Best Places to Visit in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is a fantastic country to visit with a diverse variety of attractions. This island, off the coast of India in the Indian Ocean, offers tourists a wide range of habitats and tourist attractions to enjoy and experience.

In places like Colombo and Kandy, visitors may follow the island’s interesting history from olden days to the royal period to the present. This little island is home to eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites that preserve the island’s culture. The country’s major elephant- and leopard-filled national parks, including as Yala, Minneriya, and Udawalawe, provide amazing natural views and safari experiences. Sri Lanka is also a beach lover’s dream, with some of the world’s most gorgeous beaches and a slew of high-end beach resorts.

When planning to travel to Sri Lanka, understand that the country’s rainy season runs from May to August, making the months of December to April the best time to visit. September, October, and November, the shoulder season, are also terrific times to visit. Our list of the greatest locations to visit in Sri Lanka will help you plan your trip.

1. Colombo

This country’s colorful indigenous and imperial history are mixed together in the capital city. Sri Lanka has always possessed strategic relevance for European commercial powers as a significant stop on the international spice shipping lanes. The nation has been a colony of Portugal, the Netherlands, and, most recently, the British, and all of these cultures mingle together to make an unique combination.

There are also museums and other activities in the city that might help you connect with Sri Lankan culture. Colombo is located on the west coast, and in the center of the city, a big green space and beach area separates an area known as Fort from the Indian Ocean. It’s the city’s public playground, and it’s a great location to go on Friday and Saturday nights.

The Colombo Lotus Tower, the city’s new mega-tower, is a fantastic site to visit. It is Southeast Asia’s highest free-standing tower, offering spectacular views of the city. There’s a fine cafe at the top and a popular food court in the mall at the tower base, in addition to indoor and outdoor viewing places.

2. Hikkaduwa Beach

This beach is about 90 minutes from Colombo and is perfect for water sports including as surfing, bodyboarding, swimming, and scuba diving. All of the necessary equipment may be rented at one of the beachside vendors. It’s one of the most popular surfing spots in the nation, having the finest waves from November to March. Because the beach is so big, it never seems overcrowded. If you choose to stay overnight, there are a number of seaside booths providing a variety of great local street cuisine, as well as a number of modest hotels and guesthouses. Its coral is also well-known. The Hikkaduwa Coral Sanctuary is a protected marine region off the coast of Sri Lanka that is part of Hikkaduwa National Park.

3. Udawalawe National Park

This huge animal park is located in the country’s southern region, around an hour’s drive from the Hambantota tourist area. Because the park is on the boundary of the country’s rainy and dry zones, the landscape and surroundings are diverse. Elephants, crocodiles, water buffalo, and other animals may be seen in the park, which has a high population. In fact, it’s one of the greatest sites outside of Africa to watch elephants in the wild. Leopards can be found there as well, but they might be difficult to track or locate. Monkeys, as well as a variety of deer and small animals, can be found. It’s also a fantastic spot for bird viewing. There are several little cafes and guesthouses on the outside of Udawalawe, as well as inside the park. You may also go for a day vacation; the best times to go are extremely early in the morning or late in the afternoon.

4.Yala National Park

This national park, located on the island’s southeast coast, is famed for leopard hunts. Leopards are unusual, yet the park has a significant population, and they may be seen even on a day trip. A huge number of Asian elephants, which are particular to Sri Lanka, live in the park. Besides the animals, the park contains some amazing and diverse landscapes and ecosystems. You may explore tropical jungles, follow leopards over wide plains, or see the sea and beach environments of coastal places. Yala, which is not far from Hambantota, also has a lot of famous Buddhist temples and shrines.

5. Minneriya National Park

Minneriya National Park, town of Polonnaruwa, is the place to go if you want to view elephants in their natural surroundings. Because of its lush, protected setting, the park provides as a dry-season eating location for elephants that reside in the region’s woodlands (May to September). The park is located in Sri Lanka’s Dry Zone, which experiences significantly less rainfall than the rest of the country. Minneriya is a far better place to watch elephants than some of the country’s elephant orphanages and sanctuaries, which can be tourist traps where the animals are abused. Full- and half-day jeep safaris are available from a variety of operators, allowing you to explore the huge expanse. You might also go on a day excursion from Colombo to see the park.

6. Adam’s Peak

Adam’s Peak is another fantastic destination to visit in Sri Lanka that is all about the adventure. This mountain is covered with a holy rock formation, and pilgrims travel to the peak at night to take pictures of the sunrise. The popular walk (which is also wonderful for families and children) takes around three hours to complete and includes rest breaks and food sellers. Following the climb, you’ll come to a rock with a footprint-shaped depression, which some say is where Adam took his first step. Others say it is the imprint of Buddha, while others claim it was created by Shiva, the Hindu god. The Adam’s Peak walk begins in the central Sri Lankan hamlet of Nallathanniya. The months of December to May are the greatest for climbing.

7. Sigiriya

Sigiriya, like Machu Picchu and Masada, strikes tourists simply by the folly of its design. It’s a massive rock structure that has been fashioned into a castle. The ruins are located in Dambulla, in the country’s central region. The palace structure, which was built some 1,500 years ago, rests on a 660-foot (220-meter) mountain with steep walls. The historic painted paintings and sculptures on the walls convert the entire edifice into a piece of art. A massive doorway carved in the shape of a lion stands in the midst of one rock wall. Away from the palace, the region beneath the palace is an offering highly complex with gardens, residential and commercial districts.

8. Kandy

Kandy is the place to go if you want to understand and enjoy Sri Lankan history. The city is located in central Sri Lanka and was the historic capital of the Sri Lankan royal family, as well as the country’s principal hub prior to colonialism. Between the 15th and 18th centuries, the “Kandian Era” reached its height, when the territory remained free while most of the coastal districts were occupied by European forces. Visit the city’s National Museum of Kandy, which uses exhibits and objects to tell the history of the region and its people. The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, part of the royal palace complex, is a particularly important Buddhist shrine nearby. The city’s heart, Kandy Lake, provides a quiet relaxation from the heat. Mountain pathways around the lake, which are lined with beautiful temples.

Kandy is surrounded by mountains that are home to several coffee plantations. Some are open to the public and provide tours and tea sampling. Tropical forests surround it as well. Within the municipal borders lies the Udawatta Kele Sanctuary, a forest park. There are miles of hiking routes in the forest reserve, as well as an outstanding nature center with instructional materials.