Day 1 10.03 Shanghai → Colombo → Negombo ★Meeting Day
All day
Today, we'll meet at Shanghai Pudong International Airport for our international flight to Sri Lanka. Upon arrival, your local guide and car will pick you up at the airport and take you to your hotel for a relaxing break. Get to know your fellow photographers and prepare to embark on this exciting photography adventure in Sri Lanka. Please arrive at the airport at least three hours in advance!
Negombo, Sri Lanka's fourth-largest city, is very close to the capital's international airport, just 7 kilometers away. The airport is 30 kilometers from Colombo, making it a popular stopover for many visitors to Sri Lanka after landing or before departing. It offers beautiful beaches, a vibrant local culture, vibrant commercial streets and markets, and a wide variety of fresh, affordable seafood. Hotels are located right on the beach, offering the ocean right outside. While the water isn't azure blue and the sand isn't white and fine, the area offers openness and tranquility, and the sunsets are highly praised by tourists.
Day 2 10.04 Negombo → Dambulla (Morning Fish Market - Dambulla Caves - Sigiriya Rock)
All day
We set out for the Fish Market at around 5:00 in the morning to take photos. The fish market is the busiest at sunrise, with all kinds of fresh fish, shrimps, and crabs spread out on the ground. If you are lucky, you can capture the scenes of fishermen auctioning and killing sharks, and experience the authentic Sri Lankan morning.
Afterwards, we went to photograph the world cultural heritage site [Dambulla Cave Temple]. This rock temple was built in the 1st century BC and is a famous pilgrimage site in Sri Lanka.
In the afternoon, we went to a niche camera position to shoot [Sigiriya Lion Rock]. Sigiriya Lion Rock is known as the "Eighth Wonder of the World". It is one of the vertices of Sri Lanka's "Cultural Golden Triangle" and is also one of the world's precious heritage protected by UNESCO.
After the photoshoot, we went to the hotel to check in.
Day 3 10.05 Dambulla → Kandy (Lion Rock Scenic Area - Temple of the Tooth Relic - Kandy Lake Night View)
All day
After breakfast, we'll visit the Lion Rock Scenic Area. Unlike yesterday's long-distance photography, today's focus will be on climbing to the summit of Lion Rock. A fusion of nature and human ingenuity, Lion Rock is a true palace in the sky, constructed atop a massive orange-red rock. We'll ascend the steps to the depths of the cavern to photograph the world-famous "Angelic Girl" mural of Sigiriya.
We then traveled to Kandy to photograph the Temple of the Tooth Relic and its people. The temple houses the tooth relic of Gautama Buddha, and daily pilgrims flock from far and wide to the temple. Dressed in simple white robes, holding lotus flowers in their hands, they reverently ascend the steps to the inner sanctuary barefoot to the sound of lingering drums and music, creating a perfect subject for photographing the people.
In the evening, we'll drive to a commanding height in Kandy to capture the gentle twilight of Kandy Lake. Once the light fades, we can continue capturing the captivating beauty of Kandy Lake at night. Alternatively, tourists can enjoy a drink at a nearby cafe and unwind as Kandy Lake descends into the night.
After the blues ended, we drove to the hotel to have dinner and rest.
Day 4 10.06 Kandy → Nuwara Eliya
All day
After breakfast, we boarded the World's Most Beautiful Mountain Train for a journey worthy of Hayao Miyazaki's The Wizard of Oz. From tea plantations to mountaintops, from mist to sun, the train traversed mountains over 2,000 meters above sea level, plunging deep into a magnificent sea of emerald tea fields. We took leisurely photos of the local culture and scenery along the way.
Before we knew it, we'd arrived at Nuwara Eliya, a town known as "Little England" for its English-style villages. You can find the century-old post office and take photos to capture the British charm.
In the evening, we will go to Lake Gregory to take photos of the charming scenery. After that, we will return to the hotel to rest.
Day 5 10.07 Nuwara Eliya → Yala National Park (Nine Arch Bridge)
All day
Get up early and head to [China-TravelNote Private Camera] to capture the morning view of Nuwara Eliya. This is a panoramic viewing platform with an excellent view. You can take pictures of Nuwara Eliya. If you are lucky, you can also take pictures of the morning mist on Lake Gregory.
We will then drive to Ella to photograph the Nine Arch Bridge. Locally known as Ahas Namaye Palama, which means "Nine Sky Bridges" in Sinhalese, we will have the opportunity to capture the train passing over it.
Special note: Due to the irregular train schedule, we will try to flexibly adjust today's itinerary in order to be able to photograph the train passing the Nine Arch Bridge. However, whether you can finally take the photo will be subject to the actual itinerary.
We will then proceed to the Yala National Park to check into a hotel (the actual filming will be arranged on the morning of the following day). Yala National Park is located in the southeast of Sri Lanka. It is the second largest national park in Sri Lanka and the only pristine wild jungle park in Asia. Like the Kenya National Park, you can experience jungle safari (a type of travel to watch, photograph or hunt wild animals in East Africa and southern Africa).
Day 6 10.08 Yala National Park → Galle (Beach Stand Fishing)
All day
We set off at around 5:00 in the morning and took a safari vehicle into Yala National Park. Because animals usually come out to drink water and forage before sunrise, we entered the park during the golden hour to photograph the animals hunting.
After entering the park, a professional driver will lead you through the depths of Yala Park, searching for Ceylon leopards, brown bears, and elephants. You can also photograph various wildlife scenes. Common wildlife in Yala Park includes peacocks, bison, sika deer, crocodiles, monkeys, wild boars, and other exotic birds. With luck, you might even catch a glimpse of a wild leopard.
After lunch, we drove to Galle, a coastal city in southern Sri Lanka, where we filmed the uniquely Sri Lankan fishing method of stand-up fishing in a small seaside village. Tall coconut trees, soft sand, turquoise waters, and white waves grace the shallows. Several fishermen calmly sit atop wooden poles, seemingly unbelievable, their gaze fixed on their hooks as they cast into the sea. Suddenly, they gently pick up the delicate rods, pocket the hooked sardines, and expertly, swiftly, release the rods, casting the unbaited hooks back into the sea. This is all sure to captivate your eyes and your camera.
Stay at a seaside resort hotel that night.
Day 7 10.09 Galle (Gall Fort) → Colombo (Sea Train)
All day
Rise early and head to Galle Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This ancient city, nestled on a promontory at the southern tip of Sri Lanka, exudes a colonial charm. Within the tranquil old town, a network of narrow streets interspersed with Portuguese and Dutch colonial-era architecture, the city walls, built over 300 years ago, still bear the Dutch name.
At Galle Fort, China-TravelNote specially arranged to photograph the young man jumping into the sea. This is a game for the brave, and you must prepare a high-speed shutter and high-speed continuous shooting in advance to freeze this thrilling scene (two sea-jumping shots are arranged, please seize the opportunity).
After lunch, we took Sri Lanka's unique [Sea Train] to Colombo. It is said that the prototype of the train in Hayao Miyazaki's "Spirited Away" is here.
In the evening, we came to Colombo to photograph the sunset at the seaside. As the sun set, the afterglow of the setting sun illuminated the pedestrians passing by the coast. We pressed the shutter to freeze this beautiful picture.
We stayed in downtown Colombo that night. There was a lively nightlife and a variety of restaurants near the hotel, so we could dine with friends freely in the evening.
Day 8 10.10 Colombo → Shanghai
All day
Today we will have plenty of time to explore Colombo. First, we will visit the Candy Mosque for some photos. This red and white mosque, with its ingenious combination of European Roman columns and Islamic domes, is one of Colombo's landmark buildings.
We then headed to Pettah Market for some street photography. This vibrant area offers a glimpse into the truest Sri Lanka! Afterward, we drove to the Maritime Museum, where we climbed to a vantage point for panoramic views of Colombo's Port City, a "city of the future" rising from the sea and a landmark project of the Belt and Road Initiative jointly built by my country and Sri Lanka.
In the afternoon, we will be transferred to Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport (approximately 1 hour drive) for our international flight back to Shanghai. Goodbye Colombo! Goodbye Sri Lanka!
Day 9 10.11 → Shanghai★Disbandment Day
All day
After an overnight flight, we arrived safely at Shanghai Pudong International Airport early in the morning and dispersed. The tourists, still reluctant to leave, bid a tearful farewell. Upon returning, remember to leave a review on the China-TravelNote app to win a voucher. You can also share your travel memories in your travelogues or photos on the China-TravelNote Community and China-TravelNote Photography Network!
