Sri Lanka – A Spiritual journey

A Spiritual Journey In Sri Lanka With A
Two Day Workshop By Amanda Zayan

A wonderful way to combine a holiday with spiritual insight is to consider our Escorted Spiritual Journey To Sri Lanka.

Upon arrival in Sri Lanka head to the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage where your rooms look directly over huge herds of bathing elephants. Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle has remains of beautiful temples, and we will take you to see the great sights as well as a few of the lesser known locations such as the 2000 year old Arankele Monastery.

Kandy is one of the most sacred places in Buddhism, on account of the Temple Of The Buddha’s Tooth. This is an ideal location with an equitable climate in the hills where your tour leader Amanda will conduct a 2 Day Workshop on spirituality, containing elements of yoga, meditation and various healing techniques.

Finally, head down to the glorious tropical beach at Bentota for 5 days of total relaxation at the peaceful Hotel Shirim by the Bentota Lagoon. The hotel is just a stone’s throw from many beautiful reef-protected bathing beaches.

Recommended For: Anyone with an interest in yoga, meditation and spirituality.

 

Day 01

Depart UK

Depart UK – Overnight flight

Day 02

Pinnawela

Hotel Elephant Park

Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage
Arrive in Sri Lanka and relax at your hotel that overlooks the famous elephant orphanage at Pinnawela. The rooms give a wonderful view of the herd of elephants bathing at the Maha Oya River.

The Millennium Elephant Foundation
There are 7 elephants here that are owned by a highly respected charity that looks after the welfare of Sri Lanka’s 100 or so domesticated elephants. You can go on elephant rides through the local village and among paddy fields or have the chance to bathe with an elephant. The more adventurous can even have an elephant shower!

Day 03

Dambulla

Kassapa Lion Rock

The Idyllic Ridi Vihare Temple
A temple with ancient origins from the 2nd Century BC, is rarely visited by tourists but contains a huge cave temple with hundreds of intricate paintings and a huge reclining Buddha. A massive boulder looms over the whole temple complex.

Lecture On Buddhism And Meditation By A Monk At The Ancient Arankele Cave Monastery
Arankele is an ancient forest monastery - the austere abode of a sect of recluse monks who observed extreme austerity and lived in caves and forests.

Arankele has a number of paved walkways that once were walked upon by the ancient Arahats in deep meditation. A small talk will be arranged with one of the resident monks (dependent on availability).

Day 04

Dambulla

Kassapa Lion Rock

The Fantastical Sigiriya Rock Fortress
The Lion Rock citadel of Sigiriya rises a sheer 600 ft high above the surrounding plain, visible for miles in all directions. Its flat summit spreading an area of 1.5 hectares once housed a palace and fortress. A vast array of monuments remain to provide visitors with a stunning insight into the ingenuity and creativity of the builders of ancient Sri Lanka including the spellbinding Sigiriya Frescoes, a pair of gigantic Lion’s Paws, and the Mirror Wall, with the worlds oldest ‘graffiti’!

Day 05

Dambulla

Kassapa Lion Rock

The Ancient Capital City Of Polonnaruwa
The great capital city of the island from 1153 – 1186 A.D. that once had 4 miles of encircling walls, contains a stunning mix of crumbling palaces, bathing ponds and huge stupas. The Quadrangle stands within its own rectangle of walls, guarding the richest collection of ancient buildings in the whole of Sri Lanka.

The serene Gal Vihare rock sculptures are one of the world’s great artistic masterpieces, including a 45 foot reclining image of the Buddha entering Nirvana.

Day 06

Kandy

Kandy Samadhi Centre

The Golden Cave Temples Of Dambulla
The. Golden Cave Temples Of Dambulla are the  most famous and adored ancient Buddhist cave temples in Sri Lanka.

There are 5 caves dating from the 1st Century B.C. The rock ceilings are painted with intricate patterns of Buddhist images following the natural contours of the rock with its gold sheen illuminating the caves. The largest cave, "The Temple of Great Kings" has 16 standing and 40 seated statues of the Buddha.

Kandy And The Temple Of The Tooth
The Temple of the Tooth houses the tooth of the Buddha. It is one of the holiest places of worship and pilgrimage for Buddhists around the world.

Kandy is also one of the prettiest towns in Sri Lanka, with a picturesque lake containing an island pavilion that once housed the King’s Harem. A road above the town called Lake Drive gives great views of the old royal capital and mist laden hills in the distance.

Day 07

Kandy

Kandy Samadhi Centre

Spiritual Journey Workshop With Amanda - DAY 1
Amanda Jayne Zayan is your Spiritual Journey Guide, She is also an Instructor of Quantum Touch and an Advanced Level Reiki Master/Teacher in the Usui tradition.

During the workshop you can tap into the wonderful healing energies of Sri Lanka. This will be your opportunity to go deep within yourself, truly discover who you are, and do some healing on a deep level to restore your inner balance.

Day 08

Kandy
Kandy Samadhi Centre

Spiritual Journey Workshop DAY 2
Through a series of workshops, we will explore the inner energy system of the body (known as Chakras) and work to clear blockages to attain balance through guided  exercises and meditation, learn about the benefits of life force energy (Prana) and the ancient system of hands-on healing that has been used by Buddhist monks. Explore why colour and sound is so important to inner balance, and discover self-expression through Mandalas. Your journey will be shared not only on a personal level, but through pair and group work.

During evenings throughout the tour Amanda will also be offering evening guided meditations and shared yoga sun salutations (early morning).

 

Day 09 – Day 13

Bentota Beach And Lagoon
Hotel Shirim

Peradeniya Gardens And Its Famous Orchid Houses
The Royal Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya are renowned for its collection of rare Orchids. There are also spices, medicinal plants and rows of tall palms trees.

Relax At Bentota Beach And Lagoon
Hotel Shirim is a tranquil `New Age’ retreat that follows a holistic wellness philosophy and is ideal for those seeking peaceful relaxation.

The hotel is set within lush tropical gardens leading upto the serene Bentota Lagoon. Hotel Shirim is the creation of its owner Gabriele, a specialist in reflexology and massage, Holistic wellness is promoted here through relaxation, Ayurveda, Yoga and different types of massage including Kalari which is an ancient form of self-defence and healing practiced in the Southern Indian state of Kerala.

NOTE: You can choose to extend your beach stay with additional nights if required.

 

Day 14

Depart Sri Lanka

Depart Sri Lanka – Daytime flights arrive back in UK the same day.