The famous Stilt fisherman of Sri Lanka | Richard I'Anson

Classic Sri Lankan tea plantation landscapes | Richard I'Anson

Colourful Sri Lankan spices | Richard I'Anson

Sri Lankan elephants | Alan Benson

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Sri Lanka Food & Photo Adventurewith Alan Benson

From fish markets to tea fields, capture Sri Lanka guided by food and travel photographer Alan Benson.

Sri Lanka

11 Days from

$4290 USD

Trip Code: CCAB

View dates to Book

Essential Information

Extra trip options & supplements

*Prices listed are per person

Single supplement

$780 USD

Duration

11 Days

Activities

Photography
Market visits and cooking class
Wildlife safari

Style

Premium Adventures

Accommodation

10 nights 4 & 5 star hotels

Meals

8 Dinners
3 Lunches
10 Breakfasts

Difficulty Grading

2 / 10

Adventure touring

Trip highlights

Photograph Sri Lanka guided by acclaimed food and travel photographer Alan Benson
Ride the legendary hill train through misty tea terraces to Nuwara Eliya
Spot elephants, leopards and vibrant birdlife on safari in Yala National Park
Explore Sri Lanka’s through food from dawn fish markets to cinnamon plantations

Overview

From early morning fish markets to misty tea fields, this one of a kind photography journey through Sri Lanka invites you to see, taste and frame the island. Led by acclaimed food and travel photographer Alan Benson, you’ll travel from coastal Negombo to the hill country plantations, capturing daily life, landscapes, wildlife, and it's famously warm people. Wander street markets at dawn, share tea with cinnamon farmers, photograph iconic stilt fishermen, and ride the legendary scenic train through rolling tea terraces. Along the way, Alan will guide you in developing your photographic skills through relaxed mentoring, informal sessions, and hands-on opportunities to explore techniques like lighting, composition, night photography, and capturing people and food.

Whether you're an enthusiastic beginner, a traveller looking to see Sri Lanka through a more creative lens, or simply someone curious about photography, this trip is open to all. DSLR, mirrorless, or smartphone - whatever camera you have, you're welcome. With Alan's encouragement and practical advice, you’ll return home with a deeper confidence in your abilities, and a collection of compelling images.

Itinerary

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Welcome to Sri Lanka, a land of vivid colour, lush landscapes and endlessly photogenic scenes. On arrival at Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport, you’ll be met by your guide and transferred to your hotel. NOTE: Many flights arrive very late at night there are no planned activities today. Overnight: Goldi Sands Hotel, Negombo

Meals: Nil

A morning to relax and settle in. After lunch you'll meet with your host Alan Benson and group members to talk about the trip ahead and goals for the photography sessions. In the afternoon, travel to Negombo Lagoon, where quiet waters open into a network of mangroves, mudflats, and local fishing communities. Boarding a traditional boat, we’ll glide past, stilted huts and shrimp traps, as the golden hour stretches across the lagoon. Dinner is at Dutch Trails, a locally loved seafood restaurant nestled near the lagoon. Overnight: Goldi Sands Hotel, Negombo

Meals: B,D

We travel to one of Sri Lanka’s most revered Buddhist temples, golden roofed and surrounded by sculpted gardens, with an interior of bold murals. As monks chant softly in the background, pilgrims light oil lamps and make offerings of bright lotus flowers. In Colombo Fort, old colonial buildings meet the energy of a modern city. Dive into the heart of the city at the Main Manning Market, a labyrinth of fruit stalls, spice vendors, and rickety handcarts stacked with watermelon, pineapples, and bunches of curry leaves. The rest of the day is yours to to wander - or better yet, photograph - the streets of Colombo where Buddhist temples, Hindu kovils, Islamic mosques and Christian churches all sit within walking distance. Each neighbourhood, street stall or shrine tells a story. Overnight: Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel, Colombo

Meals: B,L,D

It’s a pre dawn start, but worth it for the shot. We're bound for the Night Farmers’ Market, where produce arrives straight from village fields under the cover of darkness. This is unfiltered Sri Lanka where commerce, community, and colour collide. From there, we continue to St. John’s Fish Market in Paliyagoda, one of the country’s largest seafood hubs. A late morning return to the hotel to take breakfast and relax. Later in the day, we head to Diyatha Uyana, a peaceful lakeside promenade where families stroll and vendors prepare fragrant local snacks on the roadside grills, a street photographer’s playground. As evening settles, we gather at the elegant Dilmah Tea Lounge for a tea inspired menu. Overnight: Cinnamon Lakeside, Colombo

Meals: B,D

We head inland and take 4x4 jeeps along winding jungle roads to a working cinnamon estate, the perfect setting to photograph the textures and tones of Sri Lanka’s most iconic spice. Watch as skilled hands slice, peel and roll the delicate bark into fragrant curls. From spice to sea, we continue south toward Galle, one of Sri Lanka’s most photogenic towns. Once a vital port, Galle is best known for its beautifully preserved Dutch Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Inside the ramparts, cobbled streets wind between colonial villas, pastel walls, and verandas draped in bougainvillea. Overnight: Yara Fort Hotel, Galle

Meals: B,L

Today kicks off with a market visit and cooking class. You’ll photograph and prepare an authentic Sri Lankan lunch. Later we head to the sands of Habaraduwa Beach, to photograph Sri Lanka’s iconic stilt fishermen, perched on wooden poles as they’ve done for generations, casting simple rods to catch small reef fish like mackerel and spotted herring. In the evening explore the Maha Galle night markets, with stalls of sizzling snacks and colourful street life. Overnight: Yara Fort Hotel, Galle

Meals: B,L,D

Today we journey into Sri Lanka’s southern heartland, pausing for photo stops at rice paddies and working farms. As we approach Tissamaharama, gateway to Yala National Park, the scenery becomes more tropical. Our resort offers a quiet and scenic stay with views that stretch to distant hills. Here we are well positioned for tomorrow's early departure to Yala for a wildlife safari into one of Sri Lanka’s most biodiverse regions. Overnight: Kithala Resort, Tissamaharama

Meals: B,D

Rise early and ready your cameras for a dawn safari in Yala National Park. The terrain of dry thorn scrub, lagoons and dense forest create a dramatic backdrop for wildlife photography. We hope to capture leopards, elephants, crocodiles, jackals, sloth bears, and Yala’s abundant birdlife. A picnic breakfast is served in the park. After a break back at the resort, we’ll visit a nearby family run home dairy, where you’ll photograph and taste buffalo curd, traditionally set in terracotta pots, and the rich local sweet kalu dodol, made with coconut milk and jaggery. As the sun goes down we'll visit Kataragama Temple, one of the island’s most sacred pilgrimage sites. Revered by both Buddhists and Hindus, the temple comes alive at dusk with drumming, chanting, and flame offerings during the evening pooja. It’s a visually rich and spiritually charged experience. Overnight: Kithala Resort, Tissamaharama

Meals: B,D

This morning we travel to Ella Railway Station, to board the train for a journey considered among the most scenic rail rides in the world. The train curves through misty tea covered hills, across old stone bridges, and past villages perched on the ridgelines. Disembarking at Nanu Oya, we continue by road to Nuwara Eliya, a town nicknamed "Little England” for its cool climate, colonial architecture, and rose gardens, once a hill station for British tea planters. We stop at the Municipal Market, where you can capture portraits of traders and colourful displays of vegetables, flowers and spices. Then, a classic High Tea at the Grand Hotel, a colonial era landmark steeped in charm. Your accommodation tonight is set within the rolling Somerset Tea Gardens, with sweeping valley views and tranquil surrounds. After freshening up, we gather for a five course silver service dinner, rounding off a truly elegant day in the heart of tea country. Overnight: Amaya Langdale Hotel, Nuwara Eliya

Meals: B,D

We step into the tea fields at sunrise as mist lifts off the emerald hills. At the Somerset Tea Factory, you’ll gain an insight into the journey of Ceylon tea. Walk among rows of women in vivid saris as they pluck tea by hand, their woven baskets offering beautiful photo opportunities. Then, step inside the factory to capture the transformation of fresh leaves into fragrant blends of tea. We continue on to Kandy, the spiritual heart of Sri Lanka. After lunch, we visit the revered Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, set beside the lake, with time to photograph it's golden roof, carved pillars and lotus filled pools. By late afternoon, we journey back to Colombo, arriving in time for a celebratory final dinner, a chance to reflect on the images, flavours and stories gathered over the past 10 days. Overnight: Cinnamon Lakeside, Colombo

Meals: B,D

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast at the hotel before your transfer to the airport for your onward flight. We farewell the unforgettable island of Sri Lanka. NOTE: Many flights depart late at night, check out is midday, it is however possible to keep your room longer, at an additional cost.

Meals: B

Ready to start your adventure?

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What's included?

Included

Hosted by travel and food photographer Alan Benson
10 nights 4 & 5 star hotels on a twin share basis
10 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 8 dinners and a high tea
Market tours in Colombo, Galle and Kandy
Jeep safari at Yala National Park
Scenic train journey Ella to Nanu Oya
Cooking class in Galle
Entrance fees for Kataragama Temple and Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic
Private tours of cinnamon and tea estates
Expert local guide
Private air conditioned bus transport
Arrival and departure transfers on Day 1 and 11

Not included

International flights
Travel insurance
Visa
Single supplement - when staying in your own room
Drinks
Meals not noted as included
Tips

About your guide

Alan Benson is a highly experienced, James Beard-nominated travel and food photographer with more than 25 years working professionally in Australia and overseas. A former London-trained chef, he made the move from commercial kitchens to photography in the late 1990s and has since built a respected career shooting food, travel, people and places for a wide range of publications. Endlessly curious and highly regarded for his skill, Alan is known for his ability to work comfortably in fast-moving, real-world environments - from street markets, restaurants and remote locations to creating stunning still lifes and portraiture.

As a tour leader and mentor, Alan brings a clear, practical teaching style. He works easily with photographers of all levels, offering hands-on guidance around camera settings, composition, working with natural light, and photographing people and places with confidence and respect. In Sri Lanka, Alan will guide you through a wide range of shooting opportunities, including landscapes, daily life, food culture and portraiture, while sharing professional insights drawn from decades in the field. Expect constructive feedback and real-time problem solving, with plenty of humour and encouragement along the way.