See Sri Lanka & the Maldives together

Adventurous activities

The Maldives offers some of the best underwater experiences on the planet and you’ll be able to dive and snorkel rich coral gardens, as well as take part in water sports ranging from windsurfing to surfing to kayaking, right from the comfort of your island resort. Snorkelling, diving and surfing is pretty good in Sri Lanka, too, and in both countries, there’s a chance to spot dolphins, whales, or whale sharks, if you’re here during the right season (November to March for whales and dolphins, January to April for whale sharks).

Above ground, there’s plenty to occupy you, too. Safaris in Sri Lanka’s Wilpattu and Yala National Parks offer the chance to spot leopard, elephant and sambar deer; and there are plentiful hiking and biking opportunities, with the early morning climb to the top of Sigiriya Rock and a walk through the wild grasslands of Horton Plains particular favourites. In the Maldives, sleeping on board a dhoni, visiting dreamy sandbars and tiny local islands and stargazing from the deck, is pretty much an adventure in itself.

What’s a typical itinerary?

All our Sri Lanka and Maldives tours start in Sri Lanka and finish in the Maldives and involve a flight between the two countries in the middle of your trip. In general, the Sri Lankan half of your journey will see a little more action, and you’ll move on to a new destination every day or two, exploring top cultural and historic sights, national parks, jungles and tea plantations as well as some of the county’s top beaches. Once you get to the Maldives, it’s time to relax and recover from all that action. On some itineraries you’ll spend your time relaxing at a private island resort, which will have perks such as a pool, spa and plenty of water sports on offer. On others you’ll take to the waters on a dhoni – a traditional Maldivian sailing boat. You’ll live on board, cruising remote atolls, snorkelling and swimming from the boat and stopping at local islands.

On most two-week itineraries you’ll spend the bulk of your time in Sri Lanka, with four or five days in the Maldives at the end, and on three-week trips you’ll spend two weeks in Sri Lanka and a week in the Maldives. On small group tours, you’ll share your journey with other likeminded travelers, with a less flexible itinerary. On tailor made trips, it’s just you and your friends or family, so you can tweak your route to your heart’s content. Whichever way you choose, your vacation company will organise all transfers between trains, planes, boats and automobiles to make your trip run as smoothly as possible.