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Highlights of Sri Lanka + Maldive Dhoni Cruise, a tour by Explore Worldwide

Tour · 13 nights · with Explore Worldwide

Highlights of Sri Lanka + Maldive Dhoni Cruise

A two-week small-group tour with Explore Worldwide combining Sri Lanka’s cultural highlights and wildlife safaris before a laid-back week aboard a traditional Maldivian dhoni, snorkelling among reefs and island villages.

Duration
13 nights
Departures
9 dates
Choose a month below
Countries
Sri Lanka, Maldives
Operator
Explore Worldwide
From
£2,725
per person

Highlights

What makes this one worth it

  1. Jeep safari in Wilpattu National Park

  2. Climb Sri Lanka’s Sigiriya ‘Lion Rock’ fortress

  3. Visit Kandy’s Temple of the Tooth

  4. Two nights in Galle Fort’s colonial ramparts

  5. Snorkelling and island visits from a traditional Maldivian dhoni

About the trip

This 13-night escorted tour from Explore Worldwide begins in the coastal town of Negombo, taking in Sri Lanka’s less trodden Wilpattu National Park in search of leopards and elephants. It then moves inland to historic Anuradhapura and Mihintale, where stone steps lead to panoramic views and a sense of the island’s deep Buddhist roots.

From there, the days pass through the central highlands to Kandy’s Temple of the Tooth, and a tea factory visit before an afternoon at Galle Fort, a reminder of Portuguese and Dutch colonial trading. After two nights on the southwest coast in Koggala, the group flies to Male to meet a dhoni for a week-long cruise across the Maldives. Days are spent island-hopping and snorkelling, with an opportunity to spot turtles, reef sharks and manta rays, anchored at sandbanks or small villages that few tourists reach.

The pace slows gently on the dhoni, where cabins are compact and nights under stars an option. Each voyage varies with weather and tides, adding fresh uncertainty to the drift from Sri Lanka’s cultural richness to the coral-protected waters of the Indian Ocean.

4°N6°N8°N
The route in outline: places are joined in the order visited, not by the roads or sea lanes taken.
  1. 1 Negombo
  2. 2 Anuradhapura
  3. 3 Dambulla
  4. 4 Sigiriya
  5. 5 Kandy
  6. 6 Galle
  7. 7 Male
  8. 8 Meemu Atoll
  9. 9 Felidhoo

Itinerary

The route

  1. Negombo

  2. Anuradhapura

  3. Dambulla

  4. Sigiriya

  5. Kandy

  6. Galle

  7. Male

  8. Meemu Atoll

  9. Felidhoo

These are the places the trip visits, in order. Explore Worldwide publishes the day-by-day itinerary on its own site.

When to go

Departures and prices

Lowest price each month, per person.

Explore Worldwide confirms exact dates, availability and prices when you book.

Need to know

Before you book

Price based on
Per personThe operator confirms the exact basis when you book.
Travelling alone
Check with Explore Worldwide
Flights
Not included: you book your own to the start
What’s included
Check with Explore Worldwide
Accessibility
Check with Explore Worldwide

For full details of what’s included, check with Explore Worldwide. See the full details on their site

Questions people ask

How long is Highlights of Sri Lanka + Maldive Dhoni Cruise?
Highlights of Sri Lanka + Maldive Dhoni Cruise is a 13 nights tour holiday.
Who operates Highlights of Sri Lanka + Maldive Dhoni Cruise?
Highlights of Sri Lanka + Maldive Dhoni Cruise is operated by Explore Worldwide.
How much does Highlights of Sri Lanka + Maldive Dhoni Cruise cost?
Prices for Highlights of Sri Lanka + Maldive Dhoni Cruise start from £2,725, subject to availability.

The operator

Explore Worldwide

Small-group adventures, walking and wildlife

Small groups with local leaders, and a fondness for the places at the end of the road. Trips are graded so you know how active they are.

You book with Explore Worldwide directly. They confirm your place, take payment, and look after you from the moment you leave home; Atlas & Passage’s part ends when you click through.

New to Sri Lanka? Our Sri Lanka guide has the practical essentials: money, plugs, visas and when to go.

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