Sri Lanka Highlights | What to see in Sri Lanka

Adam's Peak: Sri Lanka's holy mountain

Adam’s Peak, rising over 7000ft above the lush green hill country of south west Sri Lanka is shrouded not only in cloud but legend, and deep religious belief.

Anuradhapura: World Heritage Site and Sacred City

One of the cornerstones of Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle, the city is also one of the most sacred in the Buddhist world.

Bentota: south coast beach

Located on the island’s south-west coast Bentota offers an exotic variety of landscapes, from the palm-shaded beach to tranquil river to the lush tropical vegetation of the lagoon, rich in birdlife.

Bundala National Park: Abundant birdlife

Fringed by a 20km strip of dunes, lagoons and waterways on the south coast between Kirinda and Hambantota, the national park is a stunning, wildlife-rich wetland open the year round.

Colombo: rich colonial heritage

Sri Lanka’s capital is a rich cultural mix of building traditions, religions, cuisines – and not least people.

Dambulla Rock Temple: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Set 100m above the plain north of Kandy, the UNESCO site, a centre of pilgrimage for both Hindu and Buddhist for more than 22 centuries, houses a wondrous array of Buddhist devotional art from throughout the ages.

Ella: stunning hill country

Set along a single street meandering down a gentle slope, the village is a delightful piece of colonial era England in the middle of Sri Lanka’s stunning hill country.

Gal Oya National Park

This fabulous and widely undiscovered area of natural beauty features Sri Lanka’s largest Lake – Senanayake Samudraya – set idyllically amid stunning, wildlife-filled grasslands and pristine evergreen forest.

Galle: Interesting and Charming

Set within a chain of imposing, 17th Century bastions on Sri Lanka’s south western tip, Galle Fort, the city’s old Dutch quarter, is a wonderfully preserved, historically important UNESCO site l

Horton Plains National Park: The Central Highlands

Formed of a an eerily silent plateau over 2000m above sea level, the diverse landscape of the Horton Plains National Park is mirrored by the fabulous variety of endemic trees, flowering plants and wildlife.

Jaffna: Hindu tradition, art and culture

The Jaffna Peninsula, and its town, Yaalpaanam, are located at Sri Lanka’s northern tip. It is an area both culturally fascinating, and of outstanding natural beauty.

Kalpitiya: Dolphins and Kite surfing:

Formerly Kalpenty of the colonial Dutch, Kalpitiya is the name of the claw-shaped peninsula forming Sri Lanka’s northern tip, and enclosing the Puttalam Lagoon.

Kandalama: natural beauty of the Central plains

Set in Central Sri Lanka’s Matale Hills, this village above the dry plains lies between the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Dambulla and Sigiriya.

Kandy: Lake town and Temple of the Tooth

One of the most sacred of Buddhist places, and final capital of the Sinhalese kings, UNESCO listed Kandy is also one of Sri Lanka’s most beautiful cities.

Mihintale: Cradle of Buddhism

Revered as the birthplace of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, Mihintale is also one of the most magically beautiful.

Minneriya National Park: A wildlife sanctuary

Located north of Kandy, and composed of scrub, forest and wetlands, the national park is dominated by the ancient Minneriya Tank, and home to a fabulous array of wildlife.

Mirissa: Whale Watching and Dolphins

Although whales and dolphins may be observed in the glittering blue waters off Sri Lanka’s south, east and west coasts, the most reliable location is Dondra Point, best accessed from Galle, Hikkaduwa, and Mirissa in the south west.

Nuwara Eliya: Tea Country

Set picturesquely south of Kandy among rolling hills of tea, the colonial era hill station is a delightful fusion of timeless Sri Lankan, and British, tradition.

Polonnaruwa: Ancient City

Set in a magical forested park, and defended by a system of moats, the magnificent walled city dates from the 11th Century.

Sigiriya: The Lion Rock

Set 200m above a forested plain, the UNESCO site, a monument to patricide and paranoia, represents an astonishing feat of engineering and construction dating 1500 years

Sinharaja Rainforest

This breathtakingly beautiful UNESCO-listed jungle is a haven of wildlife, and the last remaining expanse of virgin rainforest in Sri Lanka.

Tangalle: south coast beach

Located facing the Indian Ocean on the island’s south coast, Tangalle is best known for its pristine soft-sand beaches and safe bathing. In addition, it offers both cultural and natural attractions.

Trincomalee: Sitting on one the world’s finest natural harbours

Set beside one of the world’s finest natural harbours, Trincomalee, or Trinco, is both culturally significant, believed to be the site of historic Gokana in the Hindu Great Chronicle, or Mahavamsa, and wonderfully beautiful.

Udawalawe National Park: Elephant country

Located in the south of the country, with the massive Uda Walawe Reservoir at its centre, the lightly vegetated, savannah-like park is an ideal game-watching location.

Weligama: sandy beaches on the South Coast

Set along Sri Lanka’s rugged southern coastline, Weligama’s stunning palm-fringed beaches are among the finest in Asia.

Wilpattu National Park

The park, one of Sri Lanka’s most environmentally important protected areas is formed of a unique ecosystem of interconnected lakes (villus) set amid grassy plains within a scrub jungle landscape, and supports a wide variety of native flora and fauna.

Yala National Park: Leopard Country

Yala National Park, located in the south east of the country is remarkable for its variety of habitat, and unique eco-system regulated by the north-east monsoon.