Classic Sri Lanka & The Maldives: Bespoke Holiday Itinerary Bespoke Holiday Itinerary / Experience Tour

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This holiday explores the culture and natural beauty of Sri Lanka incorporating some of the “must-see” sites with some of our best insider secrets. It’s a fantastic way to experience the island and get a feel for how it ticks.

It’s just a 1 hour flight from Sri Lanka to The Maldives so after 8 days discovery you’ll hop over to the atolls for 5 days of relaxation in paradise.

Highlights include

Getting a feel for Sri Lanka beyond the usual tourist trail
Exploring the magnificence of Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle – Sigirya, Polonnaruwa, Dambulla
Discovering a beautiful and less-explored corner of the hill county with amazing views and ambiance
Experiencing the cultural heritage of Kandy
Taking a walking tour of Colombo to discover its vibrancy with a history expert
Relaxing in the Maldives. Swimming, snorkelling, diving and beach-time in paradise

DAY 1 DEPART THE UK

Fly from the UK to Colombo overnight.

DAY 2 GAMPAHA

On arrival meet your chauffeur guide and transfer to your nearby hotel in rural Gampaha. This rural area with its coconut farms and pineapple plantations is the perfect base to recover from jet lag and relax into Sri Lanka.

DAY 3-5 THE CULTURAL TRIANGLE

Your chauffeur- guide will drive you to the Cultural Triangle today where you’ll begin your exploration of its many interesting and important sites. Your hotel will be a great base from which to explore the surrounding sites.

You’ll explore the famous historical sites of Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya Rock Fortress and Dambulla Cave temples. These are, with good reason, a must when visiting Sri Lanka, we will take you to some of our favourite secret sites along the way too, interesting places to eat such as a local farm with a home-cooked lunch. We keep the finer details under wraps here – call us on 020 7924 7133 to find out more.

DAY 6-8 The Knuckles Mountains – Tea & Kandy

You’ll travel from the Cultural Triangle towards the edge of the Knuckles Mountain Range. Here you’ll stay at Ashburnham Estate which is off-the-beaten-track, surrounded by hills and waterfalls with amazing views. Despite the rural location you’re within proximity of both Kandy (Sri Lanka’s second city) and the tea country.

During your stay you will explore Kandy’s Botanical Gardens and hidden temples, enjoy a tea experience with the estate manager of Ashburnham and there will be plenty of time to simply relax and enjoy the beauty of your surroundings.

DAY 9 Colombo

Drop out of the hills down to Colombo. The journey is a scenic one – passing from the tea clad hills, to the thick jungle covered hills and finally coming out to the verdant paddy fields below.

Your last night in Colombo will give you chance to experience first-hand this vibrant city. Our walking tour of Colombo is a great way to explore the histories and sites of this rapidly changing city.

DAYS 10 - 15 THE MALDIVES

Transfer to the airport this morning for the short flight to Male. On arrival you will transfer by speedboat to your island resort - home for the next 5 days. Enjoy!

The indicative price for this holiday includes all-inclusive accommodation at Adaaran Club Rannalhi in the Maldives as it complements the Sri Lanka tour well. However, all Experience Travel Group holidays are tailor-made so please feel free to discuss your Maldives requirements with your travel expert who will ensure the accommodation is suited to you.

DAY 16 FlY HOME

Today you depart The Maldives for your flight home.

As every holiday is unique to you, prices vary. To give you an indication, two-week holidays range from roughly £2,500 to £8,000 per adult, with an average price of £3,300. We also offer substantial child and seasonal discounts.

Fill in our Quote Request form to get your quick, no-obligations proposal.

As every holiday is unique - Call our experts on 1-888-577-8452 for an inclusive, personalised quotation for your preferred dates or use the quote request form below...

Inclusions

Your personalised quotation with Experience Travel Group will include:

International Flights (which can be omitted from your quotation if you prefer)
Accommodation as described
Privately guided tours and transfers
Original Experience Travel Group "Signature" experiences
Full financial protection (full ABTA and ATOL bonding)
Meals as described
24 hour in-country backup whilst away
Your own dedicated travel expert in the UK

For more on our pricing policy read here.

You can book this holiday tour on its own, with flights or it can be tailored for you.

Here are the hotels and villas within this holiday as standard...

Adaaran Club Rannalhi, South Male Atoll

A good quality mid-range resort with great facilities and all the Maldives âmust-havesâ without the hefty price tag.

Aliya Resort & Spa, Sigiriya

A spacious and modern resort with views of Sigiriya Rock and a great swimming pool and spa.

Ashburnham Estate, Elkaduwa

A hotel in the midst of a working tea plantation on the edge of the Knuckles mountain range

Ceilao Villas, Colombo

A small boutique hotel with just six rooms in bustling Colombo. Ceilao Villas is a converted family home creating an oasis from the energetic city.

Villa Green Inn, Negombo

A refurbished colonial villa, close to Colombo's International Airport and only 10 minutes from the beach.

You can book this holiday tour on its own, with flights or it can be tailored for you.

Here are the experiences & activities within this holiday as standard...

Dambulla Cave Temples, Dambulla

Beautiful and decorative cave temples hidden into rocks and ccaves at Dambulla

Minneriya National Park, Sigiriya

Jeep safari for elephant spotting around Minneriya Lake and surrounding National Park

Peradeniya Botanical Gardens, Kandy

Beautiful, historic gardens

Polonnaruwa, Polonnaruwa

Sri Lanka's third ancient captal, home to some of the finest stone carvings and monuments

Sigiriya Rock Fortress, Sigiriya

One of the unofficial wonders of the world - a spectacular, must-visit ancient site full of mystery and intrigue

Tea Factory Visit, Nuwara Eliya

See the inner-workings of a tea factory and follow the process from plucking the bud to brewing a cup

Temple of the Sacred Tooth, Kandy

Former royal palace turned temple - home to Sri Lanka's most sacred religious relic

Train through the hill country, Kandy

One of Asia's great train journeys, with spectacular views from start to finish

Customer Feedback

Thank you Harriet, we had the most amazing holiday in Sri Lanka. Our varied accommodation was superb, our drivers were brilliant and our experience of the country was so varied and enjoyable we have all come back encouraging our friends to make a visit. We travelled from Singapore and England to celebrate the New Year as a family and have returned with the most wonderful memories. You were exceptionally helpful and keen to get our holiday itinerary correct and it couldn't have been better. I would highly recommend Experience Travel to anyone planning a journey to Sri Lanka.

- January 2013, Judy Partridge and the Partridge family.

Customer Protection

The air holiday packages shown are ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. Our ATOL number is ATOL 9324. Please see our booking conditions for more information.

Sri Lanka & Maldives Holiday Ideas