colombo & negambo coast

A good place to start or end your tour. Close to the airport but far enough away to relax.

west coast

A thriving resort area hosting many hotels with pools and access to awesome beaches.

south coast

Palm-fringed beaches, secluded bays and private villas. What could be better.

east coast

Beauiful beaches and a much more relaxed and layed back atmosphere than the West.

central highlands

Tea Plantations and the ancient capital of Kandy make this area a must.

cultural triangle

For the culture vultures out there, Sri Lanka will deliver - Ancient cities, temples, spice gardens, ayurveda spas and peace & quiet.

kandy

A highlight of any trip: tea plantations, rainforests, the ancient city of Kandy, gem stone mining to name but a few.

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With year-round sunshine and genial air, Colombo remains strikingly laid back for a capital city, helping to relax even the most stressed-out traveller. A compact and easily-explored city, Colombo offers bargain seekers an attractive range of clothing, handicrafts and jewellery in attractive surroundings.

Sri Lanka’s west coast attracts the bulk of the holidaymakers who flock to the sandy beaches of the Indian Ocean for a traditional beach holiday.

But the region offers not just traditional package hotels – many of them recently upgraded – but small, independent properties and luxury boutique properties. A mood to suit all travellers.

The gateway to the south is the historic, fortified town of Galle. A haven for craft shops, museums, art galleries and which houses a select collection of wonderfully renovated hotels and villas. Accommodation choices tend to be more intimate here – luxury villas vie for attention with independent cabana-style properties. True tranquillity.

Sri Lanka's east coast was hardest hit of all by the Boxing Day tsunami. That, along with the country's long running civil war in the north and east has meant that much of the east coast has been off limits to many travellers.

The Sri Lankan highlands enhance the country's richly-varied landscape. Only a few hours from the coast, here is a land of rushing waterfalls, plunging ravines and tea estates clinging precariously to steep hillsides.

Sri Lanka’s famous historical sites have become the staple of many a travel programme. The ruined old capitals of Polonnuruwa and Anuradhapura, the lion rock of Mount Sigiriya, and the Dambulla rock temple, possess a real sense of history.

Kandy’s proud heritage and splendid lakeside setting has long made it a favourite haunt for Sri Lanka travellers. This bustling hill-country capital is the natural gateway to a lush central region of tea plantations, gurgling streams and stirring history.

Recommended By

Rough Guide recommended