Modelled on Leeds Castle in Kent and once the home of Sir Thomas Villers in the early 20th century, Adisham now is a Benedictine monastery with well-cared for rose and vegetable gardens

Adam’s Peak is one of the great challenges of Sri Lanka for active holidaymakers with the urge to conquer. Sri Pada, or Adam’s Peak, is sacred to all four religious groups in Sri Lanka – the Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, and the Christians. The giant footprint at the top is variously claimed as an imprint either of Lord Buddha, God Shiva, Adam, or St. Thomas, the Christian Apostle who preached in south India. This 2,234m-high mountain is visited by thousands of devotees and a steady trickle of travellers from December to April. The climb is best attempted at night and at the mountain top, you may be rewarded with one of the finest sunrises in Asia and an awe-inspiring view from the top. This can be one of the most moving experiences of your life. During pilgrimage season, the stepped mountainside is lit by strip lights and rudimentary stalls offering refreshments to fire your resolve to reach the summit.

Originally introduced to the island around 1850 by the British, Ceylon Tea is world famous for its high quality and has remained a major contributor to the island’s economy for generations. Currently, Sri Lanka is one of largest exporter of tea worldwide. The high altitudes produce the best flavours, so Sri Lanka’s hill-country is the ideal environment to grow the most flavoursome tea. A guided tour around a Tea Factory is an enlightening experience, which explains the whole process of tea production before it reaches your cuppa. It also provides an opportunity to buy the best grades of tea.

et amid the tea plantations of the central highlands, Nuwara Eliya Golf Club is a great golf course set in a charming hill station. This testing course was built by a Scottish soldier of the Golan Highlanders in 1889 for the British serviceman and officials stationed here in 1889. Occasionally you may even feel you are playing golf in Scotland, but the course holds many features unique to Sri Lanka. Whether it is your helpful caddie and his Sri Lankan smile, or the course’s flora and fauna you’ll be in no doubt you in one of Asia’s beautiful corners. To ensure a successful round you will need to stay clear of the trees that line the tight course, the crags and creeks that bisect the fairways and the remorseless gorse and bunkers that protect the greens. The clubhouse and bar is an atmospheric place to enjoy a drink and meal after your round. It is full of character and colonial history. Little has changed since the founding of the club and you can even enjoy a log fire on cooler evenings.

First a visit to a Tea Plantation where you observe first hand the process, starting from the plucking field where it all begins with the picking of “two leaves and a bud”, to the factory where the processing begins. Usually manufacture in the factory begins at night or early morning. Ideally an early wake up to be at the factory by 6.00 A.M. will take you through the process of Withering, Rolling, Fermentation, Drying, Sorting and Grading. You will also have the opportunity of tasting various types and grades of this great brew virtually from the leaf to the cup within 14 hours of that first pick. Along the way a visit to the Warleigh Church (1878) where the pioneers of this industry worshipped, married and some are buried, bringing nostalgic memories of a bygone era. The Darawella Planters Club, built in 1868, is also on the cards. This is where the Planters of yore and the present day planter "plays the game" where the tough get going and many a rounds of the "good old amber" is consumed liberally.

One fabulous way of exploring the tea country is to jump aboard the train. The morning railway journey from Kandy to the highlands of Nuwara Eliya, Ella or Dickoya, climbing uphill upto 6,000 ft above sea level is one of the greatest rail journeys in the world. The dramatic landscape of the highlands stirs the senses – winding past lush tea plantations, majestic peaks and rushing waterfalls. The main line from Kandy includes stops at Hatton (convenient for climbing Adam’s Peak), Nanu Oya (the nearest station to Nuwara Eliya), Ella (for waterfalls, hiking and activity holidays), the lesser-known old British hill station of Bandarawela and, finally, the sleepy agricultural town of Badulla. First-class travel can be over-subscribed; Red Dot will queue for tickets on your behalf and transfer you luggage by car.

Experience the thrills and spills of an exciting rafting adventure in the hill country. Rafting mixes the ups and downs of rapids with calm sections that meander through the jungle clad mountains, tea and rubber plantations of the Kandyan hill-country. The scenery is breathtaking. Red Dot only uses Sri Lanka’s top guides, and if you can hear the instructions amidst the pounding water, you stand a better chance of remaining in the raft. In the calm stretches, sit back and float with only the hub of the rainforest to break the silence as you breathe in the wilderness.

The hill country’s many waterfalls cascade down vertical rock faces like white saris blowing in the wind. Some of the most picturesque waterfalls include Devon, Baker’s, and St. Claire’s. Several waterfalls including Dunhinda, Diyaluma, and Ravana Ella are all located near the towns of Haputale and Ella.

Sri Lanka is an island situated in the Indian Ocean, at the base of the Indian Sub-Continent, 880 km north of the equator. Sri Lanka has a pleasant tropical climate. The average temperature of the low lands ranges between 25-30 degrees Celsius. It is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious country with a diverse and rich culture with a total population of 19 million.