Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Travel Guide

You’ll fly into Colombo, Sri Lanka’s capital. This multicultural hub is the island’s most urban area, and worth pausing in if you enjoy good food, interesting architecture and Sri Lanka’s best shopping.

Where to travel in Sri Lanka

From Colombo, you can head north to an area known as the ‘Cultural Triangle’, which contains five of the island's seven UNESCO World Heritage sites. Its sixth is en route — the sacred city of Kandy, founded in the 14th century and still thriving in its beautiful mountain setting. The seventh site, Galle, is on the south coast. This bustling coastal fortress is the place to stay in historic boutique hotels, and possibly catch a game of cricket at Galle International Stadium (even if you are just peeking down from the historic city walls!).

Between the Cultural Triangle and Galle, the area known as 'Tea Country' is a high-altitude region of lush plantations and stately planters’ houses, many now restored as elegant accommodation for visitors.

The rest of the island is packed with national parks, nature reserves and UNESCO Biosphere Reserves. Yala NP is famous for its leopard population, and Uda Walawe is considered to be the premier place to observe Asian elephants on the Asian subcontinent.