Sri Lanka Complete: Island to Island

Airport welcome from Isabella and transfer to the Galle Face Hotel. First evening on the oceanfront terrace with a Lion Lager, watching the kite-flyers on the Green as the sun sinks into the Indian Ocean.

The five-hour drive north through Sri Lanka's dry zone, arriving at the Ulagalla Resort in time for lunch. Afternoon visit to the Sacred Bo Tree and the Jetavanaramaya as the light turns golden and the pilgrims light their evening lamps.

A complete day in the ancient capital — the most important Buddhist pilgrimage city in Sri Lanka and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. By tuk-tuk between the great monuments: the Ruwanwelisaya, the Thuparamaya, the palace complex guardstones, the Isurumuniya rock temple and the extraordinary Kuttam Pokuna twin baths. Isabella's academic background in the Anuradhapura hydraulic systems transforms the afternoon into a masterclass.

Polonnaruwa's concentrated medieval ruins by bicycle or tuk-tuk, including the magnificent Gal Vihara. Afternoon drive to the Water Garden Sigiriya, arriving for sunset cocktails with the rock in direct view.

Early morning Sigiriya ascent, midday rest at the hotel, afternoon visit to Dambulla's cave temples at golden hour. A perfect Cultural Triangle day.

The elephant bathing at Pinnawala followed by the drive south to Kandy. Check in to the Theva Residency for two nights of hill-country luxury.

The complete Kandy day: Peradeniya Botanical Gardens in the morning, the Temple of the Tooth in the afternoon and the 6:30pm puja ceremony. Isabella arranges private access to the inner shrine level on this tour, allowing you to see the golden casket chamber from closer than most visitors ever reach.

The famous blue train from Kandy to Nanu Oya — one of the great railway journeys of Asia — in a reserved observation compartment. Transfer to the Heritance Tea Factory for two nights of Victorian factory magic at 1,900 metres.

The full Horton Plains walk (8km, flat) through cloud forest and open plateau to World's End — the sheer 1,000-metre escarpment that gives the best view in Sri Lanka. Return via Baker's Falls. Afternoon Ayurvedic massage at the Tea Factory spa.

The drive south from the tea country to Yala — a journey through the changing landscape of Sri Lanka's southern arc, descending from cool highland to warm coastal scrubland. Arrive at the Wild Coast Tented Lodge in time for a late afternoon game drive into the park. Yala has the highest density of leopards of any national park in the world; Isabella adds elephant, sloth bear and crocodile to the target list.

A full day devoted to Yala with two game drives — the dawn drive (the best for leopard sightings, as they are most active at first light) and the afternoon drive (best for elephant herds moving to water). The midday rest at the tented lodge, with its coastal infinity pool and open-air dining, is the finest possible way to spend the hottest hours of the day. Isabella's wildlife spotting is exceptional; in her ten years of bringing guests here she has a leopard sighting rate above 85%.

Drive west along the coast from Yala to Galle, stopping at Mirissa beach for a swim and lunch at a clifftop seafood restaurant. Arrive at the Amangalla in the late afternoon and walk the ramparts as the sun sets over the Indian Ocean.

A complete day in Galle Fort — morning guided tour with Isabella, afternoon entirely at leisure. The fort's streets are an island of colonial calm, perfect for wandering without purpose. A final dinner at the Amangalla is a graceful close to the journey.

The final coastal drive north on the Southern Expressway to Colombo airport. Isabella accompanies you through departure. Fourteen days of Sri Lanka — its ancient cities, its sacred temples, its tea-scented hills, its leopards and its colonial elegance — contained in memory and ready to revisit.