Bentota

Sri Lanka is not a step-free country, and we will not pretend otherwise. Pavements are uneven, many temples have stepped approaches and accessible bathrooms are the exception rather than the rule. What we can do is route around the worst of it: a ramp-equipped van with a tail lift, hotels we check for door widths and roll-in showers before we quote them, and sites chosen because they genuinely work from a chair.

Ten days of touring, then four nights of doing nothing. This is the shape of trip that German and Austrian travellers ask for by name – a Rundreise with a Badeurlaub attached – and it is, for most people, the most satisfying way to use a fortnight in Sri Lanka. You see the whole island while you have the energy, and then you stop.

A long day inland from the west-coast beach resorts to Sri Lanka's two greatest monuments – the option for guests on a beach holiday who do not want to leave the island without seeing Sigiriya.

The wildlife day that works from the west-coast beach resorts: three to four hours among wild elephants at Udawalawe and back to your hotel the same evening.

Designed with parents and kids in mind: short driving days, hotels with pools, and experiences children love – elephants, bullock carts, trains, tuk-tuks, turtles and beaches. Family rooms or connecting rooms are arranged in every hotel.

Rest, restore and reset. After two gentle days in Kandy, spend seven nights at a certified Ayurveda resort on the south-west coast with daily treatments prescribed by an Ayurvedic doctor, yoga, meditation and herbal cuisine.

Escape Colombo for a day on the south coast: Madu River boat safari, turtle hatchery, the UNESCO-listed Galle Fort and a swim in Unawatuna.

Golden sand, palm trees and turquoise water – this is Sri Lanka's classic beach holiday, with just enough sightseeing to keep it interesting. Hop along the south coast from the river estuary of Bentota to historic Galle, whale-watching Mirissa and the quiet coves of Tangalle.

The perfect balance: eight days of culture, tea country and wildlife followed by four nights on the beach to unwind. It suits couples and families who want to see the island but also come home rested.

The whole south-west coast in a day from Negombo: a mangrove boat safari on the Madu River, a turtle hatchery, the ramparts of Galle Fort and a swim at Unawatuna.