Day 1, 2 & 3Upon arriving in Sri Lanka, transfer directly to the Cultural Triangle where you will stay three nights at Heritance Kandalama. The next morning, explore Polonnaruwa’s ancient ruins. Polonnaruwa became Sri Lanka’s royal medieval capital in 1073 and remained the capital until the late 13th century. Today, these ruins provide a fascinating insight into a sophisticated ancient civilisation. Explore Dambulla’s cave temple with its rock ceiling a sweep of colorful frescoes, some of which dates back to over 2,000 years. This cave temple has the largest number of Buddha statues all housed in one place, including a 14 meter long recumbent Buddha carved out of the rock. Located nearby is the Sigiriya Rock Fortress built in the 5th century by King Kasyapa, considered by some to be the Eighth Wonder of the World. You might also enjoy an elephant jungle trek along forest paths and across shallow rivers.

Day 4 & 5Today you journey to Sri Lanka's hill capital, the small lakeside city of Kandy, and check into the Kandy House a beautiful and stylishly renovated old colonial 'Walauwa' (ancestral mansion) located away from the town centre, but close enough to use as a base for seeing Kandy’s most memorable sights. In the evening visit the Temple of the Tooth where a sacred tooth relic of the Lord Buddha is enshrined since 4th Century A.D. The temple has decorative walls, a golden roof and fine woodwork. Religious services (pooja) are held daily at dawn, mid-day, and in the evening where guests can participate. The services are accompanied with traditional music and drumming. Other activities can include a visit to the Peradeniya Botanical gardens, with its orchid collection and formally laid-out trees; nature walks in Udawatte Kelle Forest Reserve; and Kandy’s rich ancient arts and crafts including drum making, Dumbara mat waving, and crafting Kandyan jewelry, and traditional Kandyan dance and drumming.

Day 6 & 7Today you head into Sri Lanka’s beautiful tea-growing highlands for a three-night stay at Ceylon Tea Trails, a wonderful collection of refurbished tea planter’s bungalows in the southwest corner of the hills, an area renowned for its fine tea and beautiful countryside. You might like to enjoy the “Tea Experience”, which involves a visit to a plantation to observe first hand the process, starting from the plucking field where it all begins with the picking of “two leaves and a bud” to the factory where the processing begins. The Tea Trails also provides an excellent base for a variety of adventure activities. There are a number of mountain bike trails that loop through the surrounding tea estates and guides are available on-demand. The reservoirs of Castlereagh and Maskeliya offer a pristine lake environment for kayaking. Maps, guides and safety gear are all provided. A number of treks and scenic walks are also available.

Day 8, 9 & 10After breakfast, travel south to the golden beaches of the south coast where you will stay three nights at Aditya, an accomplished seaside boutique hotel just minutes from the historic town of Galle. Explore Galle’s 17th century Dutch Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with its well-preserved Dutch period buildings, maze of narrow roads lined with quaint houses, and a growing collection of art galleries, antique shops and restaurants. Those wanting the sun and surf, there are several fine beaches in the area, including Unawatuna and Mirissa, which also offer a variety of water sports.

Day 11 & 12Leave early in the morning to the airport to catch your flight to Kerala and arrive mid-morning in Kochi, an ancient trading port since at least Roman times. The journey from the airport will take approximately one hour before you check-in to Malabar House in the fort. After resting at the hotel, dipping into the cool courtyard swimming pool and enjoying you first taste of Kerala’s distinctive, spicy cuisine, we recommend exploring the Fort with a guided tour: the highlights of which include Mattancherry Palace - a gift to the Raja of Kochi back in 1557, St. Francis Church - first built in 1510, the resting place of Vasco de Gama, and a magnificent synagogue dating back to 1568. During the evening you can watch a Kathakali dance performance – a vibrant, colourful and spellbinding 400-year dance-drama.

Day 13Depart for Alappuzha, a town surrounded by a large network of canals and is most famous for its annual ‘snake boat’ races in August. The drive from Kochi will take about 90 minutes and you will board your traditional Kettuvallum houseboat (reconverted rice barges) at noon for one of the highlights of your holiday – an overnight water journey through Kuttanad country, a land of shimmering waterways, dense tropical greenery and age-old village livelihoods so vividly described in Arundhati Roy’s remarkable novel The God of Small Things. Your comfortable houseboat, fully staffed with a friendly and attentive crew, will chug slowly through the tributaries, lakes and creeks allowing you to relax and unwind. Hours slip by easily as you gaze ashore, soaking up a myriad of views as you pass homes, farms, paddy fields, fisher folk in traditional dugouts, children playing and bathing buffaloes. See fish eagles circling for prey and wise Comorants perched on the riverbank.

Day 14 & 15:  After breakfast you will have another two hours to cruise as you head for Kumarakom, an island on the large Lake Vembanad that is blessed with an idyllic location. The area has attracted several exotic hotels offering backwater and Ayurveda holidays. There is also a wonderful bird sanctuary. We head straight for Coconut Lagoon, one of Red Dot’s favourite properties in Kerala for a relaxing two-night stay.