Cross-Curriculum Trip To Sri Lanka

A school trip to Sri Lanka is an educational experience your students will never forget!

Sri Lanka is an incredibly diverse island which lies in the Indian Ocean. Its rich culture has been influenced by the various different religions, ethnicities and languages prevalent on the island.

This spectacular country has a documented history spanning three millennia and harbours evidence of human settlement from even further back in time. This history has combined with the diversity of the people living here to create one of the world’s richest cultures. There are no less than seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites to explore here, including the breathtaking Sigiriya rock fortress, which is believed to be one of the oldest examples of ancient urban planning in the world.

Suggested Itinerary

Day 1

Evening

Overnight flight to Sri Lanka

Day 2

Morning

Group to be met on arrivaland transferred to hotel

Afternoon

Visit to Muthurajawela Marsh Land

Evening

Evening meal at local restaurant or accommodation

Day 3

Morning

After breakfast, depart for Sigiraya

Afternoon

Visit the palace complex

Evening

Evening meal at local restaurant or accommodation

Day 4

Morning

After breakfast transfer to Kandy

Afternoon

Visit the temples of Kandy

Evening

Enjoy a cultural dance performance Evening meal at local restaurant or accommodation

Day 5

Morning

Visit to Tea Factory

Afternoon

Visit to Nuwara Eliya to see the waterfalls and the city

Evening

Evening meal at local restaurant or accommodation

Day 6

Morning

Depart for Horton Plains National Park

Afternoon

Continue to Udawalawe via Ella

Evening

Evening meal at local restaurant or accommodation

Day 7

Morning

Visit Thanamlwila village and spend time at the local school, where you can interact with the students in some lessons

Afternoon

Learn about the local agricultural economy with a tuk-tuk ride and canoeing on the lake

Evening

Evening meal at local restaurant or accommodation

Day 8

Morning

Early morning jeep safari in Yala National Park

Afternoon

Continue to Ussangoda via Galle Dutch Fort

Evening

Evening meal at local restaurant or accommodation

Day 9

Morning

Transfer from Galle to Colombo

Afternoon

Colombo city tour

Evening

Farewell dinner at local restaurant or accommodation

Day 10

Morning

Return flight to the UK

Afternoon

Arrive back in the UK

24-hour assistance from Halsbury Travel in the UK
8 nights' half-board accommodation
Airport tax and passenger duty at current rates
Airport transfers in resort
Comprehensive travel and medical insurance
Detailed information pack
Free staff place ratio 1:10
Local English-speaking guide during the tour
Programme as listed inclusive of transport and entrance fees
Return flights from London
VAT at current rates to tour operators

Accommodation

Camelot Beach

The Camelot Beach Hotel is in the former fishing village of Negombo, on Sri Lanka's western coast. Once an important trading post for the Dutch and Portuguese, the influence of the former is still prevalent in the city's architecture. The hotel is right on the beach, with many of its 83 guest bedrooms offering a private balcony or terrace overlooking the ocean. All rooms benefit from air-conditioning and Wi-Fi is available in the lobby area. There are also two swimming pools, as well as a children's pool for younger kids.

Galway Forest Lodge

Galway Forest Lodge is located just 1.5km from the town of Nuwara Eliya, overlooking the Galway Forest Reserve which offers outstanding natural beauty. The hotel offers 52 comfortable rooms, all of which benefit from an en-suite bathroom with shower. The main restaurant offers panoramic views of the lake and serves international dishes, as well as Sri Lankan specialities.

Grand Udawalawe

This 4* safari resort is 500m from an elephant orphanage and just 5 minutes' drive from Uda Walawe National Park and offers elegant accommodation. The 53 guest rooms are all air-conditioned, with en-suite bathrooms. There is a lovely restaurant which serves both local and international dishes, as well as a fully-equipped gym. There is also a spectacular pool at the centre of the complex.

Kassapa Lions Rock

The Kassapa Lions Rock boasts an incredible position opposite the iconic Sigiriya, just 20 minutes from the town of Dambulla. The 31 well-appointed chalets are lovely and spacious, and benefit from air-conditioning and en-suite bathroom facilities. The on-site restaurant offers both eastern and western cuisine, so even the pickiest of eaters will be satisfied. And after a long day of sightseeing, you'll be able to cool off in the lovely freshwater swimming pool which boasts spectacular views across to Sigiriya Rock.

Paradise Beach

Stay at the Paradise Beach, just a couple of steps from one of Sri Lanka's famous golden beaches! The 3km beach is just one draw of this lovely hotel, your group will also love the fabulous outdoor pool, which is framed by palm trees and the buffet restaurant, which serves local, Asian and international cuisine.

Tour highlights

Visit Horton Plains National Park

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Horton Plains National Park is in Sri Lanka’s central highlands. Covered by montane grassland and cloud forest, the park is famed for its biodiversity and cool, wet climate. It’s also famous for the spectacular World’s End. This is where the plateau comes to an abrupt end, with the escarpment suddenly plunging 880m. There’s a wide variety of wildlife to see in the park, from monkeys to mongooses, sambar deer and leopards. And the park is even home to its own species of slender loris!

Did you know?

Horton Plains National Park is the perfect place in which to talk about man’s impact on the environment around him. This is the only national park in Sri Lanka which isn’t home to a herd of elephants, because the resident population was hunted to extinction by British colonialists.

Visit Sigiriya

Another UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sigiriya is an iconic symbol of Sri Lanka and an incredible example of ancient urban planning. As far back as the 3rd century BCE, the rock was used as a Buddhist monastery. Then, in the late 5th century CE, King Kasyapa selected the site for his new royal residence. Despite sitting on a huge rock 200m high, the complex boasts some incredible landscaped gardens, consisting of water gardens, cave and boulder gardens and terraced gardens. And there’s a complex hydraulic system to water them which include fountains that may well be some of the oldest in the world.

Did you know?

Sigiriya gets its name from the huge stone lion that formed the entrance to the complex. Sigiriya comes from the word Sihagri, which means Lion Rock. You can still see the lion’s feet today, although sadly the rest has been destroyed over time.

Take a tour of Kandy

The last capital of the ancient kings’ era and home to the Temple of the Tooth, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, this tour will teach your students more about Sri Lankan history and culture. Thanks to its location in Sri Lanka’s mountainous Central Province, Kandy remained fiercely independent after much of the rest of the country had fallen to European colonialists. Resisting the Dutch and then Portuguese colonists from the 16 th century, Kandy only fell to the British in the 19 th century. This allowed the city to preserve its unique culture and traditions. A highlight of the tour is a visit to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic - one of the holiest shrines for Sri Lankan Buddhists, who believe they must visit at least once in their lifetimes.

Did you know?

The tooth of the aforementioned Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is said to be that of Gautama Buddha, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. The tooth was retrieved from his funeral pyre by a disciple and eventually made its way to Sri Lanka.

Educational Activities

Degaldoruwa Cave Temple

Built in 1771 by King Rajadi Rajasinha, the Degaldoruwa Cave Temple is located in the small village of Amunugama, just

Horton Plains National Park

Horton Plains National Park, a World Heritage Site perched on the southern edge of the Central highlands consists of montane

Kandy City Tour

Former capital of the kings of Sri Lanka, make sure you see all the treasures of Kandy with a guided

Muthurajawela the Swamp of Royal Treasure

Estimated to be around 7,000 years old, Muthurajawela is a large swamp in southern Negombo.

Sigiraya

The most visited historic site in Sri Lanka, Sigiriya, or Lion Rock, has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage

Yala National Park

Famous for the diversity of wildlife living there, Yala National Park, on the country's southeastern coast is a must-see on

Supporting you every step of the way

Creating your perfect trip

Your quote will be put together by an experienced Tour Adviser who’ll be an expert in the subject area and will know the destination really well too. They’ll work with you to create a trip to suit your group’s needs and meet your learning objectives.

Launching your trip to parents and students

The next step is to get your trip approved and then get students signed up to it. Our ‘Trip Launch Pack’ will help you with this step. This is full of resources (all free to download) designed to make your life easier at this crucial point in the trip planning process.

After you’ve booked

Once you’ve booked, your dedicated Itinerary Coordinator will start work on the finer details. They’ll make sure your itinerary makes the most of your time and they’ll take on most of the admin tasks for your trip (freeing you up to do what you do best – teach).

Support while you’re away

From lost property to properly lost, we’ll always be on the end of the phone while you’re out on the trip. You’ll get a final info pack before you go, as well as access to all your trip documents via the Vamoos app.

After your trip

We’ll ask you for feedback, so we can improve our service. Let’s start planning your next trip too, so parents have plenty of time to pay (and so it’s less stressful for you). And don’t forget to head to our resources hub to continue the learning back in the classroom.