December – April
The south and west coasts and the hill country at their best: Galle, Mirissa, Bentota and clear mornings in tea country.
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Thirty places. One small island.
Where shall we go?
Sri Lanka packs golden beaches, ancient kingdoms, cloud forests and wild national parks into one small island. Thanks to its two monsoons, there's a sunny coast in every season.
Two monsoons, one island
There's always a sunny coast
May – September
Switch coasts. Trincomalee, Nilaveli, Pasikuda and Arugam Bay enjoy calm seas, and the Cultural Triangle stays largely dry.
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October – November
The in-between months: afternoon showers, greener landscapes, quieter sites and good-value hotels.
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10 places
Coastal Bliss
Sun, surf and slow days by the sea. Golden bays in the south and west, turquoise shallows in the east. The coastline changes with the seasons, so there's always a beach waiting.
South-west coast
Bentota
A wide golden beach where the Bentota River meets the sea, perfect for water sports, river safaris and Geoffrey Bawa's garden at Lunuganga.
Best time
Nov – Apr
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East coast
Arugam Bay
The east coast's laid-back surf capital, with famous point breaks, lagoon safaris and Kumana National Park on the doorstep.
Best time
May – Sep (surf Apr – Oct)
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West coast
Negombo
A lively fishing town 20 minutes from the airport, with a lagoon, an old Dutch canal and a dawn fish market. The easy first or last stop.
Best time
Nov – Apr
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East coast
Pasikuda
A calm, shallow turquoise bay on the east coast, made for swimming, snorkelling and family beach days.
Best time
May – Sep
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South coast
Mirissa
A palm-fringed crescent beach and Sri Lanka's whale-watching hub, with Coconut Tree Hill glowing at sunset.
Best time
Nov – Apr
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North-west coast
Kalpitiya
A wild lagoon peninsula in the north-west for kitesurfing, dolphin pods and the colourful Bar Reef.
Best time
Nov – Apr (dolphins) · May – Oct (kitesurfing)
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Deep south
Tangalle
Long, quiet beaches and hidden coves on the deep south coast, close to the Rekawa turtle-nesting beach.
Best time
Nov – Apr
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North-east coast
Nilaveli
Soft white sand north of Trincomalee, with snorkelling among reef fish and turtles at Pigeon Island.
Best time
May – Sep
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South-west coast
Hikkaduwa
Coral reefs, beginner-friendly surf and sea turtles close to shore, with a lively beach-café scene.
Best time
Nov – Apr
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North-east coast
Trincomalee
One of the world's great natural harbours, with the clifftop Koneswaram Temple, golden beaches and seasonal whale watching.
Best time
May – Sep
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5 places
Heritage Treasures
Kingdoms carved in stone. Walk through more than 2,000 years of history in the Cultural Triangle, where royal capitals, rock fortresses and sacred temples rise from the forest.
UNESCOCultural Triangle
Polonnaruwa
The medieval royal capital (UNESCO), with palace ruins, great stupas and the rock-cut Buddhas of Gal Vihara. Best explored by bicycle.
Best time
Year-round · best Feb – Sep
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UNESCOCultural Triangle
Sigiriya
A 5th-century fortress on top of a 200 m rock (UNESCO), with frescoes, water gardens and sweeping summit views.
Best time
Year-round · best Feb – Sep
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UNESCOCultural Triangle
Dambulla Cave Temple
Five painted caves holding more than 150 Buddha statues, a sacred site for over 2,000 years (UNESCO).
Best time
Year-round
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North-western province
Yapahuwa
A quiet 13th-century rock capital with one of the island's most ornate stone staircases, and very few visitors.
Best time
Year-round · best Feb – Sep
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UNESCOCultural Triangle
Anuradhapura
Sri Lanka's first great capital (UNESCO), home to giant stupas and the sacred Sri Maha Bodhi tree.
Best time
Year-round · best Feb – Sep
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5 places
Above the Clouds
Tea, trails and misty mornings. Climb into the cool central highlands, where tea estates roll over the hills, waterfalls spill down the valleys and the train threads through it all.
Uva highlands
Ella
A hill village with big views: Nine Arch Bridge, Little Adam's Peak, Ella Rock and some of the island's best cafés.
Best time
Jan – Apr · Jun – Sep
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Uva highlands
Haputale
A ridge-top tea town with breathtaking views, and Lipton's Seat at sunrise.
Best time
Jan – Apr · Jun – Sep
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UNESCOCentral highlands
Horton Plains
A high plateau of cloud forest and grassland (UNESCO), with the dramatic drop at World's End and Baker's Falls.
Best time
Jan – Mar (go early)
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Central highlands
Nuwara Eliya
Sri Lanka's "Little England": colonial bungalows, a lake, rose gardens and tea factories at nearly 1,900 m.
Best time
Jan – Apr
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UNESCOCentral highlands
Knuckles Mountain Range
Wild, misty peaks and cloud forest (UNESCO), with remote villages and some of Sri Lanka's best trekking.
Best time
Jan – Sep
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5 places
Into the Wild
Leopards, elephants and wide-open spaces. Few islands pack in so much wildlife. Join expert trackers in national parks where leopards, elephants and sloth bears roam free.
North-west
Wilpattu
Sri Lanka's largest national park, dotted with natural lakes, where leopards and sloth bears move through quiet forest.
Best time
Feb – Oct
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South
Udawalawe
Open grasslands with some of the most reliable wild elephant sightings in Sri Lanka, plus the Elephant Transit Home for orphaned calves.
Best time
Year-round
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Cultural Triangle
Minneriya
Home of the Elephant Gathering, when hundreds of elephants come to the ancient reservoir in the dry season.
Best time
Jul – Oct
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South-east
Yala National Park
Famous for one of the world's highest leopard densities, with elephants, crocodiles and coastal lagoons.
Best time
Feb – Jul (usually closed part of Sep – Oct)
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East
Gal Oya National Park
The only park with boat safaris, where you may see elephants swimming between the islands of Senanayake Samudra.
Best time
Apr – Sep
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5 places
Spiritual Heritage
Sacred places, living faith. Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and Christian traditions live side by side here. Visit sacred sites where daily rituals have continued for centuries.
UNESCOKandy
Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Kandy
Home of the sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha, alive with drums and offerings at every puja (UNESCO).
Best time
Year-round · Esala Perahera Jul / Aug
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Central highlands
Adam's Peak
A sacred mountain for four faiths, climbed by night so pilgrims reach the summit for sunrise.
Best time
Dec – May (pilgrimage season)
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Trincomalee
Koneswaram Temple, Trincomalee
An ancient Hindu temple on Swami Rock, high above the ocean, and one of the island's five great Shiva shrines.
Best time
May – Sep
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Deep south
Kataragama
A sacred town shared by Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and the Vedda people, famous for its evening puja.
Best time
Year-round · festival Jul / Aug
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Northern peninsula
Jaffna
The heart of Tamil culture, with the grand Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil, island temples and a cuisine all its own.
Best time
Feb – Sep
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