Galle: Sri Lanka's Hidden Gem

Sri Lankan Farm and Spice Traditions Tour with Tuk Tuk ride

The Agro Park Millaniya is a great spot to enjoy the true hospitality of rural Sri Lanka while absorbing the sights and sounds of a typical village. As well as exploring this award-winning integrated farm, you'll also visit a Buddhist temple and go on a countryside tuk-tuk ride. As our expert local guide, Kasun says, ‘It's fun and interesting to learn so much about Sri Lanka's traditional agriculture and gastronomy in one location. I am always proud to watch guests discover and taste different local products. The little savoury snacks are a personal favourite.'On your way to the village, take time out to gather your thoughts in a historic Buddhist temple while admiring its artworks, rock carvings and other religious artefacts. Next, hop into a tuk-tuk for a rip-roaring ride through paddy fields and tropical countryside. Then, observe the local cinnamon-making process. You'll also visit Sri Lanka's largest banana gene bank, have a look around a pineapple plantation, and experience toddy tapping.There will be a chance to sample Kasun's favourite traditional snacks and you'll also get to see how coconut oil is produced. And it wouldn't be a proper Sri Lankan countryside experience without some tea picking. To round it all off, feast on a traditional curry and rice lunch, made extra special because many of the ingredients are grown on the farm itself. This tour is a wonderful opportunity to experience local traditions and immerse yourself in the rural culture of Sri Lanka – a great day out.

Colombo City Tour

Like four cities in one, Colombo is a grand mix of colonial architecture, verdant cricket greens and gleaming skyscrapers. Discovering all its contrasts, you'll visit the bustling shopping district of Pettah and the British monuments of the Fort area as well as Galle Face and the Cinnamon Gardens – all the must-sees of Sri Lanka's capital.Boasting countless monuments, museums and architectural wonders, this Colombo city tour is jam-packed. Throughout the day, you'll see sights like the Buddhist Gangaramaya Temple, Wolvendaal Church and the impressive Independence Square. You'll call by plenty more interesting places too.Drop in at the Fort area and tour elegant boulevards and buildings that hark back to the days of British rule. Then, at Galle Face, you'll see kids play cricket on the beach and view the mansions of Cinnamon Gardens. The vibrant Pettah district is famed for its bazaar and Dutch colonial architecture – pick up some souvenirs before rounding off with views across the Indian Ocean at the Galle Face Green and hotel.

Kandy Day Tour with Temple of the Tooth Relic

Cultural hotspot Kandy, the last capital of a pre-colonial Sri Lankan kingdom, is a must-visit. As well as touring the city, you'll also visit a spice garden, a tea plantation and botanical gardens. Aashvi, one of our expert local guides, says, ‘Kandy's most famous and magnificent temple houses the sacred tooth relic of Lord Buddha, one of the most revered artifacts in Buddhism. The temple complex is a tranquil contrast to the city itself, which is a hive of activity with tree-lined streets crammed with hawkers, tuk-tuks, and vintage buses.'It's almost non-stop action on this cultural tour. As you weave through the central highlands, you'll stop at a fragrant spice garden in Mawanella and a tea plantation and factory – for a proper cuppa of Ceylon tea – in Giragama. The sight of undulating hills covered in row after row of tea plants is one of the most emblematic images of Sri Lanka. Aashvi adds, ‘Tea is the world's favourite drink if you discount water, with the highest consumption of any beverage. Good quality tea like that found in Sri Lanka contains a high level of polyphenol, which is a health-promoting antioxidant.'As part of your city tour of Kandy, you'll visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic temple – a UNESCO World Heritage Site that's home to Buddha's tooth – and the Royal Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya, which are home to more than 4,000 species of plants. To make the day extra special, a traditional lunch is included.

Kandy, Sigiriya and Dambulla Two-Day Tour

Three UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 48 hours. As calling cards go, few can beat this history-drenched two-day tour of Kandy, Sigiriya and Dambulla in central Sri Lanka. You'll visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic, the Rock Temple and the ‘Lion Rock'. Half-board overnight accommodation and lunches included.

Negombo Dutch Canal Boat Cruise

A traditional way to explore Sri Lanka. You'll visit a Hindu Temple and Dutch Fort in Negombo before trying your hand at haggling in the fish market, then you'll hop on a train and then embark on a cruise on the Dutch Canal, admiring nature, fishermen's homes and more.It's a spiritual start to the day at the Hindu Temple. Learn all about its history and see how different cultures combine in Sri Lanka. You'll also visit the historic Dutch Fort and fish market, then take a train ride to the canal start point – the original way to travel in Sri Lanka.Hop aboard a colourful barge and take off on a journey along the Dutch Canal, whose history goes back to the 19th century. You'll get to know everything about its use through history and admire fishing villages, rainbow-coloured flowerbeds and painted boats that pass you by. Take a break for tea and spot all the birds feeding in the wetlands, soaking up the lush green scenery as you go.

Galle: Sri Lanka's Hidden Gem

Galle epitomises Sri Lanka's multicultural history more than any other city. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it boasts an exotic mix of architecture. On this small group excursion, you'll enjoy a puppet show and a walking tour of Galle Fort, followed by sunset watching.

Kandy Day Tour by Train

A train ride through the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka is one of the most scintillating ways to discover the country. You'll trundle through the verdant hills to discover the Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy, as well as a few other green delights on this full day tour.A scenic train ride through the Central Highlands sets the tone for a great day of exploration. Watch the rolling hills, tea plantations and lush wilderness pass as you make tracks towards Kandy. Once you're there, it's off to the Temple of the Tooth Relic – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's Sri Lanka's most sacred temple, and the complex also includes a royal palace.And you can also look forward to visits to a botanical garden, a tea plantation and factory in Giragama, and a spice garden in Mawanella. What's more, lunch is included.

Minneriya National Park Wildlife Safari

Located in the heart of Sri Lanka, Minneriya National Park is a haven for wildlife with a mix of landscapes ranging from wetlands and grasslands to dry tropical forest. You'll head on safari with the chance to spot the hundreds of species that roam freely through the park.After a morning journey through the heartland of Sri Lanka, you'll stop to top up your energy reserves with lunch before heading into Minneriya National Park. Expect to be enchanted by herds of elephants – the star attraction for many – as well as monkeys as you traverse through grasslands and wetlands. More than 70 species of butterflies and 24 species of animals are also attracted to the grass fields on the edge of the reservoir.There are also resident and migrant birds – more than 150 types – and once you reach the park's rocky outcrop, you'll encounter many reptiles. What's more, the park is home to Sri Lankan sambar deer, Asian and Bengal water monitors and many more wild creatures.

Wilpattu National Park Lakes and Wildlife Safari

Its name means the ‘Land of Lakes' and Wilpattu National Park really does live up to its billing. Occupying a large swathe of northwestern Sri Lanka, it is famous for its varied wildlife and more than 50 lakes. You'll hop on a 4x4 vehicle and go on safari through the park, with the chance to spot wild animals such as leopards and water buffalo.On your way Wilpattu, we stop at Puttalam lagoon – an expanse of mangrove forest, seagrass and salt marshes. Then, in the park, you'll be able to soak up the peace and tranquillity of Sri Lanka's largest national park – it's so big and densely forested that its vast wilderness has a primeval feel to it.Wilpattu is characterised by its string of ‘villus' – natural basins filled with rainwater. These sand-rimmed depressions are a magnet for thirsty wildlife and among the best places to spot sloth bears, elephants, crocodiles, axis deer and, with a bit of luck, the endangered and elusive Sri Lankan leopard. Other species that call Wilpattu home include owls, eagles and painted storks.

Sinharaja Forest Trek

It says a lot that in a country with such a rich variety of flora and fauna, Sinharaja Forest Reserve is both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Biosphere Reserve. That's because as the island's last viable area of primary tropical rainforest, it is home to almost two-thirds of its endemic trees.