Ceylon Endearment (25 Days)

One of Asia's best-preserved fortifications, built up by the Portuguese and Dutch, with museums, a lighthouse and cobblestoned streets bearing their old Dutch names.

Known as the Virgin White Tea Factory, where visitors learn how this rare tea is plucked and processed by hand, followed by a tasting with tea and chocolate cake.

A curving stretch of sand that gives the feel of a secluded island, tucked into the far end of Weligama Bay.

A five-hour tour with a chance to see blue, sperm and fin whales off Sri Lanka's south coast, with a qualified naturalist on hand to help identify the species.

A largely treeless coastal area whose serpentine rock holds toxic heavy metals, said in the Ramayana to be one of the places scorched by Hanuman's burning tail.

The second-largest park on the island, home to Sri Lankan leopards, wild water buffalo, sloth bears, large elephant herds and a wide range of birds, reptiles and other species.

An ancient Buddhist temple with seven Mahayana statues dating to the 10th century, including a large Buddha figure still bearing traces of its original stuccoed robe.

The one-time premier hill resort of the British in Sri Lanka, with cottages, villas and mansions, an old red-brick post office, Queen Victoria Park and Lake Gregory.

The 11th tallest waterfall in the country, visited en route.

Shaded avenues and colourful planted mazes to walk through.

A walk along the lake shore.

An hour-long performance of traditional Sri Lankan art forms, including fire dancers, sword dancers and Kandyan dancers performing to drums.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site built in the 16th century to house and protect the sacred tooth relic of the Buddha, with painted halls and carved pillars.

Gardens dating to the early 19th century with over 4000 species of plants, including orchids, spices and medicinal plants, a suspension bridge and a cannonball tree.

A lake formed from natural spring water, reputed to be 30 to 40 feet deep, with a natural swimming pool alongside it.

A guided tour of spices such as coriander, chilli, cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg, with a traditional cooking demonstration covering roti and curry powder.

The 5th-century rock fortress of King Kasyapa, entered through the paws of the carved lion that gives it its name, with its painted murals, terraced gardens and water cisterns.

A three-hour safari with a chance to see elephants gathering in large numbers during the dry season, along with other mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians.

The second major capital of Sri Lanka, flourishing from the 10th to 13th centuries, with ruins including Gal Vihara, Vatadage, the lotus bath, Lankathilaka Temple and a statue of King Parakramabahu.

Cave temples dating to the 1st century BC, with murals of the Buddha's life, hundreds of Buddha and deity figures across five main caves, and a large golden Buddha statue outside.

A beach with golden sand and clear water, linked by a 10th-century Tamil inscription to a land grant for the Koneswaram Temple.

Two islands surrounded by coral reef, home to breeding rock pigeons and a range of coral types and marine life.

One of sixteen of the holiest Buddhist sites in Sri Lanka, believed to be where the Buddha stopped during his second visit to the island.

The island's capital for over a millennium until the 10th century AD, with pagodas, monastic buildings and ponds including Jetavanarama, once one of the tallest buildings in the ancient world, the Sri Maha Bodhi, and the ruins of Abhayagiri Monastery.

Visits to the Old Lighthouse, the Old Parliament, Galle Face Hotel, Galle Face Green, Gangarama Temple and the National Museum, with time for shopping around Independence Square and the Race Course.

Sandy beaches with a long-standing fishing industry, water sports, and diving near a 50-year-old shipwreck just off the coast.