Get off the beaten track and see how ordinary people in Sri Lanka live, yet still visit many of the well-known tourist sights.

John Mitchell Cycle the Back Roads of Sri Lanka

This one week tour is 50% wildlife spotting and 50% long travel days. Wildlife is colourful, diverse and fairly easy to spot, but the experiences were hindered by unseasonably cool and wet conditions – unexpected, but nonetheless possible in February. Walks were often spent sheltering under the hood of my waterproof jacket and an appreciation of the Costa Rican landscapes was limited. Road journeys between hotels were longer than expected, often due to heavy traffic. The optional excursions were OK, but not great value for money. Unfortunately, Costa Rica’s high end tourist industry has become expensive and quite commercialised.

Ross Bishop Natural Highlights of Costa Rica

The leader, Prathap, was exceptional and handled everything with great good humour and expertise. Every aspect of the trip more than fulfilled my expectations, and the quality of the leadership and administration was first-rate.

Peter Cantrell Hike Sri Lanka’s Pekoe Trail