15 Day Guided Small Group Tour - Sri Lanka - Northern Explorer

Undiscovered Destinations is delighted to announce the launch of their latest tour. A 15 day guided adventure exploring the far north of Sri Lanka.

This small group tour heads off the beaten track to the north and the Jaffna peninsula, an area left battle-scarred by a fierce civil war. We explore the sun-baked and windswept isolated islands of Mannar and Delft where wild ponies roam the landscape. We visit ancient cities, colourful temples, spectacular coastline, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and also get up close to nature in Wilpattu National Park. Fully guided and using good quality named accommodation throughout, this tour is ideal of a first time visitor to Sri Lanka or the experienced traveller returning to visit an area for so long off limits.

Undiscovered Destinations have departures in June and September 2016 and three tours already scheduled for March, June and September 2017.  

To begin with the tour heads north, up the west coast from the arrival point in Colombo via the colourful fishing village of Negombo where it stops to see the catch being landed on the beach and for a chance to wander through the busy fish market.

The next port of call is a truly off the beaten track and wonderful eco retreat where travellers experience the peace and tranquillity of the natural environment and enjoy home cooked local food, nature walks and gentle bike rides. For wildlife lovers, the tour visits Wilpattu National Park one of the lesser visited parks in Sri Lanka, where there is the chance to spot wildlife such as Sloth Bear, Leopard and Elephants.

After Wilpattu National Park, continue to the sun-baked island of Mannar one of the most isolated areas of the country where wild donkeys roam and the landscape is dotted with Baobab trees. From here, take a boat to Adams Bridge, a chain of islets and sandbanks which almost connects Sri Lanka to India. The tour then heads on to the Jaffna Peninsula which was until only a few years ago the scene of a fierce civil war between government forces and the LTTE (Tamil Tigers). War damage here is still very much in evidence. Discover how the area is recovering and explore points of interest such as Jaffna Fort, Fort Hammenheil and the Public Library.

There is the opportunity to visit fascinating Delft Island where wild ponies run free, before heading back south crossing the Elephant Pass. The tour then heads to the ancient sites of Mihintale, Sigiriya and Pollonuwara before heading to the east coast. Here the tour winds down by spending time on the beautiful beaches and offers a chance to explore the main harbour city of Trincomalee.

The tour ends with a train journey through the heart of Sri Lanka back to Colombo where this unforgettable experience comes to an end.

Undiscovered Destinations is an award winning and groundbreaking adventure travel company dedicated to providing truly authentic experiences in some of the world's most exciting regions. Offering both small group adventure holidays and tours as well as tailormade itineraries, Undiscovered Destinations focuses on countries and regions that can genuinely be described as off the beaten track.

Undiscovered Destinations is based in North Shields, Tyne and Wear and is a member of ABTA (Y6120), AITO (5168) and holds ATOL licence (7232).

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For more details contact Aled Evans at Undiscovered Destinations

Tel:      0191 296 2674

Email: aled.evans@undiscovered-destinations.com  

Web:   www.undiscovered-destinations.com