Aboriginal Village Tour from Kandy
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Overview
Step back in time on this captivating full-day private tour from Kandy, journeying through ancient reservoirs and a sacred temple to meet the Veddah, Sri Lanka's remarkable indigenous community still living by ancestral traditions.
This private full-day tour invites you to discover the fascinating world of the Veddah, Sri Lanka's indigenous tribal community. Setting off from your Kandy hotel at dawn, your chauffeur guide leads you along the legendary 18 Bend Road — one of the most dramatic mountain routes on the island — with breathtaking views over the Mahiyangana valley below.
Along the way, you'll pause at Sorabora Wewa, an ancient reservoir believed to be more than two thousand years old, constructed during the era of King Dutugemunu. This remarkable feat of ancient engineering uses natural rock formations as a sluice gate, and you'll have time to walk the embankment and appreciate its history. Continuing on, a stop at Ulhitiya Reservoir reveals another vital water source for the region before you arrive in the historic town of Mahiyangana.
At the Mahiyangana Temple — revered as the site of Lord Buddha's first visit to Sri Lanka — you'll learn about the stupa's ancient origins and the sacred relics it enshrines. By midday, your journey takes you into the surrounding wilderness toward the Dambana Veddah village. Here, you'll be welcomed by a community that continues to sustain itself through hunting and farming, just as their ancestors did. Their skilled hunters will share traditional techniques for tracking deer, boar, and rabbit, and you may even have the chance to try your hand at their hand-crafted longbows and arrows. The tour wraps up with a return drive to Kandy, arriving back at your hotel by evening.
Highlights
- Nestled amidst misty hills, Kandy, Sri Lanka, captivates with its cultural
- You will be starting this tour from your hotel in Kandy at 6:00 am
- Your next stop along the way will be Ulhitiya Reservoir, one of the most
- It is said that this is the site of Lord Buddha's first visit to Sri Lanka
- At 12:30 pm you will be starting the hike to the Dambana Veddah village
- Other
What's Included
Itinerary
Departure from Kandy
Nestled amidst misty hills, Kandy captivates with its cultural richness and natural beauty. Home to the sacred Temple of the Tooth Relic, it offers serene lakes, lush botanical gardens, and vibrant markets. Your journey begins here as your chauffeur guide collects you at dawn.
Sorabora Wewa & Drive along the 18 Bend Road
Setting off from your hotel at 6:00 am, your guide takes you along the legendary 18 Bend Road to Mahiyangana — one of the most dramatic and spectacular mountain routes in the world, offering breathtaking valley views. Along the way, you stop at Sorabora Wewa (also known as the Sea of Bintenna), an ancient reservoir over two millennia old, believed to have been built during the era of King Dutugemunu. Created by damming Diyawanna Oya with a 485m embankment, this remarkable feat of engineering uses natural rock formations as a sluice gate. You can walk along the embankment and observe this unique ancient structure.
Ulhitiya Reservoir
Your next stop is Ulhitiya Reservoir, one of the most important water sources in the region, formed by damming Ulhitiya Oya, a tributary of the Mahaweli River. After learning about its history and significance, you continue on toward the historic town of Mahiyangana, arriving by 10:30 am.
Mahiyangana Temple
Revered as the site of Lord Buddha's first visit to Sri Lanka, the Mahiyangana Temple began its existence as a tiny stupa enshrining a handful of the Buddha's hair — the very first stupa on the island. In 543 BC, an Arahant named Sarabhu brought the Buddha's left collar bone from his funeral pyre and enshrined it alongside his hair while enlarging the stupa to 18 feet. Subsequent kings continued to expand it to its present size. You will visit the temple and learn about its ancient origins and spiritual significance.
Dambana Veddah Village
At 12:30 pm, you begin the hike to the Dambana Veddah village, where you will be introduced to this community of indigenous people and witness their rustic homes and traditional lifestyle. These tribes sustain themselves primarily through hunting, with some farming. The hunters of the tribe will explain their innovative techniques for catching prey such as rabbit, deer, and wild boar from the surrounding forests. You may even be able to join them on a short hunt, and try your hand at their hand-crafted longbows and arrows. At 3:30 pm you depart the village and return to Mahiyangana, where you can stop for lunch at your own cost before heading back to Kandy, arriving at your hotel by 6:00 pm.
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