For healing all your inner anxieties and come out of your busy and hectic work-life, visit Sri Lanka, the island that shines due to its ancient culture/history that expands over 30 centuries. This island is famous for its compactness, breathtaking sceneries, second-to-none wildlife, majestic culture blended with Buddhism, and many more, and all these to reveal and discover on your next holiday.
You don’t need to worry over the best time to visit the pearl of the Indian Ocean. In terms of weather conditions, nothing goes to extremes here. Moreover, many star-grade hotels, resorts, and lodges are in place for a complete holiday mixed with luxury, comfort, authentic tastes, and safety.
Today, we reveal the updated best 10 tourist attractions in Sri Lanka for your upcoming holiday.
10) Bentota:
A beachy paradise and a multi-tasking resort town exclusively dedicated to tourists. As one of Sri Lanka’s most-visited southern beaches and top honeymoon destinations, ample of activities to do here, such as sailing, surfing, and snorkeling. The iconic Bentota beach hotel is a perfect place to stay throughout your memorable holiday.
Coral-rich dive sites, the old Galapota Temple, the big Buddha Statue, turtle conservation center, lush gardens, and 17th-century fortress are other icons in the region.
For a pleasant time with your family enjoying the sea breeze and golden sunset, this is undoubtedly one place that you should visit during your 2020 Sri Lanka holiday. One of the highest-rated tourist attractions in Sri Lanka (Rating: 4.5 stars – 2,184 reviews, TripAdvisor;) we highly recommend it.
9) Nuwara Eliya:
A naturally-landscaped city in the hill country of the island, and also known as the “Little England” due to British remnants that give it a British-country-village feeling. Nuwara Eliya is quite a different paradise in Sri Lanka with a unique, colder climate. As the heart of the country’s world-famous tea industry, all you see here are — miles of tea plantations, tea factories, traditional tea plucking, misty clouds, enchanting waterfalls, and sloping hills full of greenery. Tudor-style hotels and colonial-era bungalows are the top lodging options.
Victoria Park, Pedro Tea State, Seetha Amman Temple, Lake Gregory, the Buddhist Temple, Laxapana, Lovers Leap, Hakgala Gardens, and Galway’s Land National Parks are the must-visit places.
All in all, this hilly paradise is a unique and highly-scenic travel attraction in Sri Lanka that you shouldn’t miss when planning a tranquil holiday with nature’s magnificence.
8) Dambulla Cave Temple:
Built by the great King Valagamba, this is the country’s most considerable and most renowned temple complex that embraces marvelous Buddha sculptures and artworks created 2000 years ago. A majestic classical formulation, containing five caves carved with driplines for maintaining interior dryness. The black rocky mountain in which the caves carved gives the whole temple complex a grand look, and the white walls of the temple enhance the effect. Religious images of gods and goddesses complete the caves’ ceiling and make those more attractive and colorful.
From the caves, you can witness the gloriousness of the surroundings, and rock fortress, Sigiriya is clearly visible, which is about 20 kilometers apart. Images of the Bodhisattvas and Lord Buddha will unquestionably amaze you.
Maharaja Lena, Devaraja Lena, Paccima Viharaya, Maha Aluth Viharaya, and Devana Aluth Viharaya are the names of the legendary fives caves. (Rating: 4.5 stars- 5,622 reviews, TripAdvisor.)
7) Colombo:
The ideal city to start or conclude your memorable holiday in Sri Lanka. As the country’s commercial capital, it holds many shopping complexes, markets, shops, local cafes, nightclubs, high streets, and star-grade hotels. This colonial heritage is compelling in its own rights thanks to colonial architecture blended with Portuguese and British graces.
The Colombo City Tour on open-deck buses with exclusive picturesque views of the busy city is a perfect opportunity for passionate local and foreign photographers to capture the details in crystal clear images. Live commentaries made by qualified guides reveal the essence of the city in detail.
The national museum, Galle Face Green, old city hall, Viharamahadevi Park, Seema Malakaya Meditation Center, Dutch Period Museum, Dutch Hospital, Federation of self employees market, Jami-Ul-Alfar-mosque, and Geoffery Bawa House are the top attractions of Colombo. All in all, it is a compact city that gives you multiple experiences within only a few hours.
6) Kandy – Temple Of the Tooth:
Surrounded by misty mountains on which are tea plantations, and holding a large lake right in the middle, this sacred city is the last capital of the ancient Sri Lankan kingdoms. When reaching Kandy from Colombo, you will witness rubber plantations on one of the most scenic roads on the island. Refreshing hill-country breeze, colorful houses, the glorious lake, blue skies, and many more to give you lifetime memories.
The pinnacle of all this magnificence is the sacred Temple Of the Tooth, which is well-known for composing the most amazing “The Great Kandy Esala Perahera” that takes place annually in July/August. For a holiday mixed with culture, Kandyan architecture, hill-country essence, and world-famous traditional Kandyan dancing, this is the city to visit.
The national museum, Ceylon tea museum, Degal Doruwa raja Maha Viharaya, Aluth Maligawa, World Buddhism Museum, Sri Dalada Museum, and the audience hall are must-visit places.
5) Anuradhapura:
The first ancient kingdom of Sri Lanka, and also known as the garden of Dagobas or majestic brick stupas. Anuradhapura is a sacred city that holds wondrous temples, palaces, stupas, and a grand collection of architectural and archaeological astonishments. Even today, modern architectures are amazed over how the ancient civilization managed to build such majestic structures many centuries ago. Due to this distinction, the sacred city is now a UNESCO World Heritage.
To witness and capture the ancient ruins that make one of the world’s most evocative sights, you should visit Anuradhapura on your next holiday in 2020. The formation of the entire city with religious structures and nature-rich environment gives you a large-village feeling.
Sri Maha Bodhiya, Ruvanwelimahaseya, the world heritage site, Isurumuni Viharaya, archaeological museum, Thuparama Dagoba, Abhayagiri Dagoba, and Ratnaprasada are iconic landmarks in the region.
4) Polonnaruwa:
The second kingdom of Sri Lanka and exclusively similar to Anuradhapura due to monumental ruins of palaces, temples, and stupas built in the 12th century. However, the collection of ruins holds South Indian architecture, too. The ancient garden city is a place to explore where hundreds of incredible structures, including dagobas, temples, statues, and tombs, tanks, woodcraft, and palaces established within a confined region.
Explanations made by qualified guides on the untold history of it will undoubtedly surprise you. Many national parks that are homes for elephants and distinct wildlife are close to Polonnaruwa, making things easier for you in terms of planning an all-in-one day itinerary.
Vatadage, Ruins collection, the statue of King Parakramabahu, Gal Vihara, Quadrangle, Lankathilaka, Potgul Vihara, Thuparama Gedige, and Rankoth Vihara are the must-visit places. (Rating – 4.5 stars – 2,526 reviews, TripAdvisor.)
3) Yala National Park:
Renowned as the most glorious national park on the island, Yala is a forest area containing grasslands and lagoons, making it an extraordinary home for elephants, birds, leopards, and many endemic animals. This national park is the world’s best place to witness tropical leopards in peaceful settings. The chance that you come across a herd of elephants tossing their trunks and bathing in natural ponds is remarkably high here.
A staggering number of birds living in the park (215 species) makes it the perfect destination for bird lovers. Nearby Yala National Park, Sithulpawwa Viharaya, Magul Maha Viharaya, and caves containing old rock paintings are the real bonuses. In conclusion, this national park is a paradise full of wildlife living in calm and nourishing conditions. Starting your Yala exploration with a wildlife safari with a licensed tourer is highly advisable.
2) Galle – Fort:
Galle is a majestic city known for fortifications and the legendary Fort built by the Dutch in the 16th century. Galle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site to explore on foot with a quality camera to capture the essence blended with Dutch and Sri Lankan feelings. The exotic site embraces grand mansions, mosques, churches, Dutch-colonial buildings, and the one and only Galle Fort. Walking along the lanes meets you with chic cafes, old/refurbished hotels, local boutiques. Walking on the noble fort’s walls and taking pictures of the facing Indian Ocean, sunset, and the rest of the glory is one unmissable tourist activity.
The old lighthouse, Flag Rock, Dutch Hospital, Amangalla, Old Gate, Marine Archaeological Museum, Meeran Mosque, Sudharmalaya Temple, Dutch-Reformed Church, and the historical mansion are the iconic landmarks in Galle. Endlessly exotic and breathtaking Galle is a place that you should visit in 2020. (Rating – 4.5 stars – 3,422 reviews, TripAdvisor.)
1) Sigiriya:
Often known as the “8th World Wonder,” well, what else needed to describe how extraordinary this mysterious rock palace is? The 200-meter rising giant rock holds the ruins of a palace built by King Kassapa many centuries ago. The paranormal view from the flat zenith is heavenly. On your adventurous journey to the top via whirling staircases, you will witness a pair of rocky giant lion’s paws, mirror wall, and world-famous glowing Sigiriya Arts.
Once you reach the top, the real glory starts there. Networks of the garden, breathtaking landscape, cave shrines, and Pidurangala, are clearly all visible from the rock top. Even in the present days, it is a mystery how the old civilization developed the imperial palace on the flat-topped summit. It is safe to say that Sigiriya is Sri Lanka’s single most exciting sight. Moreover, it is the highest-rated tourist attraction on the island (Rating – 4.7 stars – 9,657 Google reviews & 4.5 stars – 11,101 reviews, TripAdvisor.)
