(We will pick u from the hotel on the time of the day as we have confirmed)
Pinnawala
Pinnawela elephant orphanage has existed since 1975 and has grown to become one of the most popular attractions of Sri Lanka.
Before the arrival of the British in 1815 an estimated 30,000 elephants lived on the island. In the 1960s, the elephant population was close to extinction. This prompted the Sri Lankan government to found an orphanage for elephants that had lost their mothers or herds. Today, their number is around 3,000.
Pinnawala is regarded as the biggest herd of captive elephants in the world. Among the elephants is one that lost a foot when it stepped on a mine. Another is blind and is totally reliant on humans. The elephant herd in Pinnawela makes the journey to the river twice a day to bathe under the eyes of the tourists.
Kandy Temple
Kandy was the capital of a Sinhalese kingdom from 1592 to 1815,when it became one of the last sections of the island to be annexed by the British as part of colonial Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).
Dalada Maligava (the Temple of the Tooth), repository of a sacred Buddhist relic said to be a tooth of the Buddha
The most spectacular Buddhist festival of the year, the historic Kandy Esala Perahera of the Sri Dalada Maligawa
Kandyan Dance
It was originally performed by dancers who were identified as a separate caste under the Kandyan Fudel system. They were aligned to the Temple of the Tooth and had a significant role to play in the Dalada Perahera (procession) held each year by the temple.
The Kandyan Dance is traditionally performed to percussion only. The most common drum is the Geta Beraya, which is only used in Kandyan Dance. To assist the dancer to keep rhythm a small pair of cymbals knows as the Thalampota is also used. The Vannam's however have lyrics that are sung in tune with the movements of the dancer. These lyrics sing about the virtues of the animal that the Vanna is depicting.
Botanical Garden
Botanical garden in Peradeniya, near Kandy,Sri Lanka, noted for its rich and varied collections of tropical woody plants. Occupying 59 hectares (146 acres), it has about 4,000 species of plants. The most important specimens of the garden include palms, some of which are planted in impressive avenues. Significant, too, are the collections of orchids, gymnosperms, and flowering trees.
The gardens were founded in 1821 primarily to introduce coffee trees and various other tropical plants of economic importance to the region. Even after it took on a more botanical emphasis in the 1840s, the garden remained a centre for horticultural activities. Under the directorship of the botanist George H.K. Thwaites, the garden played a pivotal role in establishing the country’s flourishing tea industry in the late 1870s. Thwaites also brought in and cultivated the Brazilian rubber tree, which became a crop producer vital to Sri Lanka’s economy. The botanical collection has developed into one of the finest in the region.
Spice Garden
Visit a spice garden which grows spices and herbs used for Sri Lankan cuisine and medication. Spices of Sri Lanka attracted the early sea faring merchants who made the long voyages to purchase this precious merchandise.
