Kandy, Sri Lanka

Friday, midday

Check into the Amaya Hills (doubles from £130, www.amayaresorts.com), a glorious hillside retreat that looks back towards the city, with a large pool in which you can dip with eagles soaring overhead.

1pm

Head into the Unesco World Heritage listed city and dine in colonial-era surrounds at The Empire Café (www. Facebook.com.empirecafekandy). Try the “curry and rice”, the delicious national dish.

2pm

Walk across the street to the sprawling Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. This oasis of temples and museum exhibits is one of the world’s great Buddhist sites – home to one of Buddha’s molars – and a major place of pilgrimage.

4pm

Buy a ticket to the network of forest trails that snake off into the tree shrouded jungle behind the temple complex, where you can appreciate the rich local flora and fauna.

7pm

Retreat back to the hills to dine at Amaya after a sunset swim. It’s worth paying the extra to have meat and fish dishes cooked to order in the buffet restaurant.

Saturday, 9am

Head back into the city to take in the frenetic action in the lifeblood Central Market.

Midday

Walk right around Kandy Lake, which offers a sense of calm after the tuk tuk clogged streets, and enjoy a picnic en route.

3pm

Catch one of those tuk tuks to the city’s verdant Botanical Gardens. You can hire a golf buggy, though strolling under the vaulting trees with the massive flying foxes soaring overhead is part of the fun of visiting.

7pm

The buffet spread at the Sharon Inn (tel: +94 81-2222416) offers a great introduction to the delicious world of Sri Lankan cuisine.

Sunday, 9am

Head to a hotel spa with a difference and enjoy a proper Ayurveda consultation at the Amaya before a tailored massage treatment and invigorating herbal bath. ■