This itinerary allows you to pick any of our Sri Lanka holidays, whether that’s a tour of the cultural highlights or just a week relaxing at the beach, and combine it with a visit to the Maldives. What a perfect combination, visiting Sri Lanka’s colourful temples, spotting rare wildlife and sipping tea at a hillside plantation – then heading to a desert island, for a castaway-style, idyllic beach holiday in the Maldives.
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- Itinerary
- Things to Do
Itinerary
7 Nights – Sri Lanka
7 Nights – Maldives
This is just a sample itinerary, as an example. We can combine any of our Sri Lanka itineraries, with a stay in the Maldives. We can also tailor-make an itinerary is you have specific tastes and requirements.
✈ UK – Sri Lanka (7 Nights): After your flight to Sri Lanka from the UK airport of your choice you will land in Colombo. You’ll then have the choice to either stay at a beach resort whilst in Sri Lanka and if you do, you will be transferred straight to your resort. With beautiful golden sandy beaches edged with palm trees you are sure to have a wonderful week with attentive and friendly hotel staff.
Otherwise, if you would like to explore the island for a week we will provide you with a private guide and driver who will be on hand for your entire week, taking you to each destination, stopping at tourist attractions and giving you a fascinating insight into the local culture and way of life. Your guide can also adapt your week to your requirements, fitting in as much or as little as you want.
Starting with a night in the busy seaside capital of Colombo, enjoy some of the great local food, visit the busy markets and admire the shady boulevards and restored colonial architecture.
The next day head inland to Habarana, where we recommend you stay for 2 nights. From here, visit the Minneriya National Park, one of the best places on the island to see wild elephants as well as large aquatic birds. The next day, if you’re feeling particularly active, climb to the summit of Sigiriya rock where you will be rewarded with incredible views over the jungle and ruins of the ancient city below. If you would rather not take the tough climb, you can visit the ruins of Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka’s medieval capital by car.
Head on to Kandy and stay 2 nights here to make the most of this bustling city. Spices have been grown on this island for hundreds of years and exported all around the world, so do visit the exotic Spice Garden and Botanical Gardens. The beautiful Embekka Temple with its wooden carvings is well worth a visit, and the city’s most famous attraction is the Temple of the Tooth Relic which is said to house the tooth of Lord Buddha. You can then relax at your hotel or visit more of the city and its many temples.
Driving south through stunning hill country, you will then come to Nuwara Eliya, renowned for its tea production. This is a wonderful place to stay for a night. Visit a tea factory and follow the tea trails to see the fascinating manufacturing process. You can also visit Horton Plains, Sri Lanka’s highest plateau to admire the incredible views.
Then head back east to Mount Lavinia for your final night where you can relax on the golden coast.
If you have more time, you can add an extra 2 nights to your stay in Sri Lanka and visit the Yala National Park. Here you can go on jungle safaris to spot the indigenous wildlife. Known as ‘leopard country’ Yala has one of the world’s highest density of leopards so you’ll have your best chance of spotting one of the elusive creatures, but there are also Sri Lankan elephants, sloth bears and salt-water crocodiles to look out for.
✈ Sri Lanka – Maldives (7 Nights): After your week in Sri Lanka, you will fly onto the Maldives, and depending on the resort you choose, you will be met at the airport and be whisked off in either a speedboat or seaplane onto your chosen island.
With fine white sand, palm trees and crystal clear blue waters, the Maldives really are the ultimate exotic beach escape. With tiny boutique hideaways to all-inclusive resorts, and contemporary hotels to rustic retreats, there are a plethora of hotels to choose from and each one enjoys the exclusivity of its own island.
Along with outstanding spas and fantastic gourmet restaurants, the Maldives is the ultimate romantic destination where you can totally chill out and, at the end of the day, enjoy sundowns, savouring the most beautiful of Indian Ocean sunsets.
✈ Maldives – UK: After a week on paradise you will be collected by speed boat or seaplane and taken back to the main island of Male where you can fly back to your chosen UK airport.
Why choose a Maldives & Sri Lanka Multi Centre Holiday?
A Maldives & Sri Lanka multi centre holiday offers the best of both worlds! Spend a week taking the rich history and culture of Sri Lanka before kicking your feet up and relaxing on an idyllic island in the Maldives.
Begin your multi centre holiday in Sri Lanka. The small Indian Ocean island is dotted with historic cultural attractions, some dating back thousands of years, including Buddhist temples, spice markets, as well as bustling cities. Additionally, Sri Lanka is home to an array of wildlife, from elephants and leopards to crocodiles and water buffalo. With so much to do and explore, you’ll never have a dull moment during the Sri Lanka leg of your Maldives and Sri Lanka multi centre holiday. And if you do want to relax, worry not, because after a week in Sri Lanka, you’ll hop on a plane to…
The Maldives. This nation of islands is home to some of the world’s most picturesque beaches. Once you’re transported to the island of your choosing, you’ll have all week to spend enjoying the turquoise water of the Indian Ocean and expansive white sand beaches. If you’re up for it, the Maldives offers world-class SCUBA diving and snorkelling, with vibrant coral reefs and colourful fish. Or take a day trip to one of the thousands of other islands that make up the Maldives. The choice is yours when you’re in paradise during your Maldives and Sri Lanka multi centre holiday.
Things to Do
Does Sri Lanka have good beaches?
Yes, Sri Lanka has a number of world-class beaches. Unawatuna beach, outside the city of Galle on the southwest end of the island, is known for its pristine golden sand beaches and scenic palm trees. There is also snorkelling and SCUBA diving right from the beach. Another popular beach is Mirissa beach, which is known for surfing and seasonal whale watching. Mirissa beach also has a number of delightful seafood restaurants nearby serving up fresh seafood daily. Additionally, Ventura beach, on the western coast, features sprawling white sand beaches and is popular for those wishing to participate in water sports or snorkelling.
What temples can you visit in Sri Lanka?
Sri Lanka is home to many temples worth visiting during your Maldives and Sri Lanka multi centre holiday. In the city of Kandy, there is the Buddhist Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, which is said to hold the relic of the tooth of Buddha, a sacred relic in Buddhism. Another Buddhist temple in the Kandy region is Lankatilaka Vihara. The Anuradhapura region is also home to a number of temples worth visiting. These include Mirisaveti Stupa, Ruwanwelisaya Stupa, and the sacred bo tree Sri Maha Bodhi, located in the Mahamewuna Garden.
Is there wildlife to see in Sri Lanka?
Yes, Sri Lanka is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including many species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Popular animals to see in Sri Lanka include elephants, sloth bears, leopards, and water buffalo. There are several locations to see wildlife in Sri Lanka, including Yala National Park, Sinharaja Forest Reserve, and Udawalawe National Park. Sri Lanka is also home to a number of exotic birds, including parrots, peacocks, and kingfishers. For those wishing to see sea animals, Sri Lanka is home to world-class whale watching.
Why choose eShores?
One to One Service
Our experienced personal travel consultants will ensure you find the most suitable holiday, whilst taking care of every last detail. Everything from start to finish will be effortless.
100% Tailor Made
We can use any hotel, in any destination, so we will craft an itinerary to suit your exact needs. Also, as we can provide any itinerary, the only holiday we'll offer, is the one that's right for you.
Fully Protected
Our ATOL bonding provides you with the financial protection you need and as a member of the Travel Trust Association, you'll have 100% financial protection. Covering you for any eventuality.
Competitive Pricing
As a tour operator & travel agent, we'll search the market to ensure that we find you the best price. Also as an online business, we can ensure our prices are as competitive as possible.
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Karen
Anna was so helpful in tailoring our holiday to our specific request . We had tried to sort ourselves but it worked out more expensive to book ourselves and more hassle. Will definitely use e-shores again.
Posted 4 hours ago -
Susan
Rob could not have been more attentive in liaising with family and ourselves to book a three centre holiday in Italy for next year. He contacted us punctually, was knowledgeable and polite. Nothing seemed a bother was well impressed
Posted 4 hours ago -
Anonymous
We contacted eShores having visited the website to discuss a tailor made holiday to the Sporades islands. We spoke to one of the Travel Consultants, Kadie Ryan, who was friendly, efficient and knowledgeable. We received a quote shortly following our conversation and with Kadie's help were able to book our holiday with ease the next day. We are very happy with our experience booking this holiday.
Posted 1 day ago -
ColinMichael
Fantastic Holiday. Just returned from a great South African holiday, Cape Town 3 nights, Pilanesberg Safari 3 nights and a week in Zanzibar. Big thanks to Chris again, his knowledge helped organise and plan this vacation. This is the second long haul holiday he has booked for us. Each holiday has been faultless even though we have changed the itinerary to suit . The Safari he recommended on this trip, Ivory Tree in Pilanesberg was 5 STAR and made the holiday, another tick on the bucket list. Eshores customer service is second to none. I recommended this company to my daughter who is presently on a Canadian fly drive with them and is thoroughly enjoying it. Based on previous experience Chris has now helped us book Australia, Hong Kong & Dubai for next February, can’t wait. All their trips are good value for money, would not have any hesitation in recommending them.
Posted 2 days ago -
Julie
First time booking with eshores, so far So good, everything seems to be going smoothly, our adviser Chris is really helpful and communication and itinerary’s are all great.
Posted 2 days ago -
Susan
Gavin truly understands what we like but isn't worried about suggesting new countries or places of interest. All his suggestions have been spot on and enriched our holidays, he is a pleasure to work with. We look forward to many more adventures.
Posted 4 days ago -
Paul
Very knowledgeable and helpful Prompt replies and very quick to answer any questions
Posted 4 days ago -
DarrenBoyd
Very happy with what we booked, ( we asked for a trip/experience to Egypt), and Rachel put something together and within the budget we asked for. Once we reviewed it, we tweaked it several times for what we wanted in parts and Rachel did the rest. Very personable and pleasant to deal with. I think we will be looking at other experience holidays through E Shore in the future rather than your standard package holiday.
Posted 5 days ago -
Helen
Excellent service from Andy.
Posted 1 week ago -
Ian
Emma did significant grafting on my behalf, and remained understanding when my requirements involved quite a bit of chopping & changing.
Posted 1 week ago
Talk To The Experts
Your personal travel consultant will get to know your needs, ensuring they find you the most suitable holiday, at the best price!