Upcoming route · Sri Lanka
The Serendib Line
New Year in the hills and by the ocean
A note from your Experience Host
Some places call you back.
This New Year, I am going back to the island I fell in love with.
I walked this whole line last New Year, from the cloud forest above Kandy to a last dinner inside the walls of Galle. This time I want to share it with a small group who will still be talking a year from now. We will talk first, and see if it is your kind of trip.
Farah El Ezaby, Experience Host
The route
The line we follow
Seven stops. One line.
- 1Kandy2 nightsThe city, the White Buddha and a cooking class.
- 2KnucklesA full dayCloud forest, tea trails and a waterfall swim.
- 3Kitulgala1 nightAmbuluwawa Tower and the Kelani River.
- 4Nuwara Eliya2 nightsTea fields, a tea factory and cool highland air.
- 5Ella2 nightsThe scenic train, Nine Arches and Little Adam’s Peak.
- 6South Coast3 nightsCoconut palms, surf, slow beach days and New Year by the ocean.
- 7GalleA full dayThe old fort, its sea walls and a last dinner together.
Day by day
Eleven days on the line
Glide, slow and low effortCruise, a real walk or a full dayFull Flight, the big daySacred city. Wild ridges.
Kandy and the KnucklesDay 1 · 23 December
Kandy, our first table
Airport welcome, the White Buddha and Kandy Lake, then a cooking class where we sit down to what we cook.
Day 2 · 24 December
The Knuckles
An early start into the Knuckles. Cloud forest, tea trails, a waterfall swim and food along the way. Back to Kandy for the night.
Above the trees. Into the river.
The river
Days 3 and 4 · 25 and 26 December
Kitulgala and the Kelani River
Ambuluwawa Tower on the way, a night by the Kelani River, then white water rafting, canyoning and rock pools together.
Dinner by the river. Overnight in Kitulgala.
Up into tea country
Day 4 · 26 December
Arrive in Nuwara Eliya
The road climbs into tea country. Evening in the highlands.
Day 5 · 27 December
Tea country
Into the tea fields, onto the factory floor, then a proper tasting and time to shop. The afternoon is yours, by the lake or in town.
Ella, from morning to after dark
Ella
Day 6 · 28 December
Into Ella
The train from Nanu Oya through the hills, Nine Arches Bridge, then Little Adam’s Peak at sunset.
Train subject to rail operations and seat availability.
Day 7 · 29 December
A day of your own
Slow coffee, local shops and an evening in town. Zip line and swing, optional.
An ocean. A new year.
The coast
Day 8 · 30 December
To the south coast
The road south, beach time and sunset at Coconut Hill. Surfing, optional.
Day 9 · 31 December
New Year’s Eve
A coastal day at your own pace, then New Year’s Eve together.
Three nights on the South Coast.
Old walls. A last evening.
Galle
Day 10 · 1 January
Galle Fort
A full day inside the old fort. Cobbled lanes, the lighthouse and the sea walls, then a last dinner together within the fort walls.
Day 11 · 2 January
The journey home
Airport transfer and the journey home, with the whole line behind us.
Estimated Investment
USD 1,320
Per person · twin occupancy
Included
- Experience Host throughout
- Airport welcome and farewell
- Private vehicle and driver, 11 days
- 10 nights, twin rooms
- Daily breakfast
- White Buddha
- Kandy Lake walk
- Cooking class, with its meal
- Knuckles cloud forest hike
- Waterfall swim
- Ambuluwawa Tower
- White water rafting
- Canyoning and rock pools
- Riverside dinner in Kitulgala
- Tea fields walk, factory visit and tasting
- Scenic train from Nanu Oya
- Nine Arches Bridge
- Little Adam’s Peak at sunset
- Coconut Hill sunset
- Galle Fort
- Entrance tickets for the included itinerary
- Visa assistance
- Flight reservation advice
International flights, travel insurance, visa fees, meals not listed, optional activities (surfing, zip line, swing), New Year’s Eve, tips and gratuities, and personal expenses.
In USD, by cash or a secure payment link. Local cards are accepted through the link. Final timings are shared at your group orientation.
Before you raise your hand
What people ask us
Will I like the group?
A small group on purpose, and we talk to everyone before they join.
Is it worth the Estimated Investment?
Your host throughout, a private vehicle, ten nights in twin rooms, breakfast and every activity listed above. Nothing appears later.
New Year away from home?
That is the point. A New Year by the ocean with people you will still talk to next year.
Visa and flights?
Visa assistance and flight advice are included. We handle it with you.
I have never done a group trip.
Most Sternas had not either. That is why the group stays small.
Raise your hand
Not ready to share a number?
No need. Tell me a little about you here, and I will answer properly by email. If you prefer to talk, WhatsApp works too.
Raise your hand. We will take it from there.
Farah El Ezaby, Experience Host · Taher, The Sterna Navigator
explore@sternaexperience.com · WhatsApp +20 111 222 2402 · See you on the line.