Sri Lanka, one of the most colorful countries in the world, has something to surprise its guests with. An interesting history, unique culture, unusual traditions and rituals – all this is complemented by the most beautiful sights and opportunities for an excellent holiday on the coast of the Indian Ocean.

The country has long realized its potential as a tourist paradise, so all conditions have been created for the convenience of visitors. The list of sightseeing tours alone can impress even the most sophisticated travelers. Here and walks along the beaches with golden sand under a piercing blue sky, and breathtaking cascading waterfalls, and an amazing variety of tropical flora and fauna.

How to get to Sri Lanka on your own – read our article.

Particular attention, of course, is paid to the visiting card of Sri Lanka – tea plantations. It is this product that the country is most proud of, and every local resident can describe the process of growing and producing a fragrant drink for a long time and colorfully.

This country is an ideal destination for a holiday at any time of the year, because Sri Lanka is incredibly lucky with its climatic conditions – almost all year round the air temperature is around 27 degrees. Fans of water sports are advised to plan their visit for November-April: it is at this time that the weather is fine here, most suitable for active entertainment on the water.

What to do if you missed the plane – read our article.

Listing all the resorts of Sri Lanka is a thankless task, there is always something to forget. The most popular are Hikkaduwa, Bentota, Nuwara Eliya, Negombo and others. All of them are united by one thing – these places seem to be created for a great beach holiday. The beaches in these cities delight with the purest golden sand, the water is clear and warm, and in the shade of tall coconut palms, you can perfectly wait out the midday heat. A distinctive feature of these particular latitudes are the unique underwater coral gardens, teeming with colorful fish.

Hotels and resorts vying with each other offer all kinds of attractions: already loved by many diving, snorkeling (swimming and snorkeling), interactive safaris, surfing and windsurfing, kayak and canoe tours. You can also admire the marvelous landscapes from a bird's eye view by ordering a helicopter tour.

Paradise, tea and waterfalls – Nuwara Eliya

Nuwara Eliya is recognized as one of the most popular tourist destinations in Sri Lanka. Located high in the mountains (1884 m above sea level), the city has a particularly mild climate. The temperature here always fluctuates between 15-20 degrees Celsius. Like any highland area, the surroundings of Nuwara Eliya amaze with picturesque landscapes: majestic mountains on the horizon, bright green meadows, shady valleys.

Tourists, tired of the heat in other cities, have been drawn here for years. Local residents also began to follow this tradition, laid down by the British during the colonization. The slopes of the nearby mountains are irrigated by waterfalls, which creates a unique microclimate for growing the world's best teas.

Nuwara Eliya will not offer you a vibrant nightlife, the whole city falls asleep along with the last rays of the sun. However, during the day there is a clear revival – people take to the streets, relax in restaurants, a large number of entertainment programs are provided for tourists. For lovers of excitement and horse racing, the hippodrome functions throughout April. Not far from the hippodrome is the picturesque Lake Gregory, a distinctive feature of which is a farm for breeding a special type of brown trout, brought here in 1882.

Adam's Peak

If you go outside the city, you will see Adam's Peak – a mandatory stop for photos, included in all excursions. There are constant pilgrimages to the top of the peak, as believers go there to worship the sacred footprint. According to legend, it was here that God exiled Adam after the latter dared to disobey God's orders. The largest number of pilgrims tend to climb the peak in December. For convenience, the steep steps are illuminated.

The way up is very difficult and tiring, however, once you get there at a certain time, you can enjoy the unique spectacle of the sunrise and a bird's-eye view of the city itself.

Tea

It is in this region that the best varieties of Ceylon tea are grown. This plant was brought to Sri Lanka from China in 1824. A little later, in 1839, Indian varieties appeared here. The first tests were carried out at the state level by the staff of the Botanical Garden of Peradeniya. Tea from Nuwara Eliya has a special taste due to the unique growing conditions – at an altitude of about three thousand above sea level, surrounded by eucalyptus and cypress trees.

Sun and water lovers – Bentota

Not far from the capital of Colombo is another wonderful resort – Bentota. The city is located in a unique place – between the sea coast and the mouth of the river flowing there. The climate here is pleasant: the air temperature is within 25-30 degrees, the water temperature is about 25-26 degrees all year round. Connoisseurs advise planning a trip to Bentota for the period from October to April.

Masquerade

If you're lucky and pick the right time to visit, you'll get a unique chance to see the annual masquerade taking place on the streets of the city and in the open theatre. Festival participants dress up as fairy-tale creatures and put on real open-air shows. Theatrical performances, puppet shows and colorful masquerades are also part of the daily entertainment program at many Bentota hotels.

Water sports

Connoisseurs of water sports gather in Bentota all year round. It is here that the largest sports center in Sri Lanka and the world famous diving club are located. In addition to organizing excursions, fishing and cruises, the center provides rental services for catamarans, kayaks, canoes and water skis. The conditions of the Indian Ocean are ideal for sailing, and the richness of the underwater world is striking in its diversity, which could not but affect the popularity of underwater walks. Local instructors will always help beginners get used to diving equipment and techniques.

After completing a short training course, you can make the first dive, since the absence of undercurrents and calm waters are only good for beginners, and experienced divers can go down to a depth of 35 meters.

Churches, fortress and fishing – Negombo

Forty kilometers from Colombo there is another wonderful resort – Negombo. It is from here that most sightseeing tours of Sri Lanka begin. The climate in Negombo is distinguished by pleasant constancy – the air temperature rarely drops below 25 degrees. When planning a trip, you should only remember that in October and November there is a high level of precipitation.

ancient fort

The main attraction of Negombo is an ancient fort built by the Dutch at the end of the seventeenth century. Little remains of it – just fragments of the walls, the central gate and the moat connecting the fortress with the sea. In addition, the city is considered the center of the Catholic faith in Sri Lanka, although there are many representatives of other religions in the country. That is, in addition to a large number of Catholic churches, you can also see other sacred buildings in Negombo.

Angunukaramulla temple

Of particular interest will be the large Buddhist temple of Angunukaramulla, which attracts thousands of pilgrims from all over Sri Lanka and from neighboring countries. The Hindu temple of Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara, in the vicinity of Negombo, annually becomes the center of a colorful celebration with parade processions involving elephants, fakirs, acrobats and dancers. A visit to such a festival can leave an unforgettable impression even among tourists who have seen a lot.

On the canal by canoe

In the city itself, it is worth renting a small canoe and taking a ride along the banks of the central city canal. On the way, you can stop by the largest fish market on the island. And if you want to go fishing, then go to Baikal – a small village where you can take part in fishing yourself and return home with a good catch of fish and shrimp. If you are lucky, then among the fish you can get a large lobster.

Beaches and corals – Hikkaduwa

On the south coast, tourists especially fell in love with the city of Hikkaduwa. Its peculiarity is that it was here that foreign tourists were able to discover Sri Lanka for the first time. A developed infrastructure has been created for guests, which contributes to the further improvement of tourism in the region.

The resort boasts crystal clear waters of the Indian Ocean, coarse sand beaches and extraordinarily beautiful coral reefs. Coral is a kind of symbol of the city, its image can be found almost everywhere: in shop windows, in the details of the design of bars and restaurants, and, as you might guess, this is the most popular souvenir in local shops.

In order to enjoy the natural beauty of the coral gardens, you can book one of the many excursions to the underwater reserve. To do this, it is absolutely not necessary to take a diving course – special boats with a transparent bottom are used for this purpose. For those who want to dive, there are centers for renting equipment and teaching the basics of scuba diving.

The beaches of Hikkaduwa allow vacationers, if desired, to hide in thickets of coconut palms, and heavy sand will not clog under clothes or fall asleep in the eyes at the slightest breath of wind.

To the local monastery: we study the charter

Going to Sri Lanka, it would be useful to get acquainted with the local way of life and traditions. The locals are very friendly and cheerful people. All kinds of holidays and folk festivals are especially loved here: they are celebrated almost every third day – 166 times a year. The main holiday is considered to be the Esa la Perahera festival, the program of which includes solemn processions with the participation of richly decorated temple elephants, dancers in colorful costumes, fakirs and fire-eaters. The celebrations continue for several days.

If fate brings you to the shores of the beautiful Lake Beira, then you can see how Navam Perahera is celebrated. These days they worship the god Skanda, the youngest son of Shiva. Thousands of people take part in the celebrations every year.

Sri Lanka is not strict in choosing clothes, the realities of a tourist place make themselves felt. However, do not neglect the local hospitality and to visit temples and places of religious purpose, it is best to choose clothes that cover your knees, shoulders and back. When entering Buddhist and Hindu temples, you should take off your shoes, this rule also applies to mosques. There are also rules regarding clothing on the beaches – topless sunbathing is prohibited here. In addition, the restaurants of some hotels have a dress code – you will not be allowed in shorts, swimwear and beach shoes.

Ayurveda, an ancient teaching about a healthy lifestyle and the art of healing, is widely spread on the island. The followers of this system claim that if you follow all its canons, you can live a long and healthy life. Some techniques are designed to heal a person not only physically, but also psychologically. A distinctive feature of “Ayurveda” is the complete absence of contraindications and side effects.

Hotels and hotels: excellent service, varied cuisine, entertainment program

The wrong choice of hotel can spoil the impression of even an otherwise perfect vacation. In Sri Lanka, this has long been understood, so almost all local hotels compete for the right to please the country's guests with excellent service, varied cuisine and an interesting entertainment program.

Finding a suitable place to live is available to almost everyone – the choice is really huge. Hotels are located both on the coast and in the depths of the island. The southwest coast offers a large number of hotels from two to five stars. In the central part of the country, the so-called Cultural Triangle, there are also a large number of hotels.

Most hotels offer their own diving centers, equipment rentals and a wide range of excursion tours. The northern coast cannot boast of a large number of places to stay, in fact, there are only a few hotels themselves, but they are always popular with the advent of the tourist season.

The most popular beaches in Sri Lanka

There are a great many beaches in Sri Lanka, and each one seems to have stepped out of a picture depicting paradise. Let's take a closer look at a few of them.

Casuarina Beach

The northernmost beach in Sri Lanka. Suitable for young people who prefer outdoor activities. This area has all the conditions for perfect windsurfing. However, there are also disadvantages, namely, some remoteness of the beach, the road to which will take some time.

Mirissa Beach

Located on the south coast. Here, unlike the noisy Casuarina, calm and relaxed atmosphere reign. The beach can be reached from the southernmost city of the island – Matara, the path will be about 25 kilometers.

Unavantuna Beach

One of the most beautiful places on the island. This beach is visited by a huge number of people, to a greater extent, because of its safety, because it is surrounded on all sides by a coral reef. Here are the best conditions for families with children. By the way, Unawatuna is in twelfth place in the ranking of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

Hikkaduwa Beach

Located in the city of the same name. The beach is perfect for lovers of active nightlife. It is here that the most famous beach parties and discos are held. The length of the beach is about two kilometers.

Bentota Beach

The most famous beach in Sri Lanka, a favorite place for honeymooners as a romantic getaway. This place is not cheap, so either wealthy people or those who want to celebrate important events in life in a special way can come here on vacation.

Best bars

In Colombo, be sure to visit the luxurious nightclub “The Blue Elephant” (“Blue Elephant”). The bar of this club is considered the best in the country, but getting there is not so easy, sometimes you even have to stand in a long queue.

Fans of dancing will definitely appreciate “My Kind of Place” (“The place is just for me”) – an excellent disco with the most modern music of various directions. If you prefer good old jazz, then welcome to the Echelon Pub, where world-famous musicians of this genre perform. “Rock Cafe” offers its visitors a wide selection of cocktails, a modern stylish disco and an original interior with a waterfall. For those who want to have a good evening and try real Ceylon cuisine, Curry Leaf is highly recommended.

Sri Lanka – travel guide

Mount Sigiriya

Every guide advises to start sightseeing from Mount Sigiriya and the fortress located on its top. Initially, the building was intended for shelter and defense in the event of an attack. The fortress is decorated with eleven most beautiful frescoes, preserved thanks to a special coloring composition.

Royal Botanic Garden

Worthy of a separate visit is the largest in Asia, the Royal Botanical Garden, covering an area of about 70 hectares. It has a huge collection of plants and trees from all over the world. A large number of exhibits have their own unique history, such as the spruce planted by Yuri Gagarin.

turtle farms

At the turtle farms in Kosgod, you can watch how miniature turtles hatch from eggs laid on the coast and collected by the farm staff. This is done in order to protect the animals from predators, and when the young are strong enough, they will be released back into their native waters of the ocean.

State Elephant Nursery

It will not leave anyone indifferent – here you can closely observe the life of little elephants who were left without parents. Zoo staff nurse them and adapt them to later life on the island. These animals play an important role in the cultural traditions and agriculture of Sri Lanka, and the attitude of the locals towards them is appropriate.

Temple in Anuradhapura caves

And the culmination of the visit to Sri Lanka will be a trip to the temple complex, located in the caves of the holy city of Anuradhapura. Here is an ancient royal palace, the distinctive feature of which is an incredibly developed irrigation system and seven reservoirs. In addition, it is there that the oldest monastery complex still operates, and the second largest Buddhist stupa is located. In the same place, according to legend, the sacred tree of the Buddha, brought from India, grows.

Possible travel itinerary

If you want to see as many sights of Sri Lanka as possible in a certain period of time, then a good option would be to use the following route: Cultural Triangle – Kandy – Nuwara Eliya – Bentota.

During a trip through the Cultural Triangle, you can visit cave temples and see rock figures that amaze with their size. You can stay in one of the many four- or five-star hotels. Be prepared that monkeys roam freely around the territory of many hotels.

It is worth stopping by in Kandy to visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic, where the sarcophagus with, in fact, the tooth is shown to the public twice a day. On the way to Nuwara Eliya, visit the Botanical Garden. About the city itself was described in detail earlier, you just need to take care of booking a hotel in advance, especially at the height of the tourist season.

And at the end of your trip, spend a few days at one of Bentota's seafront hotels, where you can relax on the beach before a rather long flight home.