Sri Lanka, for travellers

Hover over a province to see the places worth the trip.

boundaries: geoBoundaries (CC BY 4.0)

Places worth the trip, province by province

Western Province (බස්නාහිර)

Colombo: Galle Face Green at sunset, Pettah markets and the Gangaramaya Temple.
Negombo: Lagoon fishing boats and the fish market, close to the airport.
Mount Lavinia: A city beach with seafood dinners on the sand.
Kalutara: The hollow stupa by the river and quiet southern-edge beaches.

Central Province (මධ්‍යම)

Kandy: The Temple of the Tooth, the lake walk and the Peradeniya gardens.
Sigiriya: The 5th-century rock fortress. Climb early to beat the heat.
Dambulla: Cave temples filled with painted ceilings and Buddha statues.
Nuwara Eliya: Cool hill country, tea estates and colonial bungalows.
Horton Plains: A dawn hike to World's End cliff before the mist rolls in.

Southern Province (දකුණු)

Galle Fort: Walk the ramparts of the Dutch fort, then its cafés and lanes.
Unawatuna: A calm, curved bay for swimming and snorkelling.
Mirissa: Whale watching from November to April and Coconut Tree Hill.
Yala: The best odds of seeing a leopard in the wild.

Uva Province (ඌව)

Ella: Little Adam's Peak, Ella Rock and a laid-back village strip.
Nine Arches Bridge: The stone viaduct in the jungle. Time it with a passing train.
Ravana Falls: A roadside waterfall on the way down from Ella.
Haputale: Lipton's Seat viewpoint over endless tea ridges.

Sabaragamuwa Province (සබරගමුව)

Adam's Peak: The night pilgrimage climb to Sri Pada for sunrise.
Pinnawala: Elephants bathing in the Maha Oya river.
Sinharaja: A UNESCO rainforest full of endemic birds.
Udawalawe: Big elephant herds on open grassland safaris.

Eastern Province (නැගෙනහිර)

Trincomalee: Koneswaram Temple on the cliff and Nilaveli beach nearby.
Pigeon Island: Coral reefs and blacktip reef sharks in shallow water.
Pasikudah: A shallow lagoon beach you can wade out into for hundreds of metres.
Arugam Bay: A surf town with world-class breaks from May to September.

Northern Province (උතුරු)

Jaffna: Tamil culture, the Jaffna Fort and some of the best curry on the island.
Nallur Kovil: A golden Hindu temple. Visit for the evening puja.
Delft Island: Wild ponies, coral walls and a slow ferry ride out.
Mannar: Flamingos in season and the baobab tree.

North Central Province (උතුරු මැද)

Anuradhapura: Ancient capital with huge stupas and the sacred Bodhi tree.
Mihintale: The hilltop where Buddhism arrived on the island.
Polonnaruwa: Medieval ruins best explored by bicycle.
Minneriya: The elephant gathering from July to September.

North Western Province (වයඹ)

Wilpattu: The largest national park, with lakes, sloth bears and few crowds.
Kalpitiya: Kitesurfing lagoons and dolphin pods offshore.
Yapahuwa: A rock fortress with an ornate stone staircase.
Kurunegala: Elephant Rock viewpoint over the town and lake.