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Sri Lanka – Tropical Paradise of Asia

Sri Lanka, the tropical paradise of Asia, is like a jewel in the Indian Ocean. Sri Lanka has a perfect blend of fascinating history, rich culture and picturesque nature. Sri Lankan history and culture spans more than 3,000 years and still remains vibrant and alive today. Sri Lanka is a diverse country home to many religions, ethnicities and languages. It is the land of the Sinhalese, Sri Lankan Tamils, Moors, Indian Tamils, Burghers, Malays, Kaffirs and the aboriginal Vedda. Sri Lanka has a rich Buddhist heritage, and the first known Buddhist writings were composed on the island. From the historic kingdom city of Anuradhapura and its well-preserved Sacred Tooth relic, to the beautiful, calm Mirissa beach and the impressive Sigiriya rock fortress, Sri Lanka has something to offer to everyone. Our philosophy at Jesal Tours and Travels is to take care of each individual's unique tastes, likes and dislikes since we believe that each individual is one of a kind. For this very reason, we have designed two customized packages for you.

1) Tropical Paradise Package

For an unforgettable getaway to the tropical paradise; Sri Lanka, we have designed a personalized holiday experience for you. We recommend this experience have no return date, however considering your work priorities and routine schedules, we have designed a 3 night-3 day package.

Day 1: Arrive in Colombo and enjoy dinner at Ballys
Arrive in Colombo in the evening and relax and rejuvenate yourself with an authentic Sri Lankan-inspired meal that focuses on fresh ingredients and bold flavours that will be a symphony for your palate. Later at night, if you want to try your hand at roulette or baccarat, Ballys Colombo is the place to be! Ballys Colombo pride themselves as the casino with the highest winning percentage in the world.

Day 2: City Tour – Explore Colombo followed by dinner at Ballys
Colombo is coastal tropical, ultra-hip and often colonial. There is no end to the entertainment this city has to offer. Incredible shopping, delectable food, relentless partying, lush greenery and beautiful waterways aside, Colombo is a mere three hours away by road and less than an hour by air from misty mountains, from world heritage sites and from wildlife sanctuaries.

If you are a history enthusiast, a must-see is The National Museum of Colombo. It is the largest museum in Colombo exhibiting the regalia of the 17th century Kandyan Kings. For an art lover, The Sapumal Foundation, that was once home to the late Harry Pieris, is a must-visit gallery. This gallery contains 200 paintings that follow the development of Sri Lankan art.

If you are a Golf lover, you can play a round of golf at the immaculately manicured greens of Royal Colombo Golf Course. It is a beautiful 18-hole 71 par Gold course located in the very heart of the city of Colombo.

Later in the day, you can enjoy an extravagant meal at the Gallery Cafe, an open-air cafe located in Alfred House, a historic building in Colombo. This Cafe bar has a pebbled courtyard with stunning interiors and plush decor.

At sundown, you can visit the Galle Face Green Promenade for a spectacular view. The promenade stretches 13 acres between Galle Road and the Indian Ocean; and is a perfect relaxing destination for children, teenagers and families.

After an enjoyable and exciting day in Colombo, return to Ballys to rejuvenate yourself with an authentic Sri Lankan-inspired meal and later at night, you can try your hand at roulette or baccarat.

Day 3: Explore the Beaches or go Whale watching or on a cruise followed by dinner at Ballys
Enjoy a trip to the Mirissa beach; a beautiful, calm, relaxing and almost private sandy beach in Sri Lanka. Mirissa is a 4-hour drive from Colombo and is close to the southern-most tip of the Indian subcontinent.

An early morning departure to Mirissa is recommended to enjoy the picturesque and colourful sunrise. The Mirissa shoreline is blanketed with coconut trees and all civilization of Mirissa is far off from the shore giving you the feeling of being on a serene and peaceful beach.

Afternoon is a great time to retire to one of the many beach-side bars and restaurants to replenish your lost fluids with a cool drink. If you love snorkelling, the Parrot Rock area on the beach is your hot-spot.

If you want to just relax by the sea, just bring the beach-side restaurant chairs out onto the sand and sit and watch in awe at the array of colours as the sun sets behind coconut trees on the hills. The Mirissa sunset is like a masterpiece of a fine artist. Each evening the sunset has something different to offer; it could be fiery red or calm orange or the most beautiful pastel pink.

If you want to do wind surfing, Mirissa Beach is the most popular surfer's hangout in Sri Lanka. It is a common sight to see surfing enthusiasts from all over the globe satisfying their passion for riding the waves.

If you are a wildlife enthusiast or an aquatic world admirer, Mirissa Beach is a perfect place for whale and dolphin sightings trips. You can watch Spinner, Striped, Bottlenose and Spotted Dolphins or adore the beauty of the majestic Whales, the largest mammals to have ever existed.

After an adventurous day by the beach, return to Ballys to rejuvenate yourself with an authentic Sri Lankan-inspired meal and later at night, you can try your hand at roulette or baccarat.

Day 4: Shopping in Colombo followed by lunch at Ballys and departure for India
Colombo is the commercial heart of Sri Lanka. It is a cosmopolitan mix of vibrant street markets, colonial buildings, interesting museums, fine restaurants and great shopping opportunities. Colombo has chic department stores and elegant shopping malls filled with designer clothing, shoes, handbags, handicrafts, home furnishings and more. It is a shopper's paradise!

When shopping in Sri Lanka, the things you should not miss shopping for are the world famous Ceylon tea, designer clothing and jewellery.

All tea lovers should take along home a packet of world famous Ceylon tea. You can either shop at the tea estates or at tea centres. Miesna Tea is amongst the best centres for tea shopping.

Many designer clothes are manufactured in Sri Lanka and thus you can trust on the quality and get good products at bargain prices. Odel is an upscale store featuring high quality designer labels of clothing, as well as many other types of products, at very affordable prices.

If you are looking for gems and precious stones, Colombo has a plethora of gems and stones stores to shop from. The Blue Sapphire is one of the favourite stones shopped for by tourists.

After shopping to your heart's content, head to Ballys for a sumptuous Indian cuisine lunch and relive the experiences and joyous memories of your stay at Sri Lanka. Later in the day; either do some last minute souvenir shopping or relax for a while and head to the airport for your flight back to India.

2) Religious Tour Package

For an unforgettable holiday in Sri Lanka and a blissful experience for Lord Shiva devotees, we have designed a 3 night-3 day religious package for you. We recommend visiting Sri Lanka during either the Navaratri or Shivaratri festivals to take part in the Ther chariot festival. The Ther Chariot Festival lasts for twenty two days in April and focuses on preparing the deities and the community for Puthandu, the Tamil New Year. Navaratri lasts for nine days and is dedicated to various aspects of the presiding goddess, whereas Shivaratri is dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Day 3: Head to Trincomalee for Pujas followed by dinner at Ballys
After a lavish breakfast at the hotel, take the early morning flight to Trincomalee for a visit to the historical places of worship. Trincomalee is also called as 'Dakshina Kailasam' or 'Kailash of the South'; since it lies on exactly the same longitude as the Tibetan mountain Mount Kailash.

The recorded history of Trincomalee spans more than two and a half thousand years beginning with civilian settlement associated with the Koneswaram temple in the pre-modern era. Trincomalee is one of the oldest cities in Asia and was the capital of eastern kingdoms of the Vanni country, under the Pallava Dynasty, Chola Dynasty and the Pandyan Dynasty.

Proceed to the Koneswaram Shiva temple to perform pujas. The Koneswaram temple is situated on top of Swami Rock and has a recorded history from the 3rd century BCE. The legend goes that at the time of the Ramayana, King Ravana and his mother had worshipped Shiva at Koneswaram. King Ravana wanted to remove this temple when his mother was in ill health around 2000 BCE but as the king began heaving the rock, Lord Shiva made him drop his sword and as a result of this a cleft was created on the rock, today called 'Ravana Vettu' or 'Ravana's Cleft'.

You can take part in the evening or morning puja. Experience the peace and tranquillity in worshipping the most revered deity of the Hindus. The Koneswaram temple also offers a gorgeous view of the natural harbour as well as the Indian Ocean.