6 reasons to touch down in Sri Lanka
Posted 25 September, 2019
Clair Morton
From the bustling seaside cities of Colombo and Galle to the relaxed village of Ella in the hill country, Sri Lanka is a land of contrasts.
There are so many reasons to jump on a plane and head straight for Bandaranaike International Airport that I could go on forever, but I’ll stick to 6 major drawcards.
The journey’s a destination in itself
Of all the Asian countries I’ve been to, Sri Lanka is one of the easiest to get around. Public transport is reliable, tuk tuks and Ubers are plentiful, and the country even has its own rideshare service called Pick Me.
But the real gem is the train ride from Kandy to Ella, which traverses lush green landscapes and is considered one of the world’s most beautiful rail trips. Just make sure you book your tickets well in advance, as word’s been out for a while now and trains book out quickly. If you can’t get the train all the way from Kandy to Ella (about a 7 hour ride), the shorter leg between Nuwara Eliya – a small city in the heart of the tea plantations – and Ella has more availability, and is just as scenic.
You can explore thousands of years of history
Atop a 200m high rock plateau in the country’s central province lies what locals call the eighth wonder of the world – the ancient rock fortress of Sigiriya. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sigiriya served as a royal palace and city from about 477CE and later as a monastery, before being rediscovered by a British explorer in 1831. Today, it’s one of the most visited attractions in Sri Lanka. To see it from a different angle, climb nearby Pidurangala Rock at dawn for a 360-degree view of the surrounding area.
There’s an abundance of wildlife
Think you have to travel to Africa to go on safari? Think again. The national parks dotted around Sri Lanka are filled with Asian elephants, mischievous primates, crocodiles, water buffalo and a plethora of bird life, including wild peacocks. If you’re really lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of a leopard from your Jeep – your best bets to see one are at Udawalawe and Yala National Parks. While Yala’s leopard population is higher, there are more visitors to contend with, so my pick is Udawalawe.
