Sri Lanka in Depth + Maldive Dhoni Cruise

We had two leaders - one in Sri Lanka and one on the boat. The Sri Lanka trip was fabulous - the tour leader was passionate thoughtful incredibly knowledgeable about his country and culture. The tour leader on the boat was also incredible. We love snorkelling so this part of the trip was awesome - we snorkelled for about 3 hrs every day. It is called a cruise - we went to two islands/atolls briefly but in reality it is an incredible opportunity to snorkel with expert guides. The food on the boat was incredible and the company - guests and staff was fabulous. It was the trip of a lifetime. please contact me if you want any more photos

Our Tour Guide Chamara Abeywardhane is Sri Lanka is very passionate about his country, very knowledgeable and shared a lot of information with us. He made sure all our needs were met. He is a people person and we got along well with him. He went out of his way to make our trip special. As we were in Sri Lanka when they were celebrating New Years, he made it possible for us to visit one Tamil family and one Sinhalese family they shared with us how they celebrate New Years. In addition we participated in another village sports event. These experiences was very special. He also made sure to take photos of the group doing various activities so we have memories of our trip.

Our Sri Lanka tour was really wonderful - wide-ranging but well-enough paced to avoid overload. The Adam’s Peak climb was more challenging than expected but worth doing. It’s just a shame that we had a 300 step climb to get to our rooms afterwards. Sigiriya, Kandy, Ella, Galle and the ancient Buddhist sites were really memorable, although Wilpattu game reserve was disappointing as we drove for a long time on forest tracks with little to see. Udawalawe and the elephant transit camp the following week were much better. Our guide was exceptional and went above and beyond on a couple of notable occasions. Details such as snack and toilet breaks had been well-planned and almost all of the meals were excellent. There were just a few too many visits to craft workshops (woodcarving, batik, jewellery) as, although they were interesting, we felt like there was an expectation to make a purchase. The dhoni cruise in The Maldives was fascinating with some excellent snorkelling. The first two days were a little slow, however with little to see or do apart from the daily snorkel trips twice a day. For anyone not wanting to snorkel, it could have been a little disappointing. The sea life was stunning and our well-informed guide provided some expert knowledge about the wildlife and about the country and culture as a whole. Overall, the trip was an exceptional experience and I would highly recommend.

The Sri Lanka tour was excellent. The tour was full on, visiting 2 - 4 sites each day. We saw temples, took safari rides to see the wildlife, looking at landscapes from beaches, through rainforests, and up to the highlands and mountains. We saw a huge variety of animals and birds in the national parks. Our guide Mimi was kindness personified, and gave us a fascinating insight into the country's history and culture. The hotels and restaurants were great. The Maldives cruise was based on board a fairly traditional boat. We were well looked after by the whole crew, and visited lots of sites to snorkel and see reefs, fish, turtles, rays and even sharks. We visited 2 local islands - they are very small, not so much to see.

A really enjoyable trip with a bit of everything thrown in! The trip packs loads into the two week tour of Sri Lanka - ancient sites, lots of wildlife, beach stays and an insight into a fascinating culture. The tour moves fast (most hotel stays are just one night) but even the longer travel days were made enjoyable with the inclusion of many interesting stops along the way. Our guide, Cham, was extremely knowledgable and worked hard organising all the details and logistics. Hotels varied from nice to really good and were generally of a high standard. The highlight of our holiday was the Dhoni cruise. If you like snorkelling you will love it. Every snorkelling site was brilliant in its own way and our guide, Moussa, was so knowledgable and passionate about the marine life. The accommodation on the boat is basic but actually better than we expected. We were very well fed and looked after by a lovely crew. It was wonderful.