TORONTO — Demand for Sri Lanka is up, so much that G Adventures has seen triple the bookings in the past year to this fascinating destination. As such, the tour operator has launched a brand new program of small-group sailing tours along Sri Lanka’s southern coast, becoming the first travel company to do so.

“We’re thrilled to be the first adventure company to explore Sri Lanka by sea. They say great things come in small packages and Sri Lanka is a fantastic destination with plenty to see, do and eat,” says Vince Donnelly, global sailing manager, G Adventures. “These sailing trips have a local chief experience officer (CEO), skipper and cook onboard, so travellers will also experience the local culture and flavours as they explore the sunning Sri Lankan coastline.”

After seeing strong growth in sales of Sri Lanka tours this year, Donnelly notes that offering a sailing trip was the next natural step for the company.

The seven-day ‘Sri Lanka Sailing’ trip, which travels roundtrip from Mirissa, begins on Feb. 2, 2018. The trip can also be combined with a land-based itinerary in Sri Lanka – known as ‘the pearl of the Indian Ocean’ – to create a 14-day land and sea getaway called ‘Sri Lanka Land & Sea’.

Highlights include a visit to Galle, a fort city on the southwest coast that was founded by the Portuguese, as well as a stop at Ussangoda National Park, the newest national park in Sri Lanka and home to wildlife and rare medicinal plants. Its red earth is said to be the result of an ancient asteroid that crashed into the land.

‘Sailing Sri Lanka’ is priced from $1,999 per person, while the 14-day ‘Sri Lanka Land & Sea’ is priced from $3,399 per person.

The launch of Sri Lanka sailing brings the number of sailing destinations offered by G Adventures to eight, with 19 different itineraries across the British Virgin Islands, Croatia, Cuba, Greece, Indonesia, Montenegro and Thailand.