Many of us have had the opportunity to travel to a world destination with Bhante Dhammawansha, and without exception, a life altering experience. Traveling with a monk is by far a most amazing spiritual journey as you visit ruins, temples and, meet the local people on a very personal level.
You too can enjoy this rare opportunity.
Schedule 2024
August 2024 - Journey will begin 1st week in August and last 2 weeks.
Destination: Sri Lanka
If interested please let us know by April 30, 2024
Duration in Sri Lanka: 12 days / 11 nights Travel dates: August 5 - 20, 2024 Trip cost: $2,215 plus airfare
If you are interested please contact Bhante right away....these trips do fill up very quickly. I know from those of us who have had this opportunity that the experience of a foreign travel to a Buddhist Country with Bhante is a most amazing spiritual connection and journey. An experience of a life time. Please send an email to [email protected] if you wish to be included for this trip.
You too can enjoy this rare opportunity.
Schedule 2024
August 2024 - Journey will begin 1st week in August and last 2 weeks.
Destination: Sri Lanka
If interested please let us know by April 30, 2024
Duration in Sri Lanka: 12 days / 11 nights Travel dates: August 5 - 20, 2024 Trip cost: $2,215 plus airfare
If you are interested please contact Bhante right away....these trips do fill up very quickly. I know from those of us who have had this opportunity that the experience of a foreign travel to a Buddhist Country with Bhante is a most amazing spiritual connection and journey. An experience of a life time. Please send an email to [email protected] if you wish to be included for this trip.
Sri Lanka Trip Itinerary
Note: Itinerary details may be modified or changed due to scheduling modifications or unexpected events.
Day 1: August 8: COLOMBO
Upon arrival at Colombo International Airport we will facilitate your transportation to the Sasha Hotel (20 minute drive). Check into the hotel and relax. Day 2: August 9: COLOMBO / ANURADHAPURA
After breakfast and check out from the Sasha Hotel, leave for Anuradhapura (4 hour drive) via Halawatha. Check into Avasta Hotel and Spa and have lunch. We will spend the afternoon sightseeing in Anuradhapura, the ancient capital city of Sri Lanka and the cradle of Sinhala Buddhist civilization. We will visit the giant stupas, including the world's largest stupa. In the evening, we will visit the Bodhi tree, which was brought to the island in the 3rd century BC and under which the Buddha gained enlightenment. In Anuradhapura, shrines dating back to the 3rd century are found in this buried city with its stone baths, ponds, and superb irrigation system of reservoirs and canals. Magnificent Dagabas (stupas) 365 feet tall are embellished with beautiful stone carvings and sculpture. In the evening, we will enjoy sitting on the ancient stone verandas of the Maha (Great) Stupa, and we will chant loving kindness sutras and practice meditation. Dinner and overnight stay will be at the hotel. Day 3: August 10: ANURADHAPURA / MIHINTALE / POLONNARUWA
In the morning, after breakfast, we will drive to Mihintale, 12 km (20 minute drive) east of Anuradhapura. In Mihintale, the encounter between the Supremely Enlightened Arahanth Mahinda and King Devanampiya Tissa, the famous deer hunter, took place. Arahanth Mahinda, son of the great Indian Emperor Ashoka, first met the King on a hunt. Knowing that he was meeting his Indian counterpart’s son, he respectfully invited him to the capital city, where Arahanth Mahinda introduced Buddhism to him. Here, Sri Lankan Buddhist civilization was born and nurtured. We will return to the Avasta Hotel and Spa for lunch and check out. We then go to Polonnaruwa (2 hour drive) and check into the Hotel Agbo Minneriya. We begin sightseeing in Polonnaruwa, followed by dinner and overnight stay. |
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Day 4: August 11: POLONNARUWA / MINNERIYA
Following breakfast, we will go sightseeing in the ancient city, Polonnaruwa. This city rose to fame as the new capital after the decline of Anuradhapura during the 11th - 13th century AD. Huge man-made reservoirs are a major landmark of the region. They are veritable inland seas, the most famous of which is the Parakrama Samudra of the Sea of Parakrama. The monuments of this medieval city are relatively well preserved, and give clear evidence of the glory of Sri Lanka’s past. We will see the Royal Palace complex, the Quadrangle with its concentration of ancient heritage relics and museum, and the spectacular Gal Vihare complex of four massive images of the Buddha, cut out from a single slab of granite; a highlight of ancient Sri Lankan rock carving. Lunch will be either at the hotel or a local restaurant. We will spend the afternoon in Minneriya (30 minute drive) and we will experience a Jeep Safari in the Minneriya National Park. Its 8,890 hectares make an ideal eco-tourism location in Sri Lanka. The park consists of mixed evergreen forests and shrub areas and is home to indigenous Sri Lankan wildlife such as sambar deer, leopards, elephants and many more. We will return to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay. |
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Day 5: August 12: SIGIRIYA / DAMBULLA / NUWARA ELIYA
Following breakfast and check out from the Hotel Agbo Minneriya, we will drive to Sigiriya (15 minutes). When we arrive, we will climb the Sigiriya Rock Fortress. Sigiriya was the royal citadel of King Kasayapa who ruled in the 5th century AD. Sigiriya is adorned with moats, terraces, water gardens and fountains, boulders and stone stairways decorated with beautiful ancient frescos of heavenly maidens in the pockets of the rock. At the top, walk among palace ruins and the two intact man-made swimming pools commissioned by the King. Next, it will be time to start our journey to the picturesque hill country of Sri Lanka. En route we will visit the Dambulla Rock Cave Temple. The temple consists of five caves on a hill 340 meters high, displaying 150 serene statues of the Buddha, numerous carvings and murals (including famous hand-painted ceiling murals). This fascinating and memorable site was founded by King Valagambahu during the 1st century BC in gratitude for the shelter he found in the caves during an invasion by the marauding Dravidians from southern India. You will also see many wild monkeys that “guard” the temple and watch passersby. We will have lunch at a local restaurant in Dambulla. From there we will continue our drive to Nuwara Eliya, via Kandy (5 hours total). We will have dinner and check in to the Dream Cottage Hotel. |
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Day 6: August 13: NUWARA ELIYA / HORTON PLAINS
Following breakfast, we will go on a day excursion to Horton Plains National Park (1 hour drive). We will arrive early so as to reach the escarpment before the mist descends, in order to enjoy the panoramic view. Horton Plains is located on the highest plateau of Sri Lanka, at an elevation of 7,600 feet above sea level. The highlight of the plains is a terrific escarpment, The World’s End, a 3 km walking trail from Horton Plains. The World’s End drops vertically for about 2,300 feet, and on a very clear day, you can see the eastern horizon. We may also visit Bakers Falls en route, and we may visit Ambewela Farms, situated in the lush green hills of Nuwara Eliya. Ambewela Farms is blessed with the cool climate and pristine environment of the Hill Country. Here, we can sample the farm fresh yogurt and ice cream produced by this superior agricultural endeavor. Lunch will be at a local restaurant. We will return to Nuwara Eliya, have dinner at the hotel and relax at the hotel or stroll through the city and banks of Gregory Lake. |
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Day 7: August 14: NUWARA ELIYA / NANU-OYA / ELLA
Following breakfast, we will check out of the Dream Cottage. En route to Ella, we will visit a tea plantation and factory, where we will appreciate the art of tea from plucking the leaves to drying, finishing and packaging. We will then drive through Ramboda Mountain Pass to view the Ramboda waterfalls. We will stop for lunch at a local restaurant. We will then proceed to Nanu-oya Railway Station and take the Nanuoya Mountain Odyssey train which will allow us to view the beautiful waterfalls and scenery (3 hour drive). We will arrive at Ella, be picked up and driven to Dew Hotel, where we will check in and have dinner. Day 8: August 15: ELLA / LITTLE ADAMS PEAK / KANDY Following breakfast, check out from the Dew Hotel. We will visit Little Adams Peak and some other local sightseeing. Following lunch at a local restaurant, we will drive to Kandy (4 hours). We will check in to the Kings Ridge Hotel and have dinner. |
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Day 9: August 16: KANDY / PINNAWALA
In the morning we will drive to the Pinnawala Baby Elephant Orphanage (1 hour). Here, if it is feeding time, we may be able to help feed baby elephants with mild bottles, and we will watch the elephants bathing in the river. Established in 1975 by the Sri Lanka Wildlife Department, this 24 acre preserve is also a breeding place for elephants. The first elephant baby was born here in 1984, and the orphanage site now has the largest herd of elephants protected on a preserve in the world. Between 1975 and 2012, 67 elephants were born. Lunch will be at a local restaurant. In the evening, we will return to Kandy, where we will take a sightseeing tour of the city. We will tour the Upper Lake Drive, and shop in a market square and bazaar. We will also visit the world heritage site Sri Dalanda Maligawa, and the Sacred Tooth Relic Temple where Buddha's Teeth Relic is enshrined. The temple was built in the 17th century for the protection and veneration of the sacred Tooth Relic. Within the Royal Palace, the Tooth Relic is encased in seven caskets, one kept inside and the outermost of which is shaped as a Stupa adorned with a large number of gold ornaments. Along with the thousands of devotees who visit the temple we will offer lotus flowers and change in the presence of the Tooth Relic, taking part in a ceremony that has existed for centuries. There is also a fantastic museum at this site, which displays artifacts of great importance in Sri Lankan history. We will check in to the Hotel Topaz, followed by dinner and overnight stay |
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Day 10: August 17: KANDY / BHANTE’S BIRTH VILLAGE & MONASTERY
Following breakfast, we will spend the day visiting Bhante’s birth village, the monastery where he was ordained, and other local monasteries and forest hermitages. Lunch will be arranged locally. In the evening, we will watch the famous Kandy Esala Perahara procession. This magnificent festival draws visitors from all over the world. You will hear chanting and receive blessings from many Bhantes! Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel. |
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Day 11: August 18: KANDY / COLOMBO
Following breakfast, check out from Kings Ridge Hotel, and drive to Colombo (3 hours). In the afternoon, we will visit the fascinating capital where past and present co-exist side by side. The Portuguese, Dutch and British all left their imprint of the city, with churches and monuments, names and religions, costumes and food and smatterings of their languages which have been absorbed in the speech of the everyday Sri Lankan. We will visit Galle Face Green, the Old Parliament, Lotus Tower, the BMICH Conference Hall, Independence Square, the Gangarama Temple and Berai Lake. Time permitting, we will visit the monastery where Bhante studied. Shopping will include a visit to the Majestic City shopping complex, the House of Fashion and the ODEL Unlimited Dress Boutique. We will also visit the Ceramic Corporation showroom outlet, and the Crest Cat Mall. You will be able to pick up all of your souvenirs and gift items to remember your trip by. Hotel is being arranged. |
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Day 12: August 19: COLOMBO
Following breakfast, check out from the hotel. Continue sightseeing in Colombo. Arrive at Colombo International Airport at 9:00PM for an early morning departure on August 20th.
Following breakfast, check out from the hotel. Continue sightseeing in Colombo. Arrive at Colombo International Airport at 9:00PM for an early morning departure on August 20th.