Last Minute Sri Lanka Tours and January

This was my first trip to Asia and I wanted to get an overview, so the highlights of Sri Lanka really achieved that. The trip was well planned with varied activities, to appeal to most travellers. We did have to put up with Cyclone Ditwah, which made some activities more like an endurance, but nobody could plan for that or do anything to change it. Our Sri Lanka tour guide and his team went way beyond my expectations in order to keep up safe and as comfortable as possible, under difficult circumstances. They deserve their Christmas Bonus! Personally, I would have enjoyed more time at the spice garden and I wonder what the value was of the canoe trip to the curry cooking demonstration. Perhaps it would have been fun in sunshine? The Temple of the Tooth would have been interesting when there was no ceremony going on, to better appreciate the details of the buildings etc. I felt we were intruding on a religious occasion that was of huge importance to local people. Would it be better to spend longer at sites in a smaller geographical area and reduce the travelling between sites. Moving on to the Maldives, this week was great and really hit the spot. We needed sunshine and relaxation and the pace of the week was perfect. Again, the tour guide did an excellent job and supplied us with lovely videos and photos from snorkelling trips. The food on the Dhoni Cruise was excellent, considering the kitchen space and although a bit repetitive, there was a good range to suit all palates. The crew did a great job.

Good combination of two very different weeks. Good food and interesting and varied sights in Sri Lanka. Well organised and led, in very difficult circumstances during severe flooding and landslides! The boat tour of the Maldives was excellent, by far the best way of seeing this country. The boat was comfortable with great food and attentive crew. The main activity is snorkelling so if this is your thing you will love it!

Wonderful short trip to the highlights of Sri Lanka! Explore didn’t disappoint once more — everything was well-organized and perfectly planned. Our leader, Ash, truly made the trip special. He was professional, knowledgeable, and shared amazing stories from his own life that brought the country’s culture to life. I’ll definitely be back — thank you for an unforgettable experience!

In a short period the trip packed in so much visiting several UNESCO sites , a traditional village, the former Capital Kandy . We went to a stunning beach and went on safari . We crossed the island seeing the countryside and the mountains and an interesting stop to see toddy tapping . I felt I saw the diversity of this beautiful island and what it offers . I would highly recommend this trip . It’s full on but worth every minute .

This was an excellent short tour but, even though it was only 6 days, it felt as if we packed in at least 12 days-worth of activity. It was a great introduction to Sri Lanka with a fantastic range of visits and activities. Our tour leader, George, was great and highly informative and our bus driver, Tony, was a very good driver and organiser. I think I would like to go back to each place we visited again to spend longer and this really has provided a great taster.

Our leader George was wonderful! He was knowledgable, organised, funny and friendly. He helped to make the trip a memorable experience. Also Tony our driver was brilliant. Lots of animals to see in Sri Lanka and would recommend the optional elephant safari. A lot of travelling involved and I had to set my alarm every day except for 1, so definitely full on with early starts. The food was great, lots of coconut is involved in the Sri Lankan cuisine. Accommodation was all good, air conditioned rooms and comfy beds. On the final full day of the trip George took us to see how Sri Lankan crafts were made and the opportunity to buy things. This was great, we visited a tea factory, wood carving, silk factory, spice garden and gem factory.