Beach
Nilaveli
Nilaveli Beach Day
White sand, glassy water and a rocky islet a short boat ride offshore set the scene north of Trincomalee. Spend a full…
- Full day
- May–September
✦ EXPERIENCES
Experiences
Tea country, whale watching, wildlife safaris.
50 experiences
Culture
Trincomalee
Koneswaram Temple and Trincomalee Coast
Bells and the smell of camphor drift across Swami Rock as waves break far below. Visit the clifftop Shiva shrine of Koneswaram…
- Half day
- May–September
Culture
Jaffna
Delft Island Day Trip
On Delft, wild ponies graze between coral-stone walls and palmyra palms while the Palk Strait laps a near-empty shore. A ferry from…
- Full day
- February–September
Culture
Mihintale
Mihintale Sunset Visit
As the sun drops, the granite of Aradhana Gala gives back the day’s warmth and the plains below turn copper. This late-afternoon…
- 2–3 hours
- Year-round
Culture
Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura Sacred City Cycle
Brick stupas the colour of old ivory slide past as your wheels hum along flat, shaded lanes. Pedal between the monasteries, reservoirs…
- 4 hours
- Year-round
Culture
Polonnaruwa
Polonnaruwa Ancient City Cycling
Toque macaques scamper along crumbling palace walls and mist lifts off a twelfth-century reservoir as you cycle the quiet roads of Polonnaruwa,…
- 3–4 hours
- Year-round (driest March–September)
Culture
Sigiriya
Sigiriya Early-Morning Climb
Arrive before the crowds. Cool air, birdsong in the water gardens and a red rock lit by the low morning sun set…
- 3–4 hours
- Year-round
Culture
Dambulla
Dambulla Cave Temple Visit
Five caves, more than 150 Buddha images and ceilings painted in ochre and red: Dambulla’s rock temple is cool, incense-scented and quietly…
- 2–3 hours
- Year-round
Culture
Jaffna
Jaffna Food and Culture Walk
By dusk the drums at Nallur are calling, but first there is crab simmering in roasted chilli and palmyra sweets in the…
- 3–4 hours
- Year-round
Food
Colombo
Colombo Food Walk
Hot oil hisses, a kottu chef’s blades clatter on the griddle, and the sea breeze carries frying prawns across Galle Face Green.…
- 3 hours
- Year-round
Scenic
Kandy–Ella
Kandy to Ella Scenic Train Journey
For around seven hours the train sways through tea estates, tunnels and highland villages, with cloud often drifting below the line. Reserved…
- 6–8 hours
- Year-round
Scenic
Ella
Nine Arch Bridge Walk
A horn echoes along the valley, then a blue train emerges from the tunnel and rolls across nine stone arches above the…
- 2–3 hours
- Year-round