Sri Lanka: Splendors of the Spice Island

Upon arrival in Colombo, you are escorted to a private lounge for expedited customs clearance. From there, you are met by an A&K representative and transferred to your hotel.

After a morning at leisure, start your day with insider access to the office of a tea broker to learn about the art of tea identification and enjoy a tasting. Later, join your local guide for a walking tour of Colombo, Sri Lanka’s vibrant and energetic commercial and financial capital. Visit the Old Dutch Hospital, a colonial treasure dating to the 17th century; and the commercial hub of Colombo Fort, home to a host of charming colonial mansions. Back at the hotel, reconvene for a welcome dinner.

After breakfast, drive to Thirappane, the heart of Sri Lanka’s monument-rich Cultural Triangle region. After checking in and freshening up at your resort, explore the sacred city of Anuradhapura by bicycle. This ancient city is believed to have sprouted from a cutting of the Buddha’s tree of enlightenment brought here in the third century BC by Sanghamitta, founder of an order of Buddhist nuns. The Ceylonese political and religious capital, which flourished for 1,300 years, was abandoned after it was invaded in 993. Hidden in dense jungle for many years, the site’s palaces, monasteries and monuments are revealed to you today. Conclude your excursion with a blessing near the Sri Maha Bodhi, a sacred tree believed by many to be the oldest in the world.

This morning, discover Sigiriya Rock Fortress (or Lion’s Rock), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built in the fifth century, this imposing citadel sits atop a 660-foot-high granite formation known as Lion’s Rock. Set out on a hike up winding cliffside staircases, summiting to reveal the ancient secrets of the short-lived kingdom of Kassapa. Explore the ruins of palaces, moats, shrines, frescoes and water gardens as the sun dawns over commanding vistas of the misty forests beyond. Return to the resort for some time at leisure. Later, embark on a game drive in Nachchaduwa Nature Park, rolling through lush countryside and rice paddies harboring elephants, buffalo and exotic birdlife. Cap your excursion off with a Scenic Sundowner cocktail.

Begin with a visit to the resort’s organic garden to pick fresh produce for a Chef’s Table cooking demonstration hosted at the on-site traditional hearth kitchen. Watch as your fresh herbs and vegetables are transformed into Sri Lankan delicacies that you’ll savor over lunch. This afternoon, enjoy one of these Design Your Day activities. Venture by Tuk-Tuk through village streets and along country roads to get a relaxing, intimate view of daily life. Kayak a Jungle Reservoir, paddling past water lilies and lotus blossoms to view egrets, herons, storks and far more. Bike Through Rural Landscapes, past tropical timber and rich fields, stopping to explore intricate Buddhist temples. Return to your hotel with the rest of your day at leisure.

Get an early start to visit the extraordinary Dambulla Cave Temples, with statues and murals dating back to the third century BC representing Sinhalese Buddhist art at its best. Continue south to Kandy, a vibrant city that mixes past and present amid the mist-hung hills, tropical tea plantations and lush mountains of Sri Lanka’s Central Province. Here, delve into the legacy that earned Sri Lanka the moniker “Gem Island” with a visit to a local gem cutters’ workshop. After watching the artisans ply their time-honored trade, try your hand at cutting and polishing your own beautiful stone. Then, gain insight into the hard work that goes into gem mining. Continue to your hotel for dinner and a private performance of traditional Kandyan song and dance.

Join a botany professor at the Royal Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya for a guided walk through the extraordinary botanical collection, comprising over 4,000 plant species, including a priceless collection of 300 varieties of orchids. Afterward, visit a local art and cultural center located in a 300-year-old “heritage house,” locally known as “walawwa,” that was once a residence of a village chief. View its carefully preserved colonial-style architecture dating from the 18th century, and then head inside to see a rich collection of artifacts that reflects the passion of its founders, the late Rohan de Silva and Dr. Jacques Soulié, which includes traditional furniture, art objects, old books including precious first editions, photographs, and postcards, reflecting two civilizations: the East and the West. There is a wonderful collection of close to 200 photographs of old Ceylon dating from the 19th century. With his gentle hospitality and enthusiasm, Dr. Soulié unearths for you a virtual time capsule. Enjoy a traditional Sri Lankan lunch in the company of your host. Later this evening, attend a pooja ceremony at the Temple of the Tooth. Built during the 17th century, the UNESCO World Heritage Site overlooks picturesque Kandy Lake. Revered for generations, the tooth relic housed in the temple is believed to have granted ultimate authority to each ruler who possessed it. Here, amid scents of lotus and jasmine, join monks and pilgrims who gather to make offerings to the Buddha. Enjoy VIP entry to the inner Shrine Room where the Sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha is kept. Return to the hotel for an evening at leisure.

After breakfast at the hotel, check out and proceed to Bentota, where you gain special insider access to the home of the late Geoffrey Bawa, one of Asia’s most prolific and influential architects. Here, learn how Bawa spent 40 years transforming this former abandoned rubber estate into a tropical paradise of elegant gardens and lily ponds set against the backdrop of scenic Dedduwa Lake. Enjoy lunch at the estate before continuing on to Galle for an evening at leisure.

Head out to nearby Villa Mayurana, stopping en route to view traditional stilt fisherman along the coast. Upon arrival, enjoy lunch and a cinnamon experience on the lush grounds of your hotel property’s fragrant spice plantation. Learn how this versatile spice is processed and packaged, and why Sri Lanka produces the best cinnamon in the world. Later, join a local archaeologist and heritage expert for an absorbing sunset walking tour of Galle Fort, built by the Dutch in 1663, and seek out local arts, crafts and delicacies as you wander the cobbled streets. Reconvene this evening for a farewell dinner.

Transfer to the airport in Colombo and board your departure flight.