Dive On Excitement (20 Days)

Visit the hatchery on the southwestern coast to learn about the five endangered sea turtle species that nest on Sri Lanka's shores and how the Kosgoda Turtle Care Program protects their nests. Visitors can see, touch and feed baby turtles and injured adults in care.

Take a two-hour boat ride along the Madu River through mangrove channels, spotting basking crocodiles and water monitors. The trip includes a stop at a small island for cinnamon harvesting, a fish massage, and views of waterbirds in their habitat.

Explore Galle Fort, one of the best-preserved fortifications in Asia, built up by the Portuguese and Dutch. Walk the cobblestoned streets with their Dutch names, visit the museums and lighthouse, and stop for a king coconut or tea.

Watch fishermen perched on stilts in the waters off Koggala, a craft practised here for generations. Learn how the technique works and photograph the fishermen silhouetted against the shoreline.

Go on a jungle safari through the Sinharaja Forest Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of dense evergreen vegetation. Listen for monkeys, spot colourful forest birds, and look out for green pit vipers in the foliage.

Visit the Hummanaya near the village of Kudawella, possibly the second largest blowhole in the world, and listen to the deep humming noise that gives it its name.

Spend a full day on safari in Yala National Park, the second largest in Sri Lanka, with a chance to see leopards, wild water buffalo, sloth bears and large herds of elephants, along with many other mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians.

Take the three-hour hike up to Ella Rock, one of the highest viewpoints in the area, passing views of the Namunukula Range and Little Adam's Peak. From the top, landmarks such as the Bandarawala Range, Poonagala Hills, Narangala, the Ella Gap and the Badulla train tracks can be seen.

Travel by train from Ella to Nuwara Eliya through misty mountains and tea estates, passing colonial-era bungalows and mansions, Gregory Lake, Queen Victoria Park and a tea estate and factory, with a stop at Ramboda Falls on the return.

Walk through the former British hill resort town, with its cottages, villas and mansions, the old red-brick post office, Queen Victoria Park and the shores of Lake Gregory.

Visit Horton Plains National Park for its montane grasslands and cloud forest, with views from World's End and the spray of Baker's Falls, plus endemic fauna and some archaeological finds in the area.

See Ramboda Falls, the 11th highest waterfall in Sri Lanka, near Pussellawa. The middle section is visible from the A5 highway above the bridge, while reaching the top section requires a climb along a pathway near the bridge.

Raft a 5km stretch of rapids on the Kelani River, with safety measures in place throughout.

Take a guided tour of a spice and herbal garden covering coriander, chilli, cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg, with a traditional cooking demonstration and a chance to make roti or curry powder.

Enter the Golden Temple of Dambulla, dating to the 1st century BC, to see murals of the life of Buddha and hundreds of figurines across the five main caves, including the Cave of the Divine King and Cave of the Great King, plus the golden Buddha statue outside the complex.

Take a three-hour safari through Minneriya National Park, known for the Great Elephant Gathering of over 150 elephants between May and October, alongside other mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians.

Climb the 5th-century rock fortress of Sigiriya, entering through the lion's paw staircase, viewing the famous frescoes, and walking through the terraced gardens, cisterns and tunnels to the former palace.

Walk through the ruins of Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka's second major ancient capital, seeing monuments such as Gal Vihara, Vatadage, the lotus bath, Lankathilaka Temple and the statue of King Parakramabahu.

Spend five hours at sea off Trincomalee looking for blue whales, sperm whales and fin whales, with a naturalist on hand to help identify species.

Spend time on Negombo's sandy beaches, watching the long-established fishing industry, trying water sports, or diving around the corals and a 50-year-old shipwreck just offshore.