A teardrop-shaped island thirty miles off the coast of India, Sri Lanka is where the village and beach life of today stands shoulder to shoulder with 2,500 years of recorded history. Indeed the island is home to no fewer than seven UNESCO-listed World Heritage Sites which makes it one of the richest treasure troves of natural and man-made wonders in the world. And when you learn that this is also the oldest continually Buddhist country on earth, it’s little wonder that such an insignificant dot in the ocean (no bigger than Ireland, in fact) still holds the international traveller in thrall.

The royal city of Kandy continues to be the biggest draw. This laid-back ‘capital’ of the hill country is where you’ll find the Dalada Maligawa shrine housing the sacred tooth of Buddha. Its religious importance is still celebrated with thrice-daily services, the white-clad pilgrims blending in perfectly with the age-old buildings. Of course, three other World Heritage Sites await - Polonnaruwa, the Cave Temples of Dambulla and the Sigiriya Rock Fortress date back thousands of years and will introduce you to anything from royal palaces and reclining Buddhas to tranquil water gardens and story-telling wall frescoes. A wildlife adventure is not far away either courtesy of a National Park home to elephants, leopards and sloth bears, not forgetting the purple-faced leaf monkeys!

Yet you don’t have to delve quite so far into Sri Lanka’s past to enjoy a visit here. The country’s more recent Dutch colonial history is still very evident in the coastal town of Galle, whilst the capital of Colombo might well be noisy and frenetic, but it’s still worth your time – if only for a late-night cocktail at the fashionable Blue Elephant! And when it comes to laid-back beach holidays, we’ve chosen an ultra-stylish haven in Tangalle on the island’s south-east coast. Here the palm-fringed golden sands stand delightfully close to jungle paths where you’ll have the opportunity to spot monkeys, mongooses and even mouse deer on your early morning walks.

WHEN TO VISIT: DECEMBER TO MARCH IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT OUR FEATURED DESTINATIONS IN
THE HILL COUNTRY, AS WELL ON THE WEST AND SOUTH COASTS OF SRI LANKA - YOU’LL BE SURE TO
AVOID THE MONSOON RAINS THEN! HOW TO VISIT: SRILANKAN AIRLINES OFFER FLIGHTS
TO COLOMBO, THE JOURNEY TAKING ABOUT 10 HOURS. QATAR AND EMIRATES ALSO OFFER SERVICES
VIA DOHA AND DUBAI. PLAN ON SPENDING AT LEAST 7 DAYS EXPLORING, COMING HERE FIRST
BEFORE POSSIBLY ADDING IT ON TO A RELAXING WEEK IN THE MALDIVES.