Horse Riding In Srilanka

Arrive at the beautiful tropical island of Sri Lanka. You will be met at the airport by your personal chauffer guide and transferred to Kalpitiya.
 

Kalpitiya has particular significance as it could be called the birth place of the nation. According to legend and as recorded in the Mahavansa or Great Chronicle, Prince Vijaya the founder of the Singhalese race landed on the shores of Kalpitiya. It is a stretch of land with the blue Indian Ocean and its golden beaches on one side and a large lagoon with several unspoilt islands on the other. Excellent for surfing, wind surfing, whale and dolphin watching or simply relaxing in the sun.
 

This afternoon, after a sumptuous lunch at the hotel, you will meet your equine friends and embark on your first horse riding excursion over the sands of Kalpitiya. Tonight you will be accommodated at the Ruwala Eco Resort, a private yet pleasant hotel located along the lagoon.
 

Overnight at Kalpitiya.
 

Accommodation: Ruwala Eco Resort

Meals included: Breakfast

After breakfast, you will join the horses and gallop along the beach on your way to Dutch Bay. With the Indian Ocean to your left and the bay to your right, gallop on this stretch of land to arrive at the tip of Kalpitiya. 
 

Lunch and then relax at the Ruwala Eco Lodge.
 

Overnight at Kalpitiya
 

Accommodation: Ruwala Eco Resort

Meals included: Breakfast

Have breakfast, and take an optional excursion to visit the dolphins of Kalpitiya. The Western Coast of Sri Lanka attracts flocks of spinner dolphins during the months of November to April. 
 

This afternoon, set off for Dambulla, visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Anuradhapura en route.
 

Anuradhapura, is a major city in Sri Lanka. Anuradhapura is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, famous for its well-preserved ruins of ancient Sri Lankan civilization. The city, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies 205 km north of the current capital Colombo, on the banks of the historic Malvathu Oya. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and one of the eight World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka.
 

From the 4th century BC, it was the capital of the Sinhalese until the beginning of the 11th century AD. During this period it remained one of the most stable and durable centers of political power and urban life in South Asia. The ancient city, considered sacred to the Buddhist world, is today surrounded by monasteries covering an area of over sixteen square miles (40 km²).
 

Overnight at Dambulla.
 

Accommodation: Alkins Resort

Meals included: Breakfast

This morning you will mount horses at the Heritance Kandalama stable in Kandalama and ride to view this ancient capital region of Ceylon. Ride along the Kandalama Lake and through the jungle towards Kaldiya Pokuna, an ancient meditation site of Buddhist monks. Now an archaeological site, you can dismount and rediscover this site set in the wilderness of Dambulla before riding to lunch at an adventure site.
 

Spend the evening at leisure, or take the option of visiting the Sigiriya Rock Fortress and an elephant back ride! 
 

Sigiriya (Lion Rock, Sinhalese - pronounced see-gee-REE-yah) is located in the central Matale District of the Central Province, in an area dominated by a massive column of rock nearly 200 meters high. According to the ancient Sri Lankan chronicle, the Culavamsa, the site was selected by King Kasyapa (477 – 495 AD) for his new capital. He built his palace on the top of this rock and decorated its sides with colourful frescoes. On a small plateau about halfway up the side of this rock, he built a gateway in the form of an enormous lion. The name of this place is derived from this structure —Sīhāgiri, the Lion Rock. The capital and the royal palace were abandoned after the king's death. It was used as a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century.
 

Sigiriya today is a UNESCO listed World Heritage Site. It is one of the best preserved examples of ancient urban planning. It is the most visited historic site in Sri Lanka.
 

Overnight at Dambulla.
 

Accommodation: Ruwala Eco Resort

Meals included: Breakfast and lunch

After breakfast, you will join the horses at the Alkins Adventure resort and set off on routes winding through villages, plantations of bananas and vegetables to rural paths framed by tall grass of Elephant Corridor and around the ancient Sigiriya Rock Fortress. 
 

Lunch at the Sigiriya Rest House and transfer to Kandy. Pay a visit to the Spice Gardens on route to discover the secrets of spices! 
 

This evening you will have the opportunity to witness cultural dance of Sri Lanka, and visit the Temple of the Tooth. 
 

Sri Dalada Maligawa, or the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, is a Buddhist temple in the city of Kandy. It is located in the royal palace complex which houses the relic of the tooth of Buddha. Since ancient times, the relic has played an important role in local politics because it is believed that whoever holds the relic holds the governance of the country. Kandy was the last capital of the Sri Lankan kings and is a UNESCO world heritage site partly due to the temple.
 

Monks of the two chapters of Malwatte and Asgiriya conduct daily worship in the inner chamber of the temple. Rituals are performed three times daily: at dawn, at noon and in the evenings. On Wednesdays, there is a symbolic bathing of the Sacred Relic with a herbal preparation made from scented water and fragrant flowers, called Nanumura Mangallaya. This holy water is believed to contain healing powers and is distributed among those present.
 

Overnight at Kandy.
 

Accommodation: Serene Gardens

Meals included: Breakfast and lunch

This morning you will discover the last Kingdom of Sri Lanka – Kandy. A World Heritage Site, Kandy (Nuwara) is often termed the most beautiful city of Sri Lanka. 
 

Arrive in Nuwara Eliya in time for lunch. After lunch at the Nuwara Eliya Golf Club, ride out from the stable at the race course and follow a route which travels through the winding paths of tea estates to Gregory Lake and back through an old cemetery steeped in the colonial past of Sri Lanka.
 

Overnight at Nuwara Eliya.
 

Accommodation: Glendower

Meals included: Breakfast

After an early breakfast, meet the horses at the stable and embark on a ride through the quaint hill capital and out towards Mahagastota. Your journey will be through a small tea plucker village and tea estates as vast as the eye can see. Rare species of fauna and flora in plenty are found here. Lavish greenery, cool and refreshing climate is an absolute treat to nature lovers. 
 

This afternoon you will enjoy your lunch at the Nuwara Eliya Golf Club. You have the option of visiting the Horton Plains this evening. 
 

Horton Plains National Park is a protected area in the central highlands of Sri Lanka and is covered by montane grassland and cloud forest. This plateau at an altitude of 2,100–2,300 metres (6,900–7,500 ft) is rich in biodiversity and many species found here are endemic to the region. Horton Plains is the source of three major Sri Lankan rivers, the Mahaweli, Kelani, and Walawe. In Sinhala the plains are known as Maha Eliya Plains. Stone tools dating back to Balangoda culture have been found here. The plains' vegetation is grasslands interspersed with montane forest, and includes many endemic woody plants. Large herds of Sri Lankan Sambar Deer feature as typical mammals, and the park is also an important bird area with many species not only endemic to Sri Lanka but restricted to the Horton Plains. Forest dieback is one of the major threats to the park and some studies suggest that it is caused by a natural phenomenon. The sheer precipice of World's End and Baker's Falls are among the tourist attractions of the park.
 

Overnight at Nuwara Eliya.
 

Accommodation: Ruwala Eco Resort

Meals included: Breakfast and lunch

This morning you will transfer to the capital city of Colombo. 
 

Overnight at Colombo.
 

Accommodation: Concord Grand

Meals included: Breakfast

Today you will set off for the airport to meet your departure flight. 

Climate:

Sri Lanka generally offers warmth and sunshine throughout the year. Temperatures average between 27-30C in Colombo and on the coasts, and peak in April. They average about 10C cooler in the hill country. Sri Lanka lies 400 miles north of the equator and is affected by two South-East Asian monsoons.

The south-west monsoon (Yala) brings most rain to Colombo and the south and west coasts in May/June and the inter-monsoon affects October/early November, although at all times of year sunshine can be plentiful and most of the rain falls in heavy bursts at night.

The north-east monsoon (Maha) affects the north and east between December and February. Rainfall is becoming increasingly unpredictable. Sri Lanka averages about 240cms a year, slightly above the UK national average. The north and east are dryer, while the western slopes of the central highlands are wettest. Humidity ranges between 70-9