Geoffrey Bawa Impressions - 08 Days Tour in Sri Lanka

Itinerary

Day 1: Airport > Colombo

Stop At: Bandaranaike International Airport, Canada Friendship Rd, කටුනායක 11450, Sri Lanka
Arrive at Colombo International Airport. Here, you will be met by a designated chauffer guide from Lakpura Travels. After the formalities at the airport you will be escorted to your air conditioned vehicle and proceed to Colombo and check in to the hotel and relax.
Duration: 1 hour

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight at a 4-Star hotel in Colombo

Day 2: Colombo > Dambulla

Stop At: Number 11, No. 11 33rd Lane Colombo 3, Colombo 00300 Sri Lanka
The house in 33rd Lane is an essay in architectural bricolage. In 1958 Bawa bought the third in a row of four small houses which lay along a short cul-de-sac at the end of a narrow suburban lane and converted it into a pied-à-terre with living room, bedroom, tiny kitchen and room for a servant. When the fourth bungalow became vacant this was colonized to serve as dining room and second living room. Ten years later the remaining bungalows were acquired and added into the composition and the first in the row was demolished to be replaced by a four-story tower.
Duration: 45 minutes

Pass By: Heritance Kandalama Spa, Heritance Kandalama Hotel, Dambulla 21100 Sri Lanka
Heritance Kandalama is an archiectural masterpiece built by the late Geoffrey Bawa. Like all of Bawa's work, this Luxury Expressed five-star hotel too is built around the landscape incorporating its elements in a sensitive and delicate manner. As such it isn't unusual to see boulders sticking out of the middle of a corridor, or a wall that blends into rock, or to see the songbirds nesting in the eaves of the roof, and more. Full of pleasant surprises the entire hotel stands on large stone 'stilts', in order to cause minimal damage to the ground cover, and is a staggering 1km in length with seven floors. The flat roof and wooden pillars attract wildlife making it part of nature itself; which is why it is the first hotel in Asia to be Green Globe 21 certified and the Gold Award winner for the Built Environment category in the Green Apple Awards. Heritance Kandalama is also the first LEEDS certified hotel in the World.

Meals included:
• Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.
Accommodation included: Overnight at a 4-Star hotel in Dambulla

Day 3: Dambulla > Sigiriya > Polonnaruwa > Dambulla

Stop At: Sigiriya The Ancient Rock Fortress, Main Road, Sigiriya 21120 Sri Lanka
Climb the 5th century AD rock fortress, Sigiriya, where the King Kasyapa ruled. Walk through the entrance framed by the paws of a lion that is quite appropriate for its name, ' the Lion Rock'. View the beautiful unfading murals that brought Sigiriya its fame. Climb the steep staircase to see the terraced gardens and still-working cisterns. Walk through the tunnels leading to the palace as you get a feel for times long past.
Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Polonnaruwa Sri Lanka
Visit the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, which was the second major capital of Sri Lanka. Walk through the ruins of the city that flourished between the 10th to the 13th century AD. View important monuments such as Gal Vihara, Vatadage, the lotus bath, Lankathilaka Temple and the statue of King Parakramabahu whose reign was considered the golden age of Polonnaruwa. Get to know more about Sri Lanka's ancient history.
Duration: 3 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.
Accommodation included: Overnight at a 4-Star hotel in Dambulla

Day 4: Dambulla > Kandy

Stop At: Embekke Devalaya, Embekka Village Three Kilometers from the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens, Handessa 20480 Sri Lanka
The temple is made almost entirely of wood. From carved wooden pillars in the Halls which have open sides to the beautifully crafted roof, the entire are is covered in carvings. The bases of the pillars are octagonal in shape while their tops end in the shapes of a four leaves stacked in a square. The pillars have various images carved into the sides of the bases. In addition, carvings adorn the beams, rafters and doorframes.

Notable carvings among these masterpieces were those of the entwined swans, double headed eagles, entwined rope designs, breast-feeding image, a soldier fighting on horseback, female dancers, wrestlers, women emanating from a vein, bird-human hybrid, elephant-bull hybrid, elephant-lion hybrid and etc. The carvings of the entire temple include 125 series of decorations, 256 liyawela type designs, and 64 lotus designs, 30 decorative patterns and roof designs, ending up in 514 unique designs.

The roof of the temple is an excellent example of ancient wooden architecture, where the 26 rafters are supported by a single wooden wooden pin.

Duration: 45 minutes

Stop At: Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Sri Dalada Veediya, Kandy 20000 Sri Lanka
Visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic a UNESCO World Heritage Site which was built in the 16th century as the place of veneration and protection for Lord Buddha’s sacred tooth. Walk through the beautifully embellished passageways and elaborately painted halls, done in red, cream and black. Lounge against delicately carved pillars and get amazed by the beautiful golden statues. Get an unforgettable experience of history and art.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.
Accommodation included: Overnight at a 4-Star hotel in Dambulla

Day 5: Kandy > Bentota

Stop At: Lunuganga, Dedduwa Lake, Bentota 80500 Sri Lanka
Lunuganga Estate was the country home of the renowned Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa. Started in 1947, the garden led Bawa, a lawyer called to the Bar at the Inner Temple in 1940, to decide to become an architect. As he went on to become Sri Lanka's and one of Asia's most prolific and influential architects, the garden at the Lunuganga estate remained his first muse and experimental laboratory for new ideas. He continued to change and experiment with its spaces and structures throughout his life until his final illness in 1998. Left to the Lunuganga Trust on his demise in 2003, the gardens are now open to the public and the buildings on the estate are run as a country house hotel.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Meals included:
• Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.
Accommodation included: Overnight at a 4-Star hotel in Bentota

Day 6: Bentota > Galle > Mirissa

Stop At: Galle Fort, Church Street, Galle 80000 Sri Lanka
Discover the city of Galle, where the Portuguese and Dutch made their headquarters, and its secrets. Visit the Galle Fort which is one of the best preserved fortifications in Asia. View the Maritime Museum, Galle National Museum and the lighthouse. Walk through the cobblestoned streets with their Dutch names as you learn more about their histories.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Meals included:
• Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.
Accommodation included: Overnight at a 4-Star hotel in Mirissa

Day 7: Mirissa

Pass By: Mirissa Beach, Mirissa 81740 Sri Lanka
Spend the day leisurely enjoying the beach and the hotel facilities.

Meals included:
• Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.
Accommodation included: Overnight at a 4-Star hotel in Mirissa

Day 8: Mirissa > Airport

Pass By: Bandaranaike International Airport, Canada Friendship Rd, කටුනායක 11450, Sri Lanka
After a relaxed morning and breakfast at the hotel check out and, drive to the Airport for your flight back home! ☹

End of Tour


Meals included:
• Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.
No accommodation included on this day.