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Why go? It's a beautiful tropical island with something for everyone - palm-fringed golden beaches, cool hill stations, tea plantations, lush rainforest, wildlife, ancient cities, Buddhist temples and colourful festivals. There are some beautiful places to stay, the cooking is good and spicy, the cost of living relatively low, and the Sri Lankan people are friendly and generous. Its compact size allows you to appreciate the diversified attractions in just a couple of weeks. Although an established tourist destination (mainly British and German visitors), Sri Lanka remains largely unspoilt. And if Sri Lanka's beaches aren't enough for you, you can always end with a few blissful days on the Maldives islands - 1200 sand-ringed drops of paradise, only an hour's flight away. Any downsides? Due to the long-running Sinhalese-Tamil conflict, the far north and east of the island have been out of bounds to travellers for many years (none of our chosen hotels or villas are in this area). Following a 2002 ceasefire, the Sri Lankan government re-opened these areas to tourists, but the situation can be volatile and there is still a military presence in Colombo and the airport, so you might see some roadblocks and checkpoints. You may also wish to check the latest Foreign Office advice. Touting can be a nuisance, although less so than in India. And bear in mind that, although distances are not that great, journeys take longer than you might think due to poor road conditions. |
Activities * Cultural - ancient ruins and Buddhist temples in the Cultural Triangle; festivals and Temple of the Tooth in Kandy; in the south, Galle's historic fort. * Hiking - in the Hill Country: Adam's Peak and Hortons Plains/World's End. For trekking among the tea plantations see Ceylon Tea Trails. * Wildlife - Yala National Park in the south east for elephant, deer, birds and elusive leopard; Pinnewala Elephant Orphanage near Kandy; turtle hatcheries on south west coast. For a true wildlife and back to nature experience check out Treetops' 2-day trip or Galapita Sanctuary. * Beaches - best along the south west coast. Not all are suitable for swimming. Unawatuna is good for beach shack nightlife, for quiet, unspoilt sandy stretches head south of Bentota, Talpe, Mirissa and near Tangalle. * Watersports - diving and snorkelling on coral reefs along the south west coast. Waterskiing and windsurfing at Bentota and surfing at Hikkaduwa and Arugum Bay. * Yoga - one of the world's most special yoga retreats, Ulpotha, a wonderfully relaxed paradise, is located in the hills north of Kandy. * Art – learn local crafts at the Bombyx Mori craft house in Kandy (arranged through Helga's Folly) Current weather/time: In Colombo:  |
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