Hill Country & Heritage Trail

Start early after breakfast, because Sigiriya is kindest before the heat builds. The rock is about 25 minutes from Habarana, and the later drive to Kandy takes roughly three hours, so it is a full but rewarding day.

Locals sometimes call Sigiriya the eighth wonder of the world, and the reason is clear as soon as the rock appears over the trees. In the fifth century King Kashyapa made it his fortress and palace, and the climb retraces his royal approach. The path crosses the water gardens, runs along the glossy Mirror Wall, passes the frescoed celestial maidens and reaches the gateway of the lion's paws. From there about 1,200 steps lead to the palace ruins, some 200 metres above the forest. Take water, wear shoes with grip, and go at your own speed; the view from the top covers the whole plain. Afterwards you return to your hotel to collect your luggage.

The road to Kandy passes Matale, where a spice garden shows how pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, vanilla and cloves grow. A guide explains how each plant is used in cooking and in Ayurvedic remedies, with no obligation to buy. A little further on, a tea estate near Kandy lets you walk between the bushes and watch how a day's pluck is withered, rolled and dried in the factory, with a cup of fresh tea at the end.

Evening belongs to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. The story goes that a princess from Orissa smuggled the Buddha's tooth to the island in her hair in the fourth century, and pilgrims have honoured it since. Cover up, and leave your shoes outside. After the temple comes a Kandyan dance show lasting about an hour, with drummers, acrobats and fire-walkers in bright costumes, before you settle into your hotel in Kandy.

Transport: Private air-conditioned vehicle with English-speaking driver-guide

After breakfast the road climbs steadily out of Kandy into the central hills. Reaching Nuwara Eliya takes between three and four hours behind the wheel, yet the stops stretch it across most of the day, and every bend gives wider views of terraced slopes.

This is the heart of Ceylon tea country. The British saw that the cool, damp highlands suited the crop and converted huge areas to plantations, and tea has remained the island's leading farm export. At a working factory you can follow the leaf through plucking, withering, rolling, fermenting, drying and grading, then sit down for a tasting. Pickers move along the rows with baskets on their backs, so you may see them at work as you walk the terraces.

Farther up, Ramboda Falls tumbles down in tiers beside the road, and a brightly painted Hindu temple to Hanuman stands close by. Photographs are easy here, and it is a handy place to stretch your legs before the final climb.

At about 1,900 metres, Nuwara Eliya has earned the name Little England, thanks to its colonial villas, neat lawns and flower borders. You will see it on a short city tour. The market is lively and a good place to try fruit and local snacks. Hakgala Botanical Gardens spread across terraces below a sheer rock, with roses, tree ferns and orchids, and if you are lucky you will spot monkeys or blue magpies. The nearby Seetha Amman temple is a bright Hindu shrine covered in painted figures and is linked to the Ramayana.

The air cools quickly in the afternoon. Keep a jumper in your day bag, since evenings here can be properly cold.

Transport: Private air-conditioned vehicle with English-speaking driver-guide

Today you leave the chill of Nuwara Eliya and descend to Ella. Allow about three hours for the road, which is best spread across the whole day. The countryside changes steadily, from tea slopes to vegetable terraces to open valleys with distant ridges.

The first big stop is the Nine Arch Bridge near Ella. The viaduct was commissioned in 1921, and its builders used only stone blocks and cement alone, without any steel inside. Nine tall arches carry the railway on a graceful bend between two hillsides, with jungle on both sides. Walk down the path to the base, take photographs from the side, and, if the timing suits, wait for a train to cross. Your guide can ask around for likely train times, so the wait stays short.

Ravana Falls is the second stop and lies beside the road. In the rainy season the water spreads wide and falls about 82 feet from a hollow, oval rock, said to resemble a drooping areca flower. In the dry months the flow shrinks. Local legend links the place to King Ravana of the Ramayana, and the falls sit inside a small wildlife sanctuary. There are stalls nearby selling snacks and drinks.

Then you reach Ella and check in. The village looks out through the Ella Gap, and the late afternoon is perfect for slow wandering. You could take the easy hour-long walk to Little Adam's Peak through tea fields, or simply sit in a cafe with the view and watch the light change.

Transport: Private air-conditioned vehicle with English-speaking driver-guide

This is the travelling day, so it helps to start with a relaxed breakfast and an early look at the view. If you wake early, the morning walk to Little Adam's Peak takes roughly an hour from the village through tea fields and makes a gentle farewell to the hills. It is optional, and you can tell your driver-guide the night before whether you want it.

The drive to Colombo is a long one, taking most of the day, but it is far smoother than it used to be thanks to the expressway that carries you across the south and towards the capital. Your driver-guide will plan comfort stops along the way, for tea, lunch and fresh air. The scenery gradually flattens from hill country to coconut plantations and busy towns as you descend towards the coast, so it is worth keeping an eye on the window for the first hour.

You arrive in Colombo in the late afternoon or evening and check in to your hotel. There is no sightseeing in the programme today, so the time is yours. If you still have energy, ask your driver-guide to take you to Galle Face Green, the sea-front promenade where families fly kites and buy snacks from stalls as the sun goes down. It is an easy and local way to spend your last evening on the island.

Have dinner wherever you choose. Colombo has plenty of restaurants, and your driver-guide can recommend places for a last taste of rice and curry or seafood.

Transport: Private air-conditioned vehicle with English-speaking driver-guide

Enjoy a last breakfast at your hotel in Colombo and check out at a time that suits your flight. From there it is roughly an hour by road to the airport at Katunayake, with your driver-guide at the wheel. Leave a comfortable margin for traffic on the way, since the roads around the capital can be busy in the morning.

If your flight is late and you would like a short outing, ask us in advance. A brief walk along the sea front or a visit to a market can fit in before the transfer, though it is not part of the standard programme. Otherwise your tour ends at the departures hall, with a final goodbye from your driver-guide.

Transport: Private air-conditioned vehicle with English-speaking driver-guide