Dual Destination Holiday

Sri Lanka is within easy reach of India and the Maldives, if you have the luxury of a 3-4 week holiday.

Maldives

It's hard to beat the Maldives for diving, reefs and pure romance. However, the islands are small and unless you are a sun worshipper or diving enthusiast 7 days can be enough on one resort.

We have selected the best resorts for diving, honeymooners, style, surf. Don't be fooled by the great deals and enticing photos offered by many tour operators, when you arrive it will be "Costa del Maldives". To see our reviews and make enquiries visit our Maldives review pages.

Seychelles and Mauritius appear close and within the Indian Ocean but sadly no airline links them directly.

Arabia (Dubai, Oman, Abu Dhabi)

Dubai and the United Arab Emirates are growing in popularity and are a stark contrast to Sri Lanka's culture and simple living. Whilst there is nothing small or particularly authentic about many of Dubai's hotels, it's all relative and a 100 room hotel is boutique compared with most of their 600 room hotels. The shopping boutiques are also plentiful and range from luxury malls to traditional souks.

The hotels come in all shapes, sizes and themes but the service and décor throughout is in the premier league.

We recommend Dubai Creek as an ideal location for the old 'Bur Dubai' which is home to the traditional alleys, souks and authentic feel. It provides an excellent contrast to the beach destinations and is free of cranes. Desert safaris, and camel rides can be done of an evening and in 2 years time, Dubai land (aka Disneyland) will be on the doorstep too.

Oman is full with history and culture and is more of a destination in its own right as opposed to a stop over. It would make a wonderful combination with Maldives and for culture vultures it has a very different offering to Sri Lanka . There are few hotels in Oman and remains unspoilt but the bedouin villages in land will give you a truly authentic experience. Oman is home to 2 wonderful boutique hotels and 2 6 star family hotels, each within 15-45 mins from the airport.

Abu Dhabi is a miniature version of Dubai but they intend to keep a much tighter control over the building architecture, size and density as it develops in the coming years. It is within 1-2 hours drive from Dubai airport.

Jordan is another country full of history, culture and luxury spas. We are exploring the country to gather knowledge and hope to provide this country soon.

Bahrain and Qatar are also close to our thoughts and we will maintain a watchful eye, should they become more popular request from our clientele.

Connecting flights are reasonably priced and can often be bought as package connections through your long-haul carrier.

Connection to/from	Flight time	Suggested airlines
Kerala (South India)or Madras/ Sri lanka	1½ hrs	Sri Lanka Airlines
Delhi or Mumbai /Sri lanka	2 - 3 2hrs	Sri Lanka Airlines
Sri lanka/Maldives (Male)	1 hr	Sir Lanka Airlines
Male or Sri lanka/ Dubai	6 hours	Emirates
Male or Sri lanka / Doha	6 hours	Qatar
Sri lanka / Abu Dhabi	6 hours	Ethihad