Our holiday starts at the group hotel in Sigirya. Our Sri Lankan tour leader will meet us at the airport and accompany the group on the single timed transfer (3hrs) to Sigirya, where we stay for the next 3 nights. Swimming: At the hotel pool.

After breakfast at the hotel we leave for the ancient city of Polonnaruwa. Here we explore by bicycle. During the ride we can meet the local village people and learn about their way of life. We stop by one of the many lakes in the region for a delicious Sri Lankan style picnic lunch. In the afternoon there is an optional Jeep Safari of Minneriya National Park which is famous for is migratory herd of over 250 elephants. The largest gathering of elephants in this park takes place between the months of May and September. We return to our hotel in Sigiriya. Swimming: At the hotel pool.

We leave early for Hiriwaduna (20 minute transfer) for our 3 hour walk through this archetypal Sri Lankan village. The amazing birdlife, butterflies and possible sightings of crocodile only add to the charm of seeing the villagers as they go about their early morning tasks. We will wade through some shallow streams or maybe get a lift from a local fisherman. We might stop to enjoy the farmer's hospitality and enjoy a drink of coconut or other seasonal fruit. We end our walk through dense shrub forests, home to other wildlife including monkeys, bear, python and even elephant. In the afternoon we visit and climb the Rock Fortress at Sigiriya. This UNESCO World Heritage site is one of the most famous of Sri Lanka. The rock fortress is renowned for its complex of water gardens, ancient frescos and the Mirror Wall. This evening, we enjoy a night walk at the Sam Popham's Arboretum which is home to several species of birds, butterflies, dragonflies and mammals and the rare, nocturnal slender loris. The endemic slender loris is a cuddly looking primate with big eyes which spends most of its life in the canopy. Swimming: At the hotel pool.

Our destination today is Kandy, Sri Lanka's hill capital, stopping en route in Matale to visit the Alu Vihare Temple. In addition to frescoed caves this temple is also home to Monks who we can sometimes see in peaceful reflection around the temple. Kandy is at the heart of Sri Lanka's age old arts and craft industry. In the afternoon we visit a batik manufacture who will guide us through the complicated task of creating our very own hand made batik which we can take home as a souvenir. We have an optional visit to see the Temple of the Tooth, Sri Lanka's most important Buddhist relic - a tooth of the Buddha. We spend the night in this atmospheric town encircled by mountains with its tranquil lake at its centre. In the evening we can opt to see the traditional cultural dancing show in town. Swimming: At the hotel pool.

This morning we have a tuk tuk ride to the food market. The market is a great place to embrace the sounds, sights and smells of the country. We see all the seasonal fruit and vegetables and learn the Sinhala names. We take our ingredients to our hosts kitchen and she will show us how to prepare some Sri Lankan curries and dishes. We help her making the lunch with maybe scraping a coconut and extracting the milk, grinding the spices for a sambal, or making the fire for the pot. After lunch we leave for Kitulgala (approximately 2 hrs drive). This was the location for the old classic 'The Bridge On The River Kwai'. This area is great for adventure activities. We overnight at a hotel situated on the Kelani River.

After breakfast we have a 30 mins drive to the 'put in' for our White Water Rafting excursion on the Kelani River. This short but exhilarating excursion is pitched at a level suitable for good swimmers who are over the age 11yrs. If you are not participating in the white water rafting there is a short forest walk whilst we wait for the rafters. We can have a swim in the rock pools before our lunch. It's then on to Nuwara Eliya (approximately 2 hrs drive), driving past 'Devon' and 'St.Clair's' waterfalls and visiting a Tea Plantation and Factory en route to watch the process of turning the raw green leaf into the familiar final product. It is the home of the famous Ceylon Tea and the rolling mountains are a carpet of velvety green tea plantations, interspersed with gushing streams and tumbling waterfalls. Overnight Nuwara Eliya. Swimming: In the river and the hotel pool.

We drive up onto the plateau of the Horton Plains National Park, 2200m above sea-level, and set off on our walk to 'World's End'. Known locally as 'fen', the landscape is spectacular, with an astounding variety of scenery from mountains to grasslands, from marshes to trout streams. Sri Lanka's best flavoured high-grown teas are found growing in the surrounding area. The dramatic drop-off at the edge of the plateau is particularly well demonstrated at 'World's End,' where there is a 300 metre precipice. We then proceed to Pattipola Railway station to a scenic 2hr train journey to Bandarawela (railway station which is situated in the highest elevation and 25 minutes from the entrance of the Horton Plains). It is a real opportunity to gain an insight to local lifestyles and culture. Arriving into Bandarawela we check into our accommodation.

After breakfast we drive to the Dambatenne tea factory. From here we change vehicles and drive through the lush tea plantations to the viewpoint called 'Lipton's Seat'. This is the lookout that the Scottish tea baron Sir Thomas Lipton used to survey his burgeoning empire. The view are some of the best with rolling hills of plantations and montane forests. We have a picnic lunch and walk down to the vehicle, walking approx 1 hour. From here we transfer back to Bandarawela. The playing field at Bandarawela often has local children playing cricket and if we wish we can join in or play our own match. This is usually a highlight of the holiday for the children. We then return to our hotel in Bandarawela.

Today, we drive to the Udawalawe National Park (approximately 2 ½ hrs drive), the best place on the island for seeing wild elephants. This impressive reserve area has enjoyed protected status since 1972 and is home to a large herd of elephants, several species of deer, wild boar, wild buffalo, jackal and the elusive leopard. Surrounded by mountain ranges, the terrain of the park is a mixture of grassland (rather like the savannah of Africa) and shrub jungle. Teak plantations, water holes, the large Udawalawe Reservoir and the Walewe River make this place special. Our exploration of the park by jeep should allow us to get close to wild elephants. Overnight Udawalawe. Swimming: At the hotel pool.

The Elephant Transit Home is for baby elephants who are injured or orphaned in the wild and are cared for and rehabilitated in a natural setting. Once the elephants are old enough and strong enough they are radio collared and released in to the National Park in small groups. The first group to be released in to the park successfully reproduced in the wild in 200. We spend some time here watching them being fed. This afternoon we have a jeep safari at Yala National Park. This National Park is popular for Elephant, Leopard, Bear, Crocodile and Wild Boar. Its open undulating terrain made it famous for elephants for many years, as well as more recently leopard research and conservation. Vegetation here is primarily grassland and shrub jungle with patches of dense growth. There are also several salt and fresh water lagoons which are a haven for a large variety of resident and migrant birds. Overnight Tissamaharama. Swimming: At the hotel pool.

There is an optional morning jeep safari of Yala National Park for a second chance to track the Sri Lanka Leopard. We then transfer coast (approximately 3 hrs drive). En route we stop off at the town of Galle, an old colonial Dutch port with an impressive fortified harbour. Our base for the next few days is at Induruwa. Our hotel is located next to the beach, and has a swimming pool. Swimming: In the pool and the sea.

Today we have time to explore the area at our leisure and relax by the pool or on the beach. Optional snorkelling and whale watching excursions to see Blue Whales and many Dolphin species will be possible between the months of November and April. Swimming: In the pool and the sea.

We have a final morning at the coast before transferring to Negombo, near the airport. Swimming: At the hotel pool.

Our holidays ends after breakfast at the hotel near Colombo Airport. We have a single timed transfer to the airport.