Days 1 & 2
UK – Colombo – Dambulla, Sri Lanka

Our challenge begins when we meet at the airport for our overnight flight to Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka.

Once we touch down on Day 2, we enjoy a scenic coach transfer through rolling rice fields, tropical coconut and rubber plantations and charming, little villages, until we reach our hotel in Dambulla in the heart of the island.

Here, we can relax for the evening with our first group dinner and an exciting briefing from our challenge guides, a fab opportunity to gain more insight into our trek ahead.

As we can expect from the capital of vegetable distribution in Sri Lanka, Dambulla is stunning and bright with lush, green vegetation, a perfect place to spend our first night in the country.

Day 3
Dambulla - Sigirya Rock Fortress – Dambulla | approx. 13km

Today, we commence our trek through beautiful, local farmland and forests and alongside dry-land lakes until we reach the spectacular Sigirya Rock Fortress.

Known as the Eighth Modern Wonder of the World, this is an awesome, ancient rock, formed from the magma of an extinct volcano. It reaches 370m above sea level, overshadowing its surrounding jungles by a whopping 200m – and guess what? We trek up it!

After a short break at the foot of the fortress, we make our way to the top of the rock and take in the incredible panoramas, across an expanse of tropical jungles and farmland.

Here at the summit, we can also explore the ruins of King Kasyapa’s Palace, which dates back to 477-495 CE, when the ancient king made the site his capital. Then it’s back down we go and we finish our day’s hike when we reach our hotel in Dambulla.

Day 4
Dambulla – Naula – Matale - Kandy | approx. 17km

After breakfast at the hotel, we transfer to a small town called Naula in the low-country dry plains of the Matale province.

From here, we trek from the dry plains all the way to the wet-zone of Sri Lanka, admiring the dramatic changes in scenery as we enter the island’s more humid side.

Our trek takes us to Matale, the largest town in the district, which lies on the Northern ridge of the central hills. Having finished our day's challenge, we can take in the beautiful surroundings of the Knuckles Mountain Range, which the British called “Wiltshire”, before transferring to our hotel in Kandy.

This biscuit-tin-beautiful city is centred around the Bogambara Lake and made up of a mix of lush vegetation and architecture, both historic and modern.

In the evening, we make the most of Kandy’s fantastic culture and visit the much-revered Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Lord Buddha.

Day 5
Kandy – Pupuressa – Pussellawa – Nuwara Eliya | approx. 15km

Rising early, we have breakfast at the hotel and then transfer to a delightful tea factory in Pupuressa. Here, we enjoy a cup of the local Pure Ceylon Tea, before we start our trek along jeep tracks with fabulous views of the rolling tea country.

As the day draws on, our route becomes more challenging, as we trek uphill through some very tall grass! Depending on the weather, we may need to use ropes for support – an awesome adventure.

We at last reach Pussellawa, where we meet our coach and transfer to the “City of Light” aka. Nuwara Eliya and find our hotel.

Day 6
Pussellawa – Ohiya – St Benedict’s Monastery, Adisham – Haputale | approx. 10km

Our day begins with an exciting train journey from Nanu Oya Railway Station to our starting point at Ohiya Station. On the ride, we’ll get some gorgeous views of the Horton Plains National Park and the forest that surrounds the train tracks.

It’s also a great chance to give our legs a bit of a rest, before we get back on our feet again at Ohiya and make our way through mountain forests, eucalyptus plantations and small villages. This will give us some wonderful insight into the friendly culture of Sri Lanka and yet more idyllic panoramas.

Our route leads us to the absolutely charming St Benedict’s Monastery, Adisham, which looks like something out of a story book, a pretty, stone bungalow tucked in the hills and mist of South Eastern Sri Lanka.

The monastery dates back to the late nineteenth century and is now a home to young, Benedictine monks. We stay the night in a hotel in the nearby town of Haputale, enjoying our gorgeous surroundings of misty rice fields and the wide range of flora.

Day 7
Haputale – Kahagala Estate – Bandarawela Buddhist Temple | approx. 12km

Day 7 is a true highlight of our challenge. Beginning our trek at the Kahagala Estate, we wander through even more tea plantations and local villages, before descending to a quaint temple, where we stay for the night.

This evening, we sit quietly with one of the friendly Buddhist monks for an hour of meditation. Surrounded by Sri Lanka’s natural beauty and lush, green forest, this is the perfect place to meditate and absorb the area’s tranquillity.

A little later on, the monk joins us again for a discussion about Buddhism, meditation and the secrets of a simple life.

Tonight, we have the fabulous opportunity to sleep in the halls of the temple. The dormitory-style halls we sleep in are comfortable and suffice, but modest with limited facilities.

Day 8
Bandarawela Buddhist Temple – Udawalawe Elephant Transit Home – Hikkaduwa

Our day today even surpasses yesterday’s, as not only do we get a rest from the walking, but we visit the incredibly special Elephant Transit Home, initiated by the Born Free Foundation. Here, baby elephants who are orphaned or injured in the wild are brought in to receive care and rehabilitation.

Once the elephants are healthy and old enough, they are radio collared and released in to the park where their progress is tracked. The first elephants to be rehabilitated at the Elephant Transit Home have already started reproducing successfully in the wild, a truly sustainable initiative.

After an awesome morning, we enjoy a jeep safari of the Udawalawe National Park. This is probably the best National Park for elephants on the island and acts as a sanctuary for the many beautiful, wild animals displaced by the construction of the reservoir, while protecting the land from cultivation.

Later, we transfer to the small town of Hikkaduwa on the southwest coast of the island, where we find our accommodation for the night, a resort on a paradise beach.

Day 9
Hikkaduwa | Free day or optional trek (approx. 7km, flat terrain)

Today, you have a choice of awesome activities. You can either spend the day relaxing at the beach and hotel or you can take part in an optional trek on flat terrain through the area’s beautiful rice fields and coconut and cinnamon plantations.

Along the way, we can enjoy a ride on a local fisherman’s catamaran through the lagoon and explore a small temple, which is over three hundred years old and home to some charming paintings.

Our optional trek ends at a small, local restaurant for lunch. Another option you have today is to visit the Dutch Fort in the nearby Galle and get a glimpse of Sri Lanka’s rich, colonial history.

The quaint, narrow, cobblestoned streets, which crisscross the fort, lined by tiny guest houses and restaurants, make it easy to imagine what life must have been like here during the Dutch colonisation. We rest tonight in the same beach resort we enjoyed last night. Get the full details of the optional trek and how to take part here.

Day 10
Hikkaduwa - Colombo - UK

Day 10 sees us rising early to end our adventure in Sri Lanka, with a transfer from our hotel to the airport in Colombo.

From here, we fly back to the UK, enlightened with a huge sense of achievement, having accomplished an amazing challenge for animals in need.