Example Itinerary

From Bollywood to Ancient Ruins: A Journey Through India and Sri Lanka

Duration
17 days / 16 nights
Price Per Person
Interests
Romance, UNESCO
Destinations
India, Sri Lanka

Leave your home in favor of culture, history, art and adventure when you embark on this 17-day journey from Bollywood to Ancient Ruins through India and Sri Lanka itinerary. There's hiking, temples, ancient ruins, a backwater boat trip and more in store! Travel through Mumbai, Cochin and Kumarakom in India. Depart lively India and travel to its island neighbor, through Colombo, Dambulla, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Tangalle and Galle in stunning Sri Lanka. 

This itinerary is an example. It’s designed to inspire you and provide you with thoughtfully curated ideas. You can choose to do this exact itinerary or completely personalize it. All trips are 100% bespoke.

Highlights

  • Bollywood Experience: Visit a Bollywood film set in Mumbai to learn about the magic behind the scenes of the city's huge movie industry.
  • Wildlife: From the Bird Sanctuary at Kumarakom to the megafauna of Sri Lanka's national parks, wildlife encounters showcase the epic natural beauty of South Asia.
  • Backwater Cruise: Lie back and watch the world pass by on a lazy backwater cruise, floating past coffee and coconut plantations, pineapple orchards, and paddy fields.

Day-by-Day

Day 1

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Mumbai

Arrive in western India where Bollywood was born - Mumbai. Famously overcrowded, this is the fourth-largest city in the entire world. The culture-rich city is the perfect starting point for your adventure. 

Hotel Options
Why We Love This Hotel

Location: Located next to the Gate of India on the harbourside, this hotel provides guests with direct city access and water views.

History: This beautiful old building was completed at the turn of the 20th century and has housed dignitaries, royalty and VIPs for more than a hundred years.

Service: This iconic establishment has a long history of excellent service, with personal butlers assigned to guests for round-the-clock care.

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Taj Mahal Palace & Tower Preferred Hotel
Why We Love This Hotel

Location: This spectacular hotel is located on the exclusive Marine Drive, with stunning panoramas of the ocean and the glimmering shoreline.

History: Channeling high-end glamor and elegance, the hotel opened its adorned doors for guests in 2004.

Service: To provide the ultimate in customer service, the hotel offers a 24-hour spa, butler service, a concierge, travel desk and a business center.

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The Oberoi Mumbai Preferred Hotel

Day 2

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Mumbai

Enjoy a full day touring the pulsing city. The National Gallery of Modern Art is a fantastic spot to check out the country’s artistic side. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Victoria Station is an incredible central railway station constructed in the Victorian Gothic style. There are several ancient, well-preserved churches throughout the city. A trip to Mumbai isn’t complete without a visit to Bollywood - visit a set for a closer look at how the cultural favorites are created.

Mumbai
Mumbai

Day 3

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Kumarakom

Depart Mumbai for a more remote location. Fly to Cochin and transfer to Kumarakom, an area known for its incredible backwater tourism. The city is set against the stunning largest freshwater lake in the state of Kerala - Vembanad Lake. Check into the hotel of your choice in the city.

Hotel Options
About

This accommodation has been personally vetted by the Remote Lands team and is the best available in the area. More information on this property is available on the “Hotels” tab at the top of the page.

Day 4

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Kumarakom

Spend your first day in the area exploring the natural beauty. Give yachting or fishing a try on the lake. The Bird Sanctuary is home to several species of migratory birds. The sanctuary covers over 14 acres - you may even spot a beautiful, rare Siberian Crane.

Day 5

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Kumarakom

Enjoy a unique experience as you spend the day on one of the area’s much-loved backwater cruise boats. The area surrounding the lake is covered in mangrove forests, paddy fields, coffee plantations, pineapple orchards and coconut plantations. Step aboard and sail across the massive lake and absorb the natural surroundings.

Kumarakom
Kumarakom

Day 6

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Cochin

Travel back to Cochin (also known as Kochi,) to see a town seemingly retired after the spice trade cooled off in the area. The once bustling cosmopolitan city is now a sleepy, charming port town. 

Hotel Options
About

This accommodation has been personally vetted by the Remote Lands team and is the best available in the area. More information on this property is available on the “Hotels” tab at the top of the page.

About

This accommodation has been personally vetted by the Remote Lands team and is the best available in the area. More information on this property is available on the “Hotels” tab at the top of the page.

About

Situated on the manmade Willingdon Island, the Vivanta by Taj Malabar provides remarkable views of historic, picturesque Cochin harbor. Each room offers a LCD television, custom, stylish décor, surround-sound systems, massage showerheads, and work desks and chairs.

This accommodation has been personally vetted by the Remote Lands team and is the best available in the area. More information on this property is available on the “Hotels” tab at the top of the page.

Day 7

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Cochin

Begin your day by paying a visit to the Jewish section of the city. The area was largely populated in the 1940s and the brightly painted houses are built in classic old-world designs. Visit the bay and watch as fishermen haul in Chinese fishing nets filled with fresh fish - you can even buy fish straight from their nets and carry your purchase to the nearby Dutch House to have it filleted. Come evening, you’ll have the opportunity to learn local favorite dishes from a warm and welcoming chef who teaches classes in the intimate setting of her private home.

Day 8

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Colombo

Depart India as you fly from Cochin to colorful Colombo in Sri Lanka. You arrive in the nation's capital city in the mid-morning. Begin your city tour by visiting the pivotal Gangaramaya Temple - an important learning and spiritual location. Next, visit the tiny temple built on a lake, the Seema Malaka Temple. Observe the national sport at a Sri Lankan cricket match. Finish the day with a stroll along the half-kilometer-long Galle Face Green Promenade.

Hotel Options
Why We Love This Hotel

Location: The Tintagel is located in the middle of the city, surrounded by upmarket residences and shops. It’s approximately a 45-minute drive away from the airport and five minutes’ walk from Odel Shopping Mall, the most desirable shopping location in the area.

History: Colombo was one of the most popular East-West trade routes in centuries past. The Tintagel, a colonial mansion that takes one back in time, echoes such history.

Service: The Tintagel is widely-known for its unbeatable, bespoke service, and its friendly, warm staff.

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Tintagel Preferred Hotel
Why We Love This Hotel

History: Since the late 19th century, this elegant townhouse has welcomed dignitaries, governors and nobility from all over the world.

Location: Set on leafy Park Street in central Colombo, Uga Residence is an urban oasis.

Service: With years of experience, the hotel’s team is on hand to advise on city excursions, onward travel and anything else that’s required.

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Uga Residence Preferred Hotel
Colombo
Colombo

Day 9

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Sigiriya

Travel 4 hours to Dambulla. Explore the fantastic UNESCO sites of the Dambulla Cave Temple and the Sigiriya Rock Fortress. See the ancient Buddhist art preserved in the caves, then climb up Sigiriya rock to the fortress ruins at the top. Settle in to your hotel in Sigiriya. 

Hotel Options
About

Nestled amongst reed beds and paddy fields on top of a man-made lake lies Jetwing Vil Uyana, a premier luxury eco resort in Sigiriya, Sri Lanka. Hailed by Harper's Bazaar as the "best eco luxury hotel in Sri Lanka," this one-of-a-kind resort comprises 36 dwellings that merge sophisticated modern comforts with ecological rural simplicity.

This accommodation has been personally vetted by the Remote Lands team and is the best available in the area. More information on this property is available on the “Hotels” tab at the top of the page.

About

Located just six kilometers away from the historic Sigiriya Rock, Water Garden Sigiriya resort provides visitors to Sri Lanka with world-class comfort and second to none service. With one and two bedroom options, the resort's 30 villas are chicly designed, spacious, and imbued with an air of mystique thanks to their secret gardens and private plunge pools.

This accommodation has been personally vetted by the Remote Lands team and is the best available in the area. More information on this property is available on the “Hotels” tab at the top of the page.

Day 10

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Sigiriya

Leave the city for a bit and take a half-day trip to the UNESCO site of Polonnaruwa, some 80 minutes from Sigiriya. The ruins are in amazing shape and make it easy to imagine life in ancient times. This afternoon, take a safari at the Minneriya National Park. The wildlife refuge has been known to serve as a home to wild elephants.

Day 11

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Kandy

Travel 2 hours to picturesque Kandy, a UNESCO-designated city known as the island’s cultural capital. Kandy was the last kingdom in Sri Lanka. Learn about Sri Lankan spiritual practices when visiting the Bahirawakanda Monastery. See the incredible Temple of the Tooth that contains the relic of the tooth of Buddha. 

Hotel Options
About

Located in the centre of Kandy, just a short drive from the railway station and the famous Temple of the Tooth, Earl's Regency Hotel is a luxurious property with splendid views of the mountains around Kandy. All its rooms are air-conditioned and come with a minibar, tea- and coffee-making facilities and a TV with satellite channels.

This accommodation has been personally vetted by the Remote Lands team and is the best available in the area. More information on this property is available on the “Hotels” tab at the top of the page.

About

This historic dwelling was once the ancestral home of a Kandyan family and was restored to its former splendor in 2005 by Channa Daswatte, Geoffrey Bawa’s protege. The two-story main house is surrounded by beautiful landscaped gardens, which have avocado, jackwood, papaya, Sri Lankan orange and Kithul trees - the perfect setting for afternoon tea complete with Kandy House’s desserts made with treacle from Kithul blossoms.

This accommodation has been personally vetted by the Remote Lands team and is the best available in the area. More information on this property is available on the “Hotels” tab at the top of the page.

About

Tucked away in green in the heart of the city, Kings Pavilion offers an urban retreat in a prime Kandy location. Guest rooms are decorated in a cozy and modern style, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows flooding the space with natural light and balconies with mountain views.

This accommodation has been personally vetted by the Remote Lands team and is the best available in the area. More information on this property is available on the “Hotels” tab at the top of the page.

Kandy
Kandy

Day 12

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Nuwara Eliya

Leave vibrant Kandy and gaze at the green rolling hills as you make your way 2 hours into the heart of Sri Lanka’s hill country. See the temple where the Hindu God Rama’s lover prayed for Rama to rescue her from the evil King Ravana.

Hotel Options
About

The former residence of Sir Edward Barnes, Governor of Sri Lanka from 1830 to 1850, the Grand Hotel is a Tudor-style mansion set amidst boxwood and fir trees overlooking the calm waters of Lake Gregory. Hunting and fishing trophies decorate the walls, infusing the property with the tranquility of times past.

This accommodation has been personally vetted by the Remote Lands team and is the best available in the area. More information on this property is available on the “Hotels” tab at the top of the page.

Day 13

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Nuwara Eliya

Spend your second day in the the area in the great outdoors. Take a hike in the rolling hills, in the idyllic Horton Plains National Park. The park is one of many UNESCO sites in the country. 

Day 14

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Tangalle

Travel 4 hours to Tangalle to soak in the sunshine. Here, you’ll have the incredible opportunity to catch baby sea turtles hatch on a deserted beach. The Rekawa Turtle Conservation’s mission is to preserve the turtles’ natural environment, and help them thrive within it. In the evening, learn to cook the area’s famous cuisine and eat your own creations. 

Hotel Options
Why We Love This Hotel

Location: This Aman Resorts property is located right on a tranquil crescent beach in the middle of a coconut grove.

History: Designed by one of Sri Lanka’s most important architects, Geoffrey Bawa, this property combines modern comfort with traditional local materials.

Service: With only 30 suites, guests are treated to personalized round-the-clock service and top-notch Sri Lankan hospitality.

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Amanwella Preferred Hotel
Why We Love This Hotel

Group Oriented: The concept of the estate is designed around bringing groups of friends, family, and acquaintances together and closer. They’ve built their business around this concept, and they are good at it.

Service: The estate’s surface is thought-out and comprehensive, and everything from in-room masseuses to private tennis instructors can be arranged.

Luxury: Whether to relax at the private plunge pool, villa infinity pool, or in the ocean itself is a question guests of the estate will have to come up with an answer to — it’s a good problem to have.

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ÀNI Sri Lanka Preferred Hotel
Tangalle
Tangalle

Day 15

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Tangalle

Enjoy an extra-special sight this morning, as you marvel at the Mulkirigala Rock Temple, home to seven cave temples, perched on terraces of various altitudes, the highest of which is 676 feet above sea-level. Note the handdrawn Buddhist art on the cave walls. The afternoon has you taking a safari ride through seaside Yala National Park. Return to you hotel tonight to enjoy some leisure time.

Day 16

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Galle

Reach the final destination of your adventure - the gorgeous coastal city of Galle, 90 minutes away. Along the way, stop at the UNESCO site, the Ancient Port of Galle. Enjoy a whale-watching tour and see the large mammals playing in their natural environment. Visit the Yatagala and Rhumasala temples for a unique spiritual tour. Check in to the historic Amangalla hotel located inside of the old fort within the Ancient Port, for the final night of your trip. The hotel is known for providing five-star quality in an old-world beautiful setting. Get a good sleep ahead of tomorrow morning’s departure.

Hotel Options
Why We Love This Hotel

Heritage: The hotel is housed in a well-preserved 150-year old landmark hotel.

Rooms: Generous rooms with antique furniture, teak timber flooring, original art work and pleasant views.

Society and Environment: Amangalla uses recycling methods and tries to sources as much as possible locally, including food, furnishings and staff.

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Amangalla Preferred Hotel

Day 17

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Departure

Today take the expressway or the scenic route along the coastline back to Colombo for your flight onward.

Why Remote Lands?

Exclusively Asia

With Remote Lands you'll travel with people who have made Asia the solitary focus of their own lifelong adventure. As our guest, you'll discover Asia on a journey that is completely, authentically your own, adapted from our own remarkable experiences and adventures over the years.

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