Smiles of Sri Lanka Tour, Sri Lanka departing from Quebec

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The “Sourires du Sri Lanka” tour at a glance

Sourires du Sri Lanka (Smiles of Sri Lanka) is an 11-day, 10-night Club Med Discovery tour, in the Cultural Treasures theme, that circles the island from Colombo and ends in Negombo, on the beach. It follows the south coast to Galle Fort, goes on a 4x4 safari in Udawalawe park, rides the train through the tea plantations of Ella and Nuwara Eliya, then reaches Kandy and its Temple of the Sacred Tooth. The Cultural Triangle follows, with Dambulla, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya Rock and Anuradhapura. Among other places, you sleep in a former tea factory. The package includes full board with one local drink and tea or coffee, the train, sightseeing, porters and a French-speaking local tour guide.

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What do you see from the south coast to the tea plantations?

On day one, you leave Colombo along the coast for the Kosgoda turtle farm, then reach Galle. Day two starts inside Galle Fort, with its ramparts and colonial streets, before a 4x4 safari in Udawalawe park and a stop at the Elephant Transit Home, which cares for young elephants. On day three, a train crosses the tea plantations from Ella to Nuwara Eliya, then you climb to Kandapola. On day four, you join in the tea picking and visit a tea factory before reaching Kandy.

How does the tour continue, from Kandy to Negombo?

In Kandy, on day five, you visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth and the botanical garden, and attend a Kandyan dance show. On day six, you meet a dance master, stroll through a spice garden in Matale and visit the Dambulla cave temple. Day seven is devoted to the Polonnaruwa site and the Medirigiriya vatadage. On day eight, in Hiriwaduna, you take a canoe ride on the lake and share a family meal with locals, before Sigiriya Rock. Day nine leads to Anuradhapura, the first royal capital, and its dagobas. On day ten, after the Hindu temple of Chilaw, you arrive in Negombo. On day eleven, you enjoy the beach before the tour ends.

What are the highlights of this Sri Lanka tour?

The 4x4 safari in the Udawalawe sanctuary shows you elephants, sometimes leopards and many migratory birds. The train ride through the plantations, windows open onto green hills, remains one of the island's finest. The meal shared with a family in Hiriwaduna, after the canoe ride, gives the tour its name. And the climb up Sigiriya Rock offers a vast view over the jungle of the Cultural Triangle.

Which hotels do you stay in during the tour?

The programme lists the Radisson Blu in Galle, Centuria Wild in Udawalawe, then the Heritance Tea Factory in Kandapola, a former tea factory perched above the plantations. Next come The Golden Crown Hotel in Kandy, Cinnamon Lodge in Habarana, Ulagalla Resort near Anuradhapura and Heritance Negombo, by the sea. Your advisor confirms the exact list when you book, as an equivalent hotel may replace the one announced.

What is included and what is paid separately?

The package includes road travel in an air-conditioned vehicle, the day-three train, sightseeing, hotel porters and local taxes. Full board runs from lunch on day one to lunch on day eleven, with one local drink and tea or coffee at every meal. The train runs in second class, with open seating, just like the locals travel. International flights, airport transfers, additional drinks, personal expenses, tips, the Club Med annual membership fee and optional insurance are paid separately.

Who accompanies the group during the trip?

A French-speaking local tour guide stays with the small group from the first to the last day. They explain Buddhist and Hindu rites, introduce the families and craftspeople you meet along the way and handle all the logistics. Departures are guaranteed from the first booking and assistance is available 24 hours a day. That same familiar face throughout the trip quickly builds a bond, and it is often the guide who opens the doors of the villages.

When should you go to Sri Lanka?

Your advisor tells you which departures are offered. The Quebec winter matches the dry season on the south and west coasts and in the highlands, where much of the tour takes place. It is hot and humid on the coast, and cooler in the tea plantations around Nuwara Eliya: bring a light sweater for evenings at altitude. Every season keeps the plantations lush and green.

How do you get to Sri Lanka from Quebec?

You fly from Montreal to Colombo, with a connection. The tour ends in Negombo, very close to the international airport, which makes departure very easy. Your advisor books the flights with the tour and adds the transfers, which are paid separately. For your Canadian passport and entry authorization, your advisor checks the requirements when you book.

Which Club Med resort can you combine with the tour?

The Maldives are a short flight from Colombo. Club Med Kani is 25 minutes by speedboat from Malé airport, with its overwater bungalows on the lagoon and its white sand beach. A few days there, after the temples and plantations, round out the trip. Your advisor books the flight between Colombo and Malé. See all the Club Med resorts in Asia and the Indian Ocean.

Who is the Sourires du Sri Lanka tour for?

It is for travellers who want to see all of Sri Lanka in one go: the coast, the wildlife, the tea, the temples and the royal cities. The pace is brisk, with winding mountain roads, and it suits curious, fit people well. For a shorter taste, look at the 5-day Escapade au Sri Lanka, and for another great trip in South Asia, the Splendeurs du Rajasthan tour in India.

Why book this tour with AquaTerra?

Voyages Synergia received the Club Med Excellence Award 2025, and our advisors know the Club Med Discovery tours. We help you compare this tour with the other Club Med tours in Asia and the Indian Ocean, add the Maldives at the right time and build flights that spare your energy.

Call 1-866-628-6241. You will reach someone who knows this tour and has time for you. We look together at what is available on your dates, we choose the right departure, and we stay on the line throughout your trip. That is the difference between booking alone in front of a screen and travelling with someone behind you.