They say selection is the spice of life, and the Sri Lanka and Maldives Adventure has it in heaps. Per week spent exploring the fascinating island of Sri Lanka adopted by per week of leisure in The Maldives, may this be the proper trip?
The second you allow Colombo Airport, you already know you’re someplace thrilling. The scent of Sri Lanka hits you, a scent that may solely be described as tropical—an unimaginable mix of warmth, flowers and spice. You stroll by way of the airport doorways, breathe in, and simply know you’re about to have the time of your life. Sri Lanka is a singular island in The Indian Ocean, straight under India and sitting simply above the Maldives. This geography creates essentially the most great mix of tradition, meals and panorama. Beaches, jungle, cities: Sri Lanka has all of it, and you actually get the flavour of it on this week-long leg of the G Adventures tour.
Beginning within the fairly beachside resort of Negombo the place you meet your group and CEO, the tour takes you deep into the guts of Sri Lanka. The mountain roads weave you thru a patchwork of tea and spice plantations, and also you’ll get to take pleasure in guided excursions of each. Accommodation is clear, comfy and splendidly different. We stayed in accommodations within the stunning inexperienced countryside; on a small tea plantation excessive within the hills above Ella; and luxurious camped simply exterior Udawalawe National Park. Each day was fully completely different, and we acquired as a lot out of our week as attainable.
Hiking above Ella; driving a practice over the well-known Nine Arch Bridge; tea tasting; a conventional cooking class; a day safari in a National Park; exploring colonial Galle and Kandy—there actually is one thing for everybody. What’s extra, not one of the itinerary feels rushed. With good time spent in every vacation spot, and transport between areas by non-public automobile, you actually absorb as a lot as you possibly can at an satisfying tempo. You get loads of alternatives to pattern the native delicacies, with nearly all of breakfasts included, but additionally to select up your individual lunch and dinner. Not positive what to attempt subsequent? Your CEO is more than pleased to make suggestions.
After an activity-filled week travelling round Sri Lanka, it is time to chill out. And the place higher to go to for some relaxation and recuperation than The Maldives? Oh sure, the following cease in your Indian Ocean journey is only a quick flight south. The sand is as white as you’ll discover anyplace on earth, the water is totally crystal clear and the sunsets are out of this world. It’s simple to see why this is without doubt one of the most wanted locations: it’s actually unforgettable.
Sailing round The Maldives is the last word solution to see this stunning and distinctive a part of the world. Although the accommodations on the islands supply simple luxurious, they usually don’t ship on environmental sustainability. Luckily, G Adventures affords a compromise-free combo of consolation and accountable journey—exploring The Maldives aboard a dhoni boat!
The dhoni is a clear, comfy, and spacious base in your week exploring the atolls. The giant rear eating space affords a welcome shady break for scrumptious meals, all ready by the (very proficient) on-board chef. Nothing works up an urge for food fairly like a morning within the water, and also you’ll want it for the superb collection of worldwide and native dishes put earlier than you. Dietary wants are thought of by letting the group know prematurely, and every meal has a variety of dishes. Eating is a relaxed and casual expertise, and an opportunity to bond together with your group and CEO over what you’ve seen that day. All meals are included on the boat, and you should purchase alcoholic drinks like wine and beer on the bar. Fresh consuming water is freed from cost always, together with reusable bottles.
Snorkelling the clear blue waters is the principle occasion on this a part of the tour, and fins and masks are offered. Turtles, dolphins, reef sharks, barracuda, sting rays: we noticed an unimaginable number of marine life along with the unique fish we swam with every day. The underwater world is a vibrant, thrilling and endlessly stunning place of marvel. Thanks to its geography and ocean currents the water in The Maldives is heat year-round. What may very well be a greater winter getaway than heat waters and tropical sea life?
The tender drops you off at the place to begin of your snorkel, and as a gaggle you regularly meander your manner by way of the coral, guided by your CEO. If anybody will get drained or desires to return to the dhoni, a workers member picks them up by tender. The great thing about shifting round is that every snorkel spot is completely different, which means the surroundings and aquatic life change from sooner or later to the following. Everything on the boat is non-obligatory. If you wish to keep behind and absorb the solar on a snug lounger as an alternative of snorkelling—go for it!
As properly as exploring the underwater world, this tour opens up a cultural facet to The Maldives that almost all guests don’t get to expertise. We have been lucky to discover one of many native islands, with our CEO offering a guided tour and a few historical past about residing there. It gave an fascinating distinction to our time spent in Sri Lanka, with nearly all of Sri Lankan’s figuring out as Buddhist in comparison with Islamic in The Maldives. With many guests solely setting foot on the island that their resort is on, we felt extraordinarily privileged to expertise the native lifestyle.
Too quickly, we discovered ourselves heading again to Malé for our flights dwelling, reflecting on the 2 weeks we’d spent collectively exploring two completely different however equally superb international locations. This journey actually does present the perfect of each worlds, and the mix makes it a particularly particular expertise. Both locations have their very own appeals, however collectively they honestly are a match made in heaven.
Getting There
Take in the perfect of each on our Sri Lanka & Maldives Adventure! Or, try all that Sri Lanka and The Maldives have to supply individually as your subsequent dream vacation spot.