakfast proceed to Habarana visiting Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage, the home to almost 70 Elephants of different ages. You will have opportunity to watch this herd as they bathe and play in the river nearby and also the bottle feeding of young elephants. These Elephants are ones that have been found in jungles lost and separated from their herds or with injuries. This is a wonderful experience Overnight at The Chaaya Village, Habarana 23/07/07 After an early breakfast visit Sigiriya Rock Fortress. Sigiriya - This UNESCO World Heritage site, a spectacular Rock Fortress, is one of Sri Lanka’s major attractions. The most impressive facets of the unique complex are the Water Gardens, the Frescoes of beautiful maidens, the Mirror Wall with ancient graffiti, the Lion platform and the Summit of 1.6 hectares, which was completely covered by buildings during the period of Sigiriya’s glory. Afternoon proceed to Polonnaruwa. Polonnaruwa - rose to fame as the capital after the decline of Anuradhapura. Its period of greatness was from the 10th - 12th centuries AD. The entire landscape of the region is punctuated by huge man-made reservoirs, veritable inland seas the most famous of which is the Parakrama Samudra or the Sea of Parakrama, larger in size than the Colombo harbor. The monuments of this medieval city are relatively well preserved and give clear evidence of the glory of Sri Lanka's past. See the Royal Palace complex, the Quadrangle with its concentration of ancient heritage and the spectacular Gal Vihare complex of four massive images of the Buddha, cut from a single slab of granite – a highlight of ancient Sri Lankan rock carving. Overnight at The Chaaya Village, Habarana 24/07/07 Leave for Kandy visiting The cave temples of Dambulla and the spice gardens in Mathale en-route. Dambulla - Dating back to the 01st century BC, this complex of 05 caves was used as refuge by an ancient king who on regaining his throne, commissioned magnificent carved images within the living rock. Later kings made further improvements and most of the paintings are from the early 19th century. Late afternoon witness a Sri Lankan cultural show & visit The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic early evening. Overnight at The Chaaya Citadel, Kandy 25/07/07 More sight seeing of Kandy including visits to the bazaar area, Arts and Craft workshops and a Batik manufacturer to see skilled villagers at this time consuming cottage industry. Also visit The Royal Botanical gardens at Peradeniya, just outside Kandy is famed for its rare collection of Orchids and herb gardens. Afternoon at leisure or shopping. Overnight at The Chaaya Citadel, Kandy 26/07/07 Proceed to Nuwara Eliya. Afternoon visit Hakgala Botanical gardens & sight seeing of Nuwara Eliya. Overnight St. Andrew's Hotel, Nuwara Eliya. (Arranged directly by Aloy) 27/07/07 Drive down to Yala for your leopard experience. In the afternoon take a walk in Debarawewa wetlands, known for the many varieties of birds. Overnight at Yala Village 28/07/07 Full day jeep safari to the Yala National Park with packed breakfast and lunch. Overnight at Yala Village 29/07/07 Leave to Uadawalawe & do a Jeep safari of the Udawalawe National park. Udawalawe National Park is an area of 31,800 hectares, which was declared a protected sanctuary with full national park status in 1972. The park area which falls within two provinces of Sri Lanka has a annual rainfall of 1,520 mm and an average temperature of 29.4 C. Surrounded by mountain ranges, the terrain of the park is a mixture of grassland, which of all Sri Lanka’s wildlife reserves, best rivals the Savanna of Africa and shrub jungle. Teak plantations, water holes and two important factors make this park special - the large Udawalawe Reservoir and the Walawe River, which ensure a supply of water for the fauna within. Internationally renowned for its large herds of elephants, the park is also known for several species of Deer, Wild Boar, the dangerous Wild Buffalo, Jackal and very rare sightings of Leopard. Proceed to Ratnapura Overnight at Nilani Hotel, Rathnapura 30/07/07 After an early breakfast visit the peak wilderness of Gileemale. Late morning or afternoon leave for Colombo. Overnight at Jaic Hilton, Colombo 31/07/07 At leisure or free for shopping Overnight at Jaic Hilton, Colombo 01/08/07 After breakfast visit the Preethipura Children’s home in Hendala. Afternoon at leisure Overnight at Jaic Hilton, Colombo 02/08/07 Departure transfer.