OVERVIEW
HIGHLIGHT
- Sigiriya
- Trincomalee
- Pasikuda
- Arugam Bay
Airport > Sigiriya > Trincomalee > Pasikuda > Arugam Bay > Airport
Day 01.
Sigiriya
- Route : Airport > Sigiriya
- Drive : 3 Hours
- Hotel : On Request
- Highlight : At Leisure Sigiriya
WELCOME TO THE MAGICAL COUNTRY….
At the Airport you all will be greeted by our SURANGATOURS representative and your chauffeur guide who will take you all into the old city of Sigiriya. After check – in at your hotel, relax and recover from any jet lag. If you have spare time or feel comfortable, walk around the farming village area and enjoy the peaceful beauty of glorious Sigiriya. Overnight Sigiriya.
Day 02.
Minneriya
- Route : Sigiriya > Minneriya > Sigiriya
- Drive : 1 Hour 30 Minutes
- Hotel : On Request
- Highlight : Discover the 5th Century Sigiriya Rock Fortress, Elephant Safari at Minneriya National Park, Sunset in Pidurangala Rock
Welcome to start your day’s adventure!!
After breakfast, your first visit is to the highly attractive and world-famous 5th century Sigiriya Rock Fortress. Afternoon drive to Minneriya and elephant safari at Minneriya National Park. In the late afternoon, visit Pidurangala temple and enjoy the beautiful sunset on the Pidurangala rocks above. Overnight Sigiriya
Day 03.
Nilaveli
- Route : Sigiriya > Trincomalee (Nilaveli)
- Drive : 2 Hours
- Hotel : On Request
- Highlight : At Leisure Nilaveli
After breakfast, proceed to Trincomalee via Ambepussa-Trincomalee Hwy/A6 Road. Once in Trincomalee, spend a day relaxing at Nilaveli beach and in the evening try traditional cuisine at a popular restaurant in the city. Overnight Nilaveli.
OPTIONAL – Fort Frederick/Dutch Bay Beach/Swami Rock (The world’s greatest vantage point for blue whale spotting by oceanographers.)
Day 04.
Nilaveli
- Route : Nilaveli
- Drive : 30 Minutes Boat Ride
- Hotel : On Request
- Highlight : Snorkelling & Diving in Pigeon Island National Park
After breakfast, in the morning, join the snorkeling and diving tour and get excited about the unexpected marine life around Pigeon Island.
Pigeon Island, paradise for SCUBA DIVERS and SNORKELERS, is a national marine park and the second marine sanctuary in Sri Lanka. It is situated off Nilaveli beach in the Indian Ocean, approximately two kilometres away from the shore. The island’s name derives from the rock pigeon that has colonised it. The national park contains some of the best remaining coral reefs in Sri Lanka. Pigeon Island was designated as a sanctuary in 1963. In 2003, it was re-designated as a national park. The island was used as a shooting range during the colonial era. The large pigeon island’s coral reef fauna is dominated by Acropora spp. with some MONTIPORA supp. Faviidae, Mussidae, and Poritidae species dominate the coral reef around the rocky islets. Areas with soft corals such as Sinularia, Lobophyton, and Sarcophyton can also be observed. The coral reef harbours many vertebrates and invertebrates. Many of the 100 species of coral and 300 coral reef fish recorded around the Trincomalee area are found in the national park. Juvenile and adult blacktip reef sharks are seen around the shallow coral areas. The Hawksbill turtle, Green Turtle, and Olive Ridley are the visiting sea turtles of the coral reef.
After a wonderful marine life experience, head back to the hotel well and truly satisfied. Spend the rest of the day relaxing. Overnight Nilaveli.
Day 05.
- Route : Nilaveli
- Drive : 20 Minutes Boat Drive
- Hotel : On Request
- Highlight : Diving in Irrakkandy Wreck ( 9 – 11 Meters Depth)
Today your diving sight is the famous “IRRAKKANDY WRECK.”
Irrakkandy is a small and sleepy fishing village just north of the famous Nilaveli beach. A few kilometres seaward of this village, and at a depth of 10 metres, one finds the remains of a mysterious shipwreck. It’s a popular dive for recreational SCUBA divers who love to explore ancient shipwrecks and enjoy the marine life that makes this place their home. The locals call this the “Irrakkandy Wreck,” and that’s about what everyone seems to know about this shipwreck, completely oblivious to the fascinating story behind this wreck.
In 1857, a horrific war, called the First War of Independence by the Indians against the British, started in Meerut, northeast of Lucknow. As the war spread, and amidst massive casualties from both sides, the British refugees from the Siege of Lucknow made their way out of the area to Calcutta. These refugees, consisting of mostly women and children, boarded a Peninsular Steam Company ship, the SS Ava, bound for England. On the way, they were to stop at Trincomalee to replenish supplies and also offload goods and gold to the Governor of Ceylon. Just before reaching Trincomalee, the Ava struck a shallow shoal of rocks about 25 kilometres north of the Trinco harbour. It was to be her last resting place. The passengers and the crew evacuated and the ship sank beneath the waves, her story being referred to as the Irrakkandy Shipwreck. Evening at leisure. Overnight Nilaveli.
Optional Sites
1 – Fort Rock, 25-minute boat ride and 25-30-meter depth: This incredible rock formation offers spectacular “swim throughs,” as well as huge schools of fish such as barracudas, trevallies, snappers, and batfish.Beautiful anemone gardens and an incredible variety of marine life, including big rays, tunas, and, for the lucky ones, whale sharks.!!
2-SUWAMY ROCK/15 Min Boating Time & 8-22 m Depth: This beautiful area is surrounded by many legends and stories. It’s one of the most famous and attractive dive sites in Trincomalee. It’s home to a big school of fish, turtles, stone fish, and a variety of eels!
3: Navy Island (25-minute boat ride, 5–12-meter depth): A beautiful coral reef and rock formations.to a school of fish and rich coral.
Day 06.
- Route : Nilaveli > Batticaloa
- Drive : 3 Hours
- Hotel : On Request
- Highlight : Diving in Wreck HMS Hermes ( Minimum Certification required – TEC45 )
After a fantastic time in Trincomalee, we’re off to the historic Batticaloa, or Batti, for short.Enjoy and be excited by the unexpected marine life in your Sri Lankan adventure once you arrive in Batti.Diving in the Wreck HMS Hermes (42 M to 53 M) Batticaloa is highly famous among world divers. In 1942, during World War II, the aircraft carrier HMS Hermes and escorting destroyer HMAS Vampire were stationed at Trincomalee. Both these ships came under Japanese aerial attack off Batticaloa and were sunk. Some of the wreckage of HMS Hermes can still be found about 9 nautical miles (17 kilometers) off the coast of Batticaloa.The wrecked HMS Hermes is a hidden treasure. One of the main tourist attractions is But divers need to be qualified in technical diving and have a considerable amount of experience to dive this wonderful wreck. The sinking of the Hermes was supposed to be the most dangerous movement of the second world war. Now the wreck is a war grave. Evening at leisure. Overnight Batticaloa
optional sites
Buttered Fly Rock—14 M to 22 M An excellent dive site for open water training. Beautiful coral and rich marine life can be seen.
BOILER WRECKS-4 M TO 8 M This is an excellent dive site for open water training for beginners.
Day 07.
- Route : Batticaloa
- Drive :
- Hotel : On Request
- Highlight : Diving , Rest and Relax
A full day of diving and snorkelling. Choose any optional diving site to complete your day. Spend the rest of the day relaxing at Batticaloa beach. Overnight Batticaloa.
OPTIONAL SITES
- Proppa gala / 14 m – 20 m / Large boulders to see
- Mushroom Rock / 18 m – Passekuda
- Passekudah boiler wreck / 10 m
- Kalpara Gala / 25 m / Rouge trevally reef
Day 08.
- Route : Batticaloa > Arugam Bay
- Drive : 3 Hours
- Hotel : On Request
- Highlight : Surfing Arugam Bay
Your exciting diving adventures finish after breakfast this morning. After breakfast, proceed to Arugam Bay to spend the wonderful 4 days of your surfing adventure. Once in Arugam, visit the optional surf sites and get an unexpected surfing experience on the magical east coast.
ARUGAM BAY :
Lovely Arugam Bay, a moon-shaped curl of soft sand, is home to a famous point break that many regard as the best surf spot in the country. It’s a tiny place, with a population of a few hundred, and everything is dotted along a single road that parallels the coast. Arugam Bay is the most popular surf spot in Sri Lanka and is also the only international surf competition venue in the country. It is also rated as one of the top ten surf destinations in the world. It has also hosted most of the international surfing competitions in Sri Lanka since 2004. It also hosted the SO Sri Lanka Pro 2019.
Optional Sites
- Crocodile Rock
- Elephant Rock
- Peanut Farm
- Pottuvil Point
- Whiskey Point
- Lighthouse Point
Day 12
Airport
- Route : Arugam Bay > Airport
- Hotel :
- Drive : 6 Hours
- Highlight : Departure
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. We are looking forward to welcoming you to one of our other tours. Proceed to the Airport in time for the connecting flight.
