Sri Lanka & Undiscovered Maldives Family Holiday Bespoke Holiday Itinerary / Experience Tour

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This is an unusual family adventure to Sri Lanka and The Maldives, perfect for those wanting something truly unique and authentic. Spend the first half of the holiday in Sri Lanka, combining some of the main sights with experiences that take you away from the usual tourist route. Ride tuk-tuks through sleepy rural roads, cycle through ancient cities dating back to the 11th Century, drive past families of wild elephants and sample delicious fresh curries.

For the second stage of your adventure, travel around The Maldives in a style overlooked by the vast majority of tourists - stay on a local island, meet Dhivehi (Maldivian) people and experience the country at its most authentic (later moving to a resort for some pure indulgence.)

Highlights include –

Scaling UNESCO heritage Sigiriya Rock Fortress and watching the sun set
Eating lunch on a local farm in the Sri Lankan countryside and learning about rural life
Watching families of elephants go about their life in Minneriya National Park
Wandering through pastel coloured Moroccan-style architecture that typify Maldivian towns on a guided tour
Taste delicious tapas-style hedikaa with Maldivians and learn to beat boduberu drums
Relax totally in a beautiful resort on a private island in The Maldives

As with all our holidays, this itinerary is just a starting point. We can tailor it completely to suit your budget, pace and style.To find out more about how this suggested itinerary could inspire your own holiday, fill in the form below.

DAY 1 DEPART THE UK

Depart the UK on your overnight flight to Colombo.

DAY 2 – 3 RURAL GAMPAHA

Upon arrival at Colombo airport, be greeted by your private chauffeur guide and get in your air-conditioned vehicle to your first hotel. Situated North-East of Colombo, this rural area known as Gampaha is incredibly beautiful and is home to countless coconut farms and pineapple plantations.

After settling in, enjoy a number of optional activities including a tour of a coconut estate, exploring local nearby villages or take a ride on the leisurely bullock cart. You may rather swim in the idyllic pool or relax with cool drinks, the choice is yours.

DAY 4 - 6 CULTURAL TRIANGLE

Explore the Cultural Triangle, roughly the area between Kandy, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. With the world famous rock fortress of Sigiriya and the cave temples of Dambulla in the centre, we've especially designed our experiences in this region to get you away from the crowds where possible. This region is also famous for its abundance of artificial tanks that were built by civilisations over 1000 years old. How's that for ingenuity?

Cycle past majestic elephants of Minneriya National Park, and if you're on holiday between August and September - you'll be able to experience the biggest gathering of wild elephants in the world – appropriately named 'The Gathering.'

Visit local farms and learn about the life of villagers. Have a go at traditional farming practices and enjoy a home-cooked lunch made nearly entirely from the home-grown produce you've seen earlier. Ride on a tuk-tuks, tractors and explore the rural paths with your guide on foot.

DAY 7 - 9 hill country/kandy

Spend three-nights at a family-run estate house in the lush tea plantations. Spend your time exploring the beautiful countryside on bike trails and splashing around in the pool. You’re not too far from Kandy, Sri Lanka’s second city, so there will be a chance to visit for the day with your guide and taking a scenic train ride en route.

DAY 10 – 11 the maldives - LOCAL ISLAND

Transfer back to Colombo where you'll hop on a one hour flight to the extraordinary city of Male, capital of The Maldives. Enjoy a quick tour of this high-rise city erupting out of the ocean. Gain a better insight into the unique heritage of Maldivians and see the Moroccan design Mosques that date back to King Charles I.

Hop on a speedboat to Guraidhoo Island where you'll experience Maldivian everyday life on this local island. Have time to settle in, have a swim in the idyllic waters and enjoy dinner with a local family.

After breakfast with the locals, enjoy a coral reef trip and a spot of snorkelling. With local Maldivians joining you, they'll be able to let you know about the various fish that call the coral their home and you'll be in with a good chance of spotting turtles.

After lunch, have a short tour of the local island including the Mosque and a boat yard where they make the iconic curved fronted Dhoni boats. Stop by a local cafe to sample traditional 'hedikaa' served with black tea or non-alcoholic beer. In the evening, enjoy a performance of boduberu drumming and join in if you're feeling brave.

DAY 12 – 14 the maldives - RESORT

Transfer back to Male and onward to your resort to indulge. Your all-inclusive stay will include plenty of relaxation time by the pool or in the ocean. Kids and adults alike will particularly enjoy snorkelling and swimming, discovering the colourful array of marine life around the island as well as the variety of watersports on offer.

DAY 15 DEPART FOR THE UK

Return home from Male.

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

International Flights
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 information 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...

Guraidhoo Palm Inn, South Male Atoll

Stay at Guraidhoo Palm Inn, a small homely guesthouse with a beautiful sun terrace overlooking coconut trees and the turquoise sea.

Horathapola Coconut Estate, Pannala

Beautiful tropical mansion offering unpretentious luxury on a working Coconut Estate...

Lake Lodge Kandalama, Dambulla

Elegant twelve-bedroom boutique hotel on the banks of the Kandalama lake in the heart of the Cultural Triangle

Rosyth House, Nr Pinnawela, Kegalle

A beautifully converted planter's bungalow within easy access of Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage and Kandy

Velassaru Maldives, South Male Atoll

Close to Male, you’ll find this small, contemporary and pleasant boutique resort with great food and beautiful surroundings.

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...

Boduberu drumming lesson, North Male Atoll

With influences from Africa, brought over by Indian Ocean sailors , Boduberu is an ancient musical form you can learn.

Breakfast at a local home, North Male Atoll

Enjoy breakfast in a local home with traditional food like Roshi and fresh tuna cooked on open ovens.

Contrasts of Kandy, Kandy

Explore the rich history of Kandy, including the Royal Botanical Garden and Queen's Hotel.

Coral Reef Snorkelling, North Male Atoll

Enjoy a snorkel under the sea and try to spot turtles, clown fish and rays under the water with expert local swimmers.

Dambulla Cave Temples, Dambulla

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

Guraidhoo Island Tour, South Male Atoll

Enjoy a tour of this typical Maldivian island including visits to the Mosque and dhoni boatyard.

Male City Tour, North Male Atoll

Explore the historic city of Male, capital of the Maldives and get a sense of ordinary life for the locals.

Polonnaruwa, Polonnaruwa

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

Sampling Hedikaa, North Male Atoll

Tuck in to some absolutely delicious tapas style dishes, from samosas, to crunchy tuna balls to coconut rice pieces.

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

Customer Feedback

We called Harriet in the UK and asked to move to a hotel with more facilities or closer to town. Our request was relayed through Colombo to the manager and resulted in a visit from the owner asking how he could make our stay better.

- Andrew

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 & The Maldives Holiday Ideas