2020 GeoEx Catalog

ROBERT HARDING PICTURE LIBRARY / NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC IMAGE COLLECTION

New �  Soul of Sri Lanka TOURING | 14 OR 15 DAYS · GROUP

this evolving nation. In the northern city of Jaffna, we meet Tamil locals, visit Hindu temples, and discover the part of the country least touched by tourism. We venture through the Cultural Triangle, gazing at the exquisite frescoes of Sigiriya’s ruined fortress and other UNESCO- acclaimed archaeological gems, wander breathtaking tea trails, and get to know captivating colonial towns. Two fabulous nights are spent in a luxurious tented camp in Yala National Park, where jungle meets ocean and wild- life encounters may include endangered elephants, elusive leopards, and flying foxes. We cap off the trip exploring Colombo’s energetic streets and fast-changing skyline with a resident researcher and photographer. Day 1  arrive in Colombo ✦  2 & 3  fly to Jaffna and explore ✦  4–8  Sigiriya fortress, Dambulla caves, Kandy, and ancient capitals of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa ✦  9 & 10  Tea Country by train and foot ✦  11 & 12  Yala National Park ✦  13  Galle ✦  14  drive to Colombo, walking tour, depart. Sri Lanka feb. 8–21; feb. 22–mar. 6; july 24–aug. 7 (with esala perahera festival) from $11,860

S ir Arthur C. Clarke, a writer whose creative vision extended beyond our galaxy, called Sri Lanka home for the better part of his adult life. It’s little surprise he could fathom the unfathomable on this unsung isle, where time is more of a notion than a measure to live by, and landscapes are, as Jan Morris praises, so “seductive, grand, or intimate in turn, so intricately jammed together that in a morning’s journey you can pass from jungle to alp to classic tropical foreshore.” While Sri Lanka is certainly on island time, you can’t call it sleepy. After 400 years of colonialism followed by a 30-year ethnic war, Sri Lankans are impatient to make a name for themselves in the global sphere. Colombo is rapidly blossoming into a modern metropolis with designer clothing boutiques, contemporary art galleries, co-working spaces, and international restaurants. Outside of the capital, new accommodations are opening their doors, and the Northern Province (sometimes known as Tamil Country) is welcoming its first travelers in decades. Unusually comprehensive, Soul of Sri Lanka ties together the most fascinating sights and best lodgings of

ABOVE  One of Sri Lanka’s eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites and its largest and best-preserved cave temple complex, Dambulla has been a sacred place of pilgrimage for 22 centuries.

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