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with Paul van Reyk

Negombo 5 Cultural Triangle 5 Sigiriya 5 Kandy 5 Nuwara Eliya Yala National Park 5 Galle 5 Colombo 5 Mt Lavinia

New departure for 2016

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This leisurely 15-day journey begins with the white sandy beaches

and fishing villages of Negombo. We then travel into the ancient heartland of the cultural triangle where the ruins of Polonnaruwa invite you to imagine the splendour of this second ancient Sinhala capital city. Experience the temples of the royal seat of Kandy and the tea plantations of the misty high hill country around Nuwara Elliya.

Discover the blending of older traditions with the architecture, food and lifestyle of colonial times, resulting in a way of life which embraces the past even as it looks to the future. Go on safari in Yala National Park, home to elephant, deer, and giant squirrels, and renowned as the best place to see leopards in all of Asia.

Then, it’s time to explore the South Coast, the beaches, charming fishing villages, and the historic town of Galle. Here you also explore the fascinating artistic circle of Sri Lanka’s greatest architect, Geoffrey Bawa, and his talented brother, Bevis. The brothers were an important influence on the Australian artist Donald Friend, who lived here for 5 years. You will stay in hotels with great charm – beautifully restored colonial hotels, stunning eco-hotels like the innovative Jetwing VilUyana set in re-purposed rice fields, and

Geoffrey Bawa’s magnificent Lighthouse Hotel in Galle.

At the heart of the tour is your immersion in the tastes, smells and sights of

Sri Lankan cuisine. You'll have the chance to sample sizzling street

food, have a warm meal in a village hut, fill your plates from delicious hotel buffets, and watch cooking demonstrations from some of Sri Lanka’s top chefs.

For those of you who like to explore a country, and get to know its people, history, and cuisine in depth, this journey is for you. “There are so many highlights. Walking

through the rainforest and climbing Sigiriya. Walking around the fort at Galle. The elephant safari in the jeeps. Seeing the tea factory, all the amazing dishes to try… on and on…” TRISH O’ROURKE

“The food program was way beyond any reasonable expectation of how good it could be. The food itself, the lessons, the presentation in a wide range of settings. Just magic!” PETER DUFFY

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Sri Lankan Cuisine Sri Lanka’s cuisine features hints of Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers’ diets, the vibrant spices of Northern and Southern India, unique flavours introduced by Arab and Chinese traders, and the influence of Portuguese, Dutch and British culture.

Over the past 2000 years, the cuisine of Sri Lanka has elegantly blended these influences to create food which is rich, complex, and mouth watering. The produce is fresh and abundant with a wide array of tropical fruits, vegetables both familiar and exotic. and an extensive variety of seafood and free range animals – all cooked using Sri Lanka's time-honoured practices.

Poolside at Jetwing Blue Hotel, Negombo.

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Your tour leaderSri Lankan born Paul van Reyk has been passionate about Sri Lankan cuisine for sixty years, whether he is sitting at the kitchen table helping his grandmother make Christmas cake, introducing unique spices and cooking techniques to hundreds of curry lovers in Sydney, or serving up

raja bojuns (royal dinners) through his catering company.

Paul has written extensively on the history of Sri Lankan cuisine for his Buth Kuddeh website and shared his knowledge of Sri Lankan street food for “Street Food around the World: An Encyclopedia of Food and Culture”. Paul was featured in the Sri Lankan episode of the SBS Food Lover’s Guide.

Over the past ten years, Paul has found joy in sharing this extensive knowledge and experience by leading food tours of his beloved Sri Lanka.

ItineraryDay 1 – Sydney to Colombo

Arrive at hotel in the lush seaside town of Negombo. Afternoon boat ride in Muthurajawela Marshes, an important wetland filled with exotic birdlife. Tonight, join Paul for a welcome drink and group briefing..

Overnight at Jetwing Blue Hotel, Negombo.

Day 2 – Negombo

Enjoy a restful morning before joining Paul and your guide around 10am to head to the

bustling beachfront fish market for your first introduction to the produce and flavours of Sri Lanka. Optional afternoon boat ride in the Dutch Canal. Choose between exploring more of Negombo’s rich history, the Portuguese fort and canals, or relaxing by the beach.

Tonight, is the first of our cooking demonstrations, preparing fish bought at the morning market.

Overnight at Jetwing Blue Hotel, Negombo.

Day 3 – Negombo to Sigiriya

Today we head into the dry region in the centre of the island and the World Heritage sites of the Cultural Triangle, containing Sri Lanka’s most famous cultural and archaeological sites. We’ll travel through small towns, and past padi fields, coconut plantations and larger regional centres. En route, visit the Golden Temple at Dambulla, a Buddhist cave temple which has been continuously occupied since the 3rd century BC, famed for its murals of the life of the Buddha. The temple is also home to a large troop of toque macaque monkeys!

Overnight at Jetwing Vil Uyana, a stunning eco-friendly resort built on reclaimed padi fields. It contains its own wetland, home to an array of graceful waterbirds and monitor lizards.

Morning catch, Negombo fish market.

“Paul’s energy, commitment, management and leadership excelled, and ensured all sorts of wonders. ROSS KELLY

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Toque macaques, Dambulla.

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Day 4 – Sigiriya

The rock fortress of Sigiriya (Lion Rock) is our first visit today. Set amid extensive water and rock gardens this is a monument to the hubris of the Sinhala King Kasyapa (477 – 495 CE) who built his palace here thinking it impregnable, only to lose his kingdom on the plains below. Admire the delicate frescoes

of mysterious female figures carved into an overhang half way up the sheer side. Are they deities? Court maidens? Concubines? The view from the top – reached after you enter between the massive paws of a brick and plaster lion – is breathtaking.

Once we have worked up an appetite with all this exporing, a lunch and cooking demonstration in the house of a family in the village of Habarana will follow. Taste how delicious a simple meal can be, cooked over a wood fire and eaten off banana leaves. We will see how rice is ground and a spicy coconut sambol is made. The rest of the afternoon is at your leisure!

Overnight at Jetwing Vil Uyana.

Day 5 – Sigiriya / Polonnaruwa / Sigiriya

In the morning we visit the enthralling World Heritage site of Polonnaruwa, the second capital of Sri Lanka, built in the 11th and 12th centuries. The site is small but filled with stone sculptures, an old irrigation system with huge tanks/lakes, and royal baths. Three huge Buddha figures – the Gal Vihara – are considered to be amongst the most sacred monuments in Sri Lanka.

We will have lunch by the tank at a Government Rest House before returning to the hotel where you have the rest of the afternoon free. (The hotel grounds are excellent for bird-watching.)

Overnight at Jetwing Vil Uyana.

Day 6 – Sigiriya to Kandy

Find out just how many uses a coconut has when we visit a small, family-owned coconut ropemaking business on our drive from Sigiriya to Kandy. We 'll learn about the vital role Sri Lankan herb and spice plants play in local cuisine and holistic healing, enjoy an invigorating head and shoulder massage with herbal extracts, and then have a delicious lunch,Then it's on to Kandy, the last capital of the Sri Lankan kings, and without a doubt Sri Lanka’s most beautiful town.

Overnight at Cinnamon Citadel Hotel, Kandy, offering unparalleled views of the river.

Sigiriya Rock Fortress.

Jetwing Vil Uyana resort.

Gal Vihara, Polonnaruwa.

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Day 7 – Kandy

Our morning will be spent visiting three temples in the Kandy area, where you can trace the development of Sinhalese temple architecture. The Gadaladeniya Temple (1344 AD) is set in a beautiful hilltop location surrounded by rice fields., te Lankatilaka Temple (1340 AD) has a two-story building containing rare and well-preserved frescoes, and the Embekke Temple stands in a lovely rural setting and is famous for its hall of intricately carved wooden pillars.

We will have a late lunch in Kandy town and then join worshipers for the evening puja (veneration) at the holiest of Sinhalese shrines, the Temple of the Tooth Relic.

Overnight at Amaya Hills Hotel, Kandy.

Day 8 – Kandy to Nuwara Eliya

This morning we will visit the Royal Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya. The Gardens, which began as a pleasure garden for a Shinhala King, boast more than 5000 species of flora, and the orchid house is a year round floral wonderland.

Leaving Kandy, we climb up through tea plantations and cold climate vegetable gardens as we head to the British hill station of Nuwara Eliya. We’ll visit the Labukele Tea Factory for a tasting and observe the process of tea manufacturing. We will arrive at Nuwara Eliya just in time for an English High Tea at the Hill Club (optional). Men will need jackets and women will need dresses – it’s that kind of High Tea!

Overnight at St Andrew’s Hotel, Nuwara Eliya.

Day 9 – Nuwara Eliya to Yala National Park

This is our longest drive, down from the hills, through the spectacular stepped market gardens and the breathtaking Ella Gap (with a view to the South Coast), and down to the plains and back to beautiful Yala National Park.

Overnight Jetwing Yala.

Day 10 – Yala National Park

Morning at leisure, followed by lunch and a cooking demonstration at the edge of the Park. A late afternoon safari affords excellent sightings of leopards, elephant, sambar, chital, wild boar, crocodiles and many different types of birds.

Yala was devastated by the 2004 tsunami, but the forest has recovered fully. Local folklore has it that not a single animal was killed in the tsunami; they all sensed its approach and moved well inland before it hit.

Overnight Jetwing Yala.

Leopard, Yala National Park.

Evening elephant gathering.

Picking tea, Labukele Estate .

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Day 11 – Yala National Park to Galle

After breakfast, we will depart for Galle, an ancient Dutch outpost located on the southwestern coast. We'll travel through fishing villages and enjoy exhilarating views along the

coast past Dondra Head, the southernmost point of Sri Lanka. We’ll see evidence of the tsunami and the rebuilding that has taken place.

The minimalist, stately, and elegant Lighthouse Hotel, your home for the next three nights, was designed by the famous Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa. Set on a rocky promontory a short distance from the town, this hotel enthralls the guests, not only with its main buildings echoing the Portuguese fort in the city, but with the famous sculptured stairway of Laki Senanayake depicting an epic battle, and the batik ceiling in the main bar designed by Ena de Silva.

Overnight at Lighthouse Hotel. Breakfast on the terrace here is magical!

Day 12 – Galle

Enjoy an early swim in the pool or on the terrace before a morning visit to Lunuganga estate, the

former country home of Geoffrey Bawa. Begun in 1947, it is a visually splendid creation which includes a large-scale landscaped garden full of beautiful temple views, the placid broad sweep of the river, sudden sculptural touches, and dazzling visual coups. We’ll see his studio, house and a collection of works from the celebrated international artists who visited him during his time here.

The afternoon will be yours to explore the colonial old town of Galle at your leisure. Take in the Dutch Fort, climb a lighthouse, walk fortified walls and wander the markets.

Overnight at Lighthouse Hotel, Galle

Day 13 – Galle

This morning we will visit a gem mine and a cinnamon plantation. Sri Lanka is renowned for its gems, particularly sapphires and moonstones, including the rare blue moonstone. They are mined by hand in shallow pits in padi fields, and we will be able to see the process start to finish - from digging to setting a finished stone. Cinnamon is the main spice Europeans traded from Sri Lanka, and often, as here, cinnamon groves and gem mines are co-located. There will be an opportunity to buy loose or set stones directly from the site on which they are mined.

Return to hotel for the last of our lunch cooking demonstrations. This evening we will head into Galle Fort and walk along the old ramparts as the sun sets, taking in the view and the breeze as the locals do.

Overnight at Lighthouse Hotel, Galle.

Lighthouse Hotel terrace.

Lighthouse Hotel.

Lunuganga.

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Day 14 – Galle to Colombo

Today we will head off along the coast to Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. En route, we will visit Brief Garden, the residence of Bevis Bawa, brother of Geoffrey Bawa, and as different from Lunuganga as chalk and cheese.

It was here that the Australian artist Donald Friend spent five years, as part of an astonishingly creative group of Sri Lankan artists that included Bevis, Laki Senanayake, Ena de Silva, and Barbara Sansoni- a potter, painter and fabric designer.

Brief Garden is full of sculptures by Donald Friend and Bevis Bawa , and also features Donald Friend's superb mural ,which depicts a visual diary of his time in Sri Lanka.

Lunch at Bentota Beach Hotel, one of Geoffrey Bawa’s earliest hotels, in which he first experimented with the architectural forms that would become his distinctive style. The ceiling of its reception lobby features Ena de Silva's finest batik work.

We'll stay overnight at the Mount Lavinia Hotel, built on a promontory at the very southern boundaries of Colombo. This hotel was the site of the residence of Sir Thomas Maitland, Governor of Ceylon from 1805-1811, and named for his paramour – a local dancing girl. It is one of the two ‘grand hotels’ of colonial era Sri Lanka.Overnight at Mount Lavinia Hotel.

Day 15 – Colombo and end of the tour

Morning tour of Colombo – we’ll focus on the central area of the port, the old market area of the Pettah, and significant public buildings of the colonial and post-colonial years. A visit to Barefoot, Barbara Sansoni’s emporium of Sri Lanka arts and crafts is also included.

The work featured in Barefoot is produced mostly by groups of women in rural centres, working with the top designers in Sri Lanka. The women learn weaving and sewing skills as well as organisational and managerial skills. A gallery in the courtyard displays incredible exhibits from Sri Lankan artists, and there is an excellent bookshop to explore as well.

The afternoon is free for you to soak up the last of Sri Lankan culture in any way you choose. Late afternoon checkout (6 pm) and transfer to Gallery Café for a farewell dinner.

Situated within the former office of Geoffrey Bawa, the Gallery Cafe provides a fitting end to our tour, from both a culinary and cultural point of view.

At the conclusion of dinner, we will transfer to airport for late night departure for Australia or back to the hotel, for those travellers who wish to remain longer.

Donald Friend etching, Brief.

Mount Lavinia Hotel.

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Tour Prices Per person, twin share land only AUD 7,000 pp

Single supplement* AUD 1,500 pp

Deposit AUD 500 pp

*If you are travelling alone and wish to share a room we will endeavour to match you with another single participant. We accept no responsibility for the suitability of the rooming partner. If at any time during the tour you consider your rooming partner to be unsuitable we will arrange single accommodation (if available), the additional cost to be borne by you. If we are unable to find a rooming partner for you prior to departure you will be required to pay the applicable single supplement to undertake the tour.

Visa

Australian and New Zealand citizens require a visa for Sri Lanka. An Electronic Travel application has to be lodged on line prior to travel and is valid for 30 days.

Getting There

There are no direct flights to Sri Lanka from Australia so you will need to change in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok or India. Travel Your Way can assist with all travel arrangements including flights and stopovers, travel insurance and additional accommodation.

Tour price includes:

R 14 nights accommodation with private facilities in four star hotels with daily breakfast . Late check-out (6pm) on Day 15

R Meals as per itinerary: Lunch , Dinner including welcome and farewell meals and High Tea at Nuwara Elliya

R 2 bottles of water per day

R Transfer from airport on Day 1 (midnight arrival) and to airport on Day 15

R Jeep safari at dusk in Yala National Park

R Comfortable air-conditioned coach transport throughout

R Comprehensive sightseeing including entrance fees as per itinerary

R Cooking demonstrations and talks with Paul van Reyk throughout

R English speaking local tour guide

R Government taxes in Sri Lanka

R Gratuities for local guides and driver

R Hotel porterage

Tour price does not include

R Airport transfers on arrival except on Day 1 midnight arrival

R Items of a personal nature including telephone, laundry, room service etc

R Travel insurance

R Sri Lankan visa

R Airport porterage

Travel Your Way, 29 Hamilton Ave, Earlwood NSW 2206.

anthea@travelyourway.com.au www.travelyourway.com.au

ColomboNegombo

Sigiriya

Kandy

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Yala National Park

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Mount Lavinia

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