Places to visit in Sri Lanka

Dotted with beautiful beaches and stunning heritage ruins, Sri Lanka offers the best of both worlds. This teardrop-shaped country in the Indian Ocean is one of the kind countries that offer spectacular touristic opportunities. There are about eight UNESCO world heritage sites in the country, each one having a glorious history attached to it. This island nation has some fantastic pearl-like sandy beaches, an abundance of wildlife, lush green hilly regions and majestic and mystic temples of Buddhism.

Sri Lanka is truly a paradise on earth; from beautiful sunrise and sunsets, spellbinding tourist attractions to freshly brewed tea from tea plantations, Sri Lanka has it all. It is definitely one of the finest places to explore water activities such as scuba diving and surfing; apart from that, a must-do thing in Sri Lanka is Whale watching and trying out the local cuisine. Sri Lanka is unarguably a fabulous place that is a must-visit tourist destination.

Top places to see in Sri Lanka

Galle

Having been one of the most important ports during the spice trade, Galle has a colonial influence on it. This beautiful town of Galle is a wonderful destination which had been under Dutch colony for a long time. The most popular tourist attraction is the Galle fort – which is also a UNESCO world heritage site, attracts tourists to this colonial town. Today the fort and its area are transformed into a heritage Hotel, restaurant and cafes. Galle is also known for some beautiful Dutch architecture such as Galle clock tower, lighthouse, Old Dutch hospital and Dutch reformed church.

Distance from Colombo: 145 km

Bentota

Gorgeous beaches, water sports and pleasant sunsets; Bentota is all about three S – Sea, Sand and Sun. This stunning beach destination is one of the most visited places in Sri Lanka. Located at a distance of about 60 km from the main city of Colombo, Bentota is a beach town with pristine water and lush green landscapes. With a white sand beach on one side and a river lagoon on the other, it is truly picturesque to be walking along the beach. Bentota is most popular for water activities such as Jet skiing, parasailing, scuba diving and snorkelling; another unique attraction is the river safari into the river lagoon called Bentota Ganga. Apart from beach bumming and water activities, one must try the ayurvedic spa here.

Distance from Colombo: 100 km

Colombo

The former capital and currently a commercial capital of Sri Lanka, Colombo is one of the prominent destinations in the island nation. It is also the largest city with thriving opportunities such as tourism, business and financial. Colombo is also the only city in a country that has international airport, thus there are lakhs of tourists enter from Colombo, thus there are some stunning properties with world-class services, catering to the tourists. This vibrant city of Sri Lanka offers tourist attractions such as colonial buildings such as Fort, intriguing National museum, Beira Lake – with serene waters and Gangaramata Temple – a bustling Buddhist temple complexes.

Distance from Colombo airport: 32 km

Yala National Park

A Thick jungle, rocky ridges and wide-open savannah is what Yala is. Yala National Park is one of the largest national parks in the country is home to the largest number of leopard population in the world. This spectacular national park was earlier a hunting ground for the British, came under protection in the year 1936 A.D. Ever since, it has become a home to rich biodiversity. There are over 44 mammals and 200 varieties of birds in the parks. There are about five zones in the national park and where zone 1 and zone 5 can be visited by the tourists. The rest of the zones are restricted to documentary filmmakers and professional photographers. Thousands of tourists are allured to this national park as you will come across maximum number of animals such as Leopards, elephants, crocodiles, deer, wild pigs, buffalos and peacocks.

Distance from Colombo: 195 km

Mirissa

Located in the southern coast of Sri Lanka, Mirissa is an ideal destination for beach lovers. The turquoise waters of Indian over washes the shores of Mirissa, which is surrounded by wonderful tall coconut trees and fantastic white-sand beaches. Sunsets on this beach happen to be the best, so don’t miss it. Popular activities to do in Mirissa is surfing, Whale watching and scuba diving. It is a perfect destination for relaxing and partying in Sri Lanka; there are beautiful cafes and bars by the beach serving tasty food and drinks.

Distance from Colombo: 170 km

Anuradhapura

Anuradhapura is the most ancient city of Sri Lanka. This stunning city is dotted with several historical heritage sites. Did you known Anuradhapura was the first capital city of Sri Lanka that was established in the year 377 BCE? Anuradhapura happens to be the place where Buddhism began in this country, thus the city is dotted with ancient temples and ruined palace complexes. It is now one of the most visited places in Sri Lanka, especially for the pilgrims Anuradhapura is considered to be one of the eight sacred places in the country. Visit this ancient capital city and be stunned.

Distance from Colombo: 200 km

Polonnaruwa

Polonnaruwa is one of the ancient cities of Sri Lanka, which has been listed in UNESCO’s world heritage site. This stunning city once served as a capital of Kingdom of Polonnaruwa in the 10^th century, making it the 2^nd most historic cities in the island nation. The stunning ruins of the ancient city are the most alluring part of Polonnaruwa. Of these ruins, some of them are dated back to over 800 years; they are temples, tombs, statues and stupas. There are about five groups of complexes, which consists of the ruins mentioned above; are simply worth visiting. Apart from visiting the ancient ruins, one can visit the Minneriya National Park dedicated to the elephants.

Distance from Colombo: 229 km

Nuwara Eliya

This beautiful town situated at an elevation of 1868 m above sea level, is a beautiful destination in the midst of greenery. Nuwara Eliya is one of the beautiful hill stations in Sri Lanka that is blessed with an abundance of natural beauty; ranging from stunning waterfalls, lakes and tea plantations. The weather in this region is eternally beautiful, where the winter doesn’t seem to end at all. This stunning hill town often referred to as ‘Little England’, as the British settlers built their holiday homes here and apart from that Nuwara Eliya is dotted with colonial buildings. Most visited tourists sites here are Gregory Lake, Horton Plain National Park and Lover’s leap falls.

Distance from Colombo: 170 km

Kandy

Often considered to be a cultural capital of this island nation, Kandy is one of the prominent tourist destinations noted by the UNESCO as a world heritage site. Kandy is also a historical city which was home to the last royal kingdom in the country. Home to the temple of Tooth Relic, which is considered to be the most sacred temple in the country, Kandy is often visited by pilgrims and tourists. Nestled in the midst of green hills, lays this beautiful city of Kandy alluring thousands of tourists from across the world. Other popular attractions in the city of Kandy are remnants of Royal palace of Kandy, a vibrant festival of Esala Perahera, Kandy Lake and world Buddhist museum.

Distance from Colombo: 120 km

Trincomalee

This stunning beach destination is located in the northeast of Sri Lanka is a major port city. Popularly referred to as Trinco, the tourism is rapidly developing the region in recent years, as it emerged as a potential beach destination in the east coast of Sri Lanka. The most popular beaches are Uppuveli and Nilaveli, both the beaches are breathtakingly beautiful surrounded by stunning landscape with an abundance of wildlife and rock structures. With beautiful deep waters, Trinco is a fantastic place for exciting water sports such as snorkelling and Scuba diving, Dolphin and Whale watching.

Distance from Colombo: 265 km

Dambulla

Dambulla is one of the sleepy towns of Sri Lanka located in the central province of the country. This beautiful town is home to one of the ancient sites of pre-historic sightings. It is also the place where Buddhists have found themselves Cave temple complexes. This Cave temple complex is one of the largest and best-preserved caves dated back to first century BCE. These complexes have five caves of varied sizes. In the year 1991, these cave temple complexes have been declared a UNESCO world heritage site, thus attracting tourists from across the world. Other popular attractions are the Golden Buddha statue, Buddha Museum and Sigiriya rock.

Distance from Colombo: 160 km

Suggested Itinerary

10N/11D

Day 1: Colombo arrival; transfer to Kandy

Day 2: Kandy: Sigiriya day visit

Day 3: Kandy to Nuwara Eliya transfer

Day 4: Nuwara Eliya sightseeing

Day 5: Transfer to Yala

Day 6: Yala to Mirissa

Day 7: Mirissa Whale watching

Day 8: Transfer to Bentota

Day 9: Bentota

Day 10: Transfer to Colombo

Day 11: Colombo departure.

Best time to visit

Sri Lanka is one of the beautiful countries in the world that can be visited throughout the year. However, when it comes to the question of the best time to visit, December to April is what recommended. Although being a small country, the weather patterns are quite complex. There are two monsoons at a different time in different regions of the country; implying that where one part of the country is wet, the other is dry at the same time. May to August is when it rains in the south and west coast of the country. During this time, one can visit the North and the east part of Sri Lanka. And the best time to visit the South and the west coast is from December to April.

What to eat?

Hoppers – Also called as appam; comes in a variety of forms such as egg hoppers & string hoppers. These are an absolute delight to who love breakfast. While egg hoppers are shaped like a blow, made up of fermented rice flour, coconut milk and coconut water and an egg is cracked in the middle as it cooks. String Hoppers are nothing but a south Indian version of Idiyappam. This is also made up of fermented rice flour and coconut milk. This is served with coconut sambol or coconut stew.

Vegetable roti – This tasty snack is commonly available in the streets of Sri Lanka. These are rotis shaped in a triangle or cylindrical, stuffed with vegetables or fish or eggs.

Coconut Sambol – This tasty side dish is absolutely lip-smacking. It is made up of grated coconut, red onions, dried chillies, lime juice and salt. It is eaten with absolutely anything from roti, rice or even egg hoppers.

What to Shop?

Shopping in Sri Lanka is a fascinating thing to do. With so many things to take home as a souvenir, one has to spare a whole day for Shopping in Sri Lanka. Here is a list of things one can buy to take back home as a souvenir:

Sari – Sri Lankan sari although similar to Indian, there is one type of sari mostly worn by the locals in the hilly regions of Sri Lanka. This style is called the Kandyan style of sari draping. These saris come in beautiful colours.

Tea – Tea as a souvenir is a popular thing to buy, especially when you are in Kandy or Nuwara Eliya. You will come across a different type of tea; especially the black tea which is quite common in Sri Lanka.

Spices – Sri Lanka is a pretty popular country for its spices. You will come across a different variety of spices that are worth taking as a souvenir, especially the cinnamon from Ceylon is a must buy.

Wooden mask – Also known as the Raksha mask; these colourful masks make a perfect souvenir as it comes in different shapes and sizes starting from 3 inches.

Where to Stay?

Colombo – The capital city of Sri Lanka has a plethora of options when it comes to accommodations. Budget-friendly hotels to Luxury Hotels, homestays to service apartments, Sri Lanka has everything. Some of the best options are:

City Lake residence by sunrise – is a centrally located hotel with a reasonable tariff

Shangri La Hotel Colombo – is a hotel of Luxury at its best.

Anuradhapura – This ancient town of Sri Lanka is visited by thousands of tourists every year. With decent accommodation options, Anuradhapura is a beautiful place to stay. Some of the best options are:

Green Garden Anuradhapura – Is a family run Hotel property, in a lovely location.

Rajarata Hotel – This beautiful hotel located near Anuradhapura railway station. This beautiful Hotel is known for stylish interiors.

Kandy – Kandy happens to be the second-largest city after Colombo. It is also one of the most popular cities in Sri Lanka that attracted tourists for its stunning hills and tea plantations. Some of the beautiful properties to stay are:

Freedom Lodge – Located near the beautiful Kandy Lake, Freedom lodge provides a standard stay with basic facility.

Clingendael – This stunning property located on the Victoria Golf course, in the coconut hill of Kandy.

Nuwara Eliya – The colonial town of Sri Lanka is simply the one of the beautiful towns are known for fantastic weather and scenic locations. There are several options for one to stay; some of them are:

Glendower – This beautiful boutique hotel is one of the affordable places to stay in Nuwara Eliya.

Galaxy Grand Hotel – This luxury property offers a fantastic view of Gregory Lake.

Yala – This popular destination attracts tourists from all over to this fabulous region that is home to a variety of wildlife. Many tourists come down for safari here. Thus there are a decent number of properties with good service. Although it can be expensive, every penny you spend here is worth it.

Jetwing Yala – This four-star luxury hotel is known to provide world-class service along with jungle safari

Cinnamon Yala – This property too is a stunning hotel providing fabulous service.

There are a number of affordable hotel options available in Tissa which is located at a distance of 35 km, is also a great option for budget travellers.

Bentota – Exotic beach destination like Bentota is one of the happening places in Sri Lanka. There are some fabulous properties in Bentota that will leave you mesmerised. Some of these properties are:

Avani Bentota – This is one of the best luxury properties in Bentota. With a breath-taking location, the service offered here is absolutely fantastic.

Hotel Bentota village – This hotel is one of the affordable hotels in Bentota, with a beautiful architecture.

Visa

Obtaining a visa to a beautiful country like Sri Lanka is one of the simplest processes. And guess what, now you can enter Sri Lanka free of cost. All you have to do is apply for an online visa. Once you fill the form, Sri Lanka will issue an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization). This allows the traveller for short visits or Tourism purposes.

The major required documents to travel are:

• A passport valid for six months at least.
• Return air ticket and Hotel booking
• A passport size photograph with a white background.

How to reach

Sri Lanka, the island country is easily accessible by Air. Travelling by air is the quickest and easiest option to get to Sri Lanka. There are a number of airlines available from India; with great connectivity, some of the popular airlines are Air Asia, Air India and Sri Lankan Airline has a direct from cities like Chennai, Trivandrum, Kochi, Bangalore and Mumbai. Travelling by sea to Sri Lanka is a time-consuming option. There are luxury cruises and ferries plying to Colombo from Indian ports such as Tuticorin and Mumbai.