Bringing together culinary experiences, masterclasses and must-try Sri Lankan dishes with local brews

Day 1 – Arrive in Colombo and transfer to Wallawwa for a three-night stay in a Garden Suite on bed and breakfast basis. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure with afternoon tea, and ‘Social Hour’ featuring complimentary drinks.

Tonight, dinner includes a selection of signature local dishes from the region, the star of the meal is the world-famous Negombo Mud Crab.

Day 2 – Today, you’ll wake early and visit the vibrant Negombo fish market with our resident chef to pick the catch of the day.

Head back to the hotel, and spend a few hours at leisure before linking up with the chef for a Sri Lankan cooking lesson, followed by lunch.

Later in the evening, you’ll take a walk across the streets of Colombo with a resident host, and sample street food while taking in the sights and sounds of the island’s bustling capital city.

Day 3 – This day is yours at leisure, with a hopper-making masterclass and more complimentary tea and drinks in the evening.

Details

Day 1 – Today after breakfast, you’ll take a scenic drive to Goatfell in Kandapola, near Nuwara Eliya for a three-night stay in a Concordia Bedroom on an all-inclusive basis. This part of the island’s hills is famous for growing tea, which is among Sri Lanka’s biggest exports. Tonight you’ll enjoy our signature pittu and mutton curry.

Day 2 – Dawn at Goatfell is magical, and we cannot recommend enough that you wake early for sunrise over the hills with a steaming cup of Ceylon tea – you won’t regret it!

Later in the day, enjoy breakfast by the pool, a self-guided trek on The Pekoe Trail, which connects t; the Pedro Estate Tea Factory, and sundowners by the firepit. Tonight we have a special tea-infused dinner paired with a selection of our house wines.

Day 3 – Today, we have planned a moderately difficult trek with our naturalist, followed by a special Tea Planter’s picnic lunch. Afterwards, head back to the bungalow and relax, and enjoy high tea.

Details

Day 7 – Travel to Camellia Hills in Hatton, another big tea growing town in the hills. You’ll travel by train which is a scenic way of taking in the region. Check in for a two-night stay in a Lakeview Bedroom on all-inclusive basis. You have the whole day at leisure, and in the evening, you’ll be treated to a Yaara tea making session and local ‘short eats’.

Day 8 – Today’s activities include a private picnic lunch at a waterfall, a lake ride on a fisherman’s canoe, and a ‘Street Kottu’ night with Black Pork Curry.

Details

Day 9 – Today at breakfast, you’ll get to try a healthy breakfast that features a signature local porridge and grams. Afterwards, you’ll transfer from the hills to the south of Sri Lanka, to Lunuganga in Bentota for a two-night stay in the Gallery Studio on Bed and Breakfast basis. You have the whole day to yourself to relax. In the evening, enjoy G&Ts at Bawa’s favourite viewpoint on the estate.

Day 10 – Enjoy a guided walking tour of Lunuganga gardens in the morning, and a traditional rice and curry lunch which will feature lake fish and curd and treacle. Later in the afternoon take a private sunset lake ride on a fisherman’s catamaran, with cocktails and canapés.

Details

Day 11 – Move to Fort Bazaar in Galle for a four-night stay in a Bazaar Bedroom on Bed and Breakfast basis. This afternoon you’ll take a cocktail masterclass and sample local spirits with the Fort Bazaar bartender.

Day 12 – Today, you’ll be taken on a guided tour of Galle Fort. The rest of the day is yours at leisure and in the late afternoon you’ll take a scenic cycling tour of the southern hinterlands.

Day 13 – Spend a lazy morning enjoying the hotel, before heading to the home of a Galle resident to enjoy a traditional biriyani and wattalapam cooking lesson followed by lunch. After lunch, we have planned a hosted village tour in tuk-tuks and boat rides which will give you a glimpse of local village life and cuisine. Some highlights of this tour include freshly made ‘toddy’ (a local brew) and homemade coconut rotti.

Day 14 – On your final day, you can spend the day at Unawatuna exploring the local bars. Head back to Fort Bazaar in time for a lamprais lunch.

Tonight we’ve organised a five-course ‘Taste of Jaffna’ dinner.

Day 15 – Transfer from Fort Bazaar to Colombo Airport, ensuring you arrive at least three hours before your departure flight.

Details

*Price is based on low season travel (May to June | September to October)

*Price may reduce further based on applicable offers or increase based on seasonality and Government statutory changes

Featured special offers:
Journeys Exclusive: 20% off across all Teardrop Hotels as this Journey includes a minimum of 14 or more nights at 3 or more Teardrop Hotels. If the number of nights and/or Teardrop Hotels reduce, the offer would not be available.

Logistics & Guiding
*Private A/C Car & English-speaking chauffeur cum guide from day 1 to 15, along with associated fees –

• Chauffeur guide daily fees
• Chauffeur guide accommodation & meals
• Mileage
• Parking tickets
• Toll fees
• Cooler box, water, juices & snacks
• In-vehicle WiFi

Experiences

• Visit to the Negombo fish market with our resident chef and pick the ‘catch of the day’ at 6am
• Trek The Pekoe Trail – stage 21 (moderately difficult | duration = approx. 3.5 hrs) with a Tea Planter’s picnic lunch from Government Seed Production Farm to Uda Pussellawa town hosted by our resident naturalist
• Private lake ride on a fisherman’s canoe at 3pm
• Guided (group) walking tour of Lunuganga gardens at 11am
• Private sunset lake ride on a fisherman’s catamaran with cocktails & canapes at 5pm
• Group walking tour of UNESCO Galle Dutch Fort with a heritage guide at 7am
• Guided 12-km cycling trail through paddy fields at 4pm
• Hosted village tour in tuk tuks & boat, followed by a ‘Pol (Coconut) Rotti’ dinner featuring Coconut toddy and traditional sweetmeats at 3.30pm
• Guided tour of Pedro Estate Tea Factory at 2.30pm. Note: Tea factory visits are not possible on Sundays, public holidays and special estate holidays (ex: during Sinhala & Tamil New Year’s season), as tea leaves are not plucked and processed on these days.
• Train journey: 1st, 2nd or 3rd class reserved tickets – Nanu Oya Station (1240) to Hatton Station (1345).

Note: Train tickets are strictly subject to availability.

• Roast Paan (bread)’, ‘Pol (coconut)’ sambol and Negombo seafood & lagoon crab curry with condiments at 6.30pm, hosted by Wallawwa
• The art of Sri Lankan cooking with the resident chef, featuring the ‘catch of the day’ and red rice at 11am, followed by lunch
• Colombo street food walk with a local at 4.30pm
• Hopper-making masterclass with resident chef at 6pm, followed by dinner, with local beef curry and Lion Beer
• Sri Lankan Coconut Pittu & Mutton curry at 7pm, hosted by Goatfell
• Breakfast by the pool featuring Milk Rice, Mustard Fish Curry & Lunu Miris at 7am, hosted by Goatfell
• Sundowners at 5pm by the firepit (subject to weather conditions), hosted by Goatfell
• Tea-infused dinner with paired wine at 7pm, hosted by Goatfell
• High tea at 4pm, hosted by Goatfell
• Yaara’ tea making & ‘Short Eats’ at 5pm, hosted by Camellia Hills
• Private picnic lunch at a waterfall, hosted by Camellia Hills
• Street ‘Kottu’ night featuring black pork curry at 7pm, hosted by Camellia Hills
• Breakfast by the pool featuring traditional herbal porridge & grams at 7am, hosted by Camellia Hills
• G&T at Bawa’s viewpoint at 5pm, hosted by Lunuganga
• Bawa’s traditional rice & curry lunch featuring lake fish and Curd & Treacle for dessert, hosted at the Red Terrace (subject to weather conditions) by Lunuganga at 12.30pm
• Cocktail masterclass & tasting focussing on local spirits with the resident bartender at 5pm
• Cook traditional ‘biriyani’ with a resident of Galle, followed by lunch featuring Watalappam at 11am
• Sri Lankan Lamprais at 12.30pm, hosted by Fort Bazaar
• A taste of Jaffna’ 5-course dinner at 7pm, hosted by Fort Bazaar

Other

All government taxes, levies and service charges.

Value Additions:

Complimentary upgrade to the Main House Studio or The Geoffrey Bawa Suite, subject to availability.

Other available special offers:

• Early Bird: 10% off across all Teardrop Hotels for reservations made 90 days or more prior to the arrival date. Note: Not valid for stays between 14 Dec – 28 Feb.
• Stay-Pay: Stay 3 nights and only pay for 2 nights. Note: Not valid for stays between 14 Dec – 28 Feb.
• Last Minute: 30% off across all Teardrop Hotels for reservations made 30 days or more prior to the arrival date. Note: Not valid for stays between 14 Dec – 28 Feb.
• Note: The featured Journey price is subject to change, in the event of future Government policy revisions to levies, taxes and/or tourism fees.