Sri Lanka, Maldives

Set in northcentral Sri Lanka, Anuradhapura is a relaxed town which is home to an enormous complex of historic ruins, with various sacred buildings including the renowned Bodhi Tree Temple, a place of great pilgrimage amongst Buddhists.

Set in the centre of Sri Lanka, Knuckles is a mountainous conservation area, whose dense cloud forest harbour a remarkable number of endemic species. The reserve is little-visited, but does offer some interesting walking trails, whilst the surrounding tea-plantations contain some interesting accommodation options.

Set in the east of Sri Lanka, Gal Oya National Park is a relatively small conservation area, best known for motorboat safari to view elephants swimming between the various islands in the huge reservoir.

Set in the southeast corner of Sri Lanka, Yala is the largest and best-known national park in the country, famously home to elephants, leopards and sloth bears, as well as having some decent beaches. The area also has a surprisingly good range of safari accommodation.

Set on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka, Galle (pronounced 'gorl') is an historic port, centred on an impressive Portuguese, Dutch and British fort, a lovely place to explore and with some really authentic accommodation options.

Set in the Indian Ocean, around 600 km southwest of the tip of India, the Maldives is a vast collection of gorgeous coral atolls, home to around 150 resorts, some of which are amongst the very best in the world.