Independent Tailor-made Holidays to Sri Lanka & Maldives

From £1,945 per person.

Includes B&B or H/B accommodation, a/c transport with chauffeur guide, entrance fees & activities, and taxes.

Arrive Colombo airport and greeted by your dedicated Tikalanka chauffeur guide.

Drive up to Kitulgala in the foothills of the western Hill Country, made famous by the cinematographic epic, Bridge on the River Kwai, which was filmed here in 1956.

Two nights at Borderlands Eco Lodge. Overlooking the Kelani River, the eco lodge and jungle camp provides a ‘glamping’ experience for those who need a certain degree of comfort. Surrounded by mountains and the clear, rushing river below, the site is truly stunning. 

Activities available at Borderlands Adventure Centre in Kitulgala (NOT INCLUDED IN PRICE):

• White-water rafting – Seven high quality, Class II and III rapids and temperate waters make the Kelani River a premier introduction to the sport of white-water rafting or an exciting choice for experienced rafters. The river hosts rapids between grades 2 and 3, with the rafting stretch approximately 6.5 km in length, and taking between 45 minutes to 1.5 hours to complete, depending on water levels. (Minimum age – 10 years)
• Canyoning – As you make your way down the narrow side canyons, you will have to jump into plunge pools and wade across small ‘potholes’, the best and only way to experience the stony canyon’s features carved by rushing water over many thousands of years. There are even a few ‘waterslides’ along the way. During this adventure you will face several thrilling challenges. (Minimum age – 4 years)
• Kayaking – Beginners can paddle upstream from the camp, trying their hand at some wave surfing on a Grade 2 play-wave before heading downstream on a gentle journey through breath-taking scenery. For a more intense experience, we offer white-water kayaking on the raft run, a 7 km stretch of Class II and III+ pools and drop rapids. (Minimum age – 10 years)
• Makandawa Forest Reserve – Half-day hike through the rainforest, a spectacular area of jungle-clad hills and plantations growing low-country tea and rubber, which was established to protect the watershed of the Kelani River. Similar to Sinharaja, the lowland rainforest around Kitulgala is one of the best spots to see endemic bird species on the island (packed lunch included). (All ages)
• Belilena Cave – Visit one of the larger prehistoric caves on the island, where the 30,000-year-old skeletal remains of 'Balangoda Man' (Homo sapien balangodensis) have been found in addition to microliths, bone implements, and food remnants. (All ages)
• Other local activities include canoeing and mountain biking.

After breakfast, 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. On arrival, amble the ‘City of Lights’ and enjoy a little piece of England in the tropics!

Continue to Ella in the southern Hill Country.

Two nights at Clove Tree Cottage, which is an off-the-beaten-track and novel guesthouse set in a two-storey former tea estate office in an unspoiled valley in the hills above Ravana Falls near Ella within AMBA Estate, which produces a range of artisanal teas, coffees, spices and preserves from the 40-hectare plantation. 

Most visitors want to stay at the estate to learn more about organic farming and artisanal product-making. Guests can join the daily public tour at 11.00 or they can book to do a private tour and tasting at other times. For guests who want to spend time with village families learning about local food and handicrafts, help to collect honey and kithul treacle from the forest, explore the farm and learn about organic farming, and try their hand at plucking and rolling their own tea, peeling cinnamon, roasting coffee or making jams and chutneys, a range of hands-on experiences are offered. There are also various walking trails of differing difficulty, spectacular waterfalls and panoramic viewpoints in the vicinity, including a longer trek to Lipton’s Seat. Further afield, there is Flying Ravana Mega Zip Line, where you ‘fly’ along the 0.5 km-long zip-wire at speeds of up to 80 km/hour with a bird’s-eye view of the iconic tea estates and lush vegetation surrounding Ella Gap.

Transfer to Ella railway station for a scenic train journey – subject to availability – into the northern Hill Country to Kandy, one of the principal points of the island’s Cultural Triangle and the seat of the last Sinhalese kingdom. The second city of Sri Lanka has a picturesque setting around its lake, a rich historical and cultural heritage, a comfortable Mediterranean-type climate, and UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

Two nights at Hanthana House, which is a friendly and welcoming homestay guesthouse offering a comfortable stay in attractive surroundings, an area famous for cultivating some of the first tea grown on the island, with the added benefit of tasty and authentic Sri Lankan home cooking!

Suggested sightseeing trips and activities (NOT INCLUDED IN PRICE):

• Experience the Buddhist puja (blessing ceremony) at the Temple of the Tooth, which houses Sri Lanka’s most revered religious relic.
• Kandy is the perfect size to be explored on foot, since the altitude (500 metres above sea level) makes the climate conducive to long and leisurely strolls. A guided walking tour of the city will take in the Hindu devales (temples), the lake and the municipal market.
• Visit the beautifully kept and well-presented Peradeniya Botanic Gardens on the outskirts of Kandy.
• Guided tour of Embekke, Lankathilake and Gadaladeniya temples close to Kandy, which display the late flowering of Kandyan artistic craftsmanship.
• Visit Udawattakele Sanctuary, once the royal hunting grounds of the erstwhile Kandyan kings and now a nature reserve in the heart of the city (beware leeches!).
• Learn to prepare traditional ‘Rice and Curry’ and get hands-on experience of how the delicious food is eaten!
• Share in the adventure of the Ceylon Tea Museum, which tells the story of the tea industry in Sri Lanka – a monument to courage and a valuable part of the history of the island.
• Early evening performance of the famous Kandyan dancers and drummers, with a fire-walking finale!

Head northeast into the Cultural Triangle to the medieval capital of Polonnaruwa for a guided tour of its historic temples and exquisitely carved statues, 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.

Continue east to Passikudah on the east coast.

Four nights at Maala Maalu Resort & Spa, which is built on the concept of a traditional Sri Lankan fishing village, or ‘Waadiya’, with the simple eco-friendly architecture inspired by the wooden-clad dwellings of a typical fisherman’s hut. 

Resort activities include windsurfing, jet skiing, kayaking, diving, snorkelling, badminton, beach volleyball, and cycling. 

After a leisurely morning, leave the east coast and return west to Habarana.

Two nights at Galkadawala Forest Lodge, which is 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.

Drive to Sigiriya for an early morning (07.00) 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.

In the afternoon, enjoy a jeep safari in Minneriya National Park, which forms an ‘elephant corridor’, along with Kaudulla National Park, for the vast herds roaming the eastern region of the country from Trincomalee through to Wasgamuwa, Maduru Oya and Gal Oya National Parks. 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. 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. 

Head to Dambulla to climb gently up the granite massif 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 Negombo on the island’s west coast close to the airport.

One night at Villa Hundira, which is an elegant home-from-home situated in a secluded location on Negombo lagoon. The comfortable and stylish rooms are complemented by a relaxed ambience. Indira, one of the passionate owners, runs an on-going community project, Thimble, which supports local fisher folk through an arts and crafts workshop in-house.

Transfer to the airport for your flight home.