Highlights of Sri Lanka + Maldive Dhoni Cruise

Our tour starts today in Negombo, a coastal town that's famous for its fishing industry and golden sands. The perfect introduction to Sri Lankan life, Negombo is a busy coastal town with a lively fish market, and traditional ketti-maran (catamaran) fishing boats scudding across the waters - the capital, Colombo, is a short distance away, too. Head down to the water to catch the sunset and spot locals bringing in the day's catch. For those arriving in time, our tour leader plans to meet you in the hotel reception at 6pm for a welcome meeting and for those that wish, there is the chance to go out for dinner. There are no other activities planned today, so you're free to arrive in Negombo at any time. If you'd like an airport transfer, you'll need to arrive into Colombo's Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB), which is a 30-minute drive from our hotel. If you miss the welcome meeting, your tour leader will inform you of any essential information as soon as you catch up. If your flight arrives earlier in the day, you might like to head to the beach or make use of the hotel facilities which include a swimming pool.

Leaving Negombo this morning, we'll travel north following the coastal road via the small towns of Chilaw and Putalam before reaching the entrance to Wilpattu National Park, a drive of around four hours including stops. Here, we'll leave our bus and hop in jeeps for an afternoon safari through the park, hoping to spot Sri Lanka's most elusive resident, the leopard. Despite its location in Sri Lanka's dry zone, Wilpattu National Park boasts nearly 60 lakes and is renowned for being home to leopards, elephants and sambar deer. We'll head out on a jeep safari in the hope of spotting the elusive leopard. We choose to visit this park, rather than the more touristy Yala National Park further south because we believe it offers our customers a better experience. The same animals can be seen here as in Yala, however, it's less crowded, making our visit more enjoyable and responsible. Leaving the park, we'll drive onwards for about one hour to nearby Anuradhapura, where we'll spend the night.

We start early this morning with a visit to Mihintale - a small mountain peak that stands out from the surrounding plains. It's believed that this was the site of a momentous meeting between the monk Mahinda and King Devanampiyatissa, introducing Buddhism to the country. Exploring Mihintale involves climbing a flight of shallow stone steps, and a short final section with uneven steps carved into the bedrock and a handrail leading to the summit. There are excellent panoramic views from the top across the entire surrounding landscape. Afterwards, we'll drive south stopping enroute for a local lunch experience. Travelling like locals, we'll reach Hiriwaduna village by tractor-drawn cart and dugout canoe-style boats crossing the short distance across the lake to the village, where we'll be treated to a traditional Sri Lankan lunch of various curries and rice. Our next stop is Dambulla, where a series of caves have been turned into temples dating from the 1st century BC. This UNESCO World Heritage Site still attracts scores of worshippers. After climbing the hill we'll visit five separate caves, which contain a large number of Buddha images, as well as sculptures of Hindu Gods. Finally, we'll drive the short distance to Sigiriya where we'll spend the night.

We'll have an early start this morning as we plan to climb Sigiriya ahead of the crowds and while it's still relatively cool. Rising dramatically from the central plains, the UNESCO-protected ruins of this 5th-century 'Sky Fortress' are one of Sri Lanka's major attractions and an impressive feat of engineering skill. The fortress was built in just seven years as a fortified palace atop the granite peak, to protect the reign of merciless King Kassapa who had assassinated his father and deposed his brother. Before our final ascent to the summit, we'll pass between a set of enormous lion paws carved out of the rock - all that remains of an ancient gateway that gave Sigiriya, the 'Lion Rock', its name. From here a series of switchback steel stairways ascend to the top. Once at the 200-metre/656-foot summit, we can take in the magnificent views of the surrounding jungle and countryside. We return to our hotel in time for a late breakfast. After a chance to have breakfast and freshen up, we leave the hotel at around 11am and we'll drive for around two and a half hours to Kandy. Sitting on a plateau 500 metres/1640 feet above sea level and 112 kilometres/69 miles northeast of Colombo, Kandy is, in climatic and cultural terms, a world apart from Colombo. Serving as the capital of the last Sinhalese kingdom until falling to the British in 1815, it's a place of cultural and spiritual importance. Buddhists from all over the world come here specifically to visit the Temple of the Tooth, the Dalada Maligawa. The costly jewelled shrine of the Holy Tooth, said to be Buddha's left canine, is kept on the upper floor of the original building. This relic was brought from India 1,500 years ago and every year, at the time of the August full moon, it is paraded around the town as part of the Perahera Festival. On arrival, we'll have free time to explore this historic town. You might like to visit the Temple of the Tooth or take a short tuk-tuk ride out to Peradeniya Botanical Gardens.

Leaving Kandy behind us today, we'll stop at a tea factory to learn about Sri Lanka's largest export. In 1842, a tea bush was brought from China to be planted at Peradeniya Botanical Gardens and 25 years later, James Taylor established Sri Lanka's first tea plantation - the Loolecondera Estate in Kandy. These days, more than one million people in Sri Lanka are employed in the tea industry. The tea factory we'll visit is a small and intimate one so we won't see the tea leaves being picked but we will witness the process of drying and grinding the leaves. We'll also get to sample some of the blends before leaving tea country. After our visit, we'll drive for another four hours to the southwest coast and pay a visit to Galle Fort. An important trading centre since ancient times, the fortifications that can be seen today were built by the Portuguese and then the Dutch between the 16th and 17th centuries. The fort ramparts of this UNESCO World Heritage Site protect the harbour and a myriad of fascinating old houses, churches and warehouses. Finally, we'll follow the coast east to our base for our final two nights in Koggala. With its shallow waters and long, pristine beaches, it's the perfect place to unwind.

Today you're free to do as little or as much as you wish. A half hour taxi ride will take you back to the pretty coastal town of Galle. Today, the town has a strong arts vibe, with foreign and local artists, writers, photographers, designers, and poets drawing inspiration from their surroundings. Boutique shops and cafes around the town showcase their work. There's plenty to explore in the town and you can soak up the atmosphere with a wander around its streets. For those seeking pure relaxation, local Ayurvedic massages with natural, aromatic herbal oils are highly recommended. Alternatively, between the months of December and April, you might prefer to go on a whale-watching trip in the hope of spotting humpback and blue whales.

This morning, we'll fly to Male and after meeting up with our representative we'll transfer to our hotel. After checking in, we'll go on a walking tour of the town, taking in the Mosque, the fish market and strolling along the water's edge to watch the ferries coming and going. Please note, not all group members will join the Maldives extension trip and we'll be saying goodbye to some in Colombo.

This morning, we'll walk to the waterfront to meet our moored Dhoni and crew. We'll have breakfast as the boat begins cruising south, passing through the Vaadhoo Canal to the South Male Atoll - a smaller and quieter neighbour compared to the more developed North Male Atoll. Here, many of the islands are uninhabited, simply vegetation and white sand, surrounded by clear turquoise water and reefs. Heading further south, we'll cruise to the Vavuu Atoll, where we'll spend time exploring the uninhabited and picturesque islands of Kudiboli and Kuda Anbaraa. When exploring this and other islands in the itinerary, it isn't necessary to bring special footwear. Most people manage well in flip-flops, and these have the obvious advantage of being quick to get on and off - ideal for walking through sand. Our afternoon will be spent snorkelling or relaxing on board. Over the course of the week, underwater fauna we are likely to see includes green turtles, reef sharks and gigantic manta rays, as well as smaller sting rays and eagle rays. At each stop, we'll also swim among a rainbow of small, colourful fish, including the famous Clown Fish. Our knowledgeable representative will be able to help identify many of the underwater species that we come across. Every meal is included on the Dhoni. Menus are likely to include freshly caught fish each day, as well as curries and pasta. Drinking water, tea and coffee are readily available, with alcoholic and soft drinks available for purchase on-board. You can pay your bill for drinks at the end of your cruise in US dollars or by Credit Card. Our cabins are compact but with plenty of room for two people and luggage. However, many people choose to enjoy the tranquillity of sleeping under the stars on deck for at least some of the nights.

Today, we'll sail south for a further two to three hours, crossing to Meemu Atoll - home to one of the longest stretches of reef in the Maldives. On this or other crossings, we might be lucky enough to be chased by spinner dolphins, who like jumping in our wake. We're also likely to see flying fish, sometimes leaping right over the deck of our Dhoni. Meemu Atoll is made up of 34 islands, of which 25 are uninhabited. Some of the inhabited ones grow yams, and all of them are largely dependent on fishing. Here more than anywhere, we're likely to experience the true Maldivian way of life. Shortly after entering the atoll, we'll arrive at Fenboa Finolhu - another beautiful uninhabited island where we'll aim to base ourselves for the night. We'll have plenty of time to enjoy the white-sand beach and to snorkel on the reef. This evening, we can look forward to a barbeque beach banquet in an idyllic spot on the island, laid on by the Dhoni crew.

After a relaxed start this morning, we'll head east to the inhabited island of Dhiggaru. Here, we'll drop anchor by a particularly good snorkelling reef. Later in the afternoon, when it has cooled down a bit, we plan to go ashore to meet the island's inhabitants. You might be struck by the traditional, yet relaxed, way of life in the island's lively village. Very few tourist groups visit and it's important to remember to dress and act respectfully, removing our shoes when visiting a house or a mosque. In the evening, we hope to be invited to a performance of Bodu Beru (Big Drum) - the traditional folk music of the country.

Today, we'll head back to Felidhoo Atoll and its administrative centre, Felidhoo. With a population of about 400, this is the least populated of all the country's administrative centres. Again, we'll take time to visit the village and have the opportunity to enjoy another Bodu Beru performance.

By now, we're likely to have hit a relaxed rhythm, as our routine of reading, sunbathing, and napping between island stops and snorkelling spots becomes second nature. With a subtly different name to our previous day's stop-off, we'll break today's journey with a visit to Fulidhoo Island. Once again, we'll meet the locals and gain more of an appreciation of their life in this tropical paradise. After a further visit to the island of Hulhidhoo, we'll anchor by a large reef, where we can spend time snorkelling.

Our last day on the boat sees us cruising back towards Male. We'll take the opportunity to dive into the water for a last dip or snorkel before enjoying a farewell meal with our boat crew.

The trip ends in Male after breakfast on our dhoni. There are no activities planned today, so you are free to depart from Male on flights from 11.00am. If your flight is departing later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at the airport for a cost of $6 per item. If you would like an airport transfer today, you need to depart from Male International Airport (MLE).