Tailormade Tours - Sri Lanka

Specialist operator who can create customised itineraries to cater to your personal travel dreams

Sri Lanka is known for its warm hospitality, fabulous food, vibrant culture and ancient history; its unspoilt beaches and its verdant forests. It's teeming with birdlife and exotic animals, from elephants to the elusive leopard, and for those who want to beat the heat, the hill country's tea plantations and waterfalls offer a cool respite.

However, the prospect of getting around this fascinating island on your own can be daunting: roads are chaotic, journeys slow, road signs rare. So for those who of you who prefer to have everything arranged for you but don't want to feel part of a package tour, we've teamed up with Columbus Travel, a Colombo-based operator who have been operating bespoke tours in Sri Lanka for the past 15 years, and whom we have used for our own trips there. They are a niche market operator with excellent consultants and English-speaking staff.

Besides suggesting the best itineraries to cover the country's many highlights, and selecting the most charming and stylish accommodation (including those featured on i-escape), they can arrange private transfers and book specialist guided tours. These range from providing a glimpse into 2,000 year old Buddhist culture, to sampling a drink of broken orange pekkoe in a hilltop tea planter's bungalow, or viewing ruined ancient cities by hot air balloon at sunrise.

The company can also book flights from Sri Lanka to the Robinson-Crusoe paradise islands of the Maldives (just 1 hour away) and offer a choice of accommodation there, from budget resorts up to once-in-a-lifetime indulgences. 2-3 nights could be the perfect end to your trip, or treat yourself to a week there if it's a special occasion...

Why we chose this partner

• They are on-the-ground operators so can provide up-to-the-minute advice
• Breadth of local knowledge and honest, professional answers to all enquiries
• They work with Sri Lanka's best hotels and can offer a cool range of accommodation: designer boutique hotels, colonial mansions, beach properties and treehouses
• They can arrange unusual activities; including dance and festivities of Kandy, swimming with dolphins and white-water rafting
• They've arranged trips for people in-house, and we've always been very pleased with them
• They can also book flights from Sri Lanka to the Robinson-Crusoe paradise islands of the Maldives (just 1 hour away) and offer a choice of accommodation, from budget resorts up to once-in-a-lifetime indulgences. 2-3 nights could be the perfect end to your trip, or treat yourself to a week there if you can afford it