Escorted tours of Sri Lanka
The Unique Travel Company offers specialist escorted tours in the beautiful tropical island of Sri Lanka, which lies in the Indian Ocean just off the south east coast of India.
Tours can either follow a pre-arranged themed itinerary over eight or fifteen days with departures on specific dates or they can be tailor made to suit the holidaymaker’s own brief and time scales.
Themed itineraries take in the island’s heritage and cultural highlights; wildlife, national parks, wonderful beaches, tea plantations and dining experiences as well as optional adventure activities such as white water rafting and elephant rides. Prices are from £530pp for an eight-day escorted tour based on two sharing.
Since the Unique Travel only offers holidays in Sri Lanka, their teams in the UK and on the island have vast experience and are able to offer the highest level of personal advice. This knowledge also ensures they can provide the best the island offers at competitive prices; there is only one price bracket throughout the year, including school holidays, other than at Christmas and New Year.
All the Unique Travel Company’s chauffeurs and guides are local, tourist board approved Sri Lankans who have worked for many years in the tourism industry - their local knowledge and friendly enthusiasm to share their country with visitors is a real highlight of the holiday. Only air-conditioned vehicles are used with a maximum of twelve people in any one group.
Responsible Tourism
The Unique Travel Company is totally committed to environmental conservation, keeping wildlife in the wild and responsible tourism believing that local communities should benefit from tourism, wherever possible. It has helped with several projects including the building of three houses for people made homeless by the 2006 tsunami; teaching English and the provision of English books to schools and toys to an orphanage for disabled children.
Some Escorted Tour Examples:
Discover Sri Lanka Tour – 15 days
The 15-day Discover Sri Lanka escorted tour is taken at a leisurely pace and goes off the beaten track to see real Sri Lankan life as well as the key heritage sites, while the last few days are spent relaxing at a beach hotel on the west coast. Highlights include visits to historic and religious sites such as the Dambulla Cave Temple, the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy and the ancient city of Polonnaruwa plus a jungle walk, visit to the elephant orphanage at Pinnewala, Yala National Park and optional white water rafting and elephant rides. The tour is priced at £630pp based on two sharing rising to £680 during the festive season; single supplement is £150pp. This includes airport transfers, guides, air-conditioned transport, B&B in all hotels and entrance fees to sites other than the elephant ride and white water rafting, which are £20pp per activity.
Sri Lanka Highlights Tour – 8 Days
Designed for travellers who have less time but wish to see the essential cultural attractions Sri Lanka can offer, the eight day escorted Highlights Tour takes in key historic and religious sites, lush scenery from jungles and waterfalls to wide rivers and tea plantations plus fun activities such as elephant riding and watching the abundant wildlife. Highlights include the Dambulla Cave Temple, the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy and the ancient city of Polonnaruwa plus the Pinnewala Elephant Orphanage, a turtle hatchery and a day relaxing by the beach. The tour is priced at £530pp based on two sharing; single supplement is £80pp. This includes airport transfers, guides, air-conditioned transport, B&B in all hotels and entrance fees to sites other than the elephant ride, which is £20pp.
Sri Lanka Family Tour – 15 Days
The Sri Lanka escorted Family Tour is geared for families with younger children with plenty of rest time and staying two-three nights per hotel so they can unpack, settle down and have fun in the pool. Journeys are shorter with more walks allowing children to stretch their legs plus lots of animal encounters and fun adventures such as optional elephant riding and white water rafting. There’s also some culture for parents ending with three days to relax by the beach. Historic highlights include the Dambulla Cave Temple and Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, while youngsters will enjoy the Pinnewala Elephant Orphanage, elephant transit camp and turtle hatchery. The tour is priced at £630pp for adults based on two sharing; £435pp for children aged 2-12 and £575pp for ages 12-16 years sharing their parents’ room. This includes airport transfers, guides, air-conditioned transport, B&B in all hotels and entrance fees to sites other than the white water rafting, which is £20pp and visiting Polonnaruwa which is £25pp.
Sri Lanka Luxury Tour – 15 Days Tailor-made to suit
This luxury holiday and tour of Sri Lanka stays in some of the finest accommodation on the island, while visiting the best of the ancient sites and the amazing countryside with its lush jungle, wide rivers, waterfalls and thousands of acres of tea plantations. Additional nights and adventure activities such as whale watching and white water rafting can be added to tailor-make a busy or more relaxed itinerary to suit the individual. Even the dates can be organised to suit.
The set tour is priced at £1,490pp based on two sharing; this includes airport transfers, guides, air-conditioned transport and B&B in all hotels; excursions on the set itinerary are an additional £105pp to cover entrance fees but these can be also individually planned and quoted separately; activities such as whale watching and white water rafting are additional.
For more details and to book, visit: theuniquetravel.co.uk
Direct flights to Sri Lanka Colombo International airport from London Heathrow are operated by Sri Lankan Airlines: srilankan.lk