Enjoy another early morning private jeep safari in Wilpattu National Park today.
We then travel 1-hour to the sacred city of Anuradhapura - founded in the 4th century BC and the first kingdom in Sri Lanka. It was the capital of the island for many centuries and is now a World Heritage site.
On arrival we explore Anuradhapura which is surrounded by temples, monasteries and the well-preserved ruins of the great Sinhala civilisation. The ancient remains on the mountain peak of Mihintale is a pilgrimage site regarded as the cradle of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, as it was here that the monk Mahinda met King Devanampiyatissa and introduced him to it. We view several ancient royal palaces and some of the tallest 'stupas' in Sri Lanka (commemorative monuments with a circular base, supporting a massive dome). We also visit the Jayasiri Maha Bhodhi (Sacred Bo Tree) which is over 2,200 years old and was grown from a branch of the tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment – making it the the oldest historically documented tree in the world.
Afterwards we continue 2-hours to the port city of Trincomalee on the warm east coast, with its beautiful Indian Ocean beaches. With its natural deep-water harbour, Trincomalee was mentioned in the travels of Marco Polo and has been an important sea port for Asian, Chinese, Dutch, French, English and Portuguese traders. Here you will be dropped off at your beach hotel.
Note: Please dress appropriately when visiting sacred sites, with shoulders and knees covered.
If you are flying back to Colombo, Cinnamon Air has an 18 kg baggage limit so your driver will take any excess luggage from you when he drops you off at your hotel and return these to you in Colombo.