Sri Lanka

Ancient Cities and Sacred Peaks

The Cultural Triangle in the island's heart is home to a constellation of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Sigiriya rises from the jungle like a hallucination, its fifth-century citadel still crowned with frescoed maidens. Anuradhapura shelters colossal dagobas that dwarf Westminster Abbey in footprint. And at the centre of it all, Kandy cradles the Temple of the Tooth, one of Buddhism's most sacred relics, in a city encircled by forested hills and a luminous lake.

Tea Country and the Road to the Clouds

The central highlands are a world apart, where emerald tea terraces roll over mountain ridges and the air carries a cool, grassy scent that seems to belong to somewhere further north. Ella is the traveller's basecamp up here, a little town with giant views, waterfalls tumbling through jungle, and the legendary Nine Arch Bridge framing steam trains against the sky. The train journey from Kandy to Ella is broadly considered one of the great scenic rail routes on earth, and the ride through cloud forest and plantation does nothing to argue otherwise.

Coastlines, Reefs and Surf-Ready Shores

Sri Lanka's coastline changes character as you move around it, which is a remarkable trick for an island of this size. The south coast around Mirissa is where humpback and blue whales surface close enough to the boat that you can hear their breath. Arugam Bay on the east coast draws surfers from July to October with a point break that has genuine international standing. Galle, the old Dutch fort town, turns the southwest corner with its ramparts, art galleries and boutique guesthouses tucked behind colonial facades.