Contemporary Ceylon (17 Days)

Spend time on Negombo's sandy beaches and try some water sports, or dive to see the corals and a 50-year-old shipwreck just off the coast.

Take a boat ride through the Madu River's mangrove channels, spotting basking crocodiles, water monitors and waterbirds, and visit an island where cinnamon is harvested.

Walk the Fort's cobblestoned streets, which still carry Dutch names, and learn about its history.

Watch stilt fishermen at work off the coast of Koggala and hear from practitioners how the craft is passed down through generations.

Visit Ussangoda, a bare coastal plateau whose toxic serpentine soil supports only a few specialised plants, and which features in Ramayana legend as a site burned by Hanuman and once used by King Ravana as an airstrip.

Take a three-hour safari through Yala in search of Sri Lankan leopards, wild water buffalo, sloth bears and elephants, along with the park's many other mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians.

Pass through tea fields and rocky terrain for views towards Little Adam's Peak.

Walk over the Nine Arches Bridge and hear the story of how it was built.

End the walk at Demodara Railway Station, notable for its loop-over track design.

Walk through the montane grasslands and cloud forests of Horton Plains, spotting endemic wildlife and learning about archaeological finds in the area.

Stop at Ramboda Falls, the 11th tallest waterfall in the country.

Walk through the shaded avenues and colourful plantings of Hakgala Botanical Gardens.

Take a relaxed walk along the shores of Lake Gregory.

Visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, a UNESCO World Heritage Site built in the 16th century, with its painted halls, carved pillars and golden statues.

Watch an hour-long performance of traditional Sri Lankan dance and music, including fire dancers, sword dancers and Kandyan drummers.

Explore the 19th-century Royal Botanical Gardens, home to over 4,000 plant species, including orchids, spice and medicinal plants, a cannonball tree and a suspension bridge.

Enter the cave temples of Dambulla, dating to the 1st century BC, to see ancient murals and hundreds of Buddha figures across five main caves, including the Cave of the Divine King and the Cave of the Great King, before viewing the giant golden Buddha statue outside the complex.

Climb the 5th-century rock fortress of Sigiriya, entering past the lion's paws at its base to see the famous frescoes, terraced gardens, cisterns and the ruins of King Kasyapa's palace.

Walk through the ruined city of Anuradhapura, capital of Sri Lanka for over a thousand years until the 10th century AD, taking in the Jetavanarama stupa, the Sri Maha Bodhi and the Abhayagiri Monastery.

See the 40-foot standing Buddha statue at Avukana, carved from a single rock and supported only by a thin attachment at the back, among the partially collapsed remains of what was once an image house.

Explore Yapahuwa, seat of government in the 13th century and once home to the Temple of the Tooth Relic, taking in its ornamental stairway, entrance arch, temple ruins and detailed sculptures.

Explore the ruins of Polonnaruwa, which served as the island's capital and a thriving commercial and religious centre some 800 years ago, with temples and other archaeological remains from that era.

Take a three-hour safari through Minneriya National Park, with a chance to see elephants gathering in large herds during the dry season, alongside other mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians.