Grand Sri Lanka Honeymoon

Early morning climb of Sigiriya Rock before the heat builds. The Lion's Paw entrance, ancient frescoes and summit views across the jungle are unforgettable. Afternoon village experience by bullock cart through rice paddies, followed by a cooking class in a local family home.

Morning visit to the Dambulla Cave Temple with its 150 Buddha statues and 2,000 square metres of painted ceilings. Then drive south through spice gardens to Kandy, arriving at your colonial manor house hotel in time for a sunset walk around Kandy Lake.

Morning visit to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, one of Buddhism's most important sites. Afternoon stroll through the Royal Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya with its 4,000 plant species and avenue of royal palms. Evening Kandyan dance performance and dinner overlooking the lake.

Board the morning train from Kandy for the first of two scenic rail journeys. Three hours through rolling tea estates and mountain tunnels to Nanu Oya station. Your driver meets you for the short transfer to Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka's Little England, set at 1,868 metres in the hill country.

Pre-dawn start for Horton Plains National Park. Trek across cloud forest and grassland to World's End, an 880-metre sheer cliff with views stretching to the coast on clear mornings. Return via Baker's Falls. Afternoon exploring Nuwara Eliya town, its colonial architecture and the tea-country cool.

Board the train at Nanu Oya for the most celebrated stretch of Sri Lanka's hill country railway. Three hours through bright green tea plantations, mountain ridges and misty valleys with the windows down. Arrive in Ella and settle into your boutique hillside hotel.

Sunrise walk to Nine Arches Bridge, a colonial-era stone viaduct set among the tea bushes. Then hike Little Adam's Peak for panoramic views of Ella Gap. Afternoon tea factory tour with tastings of single-estate Ceylon tea. Evening at leisure in this laid-back hill town.

Morning stop at Ravana Falls before the three-hour drive south to Yala. Check into your luxury tented lodge on the edge of the national park. Afternoon game drive through the scrubland, where leopards, elephants and sloth bears roam. Sundowner drinks back at camp.

A full day dedicated to Yala National Park. Morning game drive at first light when the leopards are most active, then return to the lodge for lunch and a dip in the pool. Afternoon drive deeper into the park for elephants, water buffalo and birdlife around the waterholes.

Morning departure from Yala along the southern coast to Mirissa, a crescent-shaped beach on the Indian Ocean. Check into your beachfront hotel and spend the afternoon on the sand. Sunset drinks at a clifftop bar overlooking Parrot Rock.

Early morning whale watching excursion from Mirissa harbour (seasonal, November to April). Blue whales and spinner dolphins are regularly spotted in the deep waters offshore. Afternoon at leisure on the beach or with a couples' spa treatment.

Drive the coastal road to the UNESCO-listed Galle Fort. Afternoon exploring the fort's narrow streets, boutique shops and art galleries. Walk the ramparts at sunset with the Indian Ocean stretching to the horizon. Farewell dinner at a candlelit courtyard restaurant inside the fort walls.