Sri Lanka is an island in the Indian Ocean off the southeast tip of India, with tropical and warm climate. It`s a country packed with beautiful beaches, high mountains (over 2000 m), tropical forest and lots of wild animals like elephants, leopards, sea turtles (see the video from our sea turtle rescue mission!), dolphins and whales.
The island is encircled by beaches, and from space, it actually looks outlined in white! Pretty cool! You can rarely travel anywhere along the coast without bumping upon a stunning stretch of sand, and many of them deserted! Sri Lanka is great for water sport like diving, snorkeling, kiting and surfing. Inland you can stretch your legs taking hikes among tea plantations high up in the mountains above 2000 m.
Sri Lanka`s culture is influenced by India, Portuguese, the Netherlands and of course United Kingdom (it was a British colony until 1948). Unesco has recognized eight World Heritage Sites in Sri Lanka, pretty impressive for a relatively small island!
When To Visit Sri Lanka
High season for visiting Sri Lanka is December – March (dry season in at the west coast). Shoulder season is April and September – November, while low season is May – August.
Our Journey Through Sri Lanka
We have been to Sri Lanka several times over the years, and have visited these places:
1. Colombo – 2. Bentota – 3. Galle – 4. Unawatuna – 5. Mirissa – 6. Tangalla – 7. Yala National Park – 8. Ella: Ella Town – Hiking In Ella – Hiking Little Adam`s Peak – 9. Nuwara Eliya – 10. Kandy: Train Trip Ella To Kandy – Kandy – 11. Sigiriya – 12. Polonnaruwa – 13. Kalpitiya – 14. Negombo
Check out our recommended Sri Lanka Itinerary
Articles About Sri Lanka
Facts
- Population: 20 million (2012)
- Capital: Colombo (commercial)
- Land Area: 65 610 km²
- Language: Sinhalese Tamil / English
- Religion: Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam
- Currency: Sri Lankan rupee (LKR)
- Time zone: UTC+5:30
- Drives on: Left (sometimes it’s hard to tell)
Recent Sri Lanka Comments
Emma
on The Ultimate Guide To Getting Around Sri Lanka
So helpful! Really appreciate you taking the time to reply. Looks like we'll do SL. Enjoy your trip! X
Emma
on The Ultimate Guide To Getting Around Sri Lanka
Hi Maria - wow, you have really got me excited about Sri Lanka - still tossing up between SL or Philippines in December/January. Which one would you recommend for culture...
Farzana
on The Ultimate Guide To Getting Around Sri Lanka
Hi Maria,
This blog was just what I was looking for to planning my trip to Sri Lanka. Thank you so much! And I love how you have taken up so...
Jagdeep
on Sri Lanka Itinerary – The Best Of Sri Lanka In Two Weeks
Hi Maria,
Firstly, I would like to say that this is probably one of the most informative travel blog posts I've read in a while, so kudos to you!
Me and three...