Highlights of Sri Lanka

Find below descriptions and recommendations of the best Highlights of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has many beautfiul places. The various National Parks, Cultural cities and stunning beaches are just a few examples of the many highlights of Sri Lanka. Getting excited? Click here to see how you can visit these highlights of Sri Lanka in one of our tours.

Nuwara Eliya

The Little England of Sri Lanka with its picturesque landscape and temperate climate

This beautiful town is set in the heart of the tea country, The British succeeded in creating a little England with homes built in the architectural Style of georgian to queen Anne. Situated at 1890 metres above, cool and fresh, a serene retreat from the hustle and bustle of Colombo. Situated near by Horton Plains, Sri Lankas highest and most isolated plateau. Nature lovers will revel in this wide, patna grass covered plain, the haunt of many wild yet, harmless animals and home of many species of birds.

Yala National Park

The best spot in Sri Lanka to spot the leopard is the Yala National Park

Located in the south East of the island is Yala National Park, one of the largest national parks in Sri Lanka with a varied terrain of dry woodland and grassy plains which supports an abundance of wildlife. Yala West with its scrub jungle, rock outcrops, tanks and lagoons are open to visitors. Here, you can see wild elephants, sloth bears, leopards, spotted deer, Sambhur, wild buffalo’s, monkeys and jackals. Many migratory birds frequent visit this area and over 135 species have been recorded. Visit also one of the Ancient ruins. The mixture of natural beauty, wildlife and ancient culture makes this park a national treasure.

Ceylon Tea Gardens

See how the original Sri Lanka (Ceylon) tea is grown in the beautiful hill country

Sri Lanka, formally called Ceylon, is the fourth largest producer of tea in the world and the second largest exporter. Mr. Jems Taylor introduced the tea plant in Sri Lanka in 1867. All Sri Lankan tea have a different kind of flavour because of differences in the soil and the weather where it is grown. Nuwara Eliya is one of the most popular places to see the tea plantation and demonstration of several kinds of tea, but it is also grown in other hill counties such as Haputhale, Halpe, Ella, etc. Sri Lankan’s drink black tea very strong with milk and sugar. Sharing a pot in the afternoon is a common way to wind done from a busy day.

Anuradhapura

This city is one of the 8 World Heritage sites of Sri Lanka and offers a dozen of highlights

The city, now a World Heritage site, was the centre of Theravada Buddhism for many centuries. The city lies 205km (127mi) north of the current capital of colombo in the north central province, on the banks of the historic Malwathu river. It is one of the oldest continiously inhabited cities in the world and one of the eight world heritage sites of sri lanka. Anuradhapura is Sri Lanka’s first capital. Attractions worth seeing are the Sacred Bo Tree, Abayagiri Dagaba temple, Jetawanaramaya and Mirisavati Dagaba. Mihinthale, a rock known as the cradle of buddhism of Sri Lanka, is located nearby.

Galle

Old Portugese/Dutch colony in Sri Lanka with a spectacular view from the Galle fort

The southern city, Galle is a well known seaport from ancient time where merchant ships anchored to trade the islands famous gems, exotic species and other commodities. Galle is known for the Galle Fort. The fortified old city founded by Portuguese colonists in the 16’th century. Stone sea walls, expanded by the Dutch, encircle car-free streets with architectre reflecting Portuguese, Dutch and British rule. Notable buildings include the 18th century Dutch reformed church. Galle lighthouse stands on the fort’s southeast tip.

Sigiriya

The Sigiriya Rock Temple is one of the must-see highlights of Sri Lanka during your holiday

This UNESCO World heritage site is one of the top 10 best highlights of Sri Lanka. The legendary king Kasyapa built the “LION ROCK” of Sigiriya during his reign 477-495 A.D. The most impressive facets of the unique complex are the water gardens, Mirror wall with ancient graffiti, the lion platform and the summit of 1.6 hectares, which was completely covered by buildings during the period of Sigiriyas glory. the frescoes of beautiful maidens,

Dambulla

One of the top 10 highlights of Sri Lanka is the amazing cave temple complex of Dambulla

Like Sigiriya, Dambulla is a vast isolated rock mass. This UNESCO World Heritage site is an amazing complex of five caves. Ancient king (Valagam Bahu) used Dambulla as a refuge and upon regaining his throne he commissioned magnificent images to be carved from the rock. Later, kings made further improvements and the caves now contain over 150 images of the buddha painted upon the walls, some of them are over 2000 years old. Another highlight is a colossal figure of the recumbent buddha carved out of the living rock some 14 metres long.

Kandy

This picturesque city offers a pleasant mix of culture and nature

Sri Lankans hill capital, a former stronghold of the sinhala kings, is our most picturesque city. The Peradeniya gardens which began as a pleasure garden for an ancient queen, has an amazing variety of trees, plants, and flowers and is a place to visit.

Trincomalee

The beach of Trincomalee is one of the most beautiful beaches of Sri Lanka

Situated on the North-East coast of Sri Lanka is Trincomalee. Because of its magnificent coastline, sandy beaches and sunny weather, Trincomalee is becoming increasingly popular amongst visitors. Nature Harbour, Fort Frederick, Hot Springs and the Tirukoneswaram temple are interesting places to visit in Trincomalee.

Colombo

Explore the commercial and capital city of Sri Lanka by tuk-tuk

Sri Lanka’s first capital up to recent times, Colombo, is a fascinating city, not only for its blend of the east and west, but also for it’s cosy mixture of the past and present. It remains the commercial city of the country with a mix of sinhalese, tamils, muslims, and all kinds of cultures. The cosmopolitan side of Colombo includes stylish theatres, cinemas, restaurants, cafés, museums, shopping complexes, galeries and markets. Colombo history involves successive ruling by the Portugues, Dutch, and British and it was a major port on the East-West trade during that era.

Ella

Hiking or cycling at Ella is one of the most fascinating highlights of Sri Lanka

Ella is a small town in Badulla district of Uva province, Sri Lanka. This city is 1041 meters high from the sea level. Here, very rich biodiversity dense with numerous varieties of flora and fauna. Also, Ella is very famous for hiking, trecking and cycling. For example, visit Ella rock and mini Adam’s Peak or one of the waterfalls, such as Ravana Waterfall. Nine Arch Bridge is another wonderful creation of the British. This area is very beautiful to discover by train, showing you the tea gardens, mountains and water falls. There are very good hotels, restaurant, and activities to do in Ella and panaromic views from the mountains are unbelievable. Dont miss it!

Kithulgala

This rain forest is the perfect spot for white water rafting and bird watching

Kithulgala is a small town in the west of Sri Lanka in the wet zone rain forest. This area is one of the wettest places in the country because it gets two monsoons each year. These monsoons cause a water flow through the Kelani River, which make this river an ideal location for adventurous sports such as white water rafting. Another common activity in Kithulgala is bird watching because of the beautiful green surroundings. So, in Kithulgala you can get a nice and adventure experience within the nature.

Radnapura

The centre of Sri Lanka's gem industry is Ratnapura

Ratnapura produces a wide variety of colourful Ceylon stones, such as: sapphires, rubies, cat’s eye, alexandrite, topaz, amethyst, aquamarine, tourmaline, garnet and several other glittering stones. Also, you can get an in-depth analysis of the gem field: how it’s made, the best places to purchase them from and so on. Further, in Radnapura you can also expand your knowledge about gem collections at the national museums and enjoy the scenic landscape with rubber and tea estates.

Minneriya National Park

Spot large groups of wild elephants at the Minneriya National Park

Minneriya National Park is located between Habarana and Polonnaruwa. The 8890 hectares of Minneriya National Park features the ancient Minneriya Tank built in the 3rd century AC by King Mahasenain, in a forest where sambar deer, peacocks, birds, and elephants roam. This park is one of the most famous places to see wild elephants, which are always present in huge numbers (150-350). They eat, play and bath at their native enviroment. July to October is the best season to visit this national park. In 1938 this park has originally been declared as a wildlife sanctuary.