Price
From £2,745 per person
Includes flights, accommodation, a/c transport with chauffeur guide, activities & taxes.
Head north to Anamaduwa in Puttalam District, which is one of the island's least visited areas.
Two nights in an authentic eco-retreat based around a well-developed community project in the ancient rural heartlands of the island. Flanked by lakes and blessed with abundant birdlife, wildlife and natural beauty, the uniquely designed huts are all constructed with natural materials sourced locally.
All locally guided excursions and activities for the duration of your stay are provided free of charge. These may change depending on the season or other local factors but a range will always be offered, including: picnic trips, temple visits, bird watching walks, nature trails, lake kayaking, local historical sights and cooking lessons.
Further afield (not included in price):
- Jeep safari in Wilpattu NP, Sri Lanka’s largest wildlife reserve and home to elephants, leopards, sloth bears, deer, wild boar and a variety of bird life.
- Visit Anuradhapura, the first capital of ancient Lanka in the 3rd century BC
Drive southeast to Habarana, the ‘crossroads’ of the Cultural Triangle.
Two nights in an open-plan forest lodge built sensitively with its natural surroundings and nestled in ‘jungle’ near a picturesque lake. It is a unique property in a stunning setting with an eclectic charm at every turn, an ideal retreat for nature lovers.
Guided tour of the historic temples and exquisitely carved statues of the medieval capital of Polonnaruwa, with visits to the Quadrangle, Northern Monuments, Royal Citadel Group and Southern Group. Bicycles are available to hire for your own self-guided tour, if preferred.
Jeep safari in Minneriya NP, which forms an ‘elephant corridor’, along with Kaudulla NP, for the vast herds roaming the eastern region of the country from Trincomalee through to Wasgamuwa, Maduru Oya and Gal Oya NPs further south. The park is home to a variety of animals such as elephants, leopards, toque macaques, purple faced langurs, sloth bears, sambar and spotted deer, and about 160 bird species, including many endemics. Minneriya is home to the ‘gathering’ between August and October, when large herds of elephants congregate around Minneriya Lake to seek the last available water at the end of the dry season.
Early morning ascent of 200-metre high ‘Lion Rock’ at Sigiriya to view the surrounding countryside at dawn – a very special experience indeed. The unique rock fortress of Sigiriya is a national icon, despite its origins as a usurper’s pleasure palace housing erotic frescoes! Guided tour of the rock palace and ornamental gardens.
Climb gently up the granite massif at Dambulla to visit the most impressive cave temple complex in Sri Lanka, with five ornately and intricately decorated caverns under a vast overhanging rock.
Continue to the Knuckles Mountain Range, a World Heritage Site of majestic mountains, lush green valleys and crystal clear streams.
Two nights in an eco lodge surrounded by a terraced hillside tea estate with possibly one of the finest views anywhere on the island.
Hiking and trekking, bird watching and wildlife, camping safari, adventure activities, tea factory visit and tea picking, local community projects.
Continue to Kandy, one of the principal points of the Cultural Triangle and the seat of the last Sinhalese kingdom.
Two nights at a family guesthouse in attractive surroundings with the added benefit of tasty and authentic Sri Lankan home cooking!
Experience the Buddhist puja (blessing ceremony) at the Temple of the Tooth, which houses Sri Lanka’s most revered religious relic.
Guided walking tour of Kandy, which will take in the Hindu temples, the lake and the municipal market.
Visit the beautifully kept and well-presented Peradeniya Botanic Gardens.
Head into the upper Hill Country, following the winding, vertiginous roads through the velveteen slopes of verdant tea plantations and past spectacular waterfalls and impressive mountain scenery on your way to Nuwara Eliya, the British colonial capital of the Hill Country and the highest town in Sri Lanka at 1900 metres above sea level.
Amble around the ‘City of Lights’ and enjoy a little piece of England in the tropics!
Scenic train journey to Ella in the southern Hill Country - subject to availability.
Two nights in an off-the-beaten-track and novel home-away-from-home located in an unspoiled valley in the hills above Ravana Falls near Ella.
Walks around Ella to Little Adam’s Peak and Ella Rock, the viewpoint of Lipton’s Seat, local tea factory tour, and Bambarakanda Falls, Sri Lanka’s highest waterfall, or a visit to Ravana's Cave, a mythological hideout from the Ramayana.
Drop down to the hot and dry southern plain before continuing to Udawalawe.
Two nights in a rustic countryside hotel surrounded by wilderness close to Udawalawe NP.
Early morning and afternoon jeep safaris in Udawalawe NP, which is renowned for its outstanding scenic beauty and wealth of animal species, particularly mammals and birds. The park is centred on the large Udawalawe Reservoir, fed by the Walawe Ganga that originates in the southern Hill Country. Of all Sri Lanka's national parks, this best rivals the savanna reserves of Africa, with herds of elephants, wild buffaloes and sambar deer, and leopards. There are about 500 elephants in the park in herds of up to 100 individuals. Udawalawe NP is known to be the best place to see wild elephants in Sri Lanka, because of the elephant-proof fence surrounding the reserve, which prevents elephants from getting out and cattle from getting in. There are also populations of spotted and barking deer as well as wild boar. Other mammals include toque macaque and common langur monkeys, silver-backed jackals, sloth bears, toddy and civet cats, and mongooses. For bird watchers, there are large numbers of warblers, together with the usual low country birds in forested areas, and a variety of raptors. Water birds found on the reservoir include rare visitors and breeding residents such as the Indian cormorant and osprey. Notable endemic species are the Sri Lanka spurfowl and junglefowl, Malabar pied hornbill, Sri Lanka grey hornbill, and the brown-capped babbler
Head to the south coast.
Two nights in a contemporary and stylish out of the ordinary, out of the way place nestled between a deserted beach and a lagoon.
Suggested sightseeing trips and activities (not included in price):
- Guided tour of the imposing rock temple of Mulkirigala Raja Maha Viharaya, which is situated about 15 km inland from Tangalle on an isolated rock 210 metres high rising almost vertically from the surrounding forest and believed to have been founded around 130 BC.
- Boat safari in Kalametiya Sanctuary, which is an extensive area of wetland with brackish lagoons, mangrove swamps, open grassy areas and pockets of scrub jungle. It is an important site for migrant waders and provides an important refuge (one of the few remaining on the southern coastal strip) for smaller mammals.
- Early morning boat safari off the south coast from Mirissa to spot blue whales, the largest animal on Earth! Sperm, humpback and orca Whales as well as large pods of dolphins are also regular sightings – Season from November to April.
Continue west along the southern coastline to Galle.
Amble around the ramparts and stroll through the Arab Quarter of Galle Fort, a World Heritage Site.
Two nights in a sensitively renovated and exclusive 17th century Dutch colonial-era villa, which has a walled internal courtyard bedecked with lush tropical vegetation surrounding a crystal-clear swimming pool and centrepiece Frangipani tree.
Suggested sightseeing trips and activities (not included in price):
- Boat safari through the mangroves and lush vegetation along the Mahamodara River, which offers great opportunities for spotting birds, butterflies, monitor lizards, and much more!
- Guided cycling tours of the lush paddy fields and local villages around Galle.
Head north, via the Southern Expressway, to the airport for the flight home, with a mind full of wonderful memories and thoughts of returning again next year...
