Day 1Transfer to Ranweli Lodge just 30 minutes from the International Airport on a coastal wetland estuary. A short ferry ride across a scenic river glides you to the hotel situated in a peninsula surrounded by two rivers, a lagoon and the Indian Ocean. After resting, much adventure awaits: take a ride into the Muthurajawela marshes and the serene waters of the Negombo Lagoon, home to numerous species of birds, fish, dragon flies and monitor lizards; join the fisherman on a catamaran as they set sail into the seas or take a boat trip down the Dutch canals through the quaint town of Negombo with its rich colonial heritage.

Day 2, 3 & 4After an early breakfast, travel to Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle via the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, a remarkable project that protects the island’s abandoned or orphaned wild elephants that would otherwise have surely died. From small, modest origins it has grown into one of Sri Lanka’s most famous attractions. Pinnewala enthralls adults and children alike. Roaming free within the Sanctuary, except when occasionally shepherded by their Mahouts (keepers) the elephants’ highlight is their regular bathing sessions. The sight of herds of elephants splashing and playing in a river has charmed countless visitors. During your time at the orphanage you’ll be accompanied by a wildlife guide who will be able to give you background information on elephants in Sri Lanka and their remarkable partnership with man. After lunch we set-off for the cultural triangle – another 2 hours drive – and check into Cinnamon Lodge. The following day you can enjoy a long lie-in and a relaxing morning at the hotel, lolling by the poolside or perhaps hiring one of the hotel bicycles to explore the lake. In the late afternoon we will organise a one-hour elephant ride through dryland jungle. Wake up early the following day for a morning safari at Minneriya National Park, best known for the biggest gathering of Asian Elephants. This 8,890 hectare park of dry evergreen forest, scrub jungle, grassy plains, is dominated by the Minneriya Tank. During the dry season, herds of upto 150 elephants can be seen here. Sambar deer, toque monkeys, as well as plenty of birdlife, including cormorants and painted storks can be seen. Explore the ancient ruins of Polonnaruwa – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Before visiting the sites, stop at the Polonnaruwa museum will provide an overview of this ancient city which was Sri Lanka’s royal medieval capital in 1073 up until the late 13th century. The ancient sites are best explored on a bicycle. Afterwards return to the hotel for dinner.

Day 5 & 6After breakfast checkout of the hotel and drive to Sigiriya Rock, one of Sri Lanka's most fascinating UNESCO world heritage sites. No matter how often you climb to the summit of this one-time hilltop fortress built in the 5th century by King Kasyapa, the pleasure barely diminishes. The remains of this fortress atop the tabletop mountain, coupled with the colourful frescos and the symmetrical royal gardens, are amazing feats of this period. The surrounding Sigiriya sanctuary is home to numerous species of birds and monkeys including the dry zone race of the endemic Toque Monkey, Purple-faced Leaf Monkey and the Grey Langer. Afterwards, travel south towards the central highlands and your next hotel, the Hunas Falls Hotel. Rest in the afternoon. The next day, after breakfast, you have the option of trekking in the mountains and hills surrounding Hunas Falls.

A six-hour trek to and from Hunas Falls Hotel to the peak of the Hunnasgiriya Range provides one of the finest walking experiences in Sri Lanka. You will walk along an estate road, crossed by several waterways, through scattered villages, tea estates, forest plantations and grasslands. The summit of Hunnasgiriya is 4642 feet and the steep-sided slopes are covered by forest. A picnic lunch is optional. A shorter 8km trek can also be arranged if preferred, to Simpson’s Forest. Stay overnight at Hunas Falls.

Day 7 & 8You will now travel deeper into the tea-growing hills and have the option to wind through the mountains by train, leaving your driver to transport your luggage by car. Your destination is Haputale, a small village in the southern highlands perched on a ridge with magnificent sweeping views. Travel via Ella where you can visit the Rawana Ella Falls and the Rawana Ella Cave, in which according to legend, the demon king of Sri Lanka, Ravana, imprisoned Rama’s wife Sita. Check-in to Kelbourne Mountain View Cottages in the late afternoon for a two-night stay. If you are feeling active the following day, then consider visiting Diyaluma Falls where you can bath in some peaceful rock pools.

Day 9 & 10After breakfast we transfer out of the hills and head south to Uda Walawe, one of the island’s most popular wildlife sanctuaries with open parkland traversed by streams. According to Wildlife reports there are about 500 elephants in the park and they often roam in herds of up to 100. Leopards, buffalo, deer and sloth bears keep them company along with mongooses, bandicoots, foxes, water monitor lizards and crocodiles. Visit the Elephant Transit Camp at Uda Walawe run by Sri Lanka’s Wildlife Department. Here about 22 young elephants, mostly babies, who have been orphaned or recovering from injuries, are being rehabilitated before release into the wild. The elephant population in Sri Lanka was at one time as high as 20,000 on this island. Unfortunately, today it has come down to 3,500. Conservation efforts such as the Elephant Transit Camp in Uda Walawe are vital to the future of this endangered species. The orphaned baby elephants reside at the transit camp for about four years until they are old enough to be weaned of milk and learn to eat grass and other vegetation from the bush. Each infant has to be fed on Lactogen milk formula five times a day first the first six months. Much funding is required for this expensive feeding process. The Wild Life Department has initiated a Baby Elephant Adoption Programme where individuals can provide funding on a monthly basis and become a foster parent to a baby elephant of their choice. Support this valiant effort at conserving the dwindling elephant population of Sri Lanka. Journey further south east to the Yala National Park. You will stay overnight at Yala Village, one of Red Dot’s favourite hotels. The next morning go for a game drive in Yala. The vast 97,900-hectare park consists of varied terrain including semi-arid thorny scrub, dense secondary forest, mangroves on the lagoons, sand dunes behind the beaches and coral reefs. For many visitors the search for the park’s elusive leopards – there about 30 in the park – is a major attraction as Yala’s males are know to be quite bold. Elephants are another major attraction and early easily seen close to water from Jan to May – the dry season. Other game includes macaque and langur monkeys, sambur, spotted deer, jackal, wild boar, buffaloes, sloth bears and crocodiles. There are 130 bird species

Day 11, 12 & 13Journey along Sri Lanka’s south coast to the fishing village of Dickwella and check into the Dickwella Resort situated on a headland surrounded by picterseque beaches. Spend three nights here. Dickwella is renowned for its superb unspoiled and undeveloped beaches and the cove like bays here are safe for swimming throughout the year. Experience the underwater marine life that surrounds Dickwella Resort. There are also as many as 16 dive sites right around here including a ship wreck waiting to be explored. Dickwella Resort runs a PADI-accredited dive centre from mid-October until May, offering one-day diving courses, windsurfing, bodysurfing, canoing and snorkelling. 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. These gigantic marine mammals can be spotted in the deep seas off the southern coastal town of Mirissa. Whale watching excursions into the deep seas is organised by Mirissa Water Sports and Ceylon Fisheries Corporation during the season from December to April. Experience Sri Lanka’s southern cultural heritage, rural villages, ancient temples and untouched wilderness. Visit the ancient Mulgirigala temple in Tangalle which is perched on an enormous boulder more than 200m high. According to ancient inscriptions carved on the rock, Mulgirigala dates back almost 2,000 years when it was a site of a Buddhist monastery. Visit Rakuwa, a small fishing village situated in Tangalle where a fascinating Marine Turtle Conservation project is helping to save this endangered species. Go on a jeep safari to Yala National Park, one of the largest national parks in the island where elephant and leopard can be seen.

Day 14Leave early after breakfast and travel to the capital city of Colombo for your final night. En route, visit Galle’s 17th century Dutch Fort - a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Several hours can be spent wandering along the narrow streets, well preserved ramparts, the lighthouse, the 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, early morning power-walks and convenient viewpoints to catch the sweaty action of local 'village' cricket games and the international games held in the adjacent Galle cricket stadium. By late afternoon, check in to Mount Lavinia Hotel a characterful beachside hotel of great tradition, which was famously once the sprawling mansion of a British Governor General in colonial times. Explore the township of Mount Lavnia with its characterful beachside bars, cafes and restaurants and wayside boutiques that sell from cotton beach shorts to gem studded jewelry. Take a tuk-tuk (trishaw) ride into Colombo which is an interesting mix of the old and the new. For the more adventurous, hop on the Colombo bound train which goes just by the hotel and winds its way along the coastline right upto Fort at the heart of Colombo.