Where should I go in Sri Lanka?

Every corner of the island we know like home, the ones we keep sending travellers back to. Here’s each one, broken down the way we’d explain it to a friend, so you can picture where your own journey should go.

Cities & Culture

3 places

Cities & Culture

Colombo

Sri Lanka's big, busy, surprisingly charming front door.

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Cities & Culture

Kandy

The cultural heart of the island, wrapped around a lake.

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Cities & Culture

Negombo

A working fishing town by the airport, and an easy first or last night.

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South Coast

5 places

South Coast

Galle

A 400-year-old Dutch fort town above the Indian Ocean.

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South Coast

Mirissa

Whales at dawn, palm trees at sunset.

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South Coast

Weligama

The friendliest learner waves in Asia.

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South Coast

Ahangama

The cool kid of the south coast.

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South Coast

Hiriketiya

A perfect horseshoe bay you'll want to keep secret.

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Hill Country

3 places

Hill Country

Ella

Mountain views, waterfalls, and the island's most famous train ride.

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Hill Country

Nuwara Eliya

Tea estates, cool air, and a town they call Little England.

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Hill Country

Horton Plains & World's End

A high plateau that ends, suddenly, at a sheer thousand-metre drop.

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East Coast

2 places

East Coast

Arugam Bay

World-class right-handers on the wild east coast.

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East Coast

Trincomalee

Deep-water bays and powder beaches on the road less travelled.

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Wildlife & Ancient

8 places

Wildlife & Ancient

Yala National Park

Among the best places on earth to see a wild leopard.

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Wildlife & Ancient

Sigiriya

A 5th-century palace on top of a 200-metre rock.

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Wildlife & Ancient

Dambulla

Golden Buddhas in a painted cave temple.

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Wildlife & Ancient

Anuradhapura

The island's first great capital, still sacred after two thousand years.

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Wildlife & Ancient

Polonnaruwa

The island's second capital, compact, walkable, and beautifully preserved.

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Wildlife & Ancient

Minneriya National Park

Where hundreds of wild elephants gather around an ancient reservoir.

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Wildlife & Ancient

Udawalawe National Park

The surest place on the island to see wild elephants up close.

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Wildlife & Ancient

Sinharaja Rainforest

The island's last primary rainforest, and half its endemic species.

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The North

1 place

The North

Jaffna

The proud, distinct capital of the north, a different Sri Lanka entirely.

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