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There’s a new adventure on every plate with this food exploration of Sri Lanka

Leave moderation at home and indulge on this gourmet adventure in Sri Lanka. Lie back on the coast, cool down in the highlands and weave through the streets of the buzzing capital. Taste melt-in-the mouth desserts, cook seafood straight out of the hands of a fisherman, uncover fiery curries and spend time with welcoming locals keen to share the mysteries of Sri Lankan cuisine. There’s also time to explore the rich culture of Sri Lanka: elaborate temples, ancient fortresses and wildlife-filled countryside. This is truly an adventure for the senses.

Start
Negombo, Sri Lanka
Finish
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Destination
Sri Lanka
Style
Original
Theme
Food
Code
HPZM
Physical rating
Ages
Min 15
Group size
Min 1, Max 12

Why you'll love this trip

  • Witness the amazing Sri Lankan seafood on offer at the Negombo seafood market

  • Spend time with welcoming locals keen to share the mysteries of Sri Lankan cuisine – learn Tamil, Sinhalese, and Bergher cooking in their homes

  • Soak up the scenery while sipping a glass of the local arak – Sri Lanka’s signature local liquor

  • Spoil your tastebuds with flavour-filled curries and sweet desserts, and treat your eyes to banquets of rainbow spices, vibrant vegetables and colourful sambol

Is this trip right for you?

  • Many of the cooking experiences on this trip are in local homes, as this is where some of the best food is to be found. While you'll have the chance to get involved in the preparations in the kitchen, learning will be in a more informal environment.

  • This trip aims to give you an exciting, diverse and well-rounded experience of Sri Lanka's cuisine. While we endeavour to cater for specific dietary requirements, some meals and food activities are set in advance and may be difficult to adjust. If you have dietary requirements, simply contact your agent at the time of booking for further information on how this may impact on your ability to take part in included activities and meals. Come with an open mind and open mouth, and you won’t be disappointed!

  • Sri Lanka is a great food destination for vegetarians, with a large amount of the nation’s favourite dishes meat free – vegetable curries, hoppers, string hoppers, vegetable rotty and, of course, the incredible selection of fruit on offer.

  • At 6 hours, the train from Kandy to Bandarawela is the longest travel day. However, the scenery is so beautiful that you might not even want to get off!

  • The drive from Bandarawela to Yala goes down from the mountains to the coast on a very windy road, and while this means the going can be a little slow, it also means that you’ll be able to appreciate the scenery from every angle.

  • We visit a number of temples on this trip, which requires a certain level of modesty. Please bring clothes that cover the arms and pants/skirts that go past the knees. A light scarf is also a good idea for covering shoulders and arms when it’s hot.

  • Though its equatorial position means fairly constant year-round temperatures, the summer months in Sri Lanka are very hot with short, sharp monsoons in the south-west of the country. Be sure to use adequate sun protection and drink plenty of water.

  • If you have issues with heights, you may wish to sit out the climb of Lion Rock at Sigiriya. there are lots of rough, narrow steps and tight walkways.

Map of Sri Lanka Real Food Adventure including Sri Lanka
Local Sri Lankan women cooking a traditional meal
Intrepid Travel group on a tour of Sigiriya with their local guide in Sri Lanka.
Group of travellers looking out on landscape from a scenic viewpoint on Sigiriya in Sri Lanka during an Intrepid Travel tour.
Local employee of a tea processing centre in Sri Lanka.
sri lanka women farm tea pickers
Traditional plate of food from Sri Lanka
Elephants at a waterhole in Yala National Park in Sri Lanka
sri lanka dambulla buddish cave temple
Intrepid traveller participating in a cooking class under the supervision of local teachers in Sri Lanka
Buddha shrine with embellished gold features inside the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, Sri Lanka
Traveller on from the outside of the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, Sri Lanka on an Intrepid Travel tour.
A variety of local vegetables in a market in Sri Lanka
Local man preparing roti in Sri Lanka
Intrepid travellers walking along the Unawatuna Beach in Galle, Sri Lanka
A group of Intrepid travellers having drinks in a restaurant in Unawatuna, Galle, Sri Lanka

Itinerary
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Welcome to Sri Lanka. Known as the ‘Pearl of the Indian Ocean’, the island offers travellers palm-studded beaches, rolling plantations, and sacred sights steeped in spirituality. With charming people, mysterious ruins and some of the best cuisine in the world, Sri Lanka’s hypnotic essence will remain with you long after you come home. An arrival transfer is avaialble for you to book before you depart at an extra cost, alternatively a taxi will cost you apporoximately USD10-15.  You’ll begin your adventure by getting in the seaside spirit in Negombo, a historical commercial centre surrounded by a fascinating network of canals teeming with rural life. Pull up a deck chair on Negombo’s huge, sweeping beach and enjoy the Indian Ocean before meeting up with your group and leader at a welcome meeting tonight at 6pm. Please ask reception to confirm the time and place of your meeting. We’ll be collecting your insurance details and next of kin information at this meeting so please ensure you have these for your leader. If you can't arrange a flight that will arrive in time, you may wish to arrive a day early so you're able to attend. Spend your first night enjoying the coastline, getting to know your fellow travellers and watching the fishing boats float by. Perhaps go out for a meal together for your first taste of Sri Lankan cuisine.
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Meals Included
There are no meals included on this day.

In the morning, wake early and catch the action at the Negombo fish market. The market is situated at the northern end of a lagoon renowned for lobsters, crabs and prawns. Weave through stalls piled with shark, squid, barracuda and unheard of sea creatures as the sellers call out their wares, and get a great insight into local commerce. Continue on to a coconut plantation (approximately 1 hour) to discover why this ‘superfood’ is so central to life in Sri Lanka. Learn how all parts of the tree play an important part in daily life, sip the water of a king coconut, watch ‘toddy tappers’ extract the palm wine from the coconut sap and taste the results. Enjoy a Sri Lankan rice and curry lunch. Head inland to Dambulla (approximately 2 hours), home to vibrantly decorated cave-temples and a great base to explore the wide array of natural wonders and historic sites in this fascinating area. Your evening is free to explore. Alternatively your leader can point you in the direction of a local delicious Kothu Roti restaurant.
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch

After breakfast, drive to Sigiriya (approximately 30 minutes). Here you will have the opportunity to climb to the top of the rock to witness its elaborate ancient fortress complex (approximately 2.5 hours round-trip on foot, including stairs). The 200 metre high ancient remains of a defensive capital built by a fearful king, ‘Lion’s Rock’ houses dynamic 5th century frescos, terraced gardens and splashing fountains. Next, observe age-old traditions at a nearby chena cultivation area, one of the oldest forms of agriculture known to humans. It’s particularly popular in the dry zone of the country where it rains only for few months for the year. Principal crops are tropical vegetables, cereals, grains, yams and corn. Then feast on tropical vegetables, curry made with tapioca and fried fish caught in the nearby lake for lunch. In the late afternoon, return to Dambulla to explore the Wholesale Market and dodge the trucks and people piled high with every type of produce imaginable. Boasting an incredible array of fresh food, much of which is subsequently transported to Colombo for sale, this is the perfect place to get a sense of Sri Lanka's agricultural diversity. The rest of the evening is free for your own food adventures. Use the free evening to poke around the town or sit back with a drink. There are plenty of restaurants surrounding the markets. Your leader will also have some tips on where to find the best roti in town.
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Dambulla - Wholesale Markets tour
  • Sigiriya - Lion Rock
Optional Activities
  • Minneriya - Jeep Safari - LKR6500
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
Special Information
There is a steep staircase to ascend to Sigiriya. Good walking shoes are recommended for this experience.

Located high on a cliff face are the impressive Dambulla Cave temples. You will have time to explore these this morning and admire the many Buddha images, frescoes and paintings.
On the way to the physical and spiritual heart of the country and the former home of the last Sri Lankan king, stop for lunch at a spice garden in the renowned spice-growing region of Matale. Sri Lankan’s are the masters of spice and here you can learn how spices aren’t just used in food, but also cosmetics and ayurvedic medicine. Smell the fragrant odours of cumin, cinnamon and curry leaves before tasting pumpkin curry flavoured with aromatic fenugreek, with a side of dry chilli sambol and the uniquely Sri Lankan coconut roti. As the spice gardens here are popular with tourists, you will find the prices to be higher than outside, but it is the ideal place to learn about the best Sri Lankan spices. Continue on to Kandy and arrive by late afternoon (approximately 2 hours). Kandy is a pleasant city surrounded by lush green countryside, and it’s home to a picturesque lake, old shops, a bustling market and some great restaurants. This evening observe locals worshiping in Kandy’s Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Tooth), one of Sri Lanka’s most sacred shrines that houses a tooth relic of the Lord Buddha. Contrast the holy hush of the temple with the booming, energetic drums that accompany the elaborately costumed performers of a Kandyan dance show. With your free evening, perhaps follow the sound of rhythmic chopping to watch a chef transform a ball of dough into a huge sheet of wafer-thin roti, skilfully slice, griddle, mix with vegetables and spices and create Kotthu Roti.
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Matale - Spice Garden Tour and Lunch
  • Kandy - Temple of the Tooth
  • Kandy - Market Wander & Tastings
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
Special Information
Please note that there are many steps to the caves and a dress code which requires you to remove your shoes and cover up your shoulders and legs.

This morning you’ll enjoy a guided walk around Kandy's peaceful city centre, including a tour of the Central Market. The rest of the day is free for you to explore. Kandy is home to a National Museum, monasteries and there are many scenic walks around town. The botanical gardens here are among the best in Asia. In the early evening, join a Sinhalese family to spoil your sweet tooth with a Kandyan sweet-filled Sri Lankan dinner and cooking class. Try your hand at crafting the perfect hopper (this is an art that takes some practice to master!), try a chicken curry made with spice-infused coconut milk, closer to a Thai curry than a classic North Indian one. Then fill up on specialty sweets inspired by Dutch and Portuguese dessert traditions.
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Kandy - Cooking Class in a Sinhalese Home
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Dinner

This morning you will take a picturesque train ride to the town of Bandarawela (approximately 6 hours). Journey past waterfalls, little villages and up through the mountains on the scenic railway to this town in the cool highlands, once popular with British plantation managers. Look down over a sweeping vista filled with bright green tea bushes and vegetable gardens. Tonight you are invited to a local home for a traditional meal.
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Dinner
Special Information
Train tickets from Kandy to Bandarawela are in very high demand. We always try our best to secure tickets for the full journey or the part of the trip. Though on the rare occasion that we cannot you will be provided with a private bus to take you to your next destination.

Rise early for an easy walk through the verdant surrounds of the region's tea plantations. Learn about the country’s most important export a local tea factory, one of the oldest in the areas. Depending on the season, meet with some of the plantation workers and try your hand at picking tea leaves and tastings. Travel out to the town of Haputale (approximately 1 hour) for a home-cooked lunch with a Tamil family. Tear into traditional Tamil cuisine with Dosa, a crispy rice pancake, and idli, a savoury steamed rice cake served with curry sauces or chutneys. Return to Bandarawela in the late afternoon and soak up the rural charm of the town and the beautiful surrounding landscapes.
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Tea Factory Visit
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch

Drive to the wilderness of Yala National Park (approximately 2 hours). Encompassing a variety of diverse ecosystems, the park has an impressive array of wildlife, including sloth bears and lots of birds. In the evening take a safari tour and get the binoculars out to search for the leopards that lounge in trees or stalk through the brush, crocodiles that patrol the river or wild elephants that graze across the savanna.
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Yala National Park Jeep safari
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Dinner
Special Information
Please note that every year the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Department closes Yala National Park. Normally it closes for about 6 weeks from 01 September. This closure is to facilitate infrastructure development and to allow rehabilitation of flora and fauna. As a result, today you will visit an alternate National Park nearby and still enjoy a jeep safari through the park. The Wildlife Conservation department doesn’t confirm the exact dates of the closure until August of that same year so the dates are subject to change and all affected bookings will be notified of the alternate plans when we receive the confirmed dates.

Start the day sweetly discovering one of Sri Lanka's favourite ingredients. Try buffalo curd, served in bright terracotta pots with thick, golden treacle, often eaten as a snack, as an accompaniment to meals or as a desert. Sri Lankan's are famed for their sweet tooth and this is just about as sweet as it gets.

En route to the beautiful beach village of Mirissa (approximately 3 hours), discover the Muslim influence on Sri Lankan food with dishes like biryani and watalappam at lunch. Spend the rest of the day relaxing or exploring the golden sands of Sri Lanka’s southern coastline. The beach is a long curve of sand and has lovely calm clear waters for swimming, and the sunsets are great too. This is a paradise that you won't want to leave. Perhaps consider taking a bicycle ride or tuk tuk to nearby Weligama, where colourful fishing boats bring back their loads of fresh fish to sell along the shore. Maybe take a boat to spot whales and dolphins, or wash down all that chilli with a beer, while watching surfers take on the waves.
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
Special Information
Whale watching season is from November to April. Your tour leader will be able to recommend an agent to book this optional activity through.

Meet with a local fisherman and learn about their craft, and how their lives have changed after the tsunami. Enjoy the freshest seafood lunch possible with a fisherman's family – a wonderful crab curry is likely to be on the menu. Continue on to the perfectly preserved colonial township of Galle (approximately 1 hour) and its blend of European architecture and South Asian traditions. In the evening take a tour of the Royal Dutch Fort, exploring the winding passageways, maze of gallery-filled narrow streets and 400 years of rich history. Return to Mirissa for the night (approximately 40 minutes).
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch

Head north for the final stop on this gastronomic adventure and Sri Lanka’s commercial heart, Colombo (approximately 2.5 hours). The city is a cosmopolitan mix of vibrant street markets, colonial buildings, interesting museums, fine restaurants and great shopping opportunities. On an orientation walk through the city, stroll through the buzzing bazaar in Pettah, where Sri Lanka’s multi-cultural character is so clear and thousands of stalls vie for business. Snack your way around lanes filled with ‘short eats’, street-food possibilities and bustling local eateries. Enjoy a final Dutch Burgher-influenced meal, and celebrate the end of your food adventure with new friends.
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Colombo - Walking tour
  • Colombo - Dutch Burgher Lunch
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch

This trip concludes this morning. There are no activities planned for this final day and you are free to leave at any time.
Meals Included
There are no meals included on this day.

Meals

10 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 3 dinners

Transport

Private vehicle, train, safari vehicle

Accommodation

Hotel (11 nts)

Included activities

  • Dambulla - Wholesale Markets tour
  • Sigiriya - Lion Rock
  • Matale - Spice Garden Tour and Lunch
  • Kandy - Temple of the Tooth
  • Kandy - Market Wander & Tastings
  • Kandy - Cooking Class in a Sinhalese Home
  • Tea Factory Visit
  • Yala National Park Jeep safari
  • Colombo - Walking tour
  • Colombo - Dutch Burgher Lunch

Dates & availability

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Important notes

YALA NATIONAL PARK:
Please note that every year the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Department closes Yala National Park. Normally it closes for about 6 weeks from 01 September. This closure is to facilitate infrastructure development and to allow rehabilitation of flora and fauna. As a result, you will visit an alternate National Park nearby and still enjoy a jeep safari through the park. The Wildlife Conservation department doesn’t confirm the exact dates of the closure until August of that same year so the dates are subject to change and all affected bookings will be notified of the alternate plans when we receive the confirmed dates.

Essential trip information

Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.
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Reviews

Our Sri Lanka Real Food Adventure trips score an average of 4.82 out of 5 based on 257 reviews in the last year.

Sri Lanka Real Food Adventure, April 2018

Sharon Bloxwich

Review submitted 24 Apr 2018

Sri Lanka Real Food Adventure, April 2018

Rosemary Allen

Review submitted 23 Apr 2018

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