Day 1Upon arriving in Sri Lanka, transfer to the Wallawwa in Kotugoda, a boutique villa housed in a refurbished colonial bungalow situated just 15 minutes from the international airport. Relax and unwind after your flight, preparing yourself for the adventure ahead.

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. We also recommend a visit to the nearby Eliphus Maximus project that produces beautiful paper out of recycled elephant dung - a fascinating project for children and adults alike. Maximus creates awareness regarding elephants and provides much needed employment to the village community. Maximus Elephant Dung Paper was the winner of a World Challenge 2006 conducted by BBC and Newsweek.

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. Continue on your journey towards the central highlands and check into Mas Villa overlooking the picturesque Kotmale Reservoir about 45 minutes south of Kandy. Explore the village of Kotmale with its wattle and daub village homes, terraced paddy fields, tea estates, and Buddhist temples. Go hiking, biking or bird watching in the surrounding area. Visit the Kotmale Hydro power plant which at one time, along with the other Mahaweli projects, supplied more than half of Sri Lanka’s energy requirements. Spend a morning’s excursion in the city of Kandy and visit the Temple of the Tooth where a sacred tooth relic of the Lord Buddha is enshrined. A day trip to the hill station of Nuwara Eliya is also possible from here.

Day 7 & 8After breakfast we transfer out of the hills and head south to Uda Walawe, one of the island’s most popular wildlife sanctuaries with open parklands, where over 500 wild elephants roam free. Wild buffalo and deer keep them company along with mongooses, bandicoots, monitor lizards and crocodiles. We recommend that you spend two nights at the Master Campers mobile tented safari camp within the Uda Walwe National Park. Set off on an early morning wildlife safari into the jungles; return to the camp to a leisurely breakfast followed by a dip in the river. By nightfall, relax with a drink by a roaring bon fire and enjoy the magical night in the wilds. A truly memorable experience.

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 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.

Day 9 & 10Journey further south east to the Yala National Park. You will stay two nights at Chaaya Wild, an eco-friendly game lodge scattered over 10 acres of scrub jungle bordering Yala National Park and the secluded Palatupana-Kirinda beaches and located just 10 minutes away from the park entrance. 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, crocodiles and over 130 bird species.

Day 11, 12 & 13Journey along Sri Lanka’s south coast to the fishing village of Mirissa and check into Number One Mirissa – a small beachside hotel that fronts the picturesque Mirissa bay. Spend your days taking in the sun and sea. The beautiful Indian Ocean beaches are the main appeal along the South Coast. The jagged geography of the coastline, which includes several coral-protected bays and headlands, provides for a great diversity of beaches including Weligama, Dickwella and Mirissa. The south of Sri Lanka beyond Dondra is also 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 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.

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. Relax and unwind by the poolside and have a final dinner on the pool terrace overlooking the Indian Ocean.