Sri Lanka: 10 Vacation Ideas

Many people go to Sri Lanka for the hundreds of beaches. But just an hour's drive from the coast, completely different panoramas open up.
We offer the top 10 ways to diversify your holiday in Sri Lanka.

Whale watching
Imagine that you are sailing on a yacht in the ocean, and suddenly a giant the size of a 10-story building appears from the water... This is a blue whale - the largest mammal on the planet, and the southern town of Mirissa near the resort of Galle is among the main places to meet them. Excursions are held from November to April. During trips to the ocean, in addition to blue whales, you will see sperm whales, fin whales, Bryde's whales, killer whales, whale sharks and dolphins.
Whale watching is also organized from Trincomalee in the northeast of the country from June to September and Kalpitiya in the west from mid-October to the end of March. In addition, dugongs and porpoises live off the coast of Sri Lanka.

Enjoy the panoramas from the 9-arch bridge
The city of Ella, located at an altitude of 1000 m above sea level, is famous for its unusually beautiful views. There are forested mountains, tea plantations, a cascading waterfall in which you must swim. These are great places for hiking, climbing Mount Ella and Little Adam's Peak, and ziplining.
But the main attraction of Ella is the 30-meter-high nine-arch viaduct bridge, built at the beginning of the 20th century by a local architect. Except for the moments when the train is moving, tourists walk along the bridge: it is hard to imagine a better observation deck.

Take a train ride along a scenic route
The railway route, recognized as one of the most picturesque in the world, was laid during the British colonization, but the opportunity to travel in luxury style appeared only now. The route from Colombo to Badulla, via Kandy, Nana Oya and Ella, can be covered on the comfortable tourist train Ella Odyssey in 10 hours since March 2022, but many tourists choose its most beautiful section: from Kandy to Ella. The train stops at beautiful waterfalls and the famous viaduct.

Visit “Little England”
This is what the city of Nuwara Eliya is called, an hour's drive from Ella. The city is located at an altitude of 1889 m above sea level, and it is cooler here than in other areas of Sri Lanka.
It is not surprising that at the beginning of the 19th century Nuwara Eliya became a favorite of the English colonialists. Victoria Park was laid out for them, the Gregory Reservoir was built, which became a favorite vacation spot, a golf club was opened, the second oldest in Asia, as well as an equestrian club and a hippodrome, where horse racing is still held today. And the post office building remains one of the main photo locations 150 years later. Tudor-style houses have also been preserved. Some of them have now been converted into hotels. One of the best, The Grand Hotel Nuwara Eliya, is located in a mansion surrounded by beautiful gardens of the same period. It previously belonged to the Governor of Ceylon, Sir Edward Barnes. The main restaurant is named after the former owner, and royal tea ceremonies with champagne are held in the tea lounge. In addition, Nuwara Eliya is the tea capital of Sri Lanka. There are many tea plantations and factories in the vicinity of the city, where you can take tours with tastings. One of the 19th century factories is now open as a luxury hotel, the Heritance Tea Factory.

Visit three ancient capitals
Of the eight UNESCO sites in Sri Lanka, five are located within the so-called “Cultural Triangle” (“Land of the Kings”) in the center of the country. Its peaks are formed by the sacred cities of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Kandy – the first, second and third capitals of Sri Lanka, respectively.
In the ancient city of Anuradhapura, which existed from the 4th century BC to the 11th century AD, giant stupas have been preserved, including the largest in the country – Jetavana. Its original height exceeded 120 m, and for a long time it was the third tallest structure on the planet after the pyramids of Giza and Khafra.
Here is also the sacred Mahabodhi tree, 2,300 years old. This ficus is one of the oldest trees on the planet planted by man.
In Polonnaruwa, giant palaces, statues and temples have been preserved. In Kandy, visit the Temple of the Tooth, climb to the White Buddha statue on the hill and stroll through the Royal Botanical Gardens, founded in 1821 and famous for its collection of plants: there are more than 4 thousand species, including 300 varieties of orchids.

See the cave frescoes
Inside the “Cultural Triangle”, half an hour’s drive from each other, there are two more World Heritage sites: Dambulla and Sigiriya.
In Dambulla, visit the largest cave temple complex in the country, consisting of 80 caves, 5 of which are the main ones. For 2,200 years, pilgrims have been flocking here. And tourists will be interested in the ancient wall paintings with Buddhist themes
with a total area of ​​2,100 square meters and 157 Buddha statues.

Watch the sunrise over Sigiriya in a hot air balloon
Sigiriya is also known as the Lion Rock: the main staircase at the entrance is guarded by two giant lion paws. The ruins of the fortress and palace buildings are located at a height of 180 meters, reached by 1,200 steps. At the top are the oldest landscaped gardens in the world
with a complex hydraulic system. They can be seen in a hot air balloon flight.
Opposite Sigiriya, on the shore of the Kandalama reservoir, the Heritance Kandalama Hotel is built, where you will be offered a candlelit dinner in a cave with 6 courses.

Immerse yourself in the world of elephants and leopards
Sri Lanka is considered the second safari destination after Africa. It has its own Big Five: elephants, leopards, sloth bears, blue whales and sperm whales. The country has 24 national parks.
Wilpattu National Park, the largest and one of the oldest here, is located near Anuradhapura, on the northwest coast of the country. It will give you encounters with Sri Lankan leopards - an endangered species on the planet, elephants and sloth bears.
The UNESCO-protected Sinharaja Forest Reserve has preserved virgin rainforests with 140 species of birds.
Minneriya National Park near Sigiriya is famous for its largest herds of elephants: up to 300 individuals. Their neighbors are endemic red-faced langurs and Sri Lankan macaques, Indian sambars and axis deer.
Finally, Yala National Park is one of the best places on the planet to observe leopards, elephants and buffalo.

Stay in an old fort
In the south of the country are the resort towns of Galle and Tangalle. A good place to start exploring Galle is with its historic centre and the 16th-century Portuguese-Dutch fort, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is one of the largest European-built forts in Asia. The Aman Hotel Amangalla is located on its grounds.
Two hours’ drive from Galle is Tangalle, a great place for surfing, sea turtle nesting, whale watching and helicopter tours along the coast and the Cultural Triangle.

Travel around the country
Sri Lanka is compact, and many attractions are close to each other. Drive around the coast or head inland. For example, on the way from Colombo to Galle, visit Bentota, where you will get to know the legacy of Geoffrey Bawa, Sri Lanka’s most influential architect.
The best time to visit Sri Lanka is from December to March, when there is minimal rain and the weather is sunny. But even at any other time on this island there are places with optimal conditions for relaxation.