Rock Fortress from Negombo

After pick up from hotel, first place to visit would be Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. This elephant Orphanage is setup especially for Abandoned or injured baby elephants. They are reared here and are trained to become working animals. Feeding and bathing in the river provide the best opportunities to see the animal’s close-up. You can have lunch while enjoying the Elephant bathing. Then proceed to Sigiriya Rock Fortress. 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. Overnight stay in a hotel in Sigiriya with dinner included.

Next day after breakfast, transfer back to Negombo hotel. En route visit Dambulla Cave Temple. The area is thought to be inhabited from as early as the 7th to 3rd century BC. Statues and paintings in these caves date back to the 1st century BC. But the paintings and statues were repaired and repainted in 11th, 12th, and 18th century AD. The caves in the city provided refuge to King Valagamba (also called Vattagamini Abhaya) in his 14 year long exile from the Anuradapura kingdom. Buddhist monks meditating in the caves of Dambulla at that time provided the exiled king protection from his enemies. When King Valagamba returned to the throne at Anuradapura kingdom in the 1st century BC, he had a magnificent rock temple built at Dambulla as a gratitude to the monks in Dambulla. Breakfast and lunch included.