8 must-try experiences in the island nation of Sri Lanka

Visit the ancient city of Sigiriya.

As one of Sri Lanka's seven World Heritage sites, this rock-top fort dates back to the 5th century AD. During its heyday,SigiriyaIt was once a royal palace, then became a Buddhist monastery.

This area is also considered one of the most important urban planning projects of the first millennium, and is home to some of the oldest landscapes in the world.

Watch wild elephants

You'll see elephants everywhere you go in Sri Lanka: working on a plantation, roaming freely in national parks, and even leading the Esala Peraha parades in Kandy.

Uda Walawe National Park is the ideal place to see many elephants. Created to protect the Uda Walawe Reservoir basin, the park is home to over 400 species of thick-skinned animals such as elephants and rhinos, and features extensive grasslands and riverside forests. It is also considered the best place for birdwatching in Sri Lanka.

Visit a tea plantation in Nuwara Eliya.

The Nuwara Eliya plateau, with its cool and refreshing climate, is the heart of Sri Lanka's tea industry. Nuwara Eliya means "city on the plain" or "city of light." As the world's fourth-largest tea producer, Sri Lanka boasts numerous vast tea plantations, many of which are located in Nuwara Eliya. Situated at an altitude of 2,000 meters above sea level, the region enjoys a mild and cool climate, ideal for Sri Lankans to cultivate and produce exquisite tea leaves.

For tea lovers, Nuwara Eliya is a must-visit destination. Here, you can tour tea plantations, watch locals harvest tea at work, and freely purchase tea to take home. The Hill Country Haputale region is where Sir Thomas Lipton built his Lipton tea empire. Wake up early to admire the mist-shrouded tea hills.

A beautiful destination for tourists exploring Nuwara Eliya is Adam's Peak, a 2,243-meter-high conical mountain famous for Sri Pada, meaning "sacred footprint". Sri Pada is a 1.8-meter-high rock near the summit of Adam's Peak; according to Buddhism, it is the footprint of Buddha; according to Hinduism, it is the footprint of Hanuman or Shiva; and according to Islam and Christianity, it is the footprint of Adam or Thomas.

Not only is it geographically high, but it is also the highest mountain spiritually significant in the religious consciousness of the Sri Lankan people. The 18-kilometer path from the foot to the summit is quite convenient for pilgrims and was built by the government with 5,200 stone steps. Some sections are quite steep and slippery, so handrails have been added. The best time to climb Adam's Peak is from April to November each year – this is the dry season, with fewer mosquitoes and leeches, and the steps are least slippery.

Relax on the beach of Arugam Bay

Aragum Bay boasts the most beautiful coastline in Sri Lanka, with its turquoise waters, white sand, and rows of coconut trees lining the beach. Coconuts, a Sri Lankan specialty, are yellow, fragrant, and sweet.

The beaches of Arugam Bay are among the most famous and popular tourist attractions in Sri Lanka. With its long, crescent-shaped stretch of fine sand surrounded by colorful coral reefs, Arugam is considered the best surfing spot in Sri Lanka. Even if you're not a fan of surfing, the peaceful atmosphere and the breathtaking sunrises are still worth looking forward to.

Discover the pristine island.

Travelers seeking peace and quiet often seek out unspoiled islands, many of which are concentrated at the northernmost tip of Sri Lanka. The largest island is the sleepy Neduntivu – a rather peculiar name given by the Dutch. It is also home to approximately 4,000 people.

On these small islands, there aren't many hotels or guesthouses, but the slow pace of life is well worth enjoying, and the locals are very friendly. If you have the chance to visit Sri Lanka, don't forget to spend time exploring these pristine islands.

Enjoy fresh seafood.

Sri Lankan cuisine is renowned for its fresh, delicious seafood, especially that caught locally. The dishes in northern Sri Lanka are quite different from those in India.

Curry and coconut milk are quite familiar flavors in the dishes here. Sri Lankan crab curry, considered the best in the world, has become a source of inspiration for many famous chefs.

Watching blue whales in the middle of the ocean.

The depths of the continental shelf off the southern tip of Sri Lanka are ideal for blue whales, one of the world's largest creatures.

The Dondra Head lighthouse area in the south is your ideal starting point. The best time to see whales is from January to April. Many tourists prefer this destination in Sri Lanka because it's a place where you can see these giant creatures up close, and even swim with them.

Discover the sacred city of Kandy

The sacred city of Kandy, nestled in the hills embracing the stunning shores of Lake Bogambara more than 100 km northeast of Sri Lanka's capital Colombo, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a haven of traditional culture. It was the last capital of the Sinhala kings, where the Dinahala culture flourished for over 2,500 years before the British arrived in Sri Lanka in 1815.

Inheriting a rich Buddhist cultural heritage, Kandy remains a spiritually significant city for the people of the country today. The verdant city of Kandy stretches along a man-made lake, boasting stunning natural landscapes and well-preserved British colonial architecture. Among these are destinations that have become integral parts of Sri Lanka's identity, such as the Royal Palace, the Royal Botanic Gardens Peradeniya, and the Pinnewala Elephant Orphanage.

Established in 1821 and located approximately 4 km from the center of Kandy, the Royal Botanic Gardens Peradeniya is one of the most famous botanical gardens in the world. It is also the largest botanical garden in Sri Lanka and the second largest in Asia. The garden's plant life includes rare and diverse species of trees, flowers, and grasses, showcasing vibrant beauty. It is estimated that there are over 4,000 species of tropical and subtropical plants brought from all continents around the world.

The Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in Pinnawala village is also an interesting place, "sheltering" orphaned and injured baby elephants from the wild, hence the name "elephant orphanage." However, nowadays, the orphanage also has elephants that were born there. This is also the first elephant sanctuary in Sri Lanka, established in 1975 to conserve elephants. Despite enduring a fierce civil war, Pinnawala has survived and thrived with its elephant population to this day. Once mature, the elephants receive training and can help the locals transport timber.

At the heart of the city is the Tooth Relic Temple, a stunning 16th-century architectural marvel and one of the most sacred sites in Buddhism. The chamber housing the Buddha's tooth is heavily guarded, yet visitors are welcome to enter.

Every August, the streets come alive with Kandy Esala Perahera, one of Sri Lanka's most celebrated religious festivals. This ten-day event is one of the largest and most extravagant Buddhist festivals.

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