Sri Lanka is one of the most incredible travel destinations with some of the most stunning and unique landscapes.
With so many incredible attractions – tropical sandy beaches, wildlife safaris, mystical ancient temples, sculptures and adventure-filled activities, Sri Lanka is the perfect place to visit.
Don’t forget it’s also known for its tropical cuisine, offering all the seafood you can imagine!
Top Attractions in Sri Lanka
Kasogoda Turtle Hatchery
Like a breath of fresh air, Sri Lanka’s pioneering sea turtle conservation project is a major sea turtle nesting site. This is a must visit for the family; educational and the turtles are simply lovely, especially for newborn babies. You can also touch and hold sea turtles – a once in a lifetime experience.
emphasize: In the past 2 years, over 100,000 sea turtle eggs have been rescued, hatched and released on the beach.
If you’re lucky, you might even release a sea turtle onto the beach at sunset. A truly magical and unforgettable experience.
River Ecological Park in the Mangroves
If you are looking for the perfect family time, this is the opportunity.
The Mangrove Cave Safari on the Madhoo River is a beautiful and fun filled experience. Hop aboard a comfortable longtail boat and enjoy the beautiful scenery, fish spa and cinnamon plantation. This is a 2-hour tour through the lush mangroves.
emphasize: Explore beautiful mangrove tunnels and rainforest-covered fringes with an expert guide, and discover the secrets of collecting and producing cinnamon.
Watching a variety of birds and monkeys is an experience not to be missed.
whale watching
Spectacular views never seen before, you can see some of the oldest and largest sea creatures, humpback and blue whales glide past you nonchalantly, and dolphins put on a show for you with their playful and innocent behavior…not to mention Say cute turtle.
emphasize: You can see whales, dolphins, turtles and lots of fish. A natural show, what more could one ask for?
Pristine Rainforest, Sinharaja
A World Heritage Site and declared a Biosphere Reserve since 1978, the pristine rainforest will delight you with its lush greenery.
Now for the best part of it: an ecolodge made of shipping containers is your place to stay.
emphasize: So you can actually sleep in a shipping container in a dense forest full of leopards. Can it get any better than this?
The reserve offers guided bushwalks every morning and evening, where you can get up close and personal with nature and the park’s diverse flora and fauna. Sinharaja is also a great place for avid bird watchers.
Galway National Park
Are you an avid bird watcher who also loves the bush and hiking? Then this is your answer. Galway Lands National Park has been a wildlife sanctuary since 1983. A walk in the bush is always an adventure full of surprises.
emphasize: Surrounded by wild boars, giant squirrels, monkeys and a wide variety of birds, this park is a great place to visit.
Mike Woods Tea Plantation
MackWoods Tea Estate serves one of the best Ceylon teas and a guided tour of the tea making process is a wonderful experience.
emphasize: From picking, to packing, and most importantly – tasting, you’ll learn how tea is made.
Kandy
Who doesn’t love a beautiful place that’s breathtakingly quiet? That’s what Kandy Town is all about. This place has a lively local market and so much life, it’s beautiful to drive around. Just walking around the lake is also lovely.
The Temple of the Tooth Relic, another popular Buddhist temple also known for enshrining the tooth relic, is also located in Kandy.
emphasize: You’ll enjoy breathtaking views and waterfalls along the way – be sure to take the Ella to Kandy train!
sigiriya rock
Also known as Lion Rock, Sigiriya is one of the most popular attractions in Sri Lanka. A renowned UNESCO World Heritage Site, the staircase of this ancient rock fortress emerges from the mouth of a lion-shaped rock. Walking towards it, although long, is calm and relaxing. A very interesting experience. Join Kandy tour.
emphasize: The views from the top of the rock are breathtaking.
Dambulla Temple
No trip to Sri Lanka is complete without a visit to this temple. Another popular World Heritage site, the Dambulla Cave Temple or Golden Temple has existed for more than 22 centuries and is a holy place for Hindu and Buddhist devotees. This temple is a must visit, it is stunning and has the most interesting architecture. Book a tour to take you there from Colombo.
emphasize: There are a total of five caves, which look ordinary from the outside, but once you enter, they are breathtaking, with the scale and beauty of ten thousand Buddhas.
Adam’s Peak
Also known as Butterfly Hill, Sri Pada is the depression below the summit and is considered one of the holiest places by the four major religions of India.
emphasize: Buddhists see the Sri Pada as the footsteps of Buddha, Hindus see it as Shiva’s, Muslims see the resting place as Adam’s, and Christians see it as the apostle Thomas – making it everyone place of worship.
That’s why it’s a place of pilgrimage. The 7-kilometer stretch of stairs is definitely a unique and wonderful evening experience that you will never forget. The climb ends in time to see an amazingly beautiful sunrise at the summit. You don’t want to miss this, do you?
Elephant migration in Minneriya National Park
Not happy with whales, dolphins or turtles? Then Sri Lanka has more for you!
You don’t want to miss the 400 elephants migrating in Minneriya National Park. Seeing so many large but tame animals in one place is an experience you won’t forget.
emphasize: Every August and September, up to 400 elephants congregate simultaneously on the dry fields of Minneriya to eat the succulent grass.
Why is Sri Lanka one of the most ideal holiday destinations?
So many places are mentioned above, the list doesn’t end there.
- White water rafting, kayaking and diving! It’s no surprise that on an island like Sri Lanka, you can experience almost every water sport. So definitely don’t miss out on scheduling some adventurous water sports. Whether you want to spend a full day or half an hour in the water is up to you, but make sure you really make time for it.
- Sri Lanka offers you surf season around the year. If you haven’t ridden a wave before, don’t worry, a week of Surfcamp will make you an expert in no time. Sri Lanka has some of the best surfing conditions on both its southern and eastern coasts.
- this By train in Sri Lanka! Not only are the tickets very cheap, but the scenery is also beautiful.
- tropical beach. The white and delicate beaches of Sri Lanka make people linger and forget to return. Take a dip in the turquoise waters to refresh your tiredness – who wouldn’t want a lazy afternoon at the beach?
- Sri Lankan food is delicious!
There are many more wonderful things to experience and places to visit in Sri Lanka.
