Sri Lanka Scenic Tea Tour ~ January 3-18, 2010

Sri Lanka ~ A Land Like No Other

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You will not want to miss this opportunity of a lifetime! A 15-day tour of Sri Lanka led by Lalith Guy Paranavatana, President of Empire Tea Services USA and former Tea Estate Manager and Director of the Sri Lanka State Plantations Corporation. According to Lalith, "Those who join us will have the time of their life!!! Sri Lanka is such a fun place and that is why I go back every year."

There is no question - this trip is excellent value for money. The price includes virtually everything - all hotel accommodation (rooms at beach resorts have a sea view and are air-conditioned); 3 meals a day; inland travel (not by elephant, but air-conditioned coach!); cultural events; safari; entry to sacred, historical sites, cultural sites, and museums; airport transfers; service charges; and baggage handling.

This is a small group tour (10-14) where you will get to know Lalith and your fellow travelers. The pace will be relaxed (like Sri Lanka itself) and the memories will last forever.

A complete day-by-day itinerary is listed below, but allow us to share with you just some of the places and things you will experience on the Sri Lanka Scenic Tea Tour:

TEA!

Learn the history of Ceylon tea with a visit to the Tea Museum in Hantane.
Visit lush, beautiful tea gardens such as Vithanakanda and Lovers Leap.
Tour working tea factories across the country.
Attend the Colombo Tea Auction.
Enjoy lunch at "The Tea Factory" (now a magnificent 3-star hotel) where some of the old machinery is incorporated into the design.
Tour the Tea Research Institute in Talawakelle where you will personally meet with tea expert and tea scientists.
Sharpen your tea tasting skills at professionally led tea tastings.
Spend the night on a tea plantation.
Partake of Afternoon Tea overlooking the Indian Ocean.
Visit tea fields and see tea pluckers harvesting the lush leaf.

CULTURE!

Get your camera and journal out for an up close and personal encounter with temples, ancient ruins, rock fortresses, cave temples. (Got fresco?)
Walk the streets of the ancient capital of Kandy, and the medieval capital of Polonnaruwa.
Stroll through a spice garden.
Look around a batik factory.
See a dance performance.

ADVENTURE!

Practice your shooting skills (cameras only, please!) on a Jeep safari tour of Yala National Park.
Smile as your watch baby elephants being bottle-fed and bathed at the Elephant Orphanage in Pinnawala.
Take a glass-bottom boat ride where you will see colorful coral formations and multicolored fish.
Visit a turtle hatchery.
Fore! Play a round (or more) of golf, if so inclined.

SUNSHINE, SHOPPING & SCENERY!

Stroll along pristine sandy beaches (Sri Lanka's coastline stretches for 450 miles around the island) and swim in resort pools.
Sri Lankan handicrafts and spices make wonderful souvenirs and there will be plenty of time to include some "retail therapy".
Experience some of the most spectacular scenery in the world - mountains, waterfalls, breathless vistas and endless carpets of lush green tea gardens.

Detailed Itinerary (Week 1)

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Day 1 - January 3, 2010

Leave Chicago on US Airlines to Zurich, Switzerland for connection to Colombo, Sri Lanka. Fly Sri Lankan Airlines (Zurich to Colombo), regarded as one of Asia’s finest and most hospitable airlines.

Day 2 - January 4, 2010

Morning arrival at Colombo airport to be met by a representative of the Tour Operator and English- speaking guide.

Immediate transfer to Galle Face Hotel, a legacy of Sri Lanka’s colonial heritage, situated in the business district of Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka.

Afternoon Tea at hotel, overlooking the Indian Ocean.

Relax, swim in the pool, or take a walk along the beach.

Dinner hosted by Union Commodities (Pvt) Ltd, tea exporters.

Galle Face Hotel, Colombo
Day 3 - January 5, 2010

After breakfast, leave for Ratnapura to visit Vithanakanda Estate, a low elevation tea estate producing world renown orthodox teas.

Lunch hosted by the manager at the Manager’s residence.

Return to Galle Face for dinner.

Ratnapura
Day 4 - January 6, 2010

After breakfast, leave for the Colombo Tea Auctions held at the Chamber of Commerce and accompanied by a senior broker from John Keells Ltd., tea brokers.

Lunch hosted by John Keells Ltd.

Afternoon tea tasting conducted by a senior tea taster of John Keells Ltd.

Late afternoon shopping.

Dinner hosted by CTP Pre-Packed Exports (Pte) Ltd.

Tea Tasting
Day 5 - January 7, 2010

After an early breakfast, leave for Habarana, in the central region of Sri Lanka. En route visit the elephant orphanage at Pinnawala and see the bathing and bottle feeding of baby elephants.

Lunch at Gimanhala Restaurant, Dambulla.

After lunch, leave for Polonnaruwa, the medieval capital of Sri Lanka, to see ancient ruins of a 2500 year old civilization.

Dinner and overnight at Chaaya Village Habarana (4-star), a pristine location overlooking a lake.

Elephant Orphanage, Pinnawala
Day 6 - January 8, 2010

Early risers can watch rare species of birds and other fauna and flora close to the lake.

After breakfast, proceed to Sigiria and climb the rock fortress, a former kingdom built on top of a gigantic rock. See some of the earliest known frescoes etched into the rock 2000 years ago.

Late morning, leave for Anuradhapura, the 5th century B.C. capital of Sri Lanka which was an agrarian kingdom.

Lunch at the Palm Garden Village Hotel.

After lunch, tour Anuradhapura.

Return to Chaaya Village Habarana for dinner and overnight.

Frescoe, Sigiria
Day 7 - January 9, 2010

After breakfast, proceed to Kandy the last bastian of the pre-colonial era. En route visit the Dambulla cave temple comprised of five caves under overhanging rock. This is the most impressive cave temple in Asia. We will also visit a spice garden and a batik factory.

Lunch at Queens Hotel in Kandy.

Afternoon, see the sights of Kandy (2500 feet above sea level) and the beautiful lake, and also visit the sacred Temple of the Tooth, where it is believed that the tooth of the Buddha is enshrined.

Late evening, witness a cultural dance performance.

Dinner and overnight at Amaya Hills Hotel (4-star).

Cave Temple, Dambulla

Detailed Itinerary (Week 2)

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Day 8 - January 10, 2010

After breakfast visit the Tea Museum at Hantane for a glimpse of the history of Ceylon tea.

Proceed to Nuwara Eliya (4800 feet above sea level) which is also called "Little England". En route traverse the beautiful hill country and see magnificent mountainsides, waterfalls, breathtaking vistas and endless carpets of lush green tea gardens. View Nuwara Eliya estate, the former tea estate managed by your Tour Director, Lalith.

Lunch at The Grand Hotel Nuwara Eliya, a colonial style building with manicured lawns and flower gardens.

Afternoon golf anyone? An 18-hole golf course is the backdrop to the hotel. The Nuwara Eliya Golf Club offers everything you need, plus caddies to carry your bags, at very reasonable prices. A stroll round the golf course and the park is another option.

Dinner and overnight at The Grand Hotel.

St. Clair's Waterfall, near Nuwara Eliya
Day 9 - January 11, 2010

After breakfast visit Pedro Estate. This factory also sells under another famous mark called "Lovers Leap". Tea tasting at Pedro Factory will include not only teas produced at the factory, but also teas produced in neighboring factories in the Nuwara Eliya region.

Lunch at The Tea Factory, now converted into a magnificent 4-star theme hotel by a world famous architect. Some of the old machinery has been incorporated into the design.

Meet neighboring tea estate managers who will accompany you to The Tea Research Institute in Talawakelle for an afternoon of scientific insights into tea cultivation and technology. You will meet the scientists who through new innovations contribute to the improvement of the tea industry as a whole.

Tea estate managers will host you to dinner and an overnight stay in their "bungalows" where you will be transported back in time to the days of colonial Ceylon and enjoy the lifestyle of the "tea planter" of a bygone era.

Tea Research Institute, Talawakelle
Day 10 - January 12, 2010

Rise early and visit the factory of your host estate, accompanied by the manager. Witness the last stages of overnight tea manufacture and taste the "dhools" fresh off the drier. You will receive complimentary samples of tea from that factory to take home.

After a quick breakfast with the host family, visit tea fields to see tea pluckers harvesting the leaf and learn about the other agricultural programs on the estate.

Lunch with the Manager, then return to The Grand Hotel for transfer to Ella (Uva District) which is on the eastern side of the country. Grand Ella Motel house is perched at around 4000 feet above sea level and has a breathtaking view of the plains extending to the eastern seaboard.

Dinner and overnight at Grand Ella Motel (2-star).

Tea Plucking, Two Leaves and a Bud
Day 11 - January 13, 2010

After breakfast leave for Yala, descending 4000 feet along the Ella/Wellawaya gap, a very scenic and picturesque route.

Lunch at Elephant Reach Hotel.

Afternoon Jeep Safari to Yala National Park wildlife sanctuary and habitat to elephants, bears, leopards, deer, wild buffalo, crocodile, peacocks, and fascinating bird life (watch video). The terrain is varied; flat plains alternating with rocky outcrops. The vegetation ranges from open plains to dense jungle. Waterholes, small lakes, and lagoons are in abundance giving refuge to magnificent fauna and flora. An experience of a lifetime!

Late dinner and overnight at Elephant Reach Hotel.

Peacock, Yala National Park
Day 12 - January 14, 2010

After breakfast, leave for the southern coast and Galle, a former Dutch fort. Tour the city and the ramparts of the fort. Proceed along the scenic coastal highway to the Sea Turtle Sanctuary at Kosgoda en route to lunch at the Hikkaduwa Coral Gardens Hotel, yet another beautiful hotel situated on the beach.

After lunch, take a glass bottom boat ride to see coral formations and colorful fish.

Leave for Bentota Beach Hotel for dinner and overnight. Enjoy the enchanting gardens and sandy beach of this 4-star hotel.

Bentota Beach Hotel
Day 13 - January 15, 2010

Rise early and enjoy a swim in the ocean or pool, have breakfast, and leave for Mt. Lavinia Hotel situated on the famous Mt. Lavinia beach on the outskirts of Colombo city.

Lunch, relax, and enjoy the afternoon on the beach.

Dine (dinner) on the terrace of this colonial-style, lavishly appointed hotel with a view of the bay and Colombo city on the horizon. Some scenes in the movie "The Bridge on the River Kwai" were filmed here, depicting the colonial command post of the British army. Travel back in time in this lavishly furnished hotel and be pampered as a royal guest. Overnight at Mt. Lavinia Beach Hotel.

Tea at Mt. Lavinia Beach Hotel

Day 14 - January 16, 2010

Breakfast

After lunch, leave for the airport for return flight to Chicago via Zurich, Switzerland.

Day 15 - January 17, 2010

PM arrive in Chicago.

Tour Cost

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$2995

Cost per person sharing double. Land only.

Tour members are advised to obtain their own

travel insurance.

$4845

Cost per person sharing double. Includes roundtrip airfare from Chicago.

Tour members are advised to obtain their own

travel insurance.

$390
Single supplement.

Tour members are advised to obtain their own

travel insurance.

$1000

per person deposit due by July 1, 2009,

with final payment due by November 1, 2009.

Deposits are refundable, less a $250 per person

cancellation fee, until 75 days prior to departure.

Tour members are advised to obtain their own

travel insurance.

Visa, MasterCard, and American Express are accepted

All deposit monies will be

REFUNDED

if quotas are exceeded or if the

tour is cancelled due to

extenuating circumstances.

(See General Information for complete refund policy.)

How to Register

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Registration is easy!

Simply call Lalith at 1.800.790.0246 or 812.375.1937, or send him an email at lalith@empiretea.com

But remember - seating is limited, and on a first-come, first-served basis.

CALL OR EMAIL LALITH TODAY!

General Information

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~ All rooms at beach resorts will have a sea view and air-conditioning.

~ Inland transportation by air-conditioned coach.

~ Exchange rate: 1 US $ = SL Rupees 115.00 (approximately).

~ US citizens do not require a visa to enter Sri Lanka as a tourist for a period of 30 days.

~ Time difference is 11 hours ahead of EST.

~ International direct dialing, Internet, and email is available at hotels.

~ Final itinerary subject to change - depending on weather and time constraints - but the basic format will not change. This website will be regularly updated.

~ If you are in the tea business, a major part of the expense of this trip may be tax deductible; consult your tax accountant.

~ Minimum number required for tour: 10. Maximum number: 14.

~ Political situation: Sri Lanka is a democratic country since independence from Britain in 1949.

~ Demographics: Buddhist – 80%, Hindu – 10%, Christian – 8%, Muslim – 2%

~ For those interested in seeing and learning more on tea and less of the scenic tour, we can make independent arrangements at no extra charge.

~ Deposits are REFUNDABLE, less a $250 per person cancellation fee, until 75 days prior to departure.

~ All deposit monies will be REFUNDED if quotas are exceeded or if the tour is cancelled due to extenuating circumstances. The right is reserved to cancel the tour prior to departure, in which case the entire payment will be REFUNDED with no further obligation.

~ No REFUND will be made for any unused portion of the tour.

~ Tour members are advised to obtain their own travel insurance.

~ Tour Operator: Aitken Spence Tours

~ Tour Director: Lalith Guy Paranavatana, Empire Tea Services

~ For information of a general nature, please contact Denise LeCroy at admin@teainlondon.com

EMPIRE TEA SERVICES LLC or any of its agents or associates can assume no liability for illness, injury, damage, loss or expense. All participants must sign a Release.