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Lanka & Kerala Combo – 16 nights |
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 About
this holiday:
Our Sri Lanka & Kerala Combo is a special holiday that
allows travellers to enjoy the best that Sri Lanka can offer
– ancient cities, tea-growing hills, and the turquoise
blue waters of Sri Lanka’s west coast beach of Bentota
- as well as a hop across to Kerala to experience the sights
and sounds of Kochi, Alappuzha, and Kumarakom. Nights on a
houseboat, a Colonial bungalow, luxurious tropical villas,
and boutique hotels – some of our favourites, carefully
selected for you to enjoy.
Holiday highlights
• Exploring Sri Lanka’s ancient cities
• Kandy’s lakeside temple
• Sri Lanka’s tea-growing hills
• Beautiful west coast beaches of Sri Lanka.
• Two-day water journey on a
houseboat
in Kerala.
• Kochi’s ancient Fort.
• Vibrant Kathakali dance of Inida.
• Stays in colonial bungalows and
boutique hotels.
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Day 1:
Upon arriving in Sri Lanka, no doubt bleary-eyed, you
will be met by a Red Dot Tours representative and transferred
to Ranweli Lodge. A 15 minute drive and a short ferry ride across
a scenic river glides you to an eco-hotel situated in a peninsula
surrounded by two rivers, a lagoon and the Indian Ocean.
Accommodation profile: Ranweli
is situated in a coastal wetland estuary, amid mangroves, about
10 miles north of the beach resort of Negombo. This isolated
wooden environment is reached by a short paddle-ferry trip,
which glides you to a peninsular surrounded by two rivers, a
lagoon and the Indian Ocean. Its ecological commitment has been
officially recognized by the World Tourist Organization. Its
72 chalet-style bungalows and 12 family rooms blend sensitively
with the natural environment.
Day 2, 3 & 4:
Sri Lanka's famous cultural triangle offers plenty
to fire both mind and body over the next three days. The ruined
capital of Polonnaruwa, the lion rock of Mount Sigiriya and
Dambulla’s Buddhist Cave Temples are all UNESCO world
heritage sites and are included in your package. En route, you
also have the option of visiting Yapahuwa, an ancient temple
and place built on a rock described by the Insight Guide to
Sri Lanka as "one of the great architectural wonders of
the island”, and Aukana, where the Buddha stands 42 feet
high, the best-preserved statue in Sri Lanka.
Accommodation profile:Not all development
spoils a landscape. The Deer Park is a true luxury eco resort,
subtly enhancing the beauty of its surroundings. It has a tranquil,
natural feel, with the sound of birdsong and rushing waterfalls.
Since being taken over by Angsana Resorts & Spa - one of
Asia's leading boutique and contemporary hotel chains - the
entire property has undergone a major refurbishment with considerable
care taken over interior design. The result is a chic, contemporary,
exotic and peaceful retreat - a perfect place to unwind and
relax away from the outside world.
Day 5 & 6:
The journey from the cultural triangle to Sri Lanka's
hill capital - the small lakeside city of Kandy - will occupy
most of the morning. In the afternoon, a city tour includes
such delights as the fabulous botanical gardens and the Temple
of the Tooth, which is said to hold a holy relic of the Lord
Buddha. We have recommended spending two nights at The Kandy
House.
Accommodation profile:The Kandy
House is what the hill-country-capital has been waiting for
so long: a brilliant small boutique hotel capable of offering
stylish and private accommodation, personal service, delicious
food, all in a stunningly beautiful natural setting. The inspired
refurbishment of the ‘walauwa’ – with its
light white interiors, polished hardwood floorboards, jack wood
staircase, Dutch-style antique furniture and careful injections
of colour – has been a triumph. The bedrooms are the finest
in Kandy, with four-poster beds, soft white linen, concrete-washed
bathrooms and Victorian bathtubs. The freshwater infinity pool
in the garden provides an irresistible opportunity to unwind
and relax under the shade of tropical trees.
Day 7 & 8:
Today you head for Nuwara Eliya, a former British hill station
that has retained its popularity as a hill-country retreat.
The 80km drive from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya winds deeper into
the hill country, through a succession of tea estates. Check
into the Castlereagh Bungalow at Tea Trails. The next morning
you have the option of rising early, armed with a picnic breakfast,
and being driven to Horton's Plains for a trek amid the wild
scenery of this mountain plateau. Visit the famous viewpoint
at World's End and watch out for Sambur deer, and a profusion
of endemic bird life.
Accommodation profile:Nestled among the
hills of the Dickoya region in central Sri Lanka, at over 5000
feet above sea level, is Castlereagh Bungalow. The luxurious
bungalow was originally built for British tea estate managers
in the days of the Raj. It is a perfect indulgent getaway from
the demands of everyday living and an ideal destination for
a long weekend retreat. Nestled in a wooded dell close to the
water, this century-old bungalow offers unrivalled water views
and superb garden suites.
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Elegant parquet floors with
open fireplaces in the dining and drawing rooms evoke recollections
of a bygone colonial era.
Day 9 & 10:
After breakfast, transfer to the west coast to the Bentota beach,
one of the best beaches in the island about two hours drive
from the international airport. Spend two days of sheer indulgent
relaxation at Taj Exotica before your flight to Kerala. You
may also like to visit the Bawa Brief Gardens, an enchanting
garden in an undulating landscape of paddies and scattered villages
on a hillside designed by Bevis Bawa, the brother of Geoffery
Bawa, Sri Lanka’s most revered architect.
Accommodation profile: The
luxurious Taj Exotica is situated on its own rock headland,
with glorious views over the Indian Ocean. The Taj group aimed
to transfer its reputation for five-star luxury from the city
to the coast when the Exotica took shape at the northern end
of the beach, around the turn of the century. It strives to
justify its five-star status everywhere: in its private, manicured
gardens, its plush interior décor - wooden pillars, high
ceilings and expensive furnishings - and the Taj group's reputation
for high levels of service.
Day 11 & 12:
Leave early in the morning to the airport to catch your flight
to Kerala and arrive mid-morning in Kochi, an ancient trading
port since at least Roman times. The journey from the airport
will take approximately one hour before you check-in to Malabar
House in the fort. After resting at the hotel, dipping into
the cool courtyard swimming pool and enjoying you first taste
of Kerala’s distinctive, spicy cuisine, we recommend exploring
the Fort with a guided tour: the highlights of which include
Mattancherry Palace, a gift to the Raja of Kochi back in 1557,
St. Francis Church, first built in 1510 and the resting place
of Vasco de Gama, and a magnificent synagogue dating back to
1568. During the evening you can watch a Kathakali dance performance
– a noisy, colourful and spellbinding 400-year dance-drama.
Accommodation profile:The Malabar
House is a fascinating and sophisticated boutique hotel that
has become, quite understandably, one of the most sought-after
properties in Fort Cochin. Formerly a Dutch colonial mansion
which has been lovingly restored, there are 17 individually
designed suites that mix contemporary design with vibrant colours
and local antique furnishings. The atmosphere is serene and
peaceful. The staff is friendly, cheerful, attentive and discreet.
The fusion food is acclaimed.
Day 13 & 14:
After breakfast depart for Alappuzha, a town surrounded by a
large network of canals and is most famous for its annual ‘snake
boat’ races in August. The drive from Kochi will take
about 90 minutes and you will board your traditional Kettuvallum
houseboat (reconverted rice barges) at noon for one of the highlights
of your holiday – a two-day water journey through Kuttanad
country, a land of shimmering waterways, dense tropical greenery
and age-old village livelihoods so vividly described in Arundhati
Roy’s remarkable novel The God of Small Things. Your comfortable
houseboat, fully staffed with a friendly and attentive crew,
will chug slowly through the tributaries, lakes and creeks allowing
you to relax and unwind. Hours slip by easily as you gaze ashore,
soaking up a myriad of views as you pass homes, farms, paddy
fields, fisher folk in traditional dugouts, children playing
and bathing buffaloes. See fish eagles circling for prey and
wise Comorants perched on the riverbank.
Day 15 & 16: After breakfast you will have
another two hours to cruise as you head for Kumarakom, an island
on the large Lake Vembanad that is blessed with an idyllic location.
The area has attracted several exotic hotels offering backwater
and Ayurveda holidays. There is also a wonderful bird sanctuary.
We head straight for Coconut Lagoon, one of Red Dot’s
favourite properties in Kerala for a relaxing two-night stay.
Accommodation profile: Coconut Lagoon is
an architectural triumph, a boutique hotel that has been cleverly
crafted from the fragments of ancient village homes and palaces.
The result is the ultimate backwater resort, a property where
fine traditional craftsmanship and the stunningly beautiful
natural surroundings make it utterly impossible not to relax,
unwind and dream. The Keralan cuisine is delicious and the staff
is friendly and attentive. Like the other Casino Hotels, there
is a special emphasis on caring for the environment. In fact,
they are so serious about the natural environment that there
is a fulltime director in charge of there environmental policies,
which include comprehensive waste management schemes and a breeding
programme to protect the endangered Vechoor cows.
Day 17: Unfortunately, you have to leave. After
a late checkout, head to the airport for your 21.40 Colombo
flight.
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| Cost: TBC From
£999 (excluding international flights) |
Package price includes: •
14 night’s hotel accommodation on twin-sharing
BB basis (FB at Tea Trails)
• 2 night’s on CGH
Spice houseboat (non a/c) on FB basis
• Airconditioned car and
English-speaking driver for tour and transfers
• Entrance fees: Dambulla
Cave Temples, Sigiriya Rock, Polonnaruwa, Yapahuwa,
Aukana, Temple of the Tooth, St. Francis Church,
Mattancherry Palace,
Synagogue, Kathakali dance performance
• Jeep hire and entrance
for Horton Plains
Notes:
• Luxury room at Tea Trails
• Gallery rooms at Kandy
House
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