Feel the island, don’t just see it
Choose by mood: wild, wellness, culture, food or adventure. Every experience shows its activity level and best season, so you can plan with confidence.
Rebalance with Ayurveda, Sri Lanka's centuries-old healing tradition, with herbal treatments, sunrise yoga and quiet retreats in the hills or by the sea.
Rooftop bars and live music in Colombo, beach evenings on the south coast and surf-town nights in Arugam Bay.
Look for blue whales, the largest animals on Earth, along with sperm whales and spinner dolphins, with responsible, no-chasing operators.
Float over the Cultural Triangle at sunrise, with mist on the lakes and Sigiriya rising from the forest.
More than 500 bird species have been recorded here, 35 of them found nowhere else on Earth. Sinharaja, Kumana and Bundala are birders' favourites.
Jeep safaris with expert trackers in search of leopards, elephants, sloth bears and crocodiles.
Watch orphaned calves race in for their milk at the Udawalawe Elephant Transit Home, where they're raised and returned to the wild, then see wild herds roam free in Udawalawe and Minneriya. No rides, no shows.
Rice & curry, hoppers and kottu: cook with a village family, taste street food in Colombo and learn the secrets of Ceylon cinnamon.
From sunrise on Little Adam's Peak to World's End and the 300 km Pekoe Trail through tea country, the highlands are made for walking.
Ride the hill-country line through tea estates, tunnels and cloud forest, or follow the coastal line along the Indian Ocean.
Five of the world's seven sea turtle species nest on Sri Lankan beaches. Watch wild nesting at night or support hands-off conservation hatcheries.
Sri Lanka has eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Explore ancient capitals, cave temples and colonial forts with guides who bring their stories to life.
Ride a bullock cart, paddle a lake catamaran, walk the paddy fields and share a home-cooked lunch with a farming family.
Walk with tea pluckers, see leaves turned into tea in a working factory and taste the island's finest brews. Ceylon tea has grown here since the 1860s.
Fall asleep to the sounds of the jungle in tented camps on the edge of Yala and Wilpattu, or under the stars in the Knuckles mountains.
Follow the Ramayana trail, attend a puja in Kandy or climb Adam's Peak by night: sacred journeys for pilgrims and curious travellers alike.
Nothing in this mood yet.
