All good things come in threes!
With a new date, PATA Germany eV, together with its partners, is organizing the first live seminar in 2023. The destination is Sri Lanka, the sparkling gem in the Indian Ocean.
Between January 31st and February 7th, 2023, up to 30 travel agents have the opportunity to get to know the highlights of the island in person. We fly to Colombo with the state-of-the-art A330 300 from Sri Lankan Airlines and drive straight on to the cultural heart of the island. We admire the cloud girls of Sigiriya, the Buddhist cave temples of Dambulla and take time for a safari in either Minneriya, Kaudulla or Wasgamuja NP. Then Kandy with its temples and the hill station Nuwara Eliya are on the program. Here we change from the bus to the train at short notice. Tea plantations, tea factories and an Ayurvedic village line the way. Finally we head to the west coast to Bentota where we spend the last two days of the trip. Who wants,
A cultural event, presentations by the partners and a farewell dinner with a raffle complete the trip. And of course there is (a little) time for the beach and sun.
Impressions from the region
Preliminary itinerary
| 31.1. | At 3:15 p.m. we fly UL 554 from Frankfurt/Main to Colombo |
| 1.2. | Arrive Colombo at 5.30am, Drive to Habarana, Safari (Either Minneriya, Kaudulla or Wasgamuja NP depending on the best game viewing opportunities). Overnight in Habarana |
| 2.2. | A UNESCO World Heritage Day: We visit the Rock Fortress of Sigiriya and the Cave Temples of Dambulla. Overnight in Dambulla. |
| 3.2. | It goes to Kandy in the heart of Sri Lanka. On the way we stop at an Ayurvedic village. Kandy, formerly the country’s capital and today’s intellectual and cultural center, is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We’ll see the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, have time to explore on our own, and take a tuk tuk ride to a viewpoint with the entire city at your feet. Two nights in Kandy. |
| 4.2. | After breakfast drive to Nuwara Eliya. In between we also travel a stretch by train through the central highlands. The famous tea of Sri Lanka grows here. We visit the plantations and a tea factory. In the evening a special cultural performance awaits us. |
| 5.2. | We leave early for Bentota on the west coast: If you want, you can swap the bus for a Cessna 208 Caravan Amphibian and fly about an hour from the Victoria Reservoir in Kandy over the highlands and the south coast of the country to the lagoon of Koggala. Certainly a highlight! In the hotel there is time for Pool&Beach before we get to know some tourism service providers at a travel market and a farewell dinner awaits us. |
| 6.2. | In the morning we explore the historic port city of Galle, enjoy the hotel and pool again in the afternoon thanks to late check-out, before heading to Colombo Airport in the evening. |
| 7.2. | Departure UL 553 at 00.05 a.m. and landing in Frankfurt/Main at 6.30 a.m. |
(Program changes reserved)
Services included
- Long-haul flights with Sri Lankan Airlines from FRA in economy class
- Round trip/PATA live seminar with a maximum of 30 people.
- Guided tours divided into two small groups
- Entrance fees to Sigiriya, Dambulla and Kandy National Parks
- Five nights accommodation in 4* hotels/resorts in ½ double room (ladies/gents).
Accommodation in a single room is not possible. - Late Check-Out at Cinnamon Bentota on February 6th.
- Continuous half board, two days full board, only breakfast on February 6th.
- Product training and presentations by partners
- Travel escort by the PATA office
Cost per person: 895 euros
Important information about registration
- The registration takes place via our online form on the website and is binding. Please register and accept our declarations on data protection and image rights as well as the general terms and conditions. Please enter your first and last name as it appears in your passport.
- Online registration is possible from November 4th to December 2nd, 2022. If we receive more than 30 registrations, participation will be selected in consultation with the service providers and partners involved in the trip.
- Participation will probably be confirmed in mid- week 50 .
- After the registration has been confirmed, further information (e.g. proof of employment, DRV ID) will be requested.
- Business class flights are possible one-way or return for a surcharge of approx. EUR 500 or EUR 1,000 (depending on availability).
- Accommodation in single rooms is not possible.
- One participant per office can register.
- The participant is responsible for obtaining a visa and the necessary corona insurance.
- IMPORTANT : For organizational reasons, PATA Deutschland eV is organizing this trip as a 2G trip (vaccinated twice or recovered within the past six months before departure).
