Two week holiday Sri Lanka & Maldives

Colombo - the island’s buzzing capital - has a distinctive, multi-cultural feel, with architecture, cuisine and an arts scene that reflect its deep history.

Towering stupas and monastic complexes are just some of the impressive vestiges of the Sinhalese city that flourished 2000 years ago.

At Sigiriya, scale the dramatic rock outcrop, surging above the jungle canopy, to see ancient murals and ruined water gardens dating from the late 5th century AD.

Polonnaruwa, the site of Sri Lanka’s finest ancient Buddhist art and architecture, is laid around the well-preserved vestiges of this late-12th-century city. When walking or cycling around the ruins, keep an eye ou for three species of monkeys: the toque macaque, the tufted grey langur, and the purple-faced leaf monkey.

Situated at the centre of the island, Dambulla is a small market town straddling a crossroads of two major highways. This strategic location makes it a busy distribution centre for locally grown vegetables, but numerous hotels have also been built in the area to accommodate visitors exploring the Cultural Triangle, a highlight of which is located in the heart of town.

An outstanding example of Sri Lanka’s ancient religious art, the paintings and statuary at Dambulla are unique in scale and their degree of preservation.

Join a walking tour of Peradeniya’s famous plant collection. Our TransIndus guide will escort you through the vast collection of over 4,000 trees, palms and flowers, which include more than 300 varieties of orchid. The real show stopper here, though, is the giant Javan fig tree growing on the Great Lawn – an extraordinary specimen said to be over a century old.

Now venturing central into Sri Lanka's famed Hill Country, Nanuoya is a serene highland retreat, surrounded by emerald tea estates and misty mountains.

Fragrant tea estates carpet the slopes of this former British hill station, where you can stay in some beautifully sited planters’ bungalows. Our travel specialists can recommend a few options on request.

For an authentic medium of traversing the city, you can jump in a bouncy three-wheeler tuk tuk and join the rivers of vehicles jostling for space in central Colombo to see the city's Independence Hall, along with its most important Buddhist temples, Hindu shrines and historic mosques.

Accompanied by your English-speaking driver-guide, you can pause at Pettah market for a round of its bustling fresh produce section and stop for refreshments at a colonial-era hotel before concluding the tour at a special viewpoint, taking in a 360-sweep of the city skyline.

Picture a thatched ocean cottage poised above a crystalline turquoise lagoon, where the first sight from your pillow each morning is enough to take your breath away. This is just one of the many beautiful resorts which could be your home for an escape to The Maldives.

Spend languid days on palm-fringed beaches of powder-soft white sand, with little to consider beyond where to lunch, whether to cruise the lagoon by dhoni, snorkel among the reef or surrender to an indulgent spa treatment.

Whether you seek to celebrate your honeymoon in style, a special occasion in blissful surroundings, want a perfect family retreat away from the distractions of modern life or are hoping for the adrenalin rush of an active diving and sporting end to your holiday, the Maldives and its wide variety of resorts can offer you a holiday that’s just right for you.

Simply speak to our expert team and they can recommend the perfect resort based on your preferences. You can spend as many nights here as you wish.