Sri Lanka Destination Guide

Following 30 years of internal conflict, the tropical forest terrains of steamy Sri Lanka are again safe and wonderful to visit.

Come between rainy seasons, (October to January and May to the end of July) otherwise your holidays will be spent inside a resort reading books. Though it seems like a small island, Sri Lanka has a vast store of converging cultures and many historical relics attached to them, like Kandy, the spiritual centre of the country where the tooth of the Buddha is located.

There are dozens of good resorts in and around Galle, home to an antiquated Dutch Fort; and the city of Anuradhapura is awash with ancient ruins. Colombo is the commercial capital and is generally regarded as the melting pot of cultures and food, with a fabulous range of nightlife.

Colombo has many important museums and beautiful parks, including The National Museum of Colombo, the Colombo Zoological Gardens replete with birds, animals and dazzling botanical specimens. A stroll along the Galle Face Green Promenade is fantastic for sampling street food and watching the sunset beyond the Indian Ocean.

Trips to the arid southeast to the beautiful beaches of Arugam Bay are worth your time, as are journeys to the dramatic visits of Horton Plains National Park and Yala National Park.