Day 1Upon arriving in Sri Lanka, transfer to the Wallawwa in Kotugoda, a boutique colonial-style bungalow just 15 minutes away from the International Airport. Relax after your long journey and immerse yourself in a rejuvenating massage at the Z Spa and a candlelit dinner by the pool.

Day 2 & 3Travel to Dambulla in the North central region where you will experience your first Geoffrey Bawa creation: Heritance Kandalama designed in 1994. Bawa conceived the hotel `as an austere jungle palace’ located on the bund of an ancient 3rd century tank (reservoir) and captures the surrounding magical views from every angle. Kandalama is a naturalist’s dream hidden within the edge of a jungle filled with numerous species of birds, butterflies and plenty of monkeys. During the next two days, you will also experience Sri Lanka's ancient architectural heritage – ruins of cities, palaces and temples built by kings of the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa periods dating back to the 3rd century BC. In Dambulla, visit the ancient Buddhist cave temples and the Sigiriya Rock fortress. You also have the option of visiting Yapahuwa, an ancient temple and palace built on a rock described by the Insight Guide to Sri Lanka as "one of the great architectural wonders of the island”, and Aukana, where the Buddha stands 42 feet high, the best-preserved statue in Sri Lanka. If you wish, climb 1,840 steps, high above the palm trees, with the pilgrims to the summit of Mihantale rock. Minihtale is the cradle of Buddhism. Thereafter, visit the fabulous 'Mahakanadarawa' stone bridge, which dates back to the 7th century and is situated in the midst of the forest. Within the cultural triangle, you will also see Sri Lanka’s ancient hydraulic heritage: irrigation works consisting of tanks (reservoirs), sluices, and canals built by Kings 2,500 years ago. This system still serves the surrounding villages today.

Day 4 & 5The journey from the cultural triangle to Sri Lanka's hill capital, the small lakeside city of Kandy, will occupy most of the morning. In the afternoon, a city tour includes the fabulous Botanical Gardens and 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) with traditional music and drumming are held daily at dawn, midday and in the evening where guests can participate. We recommend spending two nights at the Kandy House, a small boutique hotel located in the outskirts of the city.

Day 6 & 7Today you begin your journey to the central highlands with its tea covered hills, gushing waterfalls, and scenic beauty. Travel into Sri Lanka’s tea-growing highlands and a four-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. The following morning you might like to enjoy the “Tea experience”, which involves a visit 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 – stable one or two-man kayaks are available for hire. Maps, guides and safety gear are all provided. A number of treks and scenic walks are also available.

Day 8 & 9You now travel out of the hills and head southwest to Tangalle for a two night stay in the Last House, Geoffrey Bawa’s final creation designed in 1997. The Last House is positioned on an idyllic strip of land – lagoon on one side, beach on the other. The beach is fabulously long – perhaps one of the best for villa sites in the island – and offers safe swimming for much of the year. For wildlife enthusiasts, a jeep safari to the Yala wildlife park with 400 sq. miles of jungle with herds of elephants, sloth bear, deer, wild boar, monkeys, crocodiles, and a variety of bird species, is an interesting day’s excursion. We also recommend a visit to the Ruhuna University in Matara, an inspiring creation by Bawa for the younger generation of Sri Lanka. This project enabled him to explore his style of integrating working spaces into a natural landscape. Built between two hills, this university campus consists of pavilions and courtyards with breath taking views of the Indian Ocean.

Day 10, 11 & 12Leave early next morning and travel along the coast to the historic city of Galle where you will be staying three nights at the Lighthouse Hotel, another inspired creation by Bawa located on a rocky headland overlooking the Indian Ocean. This elegant boutique hotel conveys an immediate sense of history with the Portuguese landing at Galle is re-enacted in brass and bronze on the impressive main staircase and an ambitious batik of ancient coats of arms fills the ceiling of the restful main bar. Lighthouse hotel, like Kandalama, demonstrates Bawa’s skill at `integrating architecture and landscape, and his scenographic manipulation of space.’ Explore the Portuguese and Dutch period architecture within the 17th century Galle Fort – a UNESCO protected world heritage site. Several hours can be spent wandering along narrow streets and well-preserved ramparts, the lighthouse, Dutch Reform Church, and several houses with the typical manor house style architecture with columns, courtyards, and verandas. The thick, high ramparts that protect and distinguish the Fort are today used for romantic evening strolls and convenient viewpoints to catch the sweaty action of local 'village' cricket games and the international games held in the adjacent Galle cricket stadium. Stop for lunch at the Lighthouse Hotel designed by Geoffrey Bawa in 1994. Visit Heritance Ahungalla, on of Bawa’s initial creations situated just a short drive from Galle. The hotel is approached through a long stretch of roadway off the main Galle Road, which provides for a dramatic entrance with views across the infinity pool edging the sea. The main areas on the ground as well as upper floors are designed as linked open pavilions all with continuous views of the sea.

Day 13 & 14Travel along the west coast to Lunuganga, a garden retreat that was originally an old rubber plantation that Geoffrey Bawa transformed into a haven of peace. Here you will stay for the next two nights experiencing Bawa’s personal space, a retreat that inspired him and was closest to his heart. The Lunuganga gardens were a lifelong project cherished by Bawa and designed with numerous varieties of foliage, many pavilions and statues. Bawa continued to develop the gardens or almost 50 years – a personal journey which helped to inspire his creativity.

Day 15Today you head back to the capital city of Colombo for your final night where you will be staying at Tintagel – a newly opened luxurious boutique hotel housed in one of Sri Lanka’s most famous ancestral residences belonging to the family of Sri Lanka’s former president. The hotel is a short ride away from several public buildings designed by Geoffrey Bawa including Sri Lanka’s parliament building in Kotte, which the president at the time commissioned Bawa to design in 1979. Bawa created the Parliament building in the center of a vast man made lake. The building incorporates traditional Sri Lankan and South Indian architectural features with a series of pavilions with copper roofs. The Seema Malakaya, which is a part of the Gangarama Buddhist temple in Colombo, is also a similar creation by Bawa built on the Beira Lake with a pavilion in the middle where priests are ordained, a shrine room and a sacred Bo tree on either side. For your final night, we recommend dinner at the Paradise Road Gallery Café, which housed Bawa’s office. The current owner has ensured that much of the old building remains the same. The entire workspace lies between two courtyards with columns, walkways and open pavilions – hallways that inspired a creative genius. The Gallery – as it is locally known – now provides for a memorable dining experience that also serves as an art gallery that promotes the creative talents of young artists. Books on Bawa can be purchased in Colombo from the Barefoot bookshop, ODEL bookshop and Paradise Road Studio.