Day 1, 2 & 3Upon arriving in Sri Lanka, transfer directly to the Mud House, an eco-retreat located in the North West district of Puttalam. Turning off at the main road at Anamaduwa, along a gravel road, amidst a jungle thicket shaded by Tamarind trees, is the Mudhouse – a village-style escape where guests stay in wattle and daub huts, eat traditional Sri Lankan rice and curry cooked over a hearth and share the surrounding wilderness with birds, butterflies, and buffalo. Located minutes away is the ancient Parmakanda Rock temple which has ancient frescoes, rock inscriptions and Buddha statues that are being studied by the Archeological Department. Explore the surrounding villages on foot or on a bike and experience rural village life.

Explore the ancient ruins of Anuradhapura – Sri Lanka’s first capital, which was the greatest monastic city of the ancient world and was ruled from the 4th century B.C. to 11th century A.D. by more than 100 Sri Lankan kings. This UNESCO World Heritage Site consists of a large number of sacred Buddhist sites including dagobas (gigantic dome-like structures), monasteries, palaces and the ancient Bo Tree, grown from the original tree in Budda Gaya under which Lord Buddha attained enlightenment. Just 13 kms away is Mihintale, one of Sri Lanka’s most significant religious sites, where Buddhism originated on the island in 247 BC.

Day 4 & 5Leave early morning and travel onto Kandy for a trek in the Knuckles mountains, where you will spend two nights camping with Leopard Safaris. En route, visit the ancient Temple of the Tooth where a sacred tooth relic of the Lord Buddha is enshrined since 4th Century A.D. Religious services (pooja) are held daily at dawn, midday and dusk. The services are accompanied with traditional music and drumming. The Knuckles range consists of five mountain peaks with the highest point about 6,000 ft above sea level spanning over an extensive region covering 155 sq.km of the island. A wide variety of rare and endemic flora and fauna makes this wilderness area a storehouse of rich biodiversity. Trek through dense forests, along rivers and waterfalls, past tea plantation and terraced paddy fields. En route, experience the life of rural paddy farmers and share a home cooked meal in a village house prepared using fresh vegetables and fruit from their home gardens.

Day 6 & 7Today you travel to the central hills via Mahiyangana where you will visit Sri Lanka’s indigenous inhabitants, the Veddas or Wanniya-laeto (forest-dwellers). The Veddas preserve a direct line of descent from the islands’ original Neolithic community dating from at least 16,000 BC. The Veddas have repeatedly been forced to choose between assimilating into the surrounding mainstream cultures or to retreat into a shrinking forest habitat. The few remaining Vedda communities are determined that their way of life will continue into future generations and still retain much of their distinctive cultural identity, indigenous language, and traditional lifestyle. Occupations include hunting, honey gathering, and chena cultivation. A visit to Dambana will give an opportunity for visitors to meet and interact with this community of indigenous people and learn about their lifestyle.

Travel onto Haputale, a small village in the southern highlands perched on a ridge with magnificent sweeping views. Check in to Kelbourne Mountain View Cottages for your two nights stay. The views from Kelbourne extend over five provinces. Trek through the Kelbourne tea plantation, and perhaps visit a tea factory where you will gain insight into the manufacturing process as well as an opportunity to taste and purchase the different grades of Ceylon Tea. Take a scenic train journey from Haputale to Idalgashena and stroll back through villages and tea plantations. En route, visit the Tangamalai Bird Sanctuary home to numerous species of birds and butterflies. Adisham, a Benedictine Monastery, and several waterfalls including Dunhinda, Diyaluma, and Ravana Ella are all located nearby in the towns of Haputale and Ella.

Day 8 & 9Today you travel to the southeast of Sri Lanka, an undeveloped and wonderfully rustic corner of the island famous for its huge game reserves, vast sugar cane and paddy fields, as well as a rich cultural heritage. You will spend your next two nights at Back of Beyond Kahandamodara, a tranquil eco-retreat where nature reigns supreme. Kahandamodara is situated on acres of wilderness where peacock, monkeys and mongoose roam free and is ideal for nature walks, cycle trails, river fishing, and boating. A 15 minute catamaran ride will take you to the secluded beaches of the south coast. Visit the ancient Mulgirigala temple nearby which is perched on an enormous boulder more than 200m high. According to ancient inscriptions carved on the rock, Mulkirigala dates back almost 2,000 years when it was a site of a Buddhist monastery. The serene white Dagoba stands at the peak of the rock with magnificent coastal views. The nearby Kalametiya Bird Sanctuary and Ussangoda can be utterly rewarding for bird watching with numerous species of endemic and migrant birds.

Day 10, 11 & 12Today you head towards the coastal village of Tangalle where you will spend three relaxing nights at Pastissade, a rustic beach getaway overlooking the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean on a secluded stretch of coastline near Tangalle. Visit Rekuwa, a small fishing village near Tangalle where a fascinating Marine Turtle Conservation project is helping to save this endangered species. The south of Sri Lanka beyond Dondra is considered one of the best locations in the world for spotting Blue Whales, Sperm Whales and Spinner Dolphins. Mirissa Water Sports as well as the Ceylon Fisheries Corporation based in the Mirissa Harbour offers Whale and Dolphin watching excursions during the season from December to April. Mirissa Water Sports also offers other leisure activities including game fishing, coastal cruises, snorkelling, sea kayaking, river and mangrove trips. Visit the Yala game park, a land of scrub plains, lagoons and rocky sections. Yala is the best place to see all of Sri Lanka’s ‘big three’ – elephant, leopard and water buffalo.

Day 13 & 14Journey inland to the foothills of the central highlands where you will spend two nights at Martin’s Lodge located close to the Sinharaja tropical rainforest. Sinharaja, covering an area of about 110 sq kms of rainforest, is a UNESCO-protected forest reserve that provides diverse habitats for numerous species of endemic fauna and flora. Dense, dark, muggy and mysterious, Sinharaja is teeming with life. Tall trees with rustling leaves, gigantic ferns and wild orchids, gushing waterfalls and gurgling streams, creaking crickets and butterflies fluttering by – all nature’s wonders, untouched by man.

Day 15Head towards the capital city of Colombo. We recommend you spend your final night at Villa Talangama set on a quiet lakeside in the suburbs of Colombo. The villa setting is best described as a 'village in the city' surrounded by paddy fields and the Talangama wetlands – one of the best places near Colombo to see water birds and waders. Over a hundred species of birds have been recorded here. The endemic and critically endangered Purple-faced Leaf Monkey is also found here as well as Water Monitors. Relax and unwind before your journey back home.