You can visit innumerable archaeological sites, visit tea plantations and tea shops, hike up to the mountain peaks of Sri Lanka, or just relax on the beach.
Ella is home to some of Sri Lanka’s most breathtaking scenery. This small village, only 8 kilometers from Bandarawela, serves as a base for many trekking treks into the surrounding area. If you walk into the Garden of the Grand Ella Motel (Formerly Ella Rest House), where you seem to be standing on the edge of the world and everything around you seems to disappear at your feet, you can get a taste of Ella’s breathtaking scenery. Another great view is from the Ambiente Hotel, where the large doorway opens out to the mountains, giving a dramatic cinematic experience upon entering. The Ella Gap, Ravana Falls andLittle Adams peak are among the places you can visit in Ella.
Anuradhapura is one of Sri Lanka’s ancient capitals, known for its well-preserved ancient Lankan civilization ruins. In Hindu mythology, Anuradhapura is also known as the fabled capital of the Asura King Ravana in the Ramayana. It served as the capital of Sri Lanka from the 4th century BC until the beginning of the 11th century AD. During this time, it remained one of South Asia’s most stable and long-lasting centers of political power and urban life. The Buddhist world considers the ancient city to be sacred, and it is now surrounded by monasteries that occupy an area of over sixteen square miles (40 km2).
Bentota is located on the southernmost tip of the Galle District in the Southern Province. It is a coastal city in Sri Lanka known for its golden beaches. The town is a well-known tourist destination. It is particularly well-known among foreign visitors. Bentota is home to a few internationally acclaimed hotels. It is the home of Aida, a well-known Sri Lankan jeweler. Ayurveda, a traditional therapeutic art, is also practiced in Bentota. Bentota is well known for its Toddy production. Coconut nectar is used to make an alcoholic beverage. The population of the city is believed to be between 25,000 and 50,000 people.
Colombo was known to ancient traders 2,000 years ago due to its enormous harbor and strategic location along the East-West maritime trade routes. Until Sri Lanka was ceded to the British Empire in 1815, it was made the island’s capital, and its status as such was kept when the country gained independence in 1948. Colombo was declared as a city in 1978, when administrative activities were shifted to Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.
It is situated in 113 kilometers away from Colombo. The Galle Fort, also known as the Dutch Fort or the “Ramparts of Galle”, is a historical, archaeological and architectural heritage monument, which even after more than 423 years maintains a polished appearance, due to extensive reconstruction work done by Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka. Galle lighthouse, Galle clock tower, Groote Kerk – Galle, All Saints’ Church – Galle, National Museum in Galle, Old Dutch Hospital, National Maritime Museum Galle are main archaeological and architectural heritage monuments in Galle fort. The fort has a colorful history, and today has a multi-ethnic and multi-religious population. The Sri Lankan government and many Dutch people who still own some of the properties inside the fort are looking at making this one of the modern wonders of the world. The heritage value of the fort has been recognized by the UNESCO and the site has been inscribed as a cultural heritage UNESCO World Heritage Site under criteria IV, for its unique exposition of “an urban ensemble which illustrates the interaction of European architecture and South Asian traditions from the 16th to the 19th centuries.”
Mirissa is a small town on the south coast of Sri Lanka, located in the Matara District of the Southern Province. It is approximately 150 kilometres (93 mi) south of Colombo and is situated at an elevation of 4 metres (13 ft) above sea level. Mirissa’s beach and nightlife make it a popular tourist destination. It is also a fishing port and one of the island’s main whale and dolphin watching locations.
Nuwara Eliya is a city in the tea country hills of central Sri Lanka. The naturally landscaped Hakgala Botanical Gardens displays roses and tree ferns, and shelters monkeys and blue magpies. Nearby Seetha Amman Temple, a colorful Hindu shrine, is decorated with religious figures. Densely forested Galway’s Land National Park is a sanctuary for endemic and migratory bird species, including bulbuls and flycatchers.
Kalpitiya is a coastal town located in western region of, Puttalam District. The Kalpitiya peninsula consists of a total fourteen islands. It is developing as a tourist destination.
Kandy is a large city in central Sri Lanka. It’s set on a plateau surrounded by mountains, which are home to tea plantations and biodiverse rainforest. The city’s heart is scenic Kandy Lake (Bogambara Lake), which is popular for strolling. Kandy is famed for sacred Buddhist sites, including the Temple of the Tooth (Sri Dalada Maligawa) shrine, celebrated with the grand Esala Perahera annual procession.
Batticaloa is a major city in the Eastern Province, Sri Lanka, and its former capital. It is the administrative capital of the Batticaloa District. The city is the seat of the Eastern University of Sri Lanka and is a major commercial centre.
The National Museum of Natural History is a museum that covers the natural heritage of Sri Lanka. The museum is located closer to the National Museum of Colombo. It was established on September 23, 1986 and became only one museum in Sri Lanka that represents natural history and natural heritage.
This large, sacred mountain (7,359 feet/2,243 meters), is topped with a rock formation that has significance to many religions. At the summit, there is a large boulder with an imprint that looks like a footprint. To Buddhists, it’s the footprint of Buddha; to Muslims and Christians, it’s the footprint of Adam (thus the site’s Western name); and to Hindus, it was created by the deity Shiva. Whatever your belief, Adam’s Peak is a beautiful natural site to visit, and it’s a cool adventure to climb the mountain. The pilgrimage path is mainly steps and stairs, and it takes at least a few hours each way. The mountain is accessed from routes beginning in the village of Nallathanniya in central Sri Lanka. The best times to climb it are between December and May. Most people start the climb at night, so they reach the summit at sunrise.
This ancient rock fortress was once the mountaintop palace of the island’s king. Believed to have been constructed during the 4th and 5th centuries CE, the palace ruins are at the top of a 660-foot (220-meter) rock formation. The sides of the mountain had giant frescoes painted on them, and halfway up the mountain there’s a giant gateway carved in the shape of a lion. The structure’s name means lion rock in ancient Sanskrit.
Missing Yala National Park while Sri Lanka sightseeing might bring regret to wildlife lovers. It is home to a host of wildlife and birds you are bound to run into a group of elephants bathing in streams, tossing their trunks wildly or leopards nestling lazily on tree branches. You could opt for the safari drives or a nature trail among the thick green foliage of the forest. Some tourists also camp at Yala and enjoy a barbeque under the stars. With so much to see and do here, Yala is indeed one of the best tourist places in Sri Lanka. Yala is the perfect place to try your hand at wildlife photography.
Arugam Bay, known locally as “Arugam Kudah”, is situated on the Indian Ocean in the dry zone of Sri Lanka’s southeast coast, and a historic settlement of the ancient Batticaloa Territory.