Meet at the group hotel in Anuradhapura. A single timed transfer from Colombo Airport is provided and the drive will take around 4-5hrs. After checking into our comfortable hotel, the rest of the day / evening is free to relax and recover from the long journey. Though the transfer is long, Anuradhapura is worth the journey. As a centre of great historical and religious significance it is the perfect place to begin our time in Sri Lanka.

After breakfast we make the 30min drive to the Wilpattu National Park, where we can hope to have our first experience of Sri Lanka's abundant wildlife. We will have a morning game drive in private jeeps where we will be on the lookout for wild buffalo, wild boar, fishing cats, sloth bears, leopard, sambar and spotted dear, monitor lizards and hundreds of bird species including rollers, bee-eaters and king fishers! Wilpattu translates as 'Land of Lakes' and it is these natural sand-rimmed water basins that make it great for wildlife spotting. The park is larger and quieter than Sir Lanka's other national parks and so offers a more relaxed safari experience. In the afternoon we return to Anuradhapura where we have the chance to fully explore this UNESCO World Heritage site. Anuradhapura was Sri Lanka's first city from the 5th century BC through to the 9th century AD and during this period it was the centre of the island's Buddhist civilisation. It is home to the oldest historically documented tree on earth (over 2,200 years old), the Sri Maha Bodhi, reputedly grown from a cutting of the tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment. The city also contains some of the world's oldest Buddhist shrines, dating back to the 3rd century BC, as well as stone carvings, pleasure gardens, ponds, reservoirs and canals. After spending some time at this endlessly fascinating place we return to our hotel in the early evening and spend the rest of the day at leisure.

This morning we drive for around 2 hours to Polonnaruwa, a stunning example of ancient Sri Lankan art and culture and another ancient capital city! Following the decline of Anuradhapura in the 10th century AD, Polonnaruwa arose as the new first city and remained Sri Lanka's capital for the over 200 years. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the entire area is punctuated by huge man-made reservoirs, the most famous of which is the Parakrama Samudra or the 'Sea of Parakrama', which is bigger than Colombo harbour! The monuments here are well preserved and give a clear picture of the glory of Sri Lanka's ancient architecture. Highlights are the Royal Palace complex including the Kings Palace and Audience Hall, the Quadrangle and the spectacular Gal Vihare complex of four massive images of the Buddha, cut from a single slab of granite. We drive to our hotel in Sigiriya where we'll take lunch. In the afternoon we can climb to the top of the amazing fortress known as Lion Rock, which is close to our hotel. This spectacular natural stronghold is another UNESCO World Heritage site and one of Sri Lanka's major attractions. The most impressive facets of the unique complex are the Water Gardens, the frescoes of beautiful maidens, the Mirror Wall with its ancient graffiti and the Lion Platform. We can climb up to the summit of the rock, which extends to 1.6 hectares and which was completely covered by buildings during Sigiriya's glory period. We return to the hotel in plenty of time to freshen up for dinner. Drive time: 3hrs

We begin the day exploring the magnificent cave temples of Dambulla, the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. There are more than 80 caves in the surrounding area, we will try and visit the five main caves, which are crammed full of statues and paintings of the Lord Buddha and other religious iconography. After wards we drive south through a varying landscape of rice paddies and jungle, passing small farms and bustling towns. The plains eventually give way to rolling hills as we enter the 'tea country' and complete our 2.5hr drive to the charming town of Kandy where we check into a hotel. An absolute must-see here is of course the famous 'temple of the tooth' where the Buddha's tooth, known simply as 'the relic' is kept. We should have some time this afternoon to explore this bustling town encircled by hills and tranquil lake at its centre at our own pace. In the evening we will head out with our guide to visit the 'Temple of the Tooth' and enjoy a Kandyan dance performance.

After breakfast, we transfer to our eco-lodge accommodation, where we will be surrounded by nature. The lodge is set amongst a pristine environment, surrounded by nature. Wild boar, deer, porcupine, giant squirrels, monkeys, butterflies, bats, fire-flies, insects and over 60 species of birds, including 15 endemics, dwell in the surrounding jungle; making this a paradise for bird watchers. On arrival, we will meet the owner of the lodge who will give an introduction to the history of the area and the surroundings. We will then have the chance to take part in a traditional Sri Lankan cooking demonstration, using a firewood oven amid the jungle. In the afternoon, we will enjoy a 2hr walk to a nearby village where we will visit a traditional Kandyan Forest garden belonging to one of the villagers where we can learn about all the vegetables, fruit and spices grown used in cooking traditional dishes. We will also get to see how treacle and 'jaggery' (syrup and sugar blocks made from the sap of the palm tree) are made. We will be able to taste some of them at tonight's dinner, which will consist of local dishes prepared on a hearth in clay pots.

Today's walk begins at the lodge; our trail lead us up through a variety of jungle, forests, tea-pluckers villages and tea plantations. Today we will also be accompanied by local guide who will help us try and spot some of the endemic birds, such as the Yellow-eared Bulbul and the distinctive looking Greater Flameback, which can often be found in the forest. We will also learn about the trees we will pass on the way, such as cloves, pepper, nutmeg, coffee, cocoa, jack, bread-fruit, mango, passion-fruit, rambuttan, banana, papaya etc. We will come across several waterways and may need to ford some streams along the way! As we climb slowly up we'll enjoy some fantastic views of the mountains, jungle and valleys and we will make sure to find a good scenic spot to sit and enjoy our picnic lunch. In the afternoon we circle around to head back towards the lodge.

After a relaxed breakfast we set of on 3-4hr drive to Maskeliya. Our accommodation here is at the base of Adam's Peak and we'll have an early dinner and some time for rest before our very early start tomorrow!

Standing alone from the central mountain massif of southern Sri Lanka, the dramatic 2243m high Adam's Peak would present an irresistible challenge, even without its religious significance. However, the mountain, also known as Sri Pada (The Holy Footprint) is sacred to 4 religions - Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. From the full moon in December to the full moon in May, streams of pilgrims make the ascent at night, as we will, climbing the rough trail and 3306 steps to the summit. During this time the trail is illuminated by street-lights and stalls are set up along the way selling tea, snacks and breakfasts, and there is an air of festival throughout the climb. Outside of the pilgrim season we will climb the peak by the light of our head torches and possibly alone. Either way, the aim is to be on the summit at dawn to witness the sunrise and we must start shortly after midnight! The climb takes anywhere from 3 to 5 hours. At the summit is a Buddhist temple, which encloses the 5-foot long footprint of Buddha / Adam / Shiva - depending on your belief. In the light of dawn, we descend from the peak in just a couple of hours and have a welcome breakfast at the guesthouse before we make the 3hr drive to Nuwara Eliya, the very heart of the Sri Lankan hill (and tea) country. It is the home of the famous Ceylon Tea and most of the lower slopes of the mountains present a rolling carpet of velvety green tea plantations, interspersed with gushing streams and tumbling waterfalls. The British tea planters turned a section of Nuwara Eliya into a replica of home and some of the houses here would not look out of place in a Sussex Village. We check into our guest house accommodation. Those tired from the morning's climb might want to take some rest. This afternoon we have a real treat as we head to the glamorous colonial Grand Hotel to take high tea. High tea is served either outside on the lawn or in the open-sided tea lounge. Waiters in white livery will serve you buffet of triangular sandwiches and dainty cakes, which are all accompanied with a selection of different Sri Lankan teas. The rest of the day is free to relax and we may want to take the opportunity for an early night after what has been a jam packed day.

After an early breakfast we have the option to visit a tea plantation and factory to witness the process of turning raw green tea leaves into the familiar black/brown finished product. Afterwards we drive up onto the plateau of the Horton Plains National Park and set off on our trek to 'World's End' and the beautiful Bakers Falls. Horton Plains is Sri Lanka's highest plateau, some 2200m above sea-level and located in the central mountain country. Known locally as 'fen', the landscape hereabouts 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. With a cool and bracing climate, this is excellent hiking country, with a distinctive flora, colourful butterflies and rare highland birds. Then proceed to Pattipola Railway station to a scenic train journey to Bandarawela (railway station which is situated in the highest elevation and 25 minutes from the entrance of the Horton Plains). Seats are not reserved and Sri Lankan trains are usually crowded (and sometimes late!), but the experience is well worth the inconvenience as this is a real opportunity to gain an insight to local lifestyles and culture! Arriving into Bandarawela we check into our overnight accommodation.

This morning we have a 1.5hr transfer into the Namunukula Range where we enjoy a wonderful day of trekking starting out high on the lush green slopes of Sri Lanka's 'tea country'. Walking mostly downhill we descend through grassland, villages and farms all the way down to the 'dry zone' at Hingurukaduwa in Uva Province where our vehicles will be waiting for us. This region is home to many Sri Lankan spice crops as well as medicinal fruit. As we walk we will see first-hand how the mountain people have found ingenious ways of farming the mountainous terrain. We'll stop en route for lunch. After the trek, we transfer to Udawalawe, a National park that guarantees elephant sightings around the year! The drive will take around 2.5hr. We check into our hotel in time for dinner.

Early in the morning we transfer to Udawalawe National Park, which is 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. We return to our accommodation for breakfast and to collect our baggage. We then visit the Elephant Transit Home. Baby elephants that are injured or orphaned in the wild are brought to the Transit Home where they are cared for and rehabilitated in a natural setting. Afterwards, we transfer to Galle, an old colonial Dutch port with an impressive fortified harbour, where we spend the afternoon sightseeing before driving further up the coast to our beach front hotel. Our base for the next few days is at Induruwa.

This is the perfect place to recharge our batteries and relax after a busy couple of weeks discovering the wonders of Sri Lanka and so we have included a full free day here. You are free to take a walk along the beach, go snorkelling, or just lie back in a hammock with a good book and a fresh coconut.

We have a relaxed breakfast, before transferring to Colombo for sightseeing and then on to Negombo, not far from the international airport. A total drive of around 2 hrs. After check in we can relax by the hotel pool or enjoy the excellent gardens. Colombo, Sri Lanka's largest city, it is located on the west coast and draws together all the cultures, religions and influences in the country. The original traders and settlers - the Arabs, Portuguese, Dutch and the British have left in their wake churches and monuments, names, religions, food and smatterings of their languages. Today, Colombo is a fascinating city - a happy blend of east & west, past & present, with a charm of its own. The main seaport of Sri Lanka is in Colombo & adjoining it, is Pettah, a local bazaar & trading area. Other places of interest are the beautiful Buddhist temples, Hindu temples, mosques and the historic Wolfendhal church.

The holiday ends after breakfast. A single timed transfer to Colombo Airport is provided.