MALDIVES plus SRI LANKA Combination Holiday
Discover the secrets and highlights of beautiful Sri Lanka
Introduction to Sri Lanka | Accommodation | Travel Info | Prices | Visa Requirements |
Introduction to Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is one of the most beautiful islands in the world and an exciting place to explore. Sri Lankans are warm, hospitable people, proud of their country and keen to share its riches with visitors. Just one hour flight from Male, Sri Lanka's culture, jungle and verdant hills make a superb combination with a Maldives holiday.
You may choose to book a car and a driver and make up your own itinerary as you go along. Alternatively, we have a great selection of tours which may be booked with standard or deluxe accommodation depending on your preferences.
You can combine your Maldives plus Sri Lanka holiday in any order you like - just choose your ideal dates from our liveaboard schedules and let us know your preference and we will take care of the rest.
Accommodation
Sri Lanka has a wealth of beauty, culture and wildlife to suit all travellers and we have aselection of tours available to suit. There are cutlural tours that include such wonders as the Rock Fortess of Sigirya, the Dambullah Cave Temple and of course the world-famous elephant orphanage. There are also dedicated wildlife tours available, camping, biking and hiking adventure tours, and beach stays with diving.
For those wishing to dive then we can highly recommend a stay in the north-east of the island at the wonderful Chaaya Blu Resort; perfectly located to enjoy the finest diving in Sri Lanka.
Travel Information
Sri Lankan Airlines offer a superb service from London Heathrow that easily links up a trip to the Maldives with a stay in Sri Lanka. The following is a sample 13nt round-trip itinerary travelling from London Heathrow that will give you 7nts in the Maldives with 6nts in Sri Lanka. The private guided cultural tour shown below incorporates four UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka:
Sample 13nts Itinerary for a Maldives and Sri Lanka combination holiday
Sat Depart Heathrow at 2145hrs on the direct overnight flight to Male
Sun Arrive Male at 1210hrs and transfer to liveaboard for 7nts fabulous diving
Sun Depart Male at 1300hrs for direct flight to Colombo, arriving at 1455hrs.
Enjoy a City Tour of Colombo including the Gangaramaya Buddhist Temple, Dutch Wolvendhal
Church, a Hindu Temple and the Town Hall. Overnight stay and dinner
Mon After breakfast leave for a visit to the Elephant Orphanage, along the banks of the Maya Oya,
to see the world's largest herd of domestic Elephants. In the afternoon, climb the Rock Fortress of
Sigiriya, a World Heritage Site and widely considered as the 8th Wonder of the modern world.
Overnight stay and dinner at the Amaya Lake Resort, Dambulla or similar.
Tue After breakfast leave for Polonnaruwa, the Medieval Capital of Sri Lanka dating back to the 11th
Century AD. Continue on to Kandy - the Hill Capital, en route stopping to visit the Dambulla Cave
Temple, famous for it's wall paintings and statues of Lord Buddha. Visit a Spice Garden and learn
about the growth and use of spices in the day to day life.
Overnight stay and dinner at the Randholee Resort, Kandy or similar
Wed After breakfast leave for a City Tour of Kandy, including Upper Lake Drive with a bird's eye view of
the city below, and the Royal Botanical Gardens - one of the best of its kind in Asia. In the evening
watch a Cultural Performance by traditional Kandyan Dancers and Drummers, including devotional
"Fire Walking", and walk across in the star-lit night to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic of
Buddha - by far the most important place of worship for Buddhists world over.
Overnight stay and dinner at the Randholee Resort, Kandy or similar
Thu After breakfast depart for Nuwara Eliya through the beauitful Ramboda Pass with lush green hills,
tea plantations and cascading Water Falls. Visit a Tea Factory and Plantation to witness the
manufacturing process of world famous “Ceylon Tea". Free time for more sightseeing and
overnight stay with dinner at the Tea Factory Hotel, Nuwara Eliya or similar.
Fri After breakfast leave for Bentota on the south west coast via Hatton. Enjoy the natural beauty of this
mountainous route passing two Water Falls - Devon and St. Claries.
See the location of David
Lean's award winning film "Bridge on the River Kwai”.
Overnight stay and dinner at the Marina Hotel, Bentota Beach
Sat Transfer to the airport for departure flight leaving at 1315hrs on the non-stop direct service to
London Heathrow, arriving 1945hrs
Guide Prices
The above combination holiday costs from Ł2495 plus departure taxes of Ł132 per person.
In the Maldives this includes 7 nights onboard Sea Queen / Sea Spirit airport to Liveaboard transfers, full board accommodation in a twin or double en-suite, air-conditioned cabin, canned soft drinks, drinking water, teas, coffees and snacks, all diving, use of tanks and weights and various excursions and economy class flights with Sri Lankan Airlines from London Heathrow to Male and Colombo, Sri Lanka.
In Sri Lanka the Cultural Tour itinerary is as shown above and includes 6 nights twin/double accommodation in various deluxe accommodation, half board meal plan, boat hire, transport in an air-conditioned deluxe vehicle with an English speaking chauffeur/guide and entrance fees to all the tourist sites included in the programme.
SRI LANKA VISA REQUIREMENT
From the 01st January 2012 a visa will be required for travel to Sri Lanka for stays of more than two days. Currently British nationals receive a 30-day tourist visa, free of charge, on arrival. This arrangement is being phased out and replaced with an online visa application process, the Electronic Travel Authority (ETA), and the following visa fees will be applicable per person:
FREE for single entry / transit up to 2 days
US $10 for single entry stays between 3 - 7 days
US $20 for double entry / or stays up to 30 days
Children under 12 years are free.
It is possible to apply for the visa on arrival in Sri Lanka but this will be at a higher cost than above (approximately US $5 per person - not including the free visa)
The ETA will be available to purchase from the 01st January and further details can be obtained from the ETA official website of the Department of Immigration and Emigration (www.eta.gov.lk). Please ensure that you have applied for your visa (and that it has been granted) before you travel.
Tel:+ 44 (0)1284 748010
Fax: + 44 (0)1284 748011
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