SRI LANKA AND THE MALDIVES

You’ll be met on arrival and transferred to The Wallawwa, a luxurious Dutch warehouse-style hotel just a few miles from the airport. You’ll also be given a welcome pack that includes a mobile phone so you can contact your driver whenever you need.

Stay: One night in a Garden Suite at The Wallawwa – including breakfast

This morning you’ll make the four-and-a-half-hour journey into the Cultural Triangle. Here you’ll be staying in a boutique hotel that pays tribute to the ancient water gardens that once surrounded the Sigiriya rock fortress.

The next day sees you climbing to the top of this astonishing royal citadel. Sigiriya is a rock fortress of unusual beauty, rising 200 metres above the jungle on the monumental Lion Rock. On the way up you’ll pass the frescoes of the ‘Heavenly Maidens’, and at the top you’ll find the remains of the palace as well as sensational panoramic views. You’ll then have the afternoon at your leisure to either relax or explore your surroundings further, including an optional visit to Sri Lanka’s ancient capital of Polannaruwa.

Stay: Two nights in a Superior Deluxe Pool Villa at the Water Garden – including breakfast

Your journey continues to Dambulla and some of Sri Lanka’s most impressive cave temples. There are five of them, carved from the solid rock face, featuring 150 representations of Buddha – including a massive, impassive statue spanning 14 metres.

After Dambulla, you travel on to Kandy where you’ll be able to witness ceremonies in the Temple of the Tooth – named after the relic of Buddha’s tooth, now housed in the temple’s most sacred inner sanctum. The temple stands beside a magnificent lake where basking monitor lizards and a variety of birds are a common sight. Even more wonderful are the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens, spread over 147 acres and showcasing an amazing variety of trees, plants and flowers.

Stay: One night in a Deluxe Room at the King’s Pavilion Kandy – including breakfast

From the lowland heat and bustle of Kandy you’ll board a scenic train that winds its way high into the hills where the climate is cooler – perfect for growing tea. Here you’ll be staying in a modern tea-planters bungalow on a working tea plantation in the Castlereagh Valley.

You’ll be able to follow trails through the surrounding tea estates, visit nearby waterfalls and colonial-era churches, and island-hop on the Castlereagh Reservoir by boat. You’ll also be able to witness the ancient art of tea-production on a tea factory tour.

Stay: Two nights in a Lake View Bedroom at Camellia Hills – all inclusive

This morning you depart for the coastal city of Galle. Built by the Dutch, beginning in 1663, Galle’s core is the Fort, a walled enclave surrounded on three sides by the ocean.

This ancient fortress is a UNESCO-declared World Heritage Site, and believed to be the largest lived-in citadel in the world. As you explore you will find it has retained much of its 300-year-old history and atmosphere, with quaint streets, a beautiful central square and charming mixture of churches, mosques and traditional cottages. Wandering its rambling lanes, you’ll pass stylish cafes, quirky boutiques and impeccably restored hotels owned by local and foreign artists, writers, photographers and designers.

Stay: Two nights in a Bazaar Bedroom at Fort Bazaar – including breakfast

You will be driven back to Colombo Airport for your onward flight to Male, capital of the Maldive Islands. Here you will be met and taken by seaplane across the water to the private island resort of Constance Moofushi.

You’ll find yourself on a private tropical island in the South Ari Atoll, ringed by sandy beaches and a flourishing house reef. Its villas are perfect for lounging idle days away, with an overwater spa for further relaxation and rejuvenation. Activities include big game fishing, dolphin and sunset cruises, kayaking and snorkelling at celebrated dive sites.

Stay: Five nights in a Beach Villa at Constance Moofushi – all inclusive

Return by seaplane to Male Airport for your flight home.