15-Day Sri Lanka On Foot

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After breakfast, proceed to Colombo airport to catch your flight to Battiocaloa, it's a two-hour drive to your accommodation. Once checked-in you'll have time to relax and enjoy Gal Oya, one of the most remote national parks in Sri Lanka. Due to the remote location, internet access and phone signals are unavailable in and around the lodge. None of the bungalows are air-conditioned.

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Enjoy the only experience in Sri Lanka that allows you to spot wildlife from the water. With a little luck, you could spot elephants swimming between islands or bathing at the lake’s edge. It's 2-3 hour safari by boat and a scenic 40-minute drive from the lodge to the lake. In the evening, go on a nature walk with a Veddha chief. Gal Oya Lodge neighbours one of the last remaining communities of the Veddha, the nomadic indigenous people of Sri Lanka.

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Early morning with packed breakfast, Very easy climb to the top of Monkey mountain close to Gal Oya Lodge with a host. For the adventurous early risers, a 1.5-hour uphill trek first thing in the morning is a must. Up top, dramatic 180-degree views over the large forested valley await. An early start allows you to watch the sunrise over the hills in the distance, observing the never-ending jungle canopy below. Then, take the four-hour drive to Belihuloya and then a 1-km walk to your campsite.

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Enjoy two guided treks in the morning and evening. Nestled up in the hills, Ahaspokuna is a hidden treasure. The beautiful terrain around it offers the perfect bushwalking trails for everyone. Elephant forged trails take you through beautiful scenery, mountain ranges, waterfalls, grasslands and rural villages, all the while bringing you close encounters with birds and beasts of the land. Uncover the exciting mysteries in this wilderness living experience, unmatched anywhere else in Sri Lanka.

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After breakfast, travel to Nuwara Eliya. When you arrive, you'll take an easy stroll around Hakgala Gardens in Nuwara Eliya before going to your accommodation and resting for the night. From your room, you'll be able to see the rolling mountains, filled with tea. A slight mist lingers in the air as the sunsets.

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Early morning, trek in Horton Plains, a beautiful Sri Lankan highland plateau set at an elevation of 2100 to 2300 metres with cloudy forests, montane grasslands and many plant species. Visitors can also view fauna such as birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals which including deer, long-clawed shrews, mongoose, Sri Lankan leopards, and giant squirrels. World's End, with a drop of about 4,000 feet, is one of the most-visited parts of the park and a key tourist attraction in the Nuwara Eliya.

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Single Tree Hill is easily accessible by use of the road across the tea estate. It is one of the most panoramic vantage points of Nuwara Eliya which gives an extraordinary view of the city below where you can see Haggala Mountain, Pidurutalagala range, Lake Gregory and the whole of the northern slice of the Horton Plains. Walking through the natural montane forest and a eucalyptus plantation, before long, we reach Shanthipura, Sri Lanka’s highest village where you can meet the locals.

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After breakfast, drive to Kandy and visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic, also known as Sri Dalada Maligawa, a Buddhist temple in the city of Kandy. Set within the royal palace complex of the former Kingdom of Kandy, the temple houses the relic of the tooth of Buddha and is highly revered across the world. You'll have the remainder of the day to enjoy the town.

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In the morning start the Knuckles Mountain hike. With a range of vegetation types that have resulted from diverse climatic and topographic conditions, Knuckles Mountain is home to humid tropical lowland semi-evergreen forest, tropical submontane humid evergreen forest, montane grassland (patana) and pygmy forest. The complexity brought to the area with vegetation types was further increased by the range of modifications made to the landscape by people during British colonisation.

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Drive to the cultural triangle of Sigiriya and en-route visit a spice garden in Matale to learn about the typical herbs and spices used in Sri Lankan cuisine. In the evening, you'll visit Dambulla Cave Temple, one of the most popular attractions in Sri Lanka. Dambulla Cave Temple has been a sacred pilgrimage site for 22 centuries. This cave monastery, with its five sanctuaries, is the largest, best-preserved cave-temple complex in Sri Lanka.

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After breakfast, explore the museum prior to climbing the Sigiriya Lion Rock at 7 am. The ruins of the capital built by the parricidal King Kassapa I lie on the steep slopes and at the summit of a granite peak standing some 180m high. A series of galleries and staircases emerging from the mouth of a gigantic lion is constructed of bricks and plaster. In the evening, climb Pidurangala Rock. The hike is very strenuous and should take approximately 3 hours to summit the peak - the view is worth it!

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Early in the morning walk around in Polonnaruwa with the monkeys and learn about their behaviour. These monkeys were the inspiration for the Disney movie - the Monkey Kingdom which was shot at the same location. In the late morning hours, hike in Ritigala which is home to an ancient Buddhist monastery. The ruins and rock inscriptions of the monastery date back to 1st century BCE. It is in the city of Anuradhapura. At night, go on a loris watching walk in your hotel.

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In the morning, take a flight to Colombo and then immediately hop in a car to Waikkal, where you'll check into your hotel on the beach. Spend the rest of the day relaxing. You may want to get a massage in the hotel or relax by the pool.