What are the top cities and places to visit in Sri Lanka?

Colombo

Colombo is the capital of Sri Lanka and offers those on Sri Lanka vacations a selection of museums and art galleries to visit including the National Museum of Colombo, with its historical artifacts, and the National History Museum. Find time to go to Pettah Market for every kind of merchandise and the Zoological Gardens. One outstanding landmark is Galle Face Green Promenade, which stretches along the Indian Ocean. With Colombo’s own cultural and historic attractions in districts such as Fort, Cinnamon Gardens, and Pettah, the city is also a gateway to other parts of the country. Nuwara Eliya is a high-altitude, picturesque city featuring Sri Lanka’s most important tea production site, while Kandy is Sri Lanka’s cultural capital and home to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha.

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National Museum of Colombo

The National Museum of Colombo which is also known as the Sri Lanka National Museum is the largest museum in Sri Lanka. It contains important collections such as the country’s regalia, including the throne and crown of the Kandyan monarchs as well as many other exhibits telling the story of ancient Sri Lanka. Some of the collections date back to 1877 when the museum first opened. These include s art carvings, swords, guns, and reproductions of English paintings from the 19th Century, plus a collection of demon masks.

For the archeologically inclined, it’s worth going to Polonnaruwa to see ruins dating back to the 10th Century, including palaces and temples.

Kandy; home to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth & The Tea Museum

The small tranquil town of Kandy is well known for the Temple of the Sacred Tooth which contains the tooth of Buddha smuggled into Sri Lanka by a princess in the 4th Century. The tooth itself is locked away out of sight in a gold casket stupa. While it has been housed in different buildings ever since it came to Sri Lanka in the 4th Century AD, it has been in this one since the early 1700s. As well as the main temple, the complex includes a series of smaller temples, shrines, and museums. 

The Tea Museum is also located in Kandy. Tea is Sri Lanka’s main agricultural export and Sri Lanka is the second largest exporter of tea in the world. The Ceylon Tea Museum consists of four floors. The ground floor and the second-floor exhibit very old items of machinery. The third floor is allocated to tea sales outlets, where a selection of Sri Lanka's fine tea is available. The entire top floor is a tea café with wonderful views of the town and the surrounding hills. The grounds surrounding the Tea Museum are landscaped with different varieties of teas.

Galle Fort

A historical, archaeological and architectural heritage monument, Galle Fort has both Portuguese and Dutch influences. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the largest remaining fortress in Asia built by European occupiers. Some of the sites at the fort include the Old Gate with the British Coat-of-Arms, the Old Dutch Hospital, the ramparts, which offer excellent views of the Indian Ocean, a clock tower built in 1882 and a lighthouse built in 1939. Nearby is Kalutara Temple and the Peace Pagoda, both well worth a visit on your Sri Lanka vacation.

Beach Resorts 

Sri Lanka is famous for its wonderful beaches. Adding just one to your Sri Lanka vacation can be a difficult choice, but here are a few to consider:

Unawatuna is one of the best beaches in Sri Lanka, known for its tranquil blue waters and golden sands. It is a good place to enjoy water sports such as scuba diving and snorkelling. One pleasant pastime here is having an Ayurveda massage and being pampered at one of the spas. This beach is also famous for turtle nesting. 

Bentota Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in the country. It is also quieter than most. Again, water sports are available including water skiing and canoeing. 

Mirissa Beach is an ideal beach for swimming. The town of Mirissa is also known for its nightlife, great local seafood and range of hotels. Here, you can spot dolphins and whales. One special thing to do is to rent a boat and go fishing with the locals on the nearby coral reef. 

Dickwella Beach is the perfect place for a romantic vacation. It is the home to some upscale resorts where newly-wedded couples often come to celebrate their honeymoon. This is one of the best beaches in Sri Lanka and offers the most tranquil environment. The presence of reefs, sandbars, and headlands means the waters here are calm and perfect for swimming. 

Best places to view nature and wildlife on a Sri Lanka Safari

Yala National Park

If you’ve come to Sri Lanka for nature, Yala National Park is a wonderful wildlife sanctuary, important for the preservation of wild elephants and aquatic birds. One can also see leopards, deer, wild boar, monkeys, buffalos, sloth bears, anteaters and crocodiles. There are organized safari rides to enjoy the park and the animals and you can stay at upscale tented camps. Another interesting aspect of the park is its two important pilgrimage sites. 

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage 

The Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage was established in 1975 by Sri Lanka Wildlife in order to give care and protection to the many orphaned elephants found in the jungles of Sri Lanka. A captive breeding program was started in 1982 with the aim of simulating a natural habitat for these elephants. Since the inception of the programme, over 20 elephants have been bred here. Today, there are around 100 elephants. The main attraction at the orphanage is observing the elephants bathing which is quite a spectacle. The free movement of the herd within the enclosed land of the orphanage allows the elephants the opportunity to mate.

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"Globetrotting with Goway" blog articles

For some additional reading, the following articles are from our blog “Globetrotting with Goway”….. a great source of information for those people who are, or who want to be, world travellers!

Consider a Sri Lanka Vacation, South Asia’s Emerging Hotspot

Sri Lanka Vacation Information

At Goway we believe that a well-informed traveller is a safer traveller. With this in mind, we have compiled an easy-to-navigate travel information section dedicated to Sri Lanka vacations

Learn about the history and culture of Sri Lanka, the must-try food and drink, and what to pack in your suitcase. Read about Sri Lanka's nature and wildlife, weather and geography, along with 'Country Quickfacts' compiled by our travel experts. Our globetrotting tips, as well as our visa and health information, will help ensure you're properly prepared for a safe and enjoyable trip. The only way you could possibly learn more is by embarking on your journey and discovering Sri Lanka for yourself. Start exploring… book one of our Sri Lanka tours today!

Extend Your Trip

After your Sri Lanka vacation considers taking the time to visit other destinations. Goway offers exciting China vacation packages, India tours and Thailand vacation packages plus a comprehensive selection of vacation packages in many other Asian countries.