Southern Hill Country/

Nuwara Eliya, Ella, Horton Plains

The southern hill country of Sri Lanka, is the wildest, highest, and possibly the most beautiful part of Sri Lanka.

You will immediately appreciate the area’s attractions: a curious mixture of beautiful rugged scenery and olde-worlde colonial architecture, with steep green mountainsides, rushing waterfalls and tea plantations up in the clouds. Detail is provided by quaint British left-overs: clanking railways, half-timbered guest houses, gothic churches and English vegetables, with colourful Hindu temples and the saris of the tea pickers almost taking one by surprise.

Galle/

The Sri Lankan port of Galle (pronounced Gaul) lies close to the island’s southernmost point, and is Sri Lanka’s fourth largest city.

The Fort has some of the most splendid and intact colonial structures in South East Asia, from 16th century Portuguese to 17th and 18th century Dutch, with some 19th century British buildings.

The area was made an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988, and has a quiet, understated charm; it is an old but working village complete with post offices, courts, schools, shops, and religious buildings, several of which have not changed for over a century.

Wildlife Safaris/

Kaudulla, Bundala, Minneriya, Sinharaja

Sri Lanka is the proud home of 86 species of mammal, pride of place going to the magnificent elephant, the second largest terrestrial mammal surviving today.

These fascinating animals can be seen with relative ease in most of the parks, in large herds of extended families as well as lone males. Sri Lanka is also famous for the beautiful solitary leopard, best sighted at dawn or dusk when these adaptable predators come down from the shade of the trees to hunt.
Other predatory animals, which can be found in Sri Lanka, include the sloth bear, golden jackal and mongooses.

Colombo/

Colombo, Sri Lanka's largest city is noisy, frenetic - and just a little crazy!

Thankfully, the breakdowns, snarled traffic and power cuts are received with a shrug and a smile. While the Sri Lankan capital holds less obvious interest than many other parts of the island, it's very colourful and worth a look. North of the centre is the Fort district, Sri Lanka’s business centre. South is Galle Face Green, a seafront expanse of occasional green. East of the fort is the pungent Pettah bazaar district. Culture buffs shouldn't miss the National Museum, the Art Gallery, and the city's mosques and temples.

Sacred city of Kandy/

Kandy is Sri Lanka’s second largest city and home to a Sinhalese cultural tradition of which Sri Lankans are justifiably proud.

The lovely countryside around Kandy contains a great variety of attractions, among them the beautiful Peradeniya Botanical Gardens. The region’s cultural heritage can be seen in the various historic temples set at intervals throughout the area, dating from the heyday of the Kandyan kingdom. You can see the compelling traditional Kandyan dancing at one of the city’s several cultural performance venues. To get away from it all, visit the rugged Knuckles Range, just to the east.

Sigiriya/

The astonishing city of Sigiriya is north of Dambulla, rising vertical and daunting from the plains of the Sri Lankan dry zone, a huge outcrop of rock towering 200m above its surroundings.

It was short-lived as Sri Lanka’s medieval capital, but is undoubtedly the most extraordinary of them all.

Sigiriya (‘Lion Rock’) was declared a World Heritage Site in 1982, and almost certainly you will find it the most memorable single experience of your visit to Sri Lanka.

It is an unforgettable archaeological site not least because of its beautiful and dramatic setting.

Dambulla cave temples/

The Dambulla cave temples of Sri Lanka lie midway between Kandy, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, near the town of Dambulla and are one of Sri Lanka’s outstanding man-made attractions.

The Dambulla cave temples of Sri Lanka lie midway between Kandy, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, near the town of Dambulla and are one of Sri Lanka’s outstanding man-made attractions.

The temples are small masterpieces of Sinhalese Buddhist art: five dimly lit, mysterious grottos, filled with innumerable statues and glowing with rich reds and golds as do the paintings that cover nearly every surface.

Beaches/

Mirissa, Unawatuna, Pillikaduwa and Goyambokka

Sri Lanka has many beautiful beaches- far too many to detail here, but we can give you an impression of a few

Mirissa is one of the quieter beaches in Sri Lanka and has a feel of secrecy about it, although it cannot retain its ‘undiscovered’ reputation forever! It lies at the easterly end of Weligama Bay, and has a narrow strip of golden sand shielded from signs of habitation by a thick belt of coconut palms. It is one of the prettiest beaches in Sri Lanka. You can swim, snorkel, body board or surf, or simply lie back, relax and enjoy the sun, sea, sand and feeling of privacy this beach affords.