Sri Lanka has seduced travellers for centuries. Marco Polo described it as the finest island in the world, while successive waves of Indians, Arab and European traders and adventurers flocked to its palm-fringed shores, attracted by reports of rare spices, precious stones and magnificent elephants.

Marco Polo's bold claim still rings true. Sri Lanka packs an extraordinary variety of attractions within its modest physical dimensions, and few islands of comparable size can boast a natural environment of such beauty and diversity.

Over eleven magical days, our signature photography holiday of Sri Lanka will transport you through lush jungles, rolling tea plantations and over powder-white palm-fringed beaches. We'll travel by vintage train, river raft and seaplane, snoozing in our hand-picked selection of boutique hotels and dining where the locals only know about. This is the ultimate photography tour.

ITINERARY

DAYS ONE/TWO

To start your Sri Lankan photography holiday, we'll whisk you straight from the airport into our luxe hip hideaway at Walawwa, where you can unwind in the 16-metre pool or catch some zzz's in a jungle hammock. Later, we'll dive into the basics of your camera (all non-techy, of course) then head out the next day to Negombo, shooting fisherman returning on their fleet of oruwa boats - catamarans stuffed full of ocean fish, crab and lobster.

DAYS THREE/FOUR

Considered one of the best rail journeys in the world, this morning we board the Edwardian-era Viceroy Express for our journey through tropical plantations and past waterfalls to Kandy, the cultural heart of Sri Lanka. With views over stunning valleys, we build on our new skills in our photography course and learn to compose perfectly exposed pictures just like the pros. Next day, it's off to tour SL's most important buddhist shrine and hike through majestic Javan figs.

DAYS FIVE/SIX

This morning, we visit the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage - the largest in SL - and try our new skills in composition, lens choice and lighting, then over to the Kaduganawa Pass for some awesome dusky landscapes, before our own Kandy firewalking show that night. Next morning, we do some gentle white-water rafting on the Kelani Gorge, then mosey our way south to our beach resort at Talalla, and get a first swim in the Indian Ocean.

DAYS SEVEN/EIGHT

Now that we have mastered camera fundamentals, we concentrate on the creative: how to conceptualise and capture great images. We will look at a number of professional techniques on how to get that perfect shot, then some free time to explore the area, before our private dinner at the exclusive Sun House. Next morning, we shoot architecture at Galle Fort, a World Heritage site, then meet up with some fishermen at Unawatuna to try our some portraits, then dine right on the beach watching the stars in the sky.

DAYS NINE/TEN/ELEVEN

Up early to capture the morning Sri Lankan light, we head out to shoot at the 140-year old Handunugoda Tea Estate, and learn how to make the world's most expensive tea - Ceylon White. Later, we'll work on some sea turtle conservation projects at Kosgoda. Next day, we board our own private seaplane, back to Colombo and shoot our final work before a gala dinner in the gardens of our country house hotel. With more 1-on-1 feedback on your progress, plus ideas on your style and where to take your photography next, this 2012 adventure will be a holiday that you'll never forget.