Sri Lanka

Nestled invitingly in the India Ocean, off the south coast of India, Sri Lanka is a glorious hive of beauty and serenity waiting to be uncovered.

For a relatively small island, Sri Lanka boasts eight UNESCO World Heritage sites and it’s so easy to travel across and around the country that you can easily fit many of them in during your holidays in Sri Lanka, plus plenty more.

Culture vultures will want to head to Sri Lanka’s capital of culture, Kandy, which in itself is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Here, you’ll find Buddhism’s most important shrine, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth, which is said to house a portion of the Buddha’s tooth. The Royal Botanic Gardens of Peradeniya are also well worth a visit, while Kandy Old Town’s markets are a great place to sample local cuisine, like kottu roti, which is truly sumptuous.

Outside of the towns and cities, Sri Lanka holidays are well known for their natural beauty and amazing array of wildlife. Elephants are a particularly beautiful sight on the island and there’s no better place to see them roaming free than in Udawalawe National Park. Meanwhile, head to Yala National Park, Sri Lanka’s number one leopard sanctuary, to see the big cats or Dondra Head for a spot of whale watching.

And of course, being an island nation in the Indian Ocean, beach holidays in Sri Lanka are spectacular too. The country’s pure white, largely untouched shores and gloriously blue waters surround the island, so you’re never far away from a day of rest and relaxation in paradise.

Hiriketiya Beach on the south coast and Uppuveli Beach towards the north of the island are perfect places for chilling out, while Bentota on the west coast and Arugam Bay on the east coast are top spots for watersports enthusiasts.