India & Sri Lanka Uncovered

Your India and Sri Lanka adventure starts here. Arrive in New Delhi and chill at the hotel before we head out for a welcome dinner and a few drinks with your India crew. Delhi is loud, busy and buzzing, so grab a beer and dive in.

Please note: Tipping for the India part of this tour will be around £50 - this is, of course, optional, but tipping is a BIG part of Indian hospitality! Check out the FAQs at the bottom to find out more!

After a big breakfast, a guide from the Salaam Baalak Trust, a charity for Delhi's street children, walks us through the city and their headquarters. Then rickshaws whisk us through Old Delhi's markets, past the Red Fort. Next, Bangla Sahib, India Gate and Rashtrapati Bhavan. A late lunch, snacks for the road, then the overnight train to Udaipur.

We roll into Udaipur, the Venice of the East, bright and early. The day is yours: chill on the hotel rooftop, get henna or your palm read, or find the nearest rooftop bar. Late afternoon we cruise Lake Pichola to Jag Mandir Island as the sun sets over palaces, temples and ghats. Then a traditional Indian dinner.

Walking shoes on and power bank charged: this morning's Udaipur city tour is wall-to-wall photo spots. First, the City Palace, with its marble and granite work, coloured glass inlays and ornate balconies. Then Jagdish Temple. The afternoon is yours to wander the markets or relax by the lake, before dinner with the group to toast our first days in India.

Bags packed, we head for Pushkar, one of India's oldest cities and a holy town. On the way we go off the tourist trail for a rural experience with a local family. We arrive late afternoon, then it's pool time, chipmunk spotting and dinner before an early night.

Early alarm but it's worth it. We trek up to hilltop Savitri Mata Temple for sunrise, with chai waiting at the top and a cable car down if you fancy. Back for breakfast and a few hours by the pool. Later we explore sacred Pushkar Lake and the eighth-century Brahma Temple, then slow down with a dip, a drink and dinner at the hotel.

Welcome to Jaipur, the Pink City. Today a local family welcomes us into their home for an Indian cooking demonstration, sharing the art of spicing up your life. Things are about to get spicy. Of course, we finish by tucking into everything that's just been cooked up for lunch. Later, we'll travel up to Amber Fort in 4x4 jeeps to catch the sunset from this beautiful spot!

This morning we'll visit the Hawa Mahal: an optical illusion of a building with 953 windows. Try counting them. In the afternoon, we'll head out to the markets to explore and shop for all the local produce! This evening we'll head out for dinner to explore more of Jaipur.

Before leaving Jaipur we visit the white marble Birla Temple, then hit the road for Ranthambore. On the way, a host family walks us through their organic gardens at a former palace, introduces us to their dairy cows and serves lunch made from their freshest produce. Afternoon by the pool, then dinner and a campfire to share our favourite moments.

Please note: Phones are not allowed on safaris in Ranthambore. Digital Cameras are still permitted, but you will be advised to leave your mobile phone at the hotel during the safari.

Wild day. We're up early and into jeeps for a morning safari through Ranthambore National Park, once a royal hunting ground. Keep your eyes peeled for monkeys, crocodiles, peacocks, deer and, if luck is with us, a wild tiger. Phones stay at the hotel, but digital cameras are fine. The afternoon is free to explore or recharge in the sun.

Today is a travel day to Agra. It's been a jam-packed trip so far, so kick back on the road, swap stories and catch your breath. The day isn't over once we arrive though: Agra has some great bars, so tonight we hit one and practise those Bollywood moves one more time.

The one you've waited for. We're up early to watch the sun rise over the Taj Mahal with the crew, then step inside to see the tombs of Shah Jahan and his wife and hear the love story behind it. In the afternoon, we head back to Delhi for a shower and a farewell dinner with cocktails and a few tears.

Alvida, India. Ayubowan, Sri Lanka. We say goodbye to those on the India-only tour and catch an early flight to Colombo, arriving mid-morning and transferring straight to our hotel in Negombo. The rest of the day is free to spend as you please. Enjoy a quiet night before part two begins.

After a relaxing 24 hours, it's time for part two. The afternoon is free to chill by the pool and grab some food. This evening you meet the new group and your new Local Legend, then we head out to explore Negombo, have dinner together and sip a beer or two under the stars.

Today we head into the heart of Sri Lanka for its culture and heritage. We visit Dambulla Cave Temple, carved deep into the rock face, then climb up to the giant Golden Buddha on its hilltop. This evening we check into our next stop, with Sigiriya Rock right there in view. That's tomorrow's climb.

This morning we climb Lion Rock, Sigiriya, a nearly 700ft UNESCO-listed ancient fortress with huge views from the top. Back down, it's breakfast at the hotel and time to explore town. As night falls, we cross the lake by wooden boat to a local farming village, sharing a home-cooked dinner around a bonfire before a tractor ride back.

Today we travel to Kandy for more of Sri Lanka's royal history. We visit the Temple of the Tooth in the Royal Palace complex, home to a sacred relic once believed to hold the right to govern the country. In the evening we take in the view over Kandy city and lake from the viewpoint, with a few beers on the mountainside.

An early start through Nuwara Eliya to a local tea plantation, where we learn how tea goes from leaf to cup. Next, a family-run cooking school introduces us to Sri Lanka's best dishes, and we tuck into lunch. Then we board the famous train from Nuwara Eliya to chilled-out Ella, watching for waterfalls, wildlife and village life.

This morning we're at the famous Nine Arch Bridge, and with luck we'll catch a train crossing for the perfect photo. After lunch we hike up Little Adam's Peak for a sweeping view over Ella Gap, a gorge full of waterfalls. It's one of those views you'll stop and stare at.

Rise and shine for waterfalls near Ella, then on to Udawalawe National Park for a safari. Keep your eyes out for elephants, monkeys and buffalo. Afterwards we check into our glamping tents for the night, surrounded by the sounds of the wild. Good times by the tents, and don't forget to look up: the stars here are spectacular.

After a day of waterfalls and animals, it's time for some history. Today we explore Galle's Dutch Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the oldest living forts in the world, full of old and new to discover. In the afternoon, we head back to the hotel to chill, play some games and look back on the trip so far.

Our second-to-last day is all about golden sand. Soak up the sun, swim in the sea and keep an eye out for turtles. Simple pleasures, done properly. Once we're all sun-kissed, we head back to the hotel for our farewell dinner together. Tissues at the ready.

The day we've been dreading. Twenty-three days of adventure, early starts, and the best company, and now it's time for goodbye, or really, see you later. Your Local Legend is here to help plan what's next, whether that's onwards, home or a week in bed catching up on sleep. Big love.