Nuwara Eliya
Set in the mountainous centre of Sri Lanka, Nuwara Eliya is the centre of the tea-producing region, a famous British colonial retreat which is commonly referred to as ‘Little England’, renowned for elegant homestay bungalows out amongst the various tea plantations.
Galle
Set on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka, Galle (pronounced ‘gorl’) is an historic port, centred on an impressive Portuguese, Dutch and British fort, a lovely place to explore and with some really authentic accommodation options.
Yala
Set in the southeast corner of Sri Lanka, Yala is the largest and best-known national park in the country, famously home to elephants, leopards and sloth bears, as well as having some decent beaches. The area also has a surprisingly good range of safari accommodation.
Colombo
Set on the west coast of Sri Lanka, Colombo is the capital city and by far the largest urban area on the island. A mix of historic architecture and contemporary living, this vibrant place is certainly worth including in your trip if you want to get to know modern Sri Lanka.
Kandy
Set in the centre of Sri Lanka, Kandy is the second largest city in the country, but one which is very scenic, relatively intimate and easy to explore, particularly noted for the extremely holy Temple of Buddha’s Tooth and the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens.
Sigiriya
Set in northcentral Sri Lanka, Sigiriya is an iconic hilltop fortress. Other attractions in this area include the rock temples of Dambulla and the ruins of the ancient city of Polonnaruwa. It’s a fascinating area, which is home to some really good accommodation options.
Tangalle
Set on the south coast of Sri Lanka, Tangalle is a pleasant fishing port, lined either side with some lovely beaches, which feature an unusual mix of accommodation from intimate boutique guesthouses to enormous beach hotels and a major golf resort.
Bentota
Set on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka, Bentota is a pleasantly quiet beachfront area that can slide nicely into the start or end of a trip, with a handful of decent accommodation options, some interesting architectural connections and some good river kayaking.
Pasikuda
Set on the east coast of Sri Lanka, Pasikuda is a relatively quiet and beautiful beach area, easily combined in road trips with Sigiriya, Dambulla and Kandy, as well as featuring a broad range of accommodation options.
Knuckles
Set in the centre of Sri Lanka, Knuckles is a mountainous conservation area, whose dense cloud forest harbour a remarkable number of endemic species. The reserve is little-visited, but does offer some interesting walking trails, whilst the surrounding tea-plantations contain some interesting accommodation options.
Anuradhapura
Set in northcentral Sri Lanka, Anuradhapura is a relaxed town which is home to an enormous complex of historic ruins, with various sacred buildings including the renowned Bodhi Tree Temple, a place of great pilgrimage amongst Buddhists.
Wilpattu
Set in the northwest of Sri Lanka, Wilpattu National Park is the largest conservation area in the country, home to a decent range of wildlife, notably including elephants, leopards and sloth bears. It also experiences far lower visitor numbers than the more popular Yala National Park.
Maduru Oya
Set in the east of Sri Lanka, Maduru Oya National Park is a relatively small conservation area, home to a decent range of wildlife, but best known for its cultural significance, especially as a stronghold for the ancient Vedda tribe of hunter-gatherers.
Puttalam
Set on the relatively remote northwest coast of Sri Lanka, Puttalam is a large ocean lagoon which is renowned for its superb kite-surfing, gorgeous rural and beach scenery and a handful of blissfully simple beach lodges.
Gal Oya
Set in the east of Sri Lanka, Gal Oya National Park is a relatively small conservation area, best known for motorboat safari to view elephants swimming between the various islands in the huge reservoir.
Trincomalee
Set on the remote northeast coast of Sri Lanka, Trincomalee is an important Tamil town, which suffered enormously during the civil war, but which now offers visitors some beautiful beaches, with diving, snorkelling and surfing.
Wasgamuwa
Set in the east of Sri Lanka, Wasgamuwa National Park is a relatively small but very scenic conservation area, home to a decent range of wildlife, notably including some large herds of elephants and often with blissfully low visitor numbers.
Udawalawe
Set in southcentral Sri Lanka, Udawalawe is a small but scenic national park, which is best known for its elephants, which can usually be seen throughout the day, enabling an unusually relaxed safari schedule.
Pottuvil
Set on the relatively remote southeast coast of Sri Lanka, Pottuvil is one of a string of sleepy Muslim fishing villages. The area is renowned for surfing and contains a handful of decent beach lodges which can be used to break a safari between Yala and the eastern parks.
