A tiny island in the warm Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka is as romantic or exotic as you first might think. However, that’s no reason not to visit. It has many incredible experiences on offer. It is a real island with real people who live their lives there – from shop owners selling you their wares to beeping car horns to ancient ruins.
Take a look at our top tips for must see places when you visit Sri Lanka.
The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic
This Kandy temple houses one of the most important Buddhist relics – a tooth of Buddha. It is kept in a series of golden caskets of diminishing size, in a heavily guarded room. The room housing the tooth is open to the public, but you don’t actually get to see the tooth.
There are a number of other temples and museums to visit in the immediate vicinity, making it a must see sight if you’re into your history and culture.
The Tea Fields
As one of the world’s largest producer of tea, there are a number of plantations. Take a walk along the fields and you’ll be able to see the local workers picking the tea. Stop at a factory, and you may be able to see how tea leaves become tea bags. You might even get a cup of tea too.
Yala National Park
If you’re looking to discover animals, then go to Yala National Park. Home to two hundred bird species, the world’s biggest concentration of leopards, as well as elephants, jackals, sloth bears and crocodiles. Go on a park tour or stay in the park itself and enjoy everything that it has to offer. A number of holiday packages like these ones from Exodus offer packages that include exploring Yala.
Adam’s Peak
Adam’s Peak, or Sri Pada, is an incredible natural landmark and a place of pilgrimage. There are a number of legends that surround the peak, from Buddhist, Muslim and Hindu religions, all claiming that a curious mark at its summit, with everyone claiming it to be a footprint of Buddha, Adam or Shiva with various stories behind why.
Between January and May is pilgrimage season, and traditionally, the walk up the mountain takes place at night, so you get to see the sun rise from the top, and try to get a glimpse of the peak’s shadow.
