24 Colombo, Sri Lanka

Explore Sri Lanka
A WORLD IN ONE ISLAND
This teardrop-shaped island invites visitors to indulge in a wealth of travel experiences. Boasting eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, both within its sacred cities and across its famous Cultural Triangle, it beckons to visitors. Rose-gold beaches fringed with palms, splendid national parks, rolling tea country, and ancient ruins and temples, all make Sri Lanka a wellspring of activity. Explore the artisanal markets, savor the spice-laden food, and soak up the convivial culture. Promising unforgettable indulgence, allow your personal travel expert to curate the ultimate guide to reflect your interests and uncover this island’s off-the-radar highlights.
Golden beaches, ancient temples and laid-back safari
The island nation of Sri Lanka might be small, but beyond its Indian Ocean-lapped shores you’ll find a country of startling beauty and genuine warmth.

Cinnamon and spices brought traders to Ceylon from around the world – first the Portuguese, followed by the Dutch, who fortified the ports of Colombo and Galle, before the British arrived for the tea. This history has lent Sri Lanka a diverse culture, reflected in the country’s cuisine and architecture.

It is home to hundreds of miles of palm-lined beaches, rolling hills of verdant tea plantations punctuated with nimble-fingered pickers, millennia-old temples sat alongside faded colonial mansions, and ancient forests where herds of elephants roam.

Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms date back thousands of years, gloriously preserved at UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as Kandy, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, the area between which is known as the Cultural Triangle.

It is an island with swathes of wilderness and some fine safari, whether it’s leopard spotting in Yala National Park, or encountering herds of elephant, surviving here in a higher density than anywhere else in Asia, in remote parks such as Gal Oya. Birders will be in their element with over 400 different types of birds to spot, while whales and dolphins populate the island’s warm coastal waters, and five of the world’s seven turtle species come to nest in Sri Lankan sand.