Sri Lanka North Tour

Sri Lanka North Tour

Rock temples, hot springs, wild national park reserves and beaches are among some of the things the North of Sri Lanka has to offer. A 8-day adventure tour will provide ample opportunity to explore this wild, colorful, and unique region that has profound Indian influences, following the 30-year civil war between LTTE Terrorists and the Sri Lankan Army that ended in 2009. The North of Sri Lanka is a new area after the war, and accommodation is quite basic. Reconstruction of the war-torn region now harbors monumental war remains and exquisitely colorful, sometimes untouched, picturesque landscapes that supply some of the freshest produce of chillies, onions, bananas and mangoes. However, it is important to understand that it is a developing region so don’t expect five-star service. Do expect memories that will last a lifetime.

Itinerary

Day 1: Anuradhapura

Stop At: Anuradhapura, Anuradhapura, North Central Province
The ruins of Anuradhapura are one of South Asia’s most evocative sights. The sprawling complex contains a rich collection of archaeological and architectural wonders: enormous dagobas (brick stupas),
Duration: 6 hours

No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.

Day 2: Mannar

Stop At: Wilpattu National Park, Sri Lanka
Wilpattu national park in Sri Lanka has the most leopard density when compared to other national parks, also the national park is among the top national parks in the world for its ? leopard population, Wilpattu harbor extremely high biodiversity, including 31 species of mammals, sloth bear (Melursus Ursinus inornatus), water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), elephant (Elephas Maximus Maximus), Sambhur (Rusa unicolor unicolor), Spotted deer (Axis axis ceylonensis), Mongoose, and shrew are most known.
Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Mannar Fort, Mannar Town, Mannar 41000 Sri Lanka
An imposing Portuguese-Dutch construction, this fortress is situated right by the causeway to the island and is ringed by a moat. It's a bit shambolic, but the walls are atmospheric and contain the roofless remains of a chapel, dungeon and Dutch bell tower. Climb the ramparts for an impressive perspective of the town and the Gulf of Mannar. Don't miss the carved details on the entrance to the central courtyard (where you can park).
Duration: 1 hour

No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.

Day 3: Mannar

Stop At: Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu, Madhu, Mannar district, Northern province, Sri Lanka, Mannar 41000 Sri Lanka
Visit Holy Catholic Church of Sri Lanka Shrine of our Lady of Madhu has a very ancient history ,and is visited by people of all faiths, it is surrounded by the Madhu wild life sanctuary and a very calm and quite location you will always find some people here ,during the Madhu church feast it is fully crowded with people.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Baobab Tree, Mannar 41000 Sri Lanka
This is the oldest Baobab tree in Sri Lanka believed to around 740 years old, which are origin to Africa , Madagascar and Australia. This is one of the major tourist attractions in the area today and also known as the bottle tree since trunk of this tree can hold up to 12,000 litres of water.
Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Adam’s Bridge, Mannar 41000 Sri Lanka
An important landmark with its mythological importance, Adam’s Bridge is popular by the names, Rama’s Bridge and Rama Setu. A symbolically significant bridge between Sri Lankas Mannar Island and neighboring Indias Pamban Island or the famous Rameswaram Island is located far off from southern state of Tamil Nadu mainland. It is a limestone shoals chain.
Duration: 30 minutes

No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.

Day 4: Jaffna

Stop At: Jaffna Fort, Jaffna Sri Lanka
The fort built by the Portuguese in 1619 then rebuilt by the Dutch in the second half of the 18th Century is the second largest fort that remains intact in the Island. Fort resembles a regular pentagon with bastions on each point beyond this is a star shaped moat fed by the lagoon. The church erected in 1706 by the Dutch in this purely military & administrative duty fort is no longer standing due to the damage sustained by the fort by artillery fire by the Tamil Terrorist group LTTE.
Duration: 1 hour

No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.

Day 5: Jaffna

Stop At: Nallur Kovil, Jaffna Sri Lanka
Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil is the largest temple complex of Sri Lanka's Tamil community. It deserves to be called Jaffna's spiritual centre of Hinduism. Nallur is a suburb of Jaffna city and also one of the town's two divisional secretariats. Although Nallur division encompasses the entire northern half of the municipality of Jaffna, Nallur in a narrrow sense is only one of these boroughs, situated 2.5 km northeast to the centre of Jaffna city. Historically, today's Nallur was the capital of the late medieval and early modern Tamil principality known as 'Jaffna Kingdom'.
Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Kantharodai Viharaya, Jaffna Sri Lanka
Kandarodai, famous for its group of “mini stupas”, is by far the most important excavation site on Jaffna Peninsula. It’s located 9 km north of Jaffna city, as the crow flies, and 2 km west of Chunnakam. Chunnakam is in the centre of the peninsula’s most populated division in its western part, the historical region called Valikanam, of which Jaffna situated at the coast is now the most important city. Besides Anuradhapura, Kandarrodai was one of Sri Lanka's most important settlement areas in prehistorical times. In the early historical period, the peninsula's most ancient Buddhist dagabas were constructed here, in surprisingly large numbers. The historical explanation of this picturesque complex steepedis still highly controversial. Or to put it positively: Kandarodai remains to be a mystery. For heritage tours to Jaffna, it is a must-see.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Point Pedro, Point Pedro, Northern Province
Workaday Point Pedro is the Jaffna peninsula’s second town. It has a few faint hints of a lingering colonial style and was hit hard by the 2004 tsunami: locals say fishing boats were found 1km inland. A busy commercial centre today, the town has some interesting places nearby and is connected to Valvettiturai (VVT) by a beautiful coastal drive.
Duration: 30 minutes

No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.

Day 6: Trincomalee

Pass By: Trincomalee, Trincomalee, Eastern Province
The best known town on the east coast of Sri Lanka is Trincomalee. Sunny weather throughout the year; mile after mile of broad, white, sandy beaches, sheltered bays and a warm and calm sea are the features that draw sun and sea-lovers to Sri Lanka’s eastern seaboard’s main city. From time immemorial, Trincomalee’s main attraction, however, is a large, safe and one of the best natural harbours of the world.


Stop At: Koneswaram Temple, Trincomalee Sri Lanka
Thirukoneswaram, or the Holy Koneswaram Temple, is a Hindu temple in Thirukonamalai (Trincomalee) on the east coast of Sri Lanka. The temple lies on a high rocky promontory surrounded on three sides by the sea. It bears a history of over three millennia with its records indicating its roots in 1580 BC. This, still beautiful, historical monument is what remains of what once was a sprawling temple city equal to the ancient city of Madurai, India.
Duration: 45 minutes

No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.

Day 7: Trincomalee

Stop At: Nilaveli Beach, Sri Lanka
For years Nilaveli has been considered one of Sri Lanka’s best beaches. It certainly has that feeling of paradise-island remoteness, with plenty of bending palms swaying over the golden sand. It's about 4km long, with modest resorts dotted along the shore. Looking east, you can see Pigeon Island beckoning you to snorkel.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Pigeon Island National Park, Public Beach Road, Nilaveli 31010 Sri Lanka
Floating in the great blue 1km offshore, Pigeon Island, with its powdery white sands and glittering coral gardens, tantalises with possibilities. A nesting area for rock pigeons, the island is beautiful enough, with rock pools and paths running through thickets, but it’s the underwater landscape that’s the real star. The reef here is shallow, making snorkelling almost as satisfying as diving, and it’s home to dozens of corals, hundreds of reef fish (including blacktip reef sharks) and turtles.
Duration: 2 hours

No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.

Day 8: Trincomalee to Airport

Stop At: Sigiriya The Ancient Rock Fortress, Sigiriya 21120 Sri Lanka
Lion Rock in Sigiriya is one of the most popular landmarks to visit during a route through Sri Lanka. The natural phenomenon is an enormous (200m) square shaped rock that looks like it’s placed there. Lion Rock is one of the eight UNESCO World Heritage sights and is a must visit in Sri Lanka.

Duration: 2 hours

No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.