Sri Lanka & Maldives Honeymoon

Upon arrival at Colombo airport, you are warmly welcomed by our local representatives. You will no doubt be tired after the long flight and so we will transfer you to a beautiful boutique hotel at nearby Kotugoda village to relax and unwind.

This morning you will meet your driver/guide who will be looking after you throughout your Sri Lanka Honeymoon holiday. Transfer approximately 4, 1/2 hours to Sigiriya in the cultural triangle. Check into Jetwing Vil Uyana which will be your base for three nights while you explore the highlights of the cultural triangle.

This afternoon is at leisure in order to relax after the long drive.

Just before sunrise, take off on a thrilling hot air balloon flight. Rise through the early morning mist and float silently on the breeze over stunning landscapes. Your lofty vantage point will allow you to see villagers going about their morning, water buffaloes standing in paddy fields and if they are lucky, herds of elephants roaming.

After breakfast back at the resort, you will visit Dambulla Cave Temples. The complex consists of five sanctuaries that are the largest and best-preserved cave-temples in Sri Lanka and so are well worth the climb up the steps. You will be impressed by the Buddhist mural paintings that adorn the cave walls which house the 157 Buddha statues.

After breakfast, you will climb to the top of nearby Sigiriya Rock Fortress. The word Sigiriya means the Lion’s Rock. You will climb up 1200 steps before they reach the palace ruins on top of the imposing 200-metre-high granite rock. Many of the steps are steel staircases attached to the rock itself and so this climb is not for those who fear heights! Along the climb they will come across beautifully detailed and well-preserved frescoes. The lions’ paw is a good place to have a rest before the final ascent. Previously a lion statue with steps leading into the lion’s mouth, these days only the paws and steps remain. It will take a total of around 2-3 hours to climb up and back down.

As the Sigirya climb can be hot and tiring we recommend the afternoon at leisure so that you can enjoy your resort. Perhaps you could embark on a nature walk on the property or enjoy the pool. There is also an option to embark on an Elephant safari this afternoon at nearby Minneriya or Kaudulla National Parks (extra cost applies). These parks can be busy with jeeps but this is one of the very best places in the world to see large herds of elephants.

This morning drive 3 1/2 hours to Kandy and explore the Temple of the Tooth and Botanical Gardens.

The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is the most sacred Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka, if not the world and so is a must see in Kandy. The temple houses the tooth of Buddha nestled in a golden chamber located within the premises of the royal palace complex.

Later today you will explore the Botanical Gardens. Spread over 60 hectares, you will find a huge range of fascinating flora and fauna in this immaculately landscaped open space. Visit the Orchid House and the 40-metre-high Burmese bamboo, often inhabited by many mischievous monkeys. The gardens are also home to a great variety of bird life and fruit bats.

After breakfast, your driver/guide will drop you off at nearby Peradeniya train station, where you will enjoy the scenic train journey into the cooler tea growing region in either first class or the observation carriage. The 4, 1/2 hour journey up to Nanu Oya station is stunning and you will no doubt capture some stunning images along the way. Your driver/guide will meet you at Nanu Oya station and transfer you to Goatfell.

Goatfell’s tea estate is a great place to stroll the hedge-lined estate roads flanked by waist-high tea bushes. You can explore on your own or with one of Goatfell’s butler guides.

Sri Lanka’s tea industry is incredibly successful and so this morning you will visit the nearby Finlay’s tea factory in order to learn more about this important industry.

Later this afternoon you will explore the nearby Nuwara Eliya hill town with your driver/guide. Nuwara Eliya is also referred to as ‘Little England’ as it has a similarly cool climate. Nuwara Eliya is filled with colonial-era bungalows, Tudor style hotels and pretty parks and gardens and so is well worth exploring.

The next stop on your Sri Lanka and Maldives Honeymoon is Uda Walawe National Park, a scenic five hour drive. You will arrive in time to see the afternoon feeding at the Elephant Transit home. At the transit home, trained veterinary staff nurse baby elephants because they have been separated from their herds. Baby elephants are looked after until they are ready to be released back into the wild.

Around 700 elephants have been counted in Uda Walawe National Park and so we head out on a private safari drive to see these impressive creatures in their natural habitat. Keep an eye out for spotted deer, endemic toque macaque monkeys, sloth bears, grey langur monkeys, crocodiles, jackals, monitor lizards, and water buffalo. Bird life is also prolific. Species include bee-eaters, peacock, white-bellied sea eagle, crested serpent-eagle, grey-headed fish eagle and booted eagle.

Today your will wake before sunrise and enjoy an early morning safari drive in Uda Walawe National Park. After a late breakfast, transfer approximately 3 1/2 hours into historic Galle. You will explore this charming UNESCO protected fort with your driver/guide. During this walking tour you will begin by exploring the imposing ramparts. Later, stroll past a myriad of churches, mosques, Dutch colonial buildings, museums, British era post boxes, stylish shops and cafes.

Because Galle is such a fascinating town to explore on foot, we suggest a day at leisure in order to explore the quirky shops, stylish cafes, museums and architecture. There are beautiful swimming beaches such as Unawatuna or Wijaya nearby and so you may wish to pay them a visit too. Your driver/guide is available to provide transport.

Early morning transfer 2, 1/2 hours to the airport where you say farewell to your driver/guide. Take the early afternoon flight which takes only 1, 1/2 hours to reach Male, the capital of the Maldives.

Sea plane transfer to the resort. Once checked-in, the remainder of the day is free at leisure to settle into your new surroundings.

There are so many stunning Maldives resorts, all are blessed with white powdery sands, turquoise seas and so choosing the right resort is not an easy task! Your Luxury Holiday has chosen Constance Moofushi because of the stylish water villas, outstanding food and service, as well as one of the best dive centres in the Maldives. You will spend the last days of your Sri Lanka and Maldives honeymoon relaxing in hammocks, rejuvenating in the spa, diving, snorkelling and island hopping.

Free time to enjoy Constance Moofushi.

Sea plane transfer back to Male where you will catching your international flight home.