Sri Lanka in Depth + Maldive Dhoni Cruise

Sri Lanka - excellent trip but a few too many temples Adams peak - sunrise good but not worth the effort if not good at walking up or steps Maldives - mainly a snorkelling trip. Didn't like the locations where other tourist were feeding the sharks and Rays. Un and forces a change in behaviour of wildlife

A great trip on board the well equipped dhoni, Kheti visiting different locations guided expertly by Moussah to see so much marine wildlife. Swimming with sharks and rays!! We were really well looked after by the crew and the food was excellent. Luckily the snorkelling helped keep the weight in check.

The overall trip was very good and the Leader dealt with the few emergencies very well. The jeep safari in Wilpattu National Park on Monday 17th was the least satisfactory of the three jeep safaris that we did. The ride was very uncomfortable and we saw little of interest. Lunch on Wednesday 19th in the vegetable garden was very good and the location quite magical. Thursday 20th the optional jeep safari was well worth doing, we saw lots of elephants, including babies. Adams Peak was fascinating even though I didn't climb to the summit. The train journey was not enjoyable. We were told we had 2nd class tickets but no reserved seats. We ended up in 3rd class with many of the group standing. The train was so crowded that it was difficult to see out of the windows. I met another family group who had done the same journey a few days previously, they had reserved seats in 2nd class, booked for them by an agent in the UK. Why couldn't we have those, you know the numbers in plenty of time. Athgira River Camp was a delight. On the drive to Colombo we stopped at a lace shop with a minimal demonstration of lace making, this was a waste of time. We also stopped at a moonstone mine where we saw nothing new, we had visited a jam shop in Kandy where we were shown how the jets were mined, and it was our second demonstration of how cinnamon bark is removed from the branches. I would have preferred to spend more time in Colombo, we did not have a lot of time there. The chaos when we arrived in Male, confusion about which hotel we were staying in was unacceptable. However the rest of the cruise went very well with the wreck swim and swimming with sharks being highlights.

Sri Lanka tour, a great way to see Sri Lanka with a mix of culture and wildlife. Dhoni cruise, boat was basic but clean. Food amazing, staff great. A great way to see The Maldives, uninhabited islands and small local islands. Snorkeling at least twice a day, seeing Turtles, coral, fish and Nurse Sharks. Plenty of time to relax after a busy 2 weeks in Sri Lanka.