Explore the pearl of the Indian Ocean

The Most Beautiful Places in Sri Lanka

Eight UNESCO World Heritage sites, twenty-six national parks and 1,300km of coastline, all within a country you can drive across in a day. Here is where to go and why.

CEN

Central Province

Central Sri Lanka

Kandy · Sigiriya · Nuwara Eliya · Dambulla

Kandy

The hill capital and heart of Sinhalese culture

Sigiriya

The Lion Rock fortress rising straight out of the jungle

Nuwara Eliya

"Little England" in the high tea country

Dambulla

Five cave temples painted from floor to ceiling

UVA

Uva Province

Uva Sri Lanka

Ella

Tea country, waterfalls and the most photographed bridge in Asia

SOU

Southern Province

Southern Sri Lanka

Galle · Mirissa · Yala · Bentota · Hikkaduwa

Galle

A Dutch colonial fort city on the Indian Ocean

Mirissa

Blue whales, palm-fringed sand and slow evenings

Yala

The best chance of a leopard anywhere on earth

Bentota

River safaris, water sports and long resort beaches

Hikkaduwa

Coral gardens, surf and turtles at the shoreline

WES

Western Province

Western Sri Lanka

Colombo

The commercial capital, where most trips begin and end

NOR

North Central Province

North Central Sri Lanka

Polonnaruwa · Anuradhapura

Polonnaruwa

A compact medieval capital you can cycle in a day

Anuradhapura

A sacred city older than most European capitals

EAS

Eastern Province

Eastern Sri Lanka

Trincomalee · Arugam Bay

Trincomalee

One of the world’s finest natural harbours

Arugam Bay

Sri Lanka’s premier surf point

NOR

Northern Province

Northern Sri Lanka

Jaffna

Tamil culture, island causeways and a different Sri Lanka