The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) announced special tour packages for Sri Lanka that would take the travellers to major places associated with the great epic Ramayana, besides the island nation’s famous Kandy Tooth Temple, hill stations, beaches, tea gardens and factories.
The first of these five-night packages, called “Sri Ramayana Yatra: Sri Lanka”, will depart from the Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi on November 24. The other packages are slated for December 10, January 12, February 10 and March 2 – all from Delhi.
The itineraries cover the important historical places associated with the Ramayana, such as Ashok Vatika, Sita Mata temple, Bhakta Hanuman temple, Anjanair temple, Vibhishana temple, and Munavari & Munishwaram Shiva temple.
In addition, the travellers will be visiting the famous tourist sites like Nogambo beach, Pennawalla Elephant Orphanage, Ramboda waterfall, Nuwara Elliya hill station, Grogery Lake, Kandy Tooth temple, tea gardens and factories and spice gardens. A tour of the capital-city Colombo has also been included in the package.
Tourists will stay five nights in Sri Lanka at Nogambo, Kandy, Nuwara Elliya and Colombo.
IRCTC, a ‘mini Ratna’ PSU of Indian Railways which has forayed into tourism in a big way, will manage the air journey, hotel stay, road travel, sightseeing, meals and visa for those opting for the trip. An experienced tour manager of IRCTC will accompany the group from Delhi to make the trip comfortable for the passengers.
The all-inclusive tour package, priced at Rs 48,220 per person, will include visa fee, airfare, hotel stay, vegetarian meals, road transport, sightseeing and guide charges.
The first trip will depart by Sri Lankan Airlines from Delhi on November 24 at 1845 hrs and return on November 29 at 1745 hrs at the Delhi airport.
The tour booking has already started. Those interested can book online on the IRCTC’s portal www.irctctourism.com or visit the IRCTC offices in places like Lucknow, Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Chandigarh and Varanasi. For more details, tourists may visit IRCTC Tourists facilitation centre at New Delhi station (platform no. 16) or may contact on 9717645650, 9717640636, 011-23213197 from 08 AM to 08 PM.