Where to visit and stay in Sri Lanka

The island's superb beaches lie along its magical coastline to the south and southwest, with sandy coves and estuaries, and long palm-fringed stretches. Beaches vary in character and facilities so you have a wide choice, and Tikalanka Tours has chosen the best beach locations away from the overcrowded tourist resorts of Negombo, Mount Lavinia and Hikkaduwa. There are the upmarket resorts on the southwest coast around Bentota and Ahungalla, which offer watersports in a sheltered lagoon. Further south are the picturesque and quieter beaches at Unawatuna, Weligama, Mirissa and Tangalle. By contrast, Nilaveli, near Trincomalee, offers clear waters good for snorkelling and white sandy beaches on the quieter and less developed east coast.

Near the southern tip of the island, the Dutch colonial influence is best experienced at the coastal fort in Galle, a World Heritage Site, which also offers some of the most luxurious accommodation available in Sri Lanka. Further north at Ambalangoda there are mask makers carrying on an ancient Sinhalese tradition.

However, many of Sri Lanka's most beautiful and interesting sights are away from the coast. By venturing a short distance inland you can explore the richness of the island's cultural heritage. Kandy, in the attractive Hill Country, was the capital of the last Sinhalese kingdom. To the north are the other two principal points of the Cultural Triangle - the ancient capitals of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa - and the extraordinary royal citadel atop the giant rocky outcrop of Sigiriya, decorated with its world famous frescoes. Close to Anuradhapura is Mihintale, the cradle of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, while Dambulla has impressive paintings and statues in its ancient cave temples.

While visiting Kandy you can also take a tour of the interesting temples at Embekke, Lankatilaka and Gadaladeniya, which preserve the late flowering of the Kandyan school of painting, and visit local craft villages producing fascinating metalwork, carving, pottery and weaving.

The Hill Country, with spectacular waterfalls and attractive walking trails around Nuwara Eliya and Ella, which are surrounded by tea plantations, provide a cool, refreshing break. Many visitors are also attracted by the natural wonders of Horton Plains National Park nearby, or the chance to spot endemic birdlife in Sinharaja National Park and around Kitulgala, the location of the epic Bridge on the River Kwai, also famous for white-water rafting.

The iconic elephant is synonymous with Sri Lanka and wild herds are still roaming freely in various national parks across the country including Minneriya and Kaudulla in the Cultural Triangle, and, in the south of the island, Uda Walawe and Yala, which is also home to a variety of other wildlife including the leopard, sloth bear, jackal, wild buffalo, deer and monkeys. Close by, Bundala offers plenty of bird watching opportunities along several shallow coastal lagoons.

Between the Hill Country and the southwestern coast lies Adam's Peak. Every religious person in Sri Lanka is expected to climb Adam's Peak at least once in their lifetime, and preferably several times. During the calm bright months of the "season" for pilgrims (January to April), the incredible sunrise produces the famous spectacle known as the "Shadow of the Peak", which leaves all who have seen it spellbound.