Sri Lanka: Women’s Expedition

Colombo

Ayubowan! Welcome to Sri Lanka. Your adventure begins in Colombo. When you arrive at Bandaranaike International Airport, you’ll be met by a local representative and transferred to your hotel. You’ll have a welcome meeting at 6 pm to meet your local leader and fellow travellers. If you arrive early, maybe take a walk to get familiar with your surroundings. After your meeting, get to know your group over a welcome dinner of traditional Sri Lankan cuisine – prepare for enticing aromas, bold spices and unique flavours.

Accommodation
Hotel (1 night)

Meals
Dinner

Included activities
Complimentary Arrival Transfer
Colombo - Welcome dinner

Special information
It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance and emergency contact details at this time. If you are going to be late, please let your travel agent or hotel reception know. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place.

Some travellers have reported being approached by locals offering excursions before their Intrepid trip commences. This has been particularly prevalent in and around the hotels used by Intrepid. These guides are in no way connected to Intrepid and we cannot guarantee the safety or quality standards of their tours. We advise customers against joining any tour offered by the unauthorised guides.

Pekoe Trail - Hatton

Set off early this morning to hike Stage 6 of the Pekoe Trail from Watagoda to Kotagala. Your hiking guides today will be local women who grew up in the communities along the trail. As you hike, hear these women’s stories – through training and experience, they have developed the skills to create careers in tourism and lead travellers along the trail, a role once considered unusual for women in their communities. Learn what it was like growing up in tea country, what it’s like to be a woman working in tourism in their community, their hopes and ambitions for the future and how tourism has positively impacted their communities. Your hike today takes you past highland lakes and along quiet village paths and tea estate trails, with impressive views of the plantations along the way. After the hike, you’ll have a free evening.

Accommodation
Hotel (1 night)

Meals
Breakfast

Included activities
Hatton - Pekoe Trail Stage 6 Hike (Watagoda to Kotagala)

Special information
Your travel time today will be approximately 2 hours. Your hiking time will be approximately 4.5 hours or 14.9 km (9.2 mi), with an elevation gain of 523 m (1716 ft) and a descent of 627 m (2057 ft).

Dambulla

This morning, take part in a hands-on workshop led by a local female artisan where you’ll learn about the traditional art of batik – an ancient textile art in which fabric is dyed with colourful, intricate patterns. Learn about the process of waxing and dyeing, and hear the artisan's personal story. Then, travel to Dambulla to explore the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Dambulla Cave Temple. This active monastery is the largest cave temple complex in Sri Lanka and has been inhabited by Buddhist monks since the 3rd century BC. 2100 sq m of Buddhist murals cover the walls of the monastery’s five shrines, which are set into a natural cave system, and there are more than 150 Buddha statues on site. You’ll spend the next two nights at Sri Lanka’s first hotel fully staffed and managed by women, located near Kandalama Lake among a mango tree plantation.

Accommodation
Hotel (1 night)

Meals
Breakfast

Included activities
Kandy - Batik Workshop with a Local Artisan
Dambulla - Cave Temples

Special information
Your travel time will be approximately 3 hours.

Trincomalee

Travel to the port city of Trincomalee this morning. This laidback city has great beaches and snorkelling spots and is rich in history with a number of ancient temples to explore, including the medieval Koneswaram Temple. This afternoon, join a group of local women for a palmyrah weaving workshop. Learn how to weave leaves from the native palmyrah trees into handicrafts like baskets and mats. Local teacher Chandrika runs these classes for women and people who are hearing impaired, helping to keep this traditional art form alive. Spend the evening experiencing the warm hospitality and culture of the local Muslim community. You’ll be hosted by a young woman who will teach you about henna painting and its important role in Muslim celebrations and special occasions. Then, you’ll have a traditional biryani dinner, followed by watalappam (a much-loved Sri Lankan Muslim dessert made with coconut milk, jaggery and warm spices like cardamom and nutmeg).

Accommodation
Hotel (1 night)

Meals
Breakfast
Dinner

Included activities
Trincomalee - Traditional Palmyrah Weaving
Trincomalee - Home-cooked Dinner and Henna Session

Special information
Your travel time today will be approximately 3 hours.

Jaffna

Spend a free morning either relaxing or exploring at your own pace. Later today, you’ll take part in a cultural evening where you’ll meet local women and experience Jaffna’s rich culture and traditions. First, learn how to drape a saree and make a flower garland, then visit a local kovil (Hindu temple) to try out some traditional Bharatanatyam dance steps. You’ll have a typical Jaffna-style home-cooked dinner. Jaffna cuisine has been shaped by the region’s Tamil heritage, its dry climate and the ingredients available here in the north. While it shares many key ingredients with broader Sri Lankan cuisine, Jaffna cuisine is known for its unique use of spices, which are often dry roasted before being ground into rich, aromatic blends, giving Jaffna curries their distinctive depth and flavour. Ingredients like palmyrah, seafood and brinjal (eggplant) also play an important role in northern Sri Lankan cooking and might appear in this evening's meal.

Accommodation
Hotel (1 night)

Meals
Breakfast
Dinner

Included activities
Jaffna - Saree Draping and Garland Making
Jaffna - Local Kovil Visit
Jaffna - Bharatanatyam Class
Jaffna - Home-Cooked Dinner

Negombo

Venture out on a 4WD safari in Wilpattu National Park this morning. Search for deer, elephants, wild boar, sloth bears and leopards. You might also see birds like Eurasian spoonbills, purple herons, junglefowls, painted storks and great stone-curlews. Later, head to Kurunegala to visit Selyn – an organisation supporting female artisans and producing reusable sanitary pads for women and girls experiencing period poverty. Learn about Sri Lanka’s handloom traditions and meet the women who play a key part in keeping the craft alive. After, travel to the coastal city of Negombo. Tonight, you might like to join your group for an optional farewell dinner to celebrate the adventure you've shared.

Accommodation
Hotel (1 night)

Meals
Breakfast

Included activities
Wilpattu - Morning Wildlife Safari
Kurunegala - Selyn Handloom Workshop

Special information
Your travel time today will be approximately 4.5 hours.