Sigiriya rock fortress rising above the forest at golden hour, seen from Pidurangala

Tailor-made Sri Lanka, since 2015

At Island Adventures, we turn complex travel desires into seamlessly crafted journeys. With more than 20 years of expertise in special-interest travel, our team and knowledgeable local guides connect travellers (trekkers, cyclists, birders, wildlife lovers and the culturally curious) to the soul of the island. We take pride in delivering authentic, responsible travel that offers a genuine window into local life, whether through bespoke itineraries or classic, well-loved routes.

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Sigiriya, from Pidurangala

Specialists in Sri Lanka since 2015

Powered by
specialists.

Island Adventures is powered by a team of specialists with over 20 years' experience in special interest tourism.

We are passionate about designing unique, tailor-made Sri Lanka tours that let travellers experience the island at its best. Each programme is carefully designed to enrich the experience of the traveller just as much as it enriches the environment and communities through which we travel.

Our story

Three monks in saffron robes before the standing and reclining Buddhas of Gal Vihara — Gal Vihara, Polonnaruwa

High service standards
Authentic experiences
Responsible by design
Attention to detail

Travel styles

Choose your
travel style.

Off the shelf and generic are words we leave out of our vocabulary. Tell us how you like to travel, and we will invest whatever it takes to shape the perfect trip around it.

A vintage black Morris Minor parked outside a café in Galle Fort

Tailor-made

Planned around you

Boutique hideaways to family adventures, planned one step at a time.

A Sri Lankan leopard crossing a sandy track in Yala National Park

Wildlife

Leopards, elephants & whales

Leopard, elephant, blue whale and dolphin safaris with specialist naturalists.

A lone hiker on a grassy ridge in golden light, with hills rolling away behind

Trekking

Tea trails & cloud forest

The Pekoe Trail, Horton Plains and Adam’s Peak, from half-day walks to ten-day challenges.

A smiling Kandyan dancer in traditional costume lit by torchlight

Special Interest

Culture, cuisine & study tours

Culinary journeys and study tours in history, architecture and agriculture.

A cyclist riding an estate road between terraced tea bushes and tall shade trees

Cycling

Village lanes to coast to coast

Village lanes to coast-to-coast rides, with as much support as you’d like.

A painted stork and two cattle egrets perched on a dead branch against a blue sky

Birdwatching

33 endemics, one island

All 33 endemics year-round, and the November to April migrant season.

Five children in temple sarongs leaping for joy on the sand before a white dagoba ringed with ancient stone pillars

Family Travel

Adventures for every age

Adventurous family holidays at a pace that suits every age: easy walks and safaris, train rides and time on the beach.

Two young travellers looking out over forest and distant hills from a rock summit, a toque macaque perched on the railing beside them

School & University Expeditions

Expeditions with purpose

Over a decade of expertise in sustainable student travel. We create fully supported, ethically grounded expeditions in Sri Lanka that connect students with authentic culture, research opportunities and local communities, delivering safety, substance and unforgettable global perspectives.

Why Sri Lanka

The pearl of
the Indian Ocean.

Serendipity, Lanka, the pearl of the Indian Ocean: the island has had many names. The one compelling reason to come is its sheer diversity, packed into an impossibly small space.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites: 8 UNESCO World Heritage Sites
km of coastline: 1,340 km of coastline
years of recorded history: 2,500 years of recorded history

Turquoise surf breaking on dark rocks and a palm-fringed cove, seen from above

01 · The south coast

Quiet sandy beaches

Coves and bays along 1,340 km of coast, with whales offshore from November to April.

Pilgrims in white and monks in saffron walking beneath the great white dome of Ruwanwelisaya

02 · Anuradhapura

Ancient kingdoms

Sacred cities, rock fortresses and cave temples with 2,500 years of romance and epic history.

Green paddy fields and a thatched hut beneath a steep forested peak in the Knuckles range

03 · The Knuckles range

Towering mountains

Peaks rising to 2,500 m, cascading waterfalls and the cloud forests of the central hills.

A mossy stream tumbling through dense cloud forest

04 · Cloud forest

Rainforests teeming with life

One of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, from Sinharaja to the misty Horton Plains.

An elephant and her calf walking past a flock of spot-billed pelicans in Udawalawe

05 · Udawalawe National Park

Leopards, elephants & whales

Leopard, elephant and blue whale, all in a single day.

Rows of tea bushes rolling over the hills around Nuwara Eliya

06 · Nuwara Eliya

Tea country

Emerald estates folded over the hills, walked on the Pekoe Trail or ridden by bike.

Fishing boats moored along a still channel under a pink dawn sky

07 · Negombo

Fishing hamlets & villages

Lagoons at dawn, mountain villages and the everyday life of the island, up close.

Regions, seasons
and when to go.

Discover Sri Lanka

Scroll to travel the island7 landscapes

A fisherman poling his blue outrigger canoe across the calm Negombo lagoon

Responsible by design

Travel that
gives back.

Responsible travel is the ethos at Island Adventures. Every programme is socially and environmentally sensitive, and as enriching for the places you visit as it is for you.

01
Low impact, every day
From switching off engines when vehicles idle to cutting single-use plastic.
02
Built with communities
Experiences created with remote local communities, so the benefit stays where you travel.
03
Projects you can support
Affiliate projects to connect with and support during your journey.

Responsible travel

A girl in a checked dress balancing a glass bottle on her head in a race at a village games day, spectators seated behind — A village games day

Negombo Lagoon

Meet the co-founders

The people behind
every journey.

Island Adventures was founded in 2015 by Suren Basnayake and Nalaka Palipane. Suren leads the company as Managing Director. Nalaka, our Director Operations, runs the logistics and still makes time to guide trips himself.

The Island Adventures team on Pidurangala rock, with Sigiriya and the forest behind — The Island Adventures team on Pidurangala, Sigiriya behind.

Suren Basnayake

Co-founder & Managing Director

“Launching Island Adventures in 2015 was like coming home. What drives me is the chance to share the joy of this island with other travellers.”

Almost 25 years in nature and adventure travel, with a background in management and accounting. Island Adventures sits on the executive committee of SLAITO.