Sri Lanka with Maldives Cruise: Spice Gardens & Seasides

Arrive at any time and welcome to Negombo, know for its lazy beach, wandering canals, and fresh seafood markets. Get to know your fellow travellers over optional dinner and drinks at a favourite local restaurant. Soak up the lively atmosphere as you're introduced to Sri Lankan delicacies, and cheers to new adventures and friends!

Included Experiences

• Meet Your CEO and Group: Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.
• Connect With New Friends: Connect with new friends on your first night out in a new destination. Only available on 18-to-Thirtysomethings tours.

Travel to the centre of the island to explore the UNESCO World Heritage City, Sigiriya. Opt to visit the Dambulla Cave Temple, the ancient Sigiriya Rock Fortress or view elephants on a safari drive in Minneriya National Park.

Included Experiences

• Free Time: Head out to discover the area.

Optional Experiences

• Dambulla Cave Temple Visit: Visit the ancient Dambulla cave temples at one of the most well-preserved temple and cave sites in Sri Lanka. See Buddhist mural paintings that line the walls of the seventh-century caves as well as a collection of hundreds of statues of Buddha in different poses.
• Minneriya National Park Safari: Take a Safari through Minneriya National Park and see some of the incredible local wildlife in Sri Lanka. This park boasts multiple endemic species, like the purple-faced langur and the toque macaque. It is also common to see elephants, Sri Lankan sambar deer and Sri Lankan axis deer. If we're lucky, there's a chance to see rarer species like Sri Lankan leopard and the Sri Lankan sloth bear.

Spend the day freely exploring more of this ancient yet luscious region. Opt to visit the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, or go back in time at the Anurhadhapura historical site.

Included Experiences

• Free Time: Get out and explore.

Optional Experiences

• Polonnaruwa Ancient Capital Visit: Visit Polonnaruwa, the second ancient capital city (for three centuries), and home to many well-preserved ruins of palaces and monasteries. Don't feel like walking around? Opt to rent a bike and cycle through the ruins instead.
• Sigiriya Rock Fortress Visit: Be mesmerized by this rock fortress, which captivates every visitor with its well-laid out gardens, caves, monasteries, and palaces adorned with beautiful wall motifs. Start at the water gardens and climb more than 1,200 steps to reach the top. Pass caves with frescoes and boulders to find the ruins of a palace on the flat surface of the old volcanic magma rock. The rock rests 370m (1,213 ft) above sea level with a shear drop on all sides.

Visit a medicinal spice garden enroute to Digana. After, enjoy lunch before embarking on a guided village walk to gain insight into Sri Lankan rural daily life. Discover unique local experiences, from visiting a working cattle and goat farm to enjoying refreshing herbal drinks at a local woman's cottage. Later, learn how to cook Sri Lankan curries infused with authentic local spices while helping out with dinner.

Included Experiences

• Spice Garden Visit: Visit a herbal centre where students of Ayurveda learn the traditional medicinal uses of various spices for massages and treatments. Enjoy demonstrations and learning about the different plants and their uses.
• Digana Guided Village Walk: Get a crash course in local life with a village walk through Digana. Learn about some of the essential local industries and meet with local families, going about their daily routines. Visit their humble abodes to learn about their way of life before enjoying a traditional herbal drink.

Enjoy breakfast and soak in the views of the Victoria Reservoir over tea before departing for Kandy. Have an afternoon of free time to explore the sweet city, opting to visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth, view a traditional Kandyan cultural show, or root for a team at a cricket match.

Included Experiences

• Free Time: Explore Kandy with a full free day.

Optional Experiences

• Royal Botanical Gardens Visit : Enjoy a leisurely walk in the colourful Royal Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya. See 300 varieties of orchids of Sri Lanka as well as a range of other plants.
• Temple of the Sacred Tooth Tour: Enjoy a tour of the Temple of the Tooth, which houses an important relic – a tooth of Lord Buddha kept in a well-preserved golden casket. Learn about the importance of this site from local guides.
• Kandyan Cultural Dance: Be swept away by an entertaining performance that will provide insight into the local culture in Kandy. (5-8 USD per person)

Enjoy a traditional breakfast prepared by women and youth living with disabilities at G Adventures-supported Sthree Craft Shop and Café. Travel on to the rolling hills and luscious forests of Nuwara Eliya. Visit a tea plantation and opt to explore the beauty on foot.

Included Experiences

• Breakfast at Sthree Craft Shop and Café: Make a pit stop at Sthree Craft Shop and Café to enjoy a local breakfast prepared by women and youth living with disabilities. Led by the Women's Development Centre, they provide livelihood opportunities through hospitality and handicraft training, empowering the surrounding community.
• Tea Plantation Visit: The town of Nuwara Eliya produces the finest Orange Pekoe Ceylon tea, and is inhabited mainly by tea planters and plantation workers. Pay a visit to one of the factories to learn all about tea production.

If you want to experience morning mist flowing through the valley, wake early and trek the serene trails of Horton Plains National Park. In the afternoon, cruise to the laid-back village of Ella and enjoy a free evening to explore or relax.

Included Experiences

• Free Time: Enjoy a free afternoon to relax or explore.

Optional Experiences

• Horton Plains Trek: Get close to nature and stunning scenery on this Horton Plains Trek. Hike 9km (6 mi) into the Horton Plains and walk through the clouds to discover a majestic drop that provides amazing views over the plains into the sea. (60-70 USD per person)

Spend the morning trekking Little Adam's Peak to get a 360-degree view of Sri Lankan countryside encompassing the giant Ella Rock and textured green mountains. For the rest of the day, enjoy the freedom to explore scenic Ella more in-depth. Opt to venture to the iconic Nine Arches Bridge or hunt for some waterfalls with your fellow explorers.

Included Experiences

• Free Time: Get outside and explore scenic Ella.
• Little Adam's Peak Trek: Enjoy a hike up Little Adam's peak to catch stunning views of the town below.

Optional Experiences

• Trek to Ella Rock: Set off on a trek to Ella Rock, passing through the lush landscape and a local tea plantation. Take in scenic views of the surrounding green valleys and plains from the peak.

Set off towards the southern coast stopping en route to explore the indestructible Galle Fort. Finish the day's journey oceanside on the white sand beaches of Hikkaduwa.

Included Experiences

• Galle Fort Tour: Visit the Galle Fort, a 16th-century fort first built by the Portuguese, and later occupied by the Dutch. The ramparts are still standing even after being battered by Mother Nature, including the 2004 tsunami.

Enjoy a free day to bliss out on the beach sipping your favourite drink or jump on a boat in search of whales and dolphins. For your big night out, follow your CEO to the best beach bar in town and dance under the stars. Perhaps take a night swim, who knows, see where the night takes you.

Included Experiences

• Free Time: Enjoy a free day to do as much or as little as you'd like.
• Hikkaduwa Beach Bar: Follow your CEO to the best beach bar and cheers to all the life-changing adventures you've shared with new friends. Dance under the stars and perhaps take a night swim, who knows, see where the night takes you.

Optional Experiences

• Dolphin Watching Tour: Set off on a tour to spot these playful creatures.

Another day in paradise to recover from last nights fun. Relax on the beach, snorkel with sea creatures, or wander through the bustling beach town. Pick a local restaurant with your buds and reminisce about all the awesome adventures you've experienced over a farewell dinner.

Included Experiences

• Free Time: Don't waste a single second. Whether it's on the beach or throughout the town, get out and explore!

Optional Experiences

• Dolphin Watching Tour: Set off on a tour to spot these playful creatures.

Travel to Colombo to hop a flight down to the tranquil blue haven of the Maldives. Board your traditional Dhoni boat and after a brief meeting with your CEO, settle in, and set sail on a voyage of discovery.

Spend the next five days cruising around the South Malé and Felidhu atolls, disembarking to visit islands and sandbars along the way. On Fulidhu, mingle with locals and experience a traditional drumming performance. Bodu Moro Island is home to idyllic uninhabited beaches – the perfect photo opt. Aboard the dhoni, spend free time as you please – lounge on the sundecks and take in the views, relax with a good book, or socialize with fellow travellers as you enjoy delicious local seafood. Off the boat, opt to swim and enjoy snorkelling about twice a day amongst the spectacular marine life of the Maldives. The shallow islands and amazing coral reefs make it a key feeding ground for many species of tropical fish. Keep an eye out for turtles, reef sharks, stingrays, and octopuses. Cruise to the southernmost point of South Malé Atoll before crossing the channel into Felidhu Atoll. The main industry here is fishing and there is typically an opportunity to see traditional boat-building on at least one of the islands.

Included Experiences

• Snorkelling in the Maldives: The Maldives offer some of the most amazing snorkelling and marine life viewing opportunities in the world. The shallow islands and plentiful coral reefs make it a key feeding ground for many species of tropical fish. 70 different species of colourful corals make up the flora of this underwater city, with more than 700 species of fish and other marine life making up its fauna. Snorkelling is one of the simplest ways to experience this impressive underwater world.
• Bodu Mora Island Visit: Experience one of the Maldives uninhabited islands, with a visit to stunning Bodu Mora. The island's stretch of idyllic beach is home to lush palm trees, soft sands, and crystal clear blue waters.
• Felidhu Island Visit: Stroll the quaint streets of the island of Felidhu, the capital of Felidhu Atoll. This small island is home to beautiful beaches and a local souvenir shop or two.
• Fulidhoo Island Visit: Spend time with the local community and see their way of life. Enjoy an evening performance of Bodu Beru, the traditional folk music of the country. Bodu beru means "big drum" and involves a group of people sitting and singing to the rhythmical beat of drums.
• 11m (37 ft) Converted Dhoni: Climb aboard this converted Maldivian fishing boat and float on to the next stop.
• Free Time: Relax on the sundeck, snorkel in the crystal-clear waters, go for a swim, have a cocktail, or read a book. Free time is yours to enjoy!
• Maldives Plastic Clean Up: Unrecycled plastic in the Maldives is compromising sea life, shorelines, and health for communities. On your trip you will have the opportunity to do a beach clean up to support community environmental initiatives in the country. All plastic collected through our partner is properly recycled and reused to create new materials.

In the morning, make the short crossing to Malé. The tour ends on arrival at Malé International Airport.

Included Experiences

• 11m (37 ft) Converted Dhoni: Climb aboard this converted Maldivian fishing boat and float on to the next stop.
• Departure Day: Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with any onward travel arrangements you require.