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Sri Lanka: Island of Serendipity
July 23, 2012 - August 9, 2012
Known as Serendib to the old Arab traders who came here regularly in search of gems and ivory, and Taprobane to the Greeks, Sri Lanka is a lush island located in the blue expanse of the Indian Ocean. Explore this land of ancient ruined cities, jungled highlands, crystal white beaches and an interior landscape largely dominated by the brilliant green of rounded tea bushes. Accompanied by Dr. Patrick Peebles, author of The History of Sri Lanka, begin the trip in Colombo before traveling up country to explore the wonderful sites of central Sri Lanka. Climb’s the country’s most spectacular ancient monument, Sigiriya, a fifth-century citadel atop a 600-foot pinnacle. The trip is scheduled to be in Kandy for the annual Perahera festival, a magical Buddhist festival consisting of dances and richly-decorated elephants. Drive through an undulating landscape containing every imaginable shade of green to Nuwara Eliya, where homesick colonialists built Victorian cottages. Spend an afternoon tracking wildlife at the Yala National Park before stopping in Galle, a peaceful arcaded town which was home to the Dutch for many years. Return home from Colombo.
Trip price includes round-trip airfare from the New York, all hotel accommodations in deluxe or best available hotels based on double-occupancy, meals as listed in the itinerary (B,L,D), all tours, excursions, sightseeing and porterage.
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Trip Leader : Dr. Patrick Peebles
Dr. Patrick Peebles is Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where he taught World History, historical methods, and the modern history of Asia for 34 years. He is a specialist on the modern history of Sri Lanka (Ceylon), where he was a Peace Corps Volunteer from 1962 to 1964. He is the first, and probably the last, American to earn a Ph.D. in the history of Sri Lanka from an American university (Chicago, 1973). His fifth book, The History of Sri Lanka, appeared in 2006. "Retirement" has given him the opportunity to continue work on several projects, including a book on the transformation of the colony in the 1830s and 1840s, and another on the career of Robert Knox as a captain in the East India Company 1680-1700.
Trip Details
Trip Dates 
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