Famous for its spectacular landscape, thick forests and pristine beaches, Sri Lanka has always been a nature lover’s dream destination. Nature has bestowed Sri Lanka with some of its best treasures. This island nation is considered to be one of the best biodiverse nations in the whole of Asia.
Sri Lanka ranks among the top tea producing nations in the world thanks to around 4% of the country’s area being covered by tea plantations. Tea trails in Sri Lanka are a mind-blowing experience. Tea trail at Nuwara Eliya is one of the most popular tea trails in this island.
Not just the tea trails, Nuwara Eliya is one of the most beautiful places in Sri Lanka. The sprawling tea plantations and the majestic mountains create a spectacular landscape from which you can hardly take your eyes off.
One of the most important places to visit in Sri Lanka is the Yala National Park. You have a better chance of spotting leopards at Yala as the park boasts of being home to the most number of leopards than in any part of the world.
To make the best out of your tour, we have created a perfect itinerary that covers all important things to do and places to visit in Sri Lanka.
Here are the top 10 stunning tourist destinations in Sri Lanka.
Yala’s thick forest is home to the highest leopard population in the world. As you explore the sprawling 130,000 hectares of protected area of diverse landscape with forests, lagoons and grasslands, you may get to spot elephants as well.
Enjoy safari rides at Yala and have fun bird watching and stroll on the beaches enjoying the serenity. For adventure lovers, bungalows inside the park greet you to spend your night amidst the thick jungle.
Being an island nation, Sri Lanka boasts of stunningly mesmerizing beaches that captivate your soul and beaches with a wide range of water sport activities to give you the adrenaline rush.
Some of the most popular beach activities in Sri Lanka include surfing, windsurfing, kite surfing, snorkelling, water skiing, jet skiing, freshwater fishing and deep sea fishing. You would not want to miss the famous river safaris as you unwind in the Sri Lankan beaches.
‘Garden City of the West’ as it is rightly called, Colombo is the executive and judicial capital of Sri Lanka. A famous seaport in historic times, Colombo of the present boasts of having one of the largest artificial harbours in the world.
With breathtaking beaches, beautiful mountains, present day and colonial style architecture and religious centres of various faiths, Colombo presents a very interesting picture to tourists. While you are in Colombo, your taste buds will have a busy time as this city is also one of the best places in Sri Lanka where you can...
Surrounded by beautiful mountains and hills lies Nuwara Eliya valley known for its spectacular tea plantations. Nuwara Eliya means ‘The City of Light’. The place is also famous for rare species of flora and fauna.
Nuwara Eliya tea trails are hailed as some of the best in Sri Lanka. As you walk through the tea plantations of the colonial era, you will be charmed not only by the abundance of nature but also by the ancient architecture. Nuwara Eliya is also called Little England. Get involved in the activities right from plucking the tea leaves to brewing a perfect cup to appease your taste buds.
What better way to explore Eliya if a 3 to 4 hour long train journey can take you through the famous tea plantations, thick forests, mind-blowing landscapes so abundant with nature, picturesque valleys, scenic village, botanical gardens and beautiful waterfalls? Your Sri Lanka tour is never complete without Eliya train ride experience.
Settle down on your seat in the train, let the window allow fresh air to embrace you and as nature’s scents create magic in the air.
16th century Galle Fort, a classic blend of South Asian and European architecture, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and ranks amongst the top tourist destinations in Sri Lanka. Built by the Portuguese in Galle, the coastal city, the construction was fortified by the Dutch in the subsequent century and was henceforth referred to as Galle Dutch Fort.
Galle Fort has lots of activities on offer. You can go on a bicycle ride to explore the fort, visit places of worship, go on a shopping spree in the boutiques, try your luck at traditional fishing and...
Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, Sacred Tooth Temple in Kandy is revered by followers of Buddhism as this temple preserves Buddha’s tooth. Built in the 16th century near the ancient palace, the temple is called Sri Dalada Maligawa by the people of Sri Lanka.
The tooth of Buddha is preserved in a golden casket and is not for public display. The golden casket is placed on top of a male elephant and is taken out in a parade along the streets during the annual Esala Perahera procession.
The sprawling 31,000 hectares of forest boasts of being home to wild elephants, which are a threatened species according to IUCN Red List. While it is a cause of great concern, Udawalawe National Park is said to have around 500 wild elephants. You can spot herds of elephants during your safari ride here.
Udawalawe is also a bird-lover’s paradise. There are about 184 bird species including migratory birds. Some of the birds you can spot here include Sri Lanka Jungle Fowl, kingfishers, peafowl and eagles.
Blue whale, the largest animal on earth, is most commonly spotted from Mirissa, a small fishing town on the southern coast of Sri Lanka. Chances of spotting the whales between November to April are 98% and hence if you love to look at those gorgeous creatures, these are the months to visit Sri Lanka.
Apart from watching whales and dolphins – yes, dolphins indeed, you can also get involved in other water activities including swimming, surfing, snorkelling and fishing.
Being close to the equator and favoured by ideal weather conditions, Sri Lanka is never short of wide range of seafoods. Both conventional and modern methods are employed. Quality seafoods available here include finfish, prawns, crabs, lobster, mollusks, shrimps and sea cucumber.
Out of the many varieties of seafood in Sri Lanka, yellowfin tuna is the most popular seafood. What else are you waiting for unless you are a vegetarian eater? Served with authentic local flavour, no seafood lover will be able to resist it.
