Highlands Of Sri Lanka

Guide

Our Sri Lankan team of leaders has proved very popular with their incredible knowledge, passion and hospitality adding greatly to the experience. There is no better way to experience Sri Lankan culture than letting a local leader show you around their country.

Meals

All breakfasts, five lunches and one dinner are included. We suggest allowing about 7,000 rupees (US$20) per day for lunch and dinner. You can eat out very cheaply in Sri Lanka, but if you mainly eat at the more expensive restaurants, you will spend more than the suggested amount. Sri Lankan cuisine is a fascinating reflection of the island’s heritage; there is a unique fusion of fresh local produce with spices brought to the island over the centuries by Malays, Arabs, Indians as well as the Dutch, Portuguese and English. Despite (or perhaps because of) these influences, Sri Lankan cuisine is often referred to as simply rice and curry. This is the staple dish in most restaurants and is usually a serving of rice accompanied by assorted meat and vegetable curries as well as various pickles, sambols (condiments), and a handful of tiny poppadum – all using the contrasting flavours of coconut, chilli, curry leaves, cinnamon and garlic. Vegetarians are well catered for but please inform us before departure of any special dietary requests. Please note, the availability of certain products is minimal or non-existent in Sri Lanka. For example, wheat- or dairy-free options outside of hotels are limited. Please be prepared for this and you may need to bring these from home. Spicier food can be avoided easily and lots of the hotels will serve Western options alongside traditional food. Mineral water is provided by our local operator in large containers throughout the trip so please bring a bottle with you to refill. Please note, restaurant service can be quite slow.

Others

Walking through rice paddy fields and tea plantations Exploring parts of Sri Lanka rarely seen by other Westerners Visit the beautiful lakeside town of Kandy Sunrise on Adams Peak (except between May-November) Searching for a Leopard in Yala National Park Maldives extension available

Transport

We use an air-conditioned minibus but depending on the size there may be two; however, vehicles in Sri Lanka tend to have limited legroom, so we try to stop for comfort breaks as needed. The back-up vehicles drop us at the start of the walks and meet us again at the end, transporting all our luggage. In Yala National Park, we use smaller 4x4s. On the train to Ella, seats cannot be reserved in advance, so we sit where we can on the day. Train journeys are in second-class carriages for a more authentic local experience.

Accommodation

You will stay 13 nights in hotels, all with twin-bed rooms. There will also be one night of full-service camping. The tents have two camp beds with bedding. There is a toilet tent with a sit-down toilet and a shower tent. A cooking team will prepare meals, which are usually served outside. Wifi is available at most of the hotels, either in the rooms or the communal areas but there may not be a great connection everywhere. There is no access to wifi or recharging facilities (phones/cameras etc) at the campsite. Single supplements are available on request (not available for three nights). Please note, paying the single supplement may not mean you receive a double or twin room for sole use. The room you are allocated may differ from hotel to hotel, and on some nights a smaller room for one person may be allocated.

Others

— Travel insurance — Single supplements are available on request (not available for three nights) — Visas or vaccinations

Flights

International flights are not included.

Optional

Other activities and services are not included.

Insurance

Insurance is not included.