See elephants — at elaborate festival and in the wild — on this Sri Lanka tour

Dancers, jugglers, musicians, fire-breathers, acrobats and more than 100 costumed elephants set the scene for the Kandy Esala Perahera, one of the largest Buddhist festivals held annually in southeast Asia.

The spectacle, with nightly torch-lit parades of elephants, is on the itinerary of an 11-night Ceylon Express International tour of Sri Lanka.

The August trip also includes a visit to an elephant orphanage and to Yala National Park, where participants see elephants in the wild.

Other stops include visits to ancient cities, the tea country of Nuwara Eliya and a beach resort.

Dates: Aug. 7-18

Price: From $2,795 per person, double occupancy (single supplement from $895). Included are accommodations, breakfast and dinner, tours, transfers, entrance fees and special festival tickets with seating at Queen’s Hotel, Kandy.

International airfare, personal expenses and visa fee are not included.

Info: Ceylon Express International, (800) 423-9566

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