Holiday Attractions

There are so many places to see inside Sri Lanka’s 65,525 square kilometres (25,299 square miles – about half the size of England) that travellers come year after year. At its broadest point, the island is 435 kilometres long and 240 kilometres wide. Despite the fact that the bulk of the island is low-lying and flat, The country’s southern central half is mountainous, with nine peaks reaching above 2,133 metres (7,000 feet). The island has historic ruins and religious monuments (the Cultural Triangle), national parks and animal sanctuaries, gorgeous traditional residences, a pastoral way of life in contrast to the rush and bustle of the towns and cities, beautiful beaches, and a healthy climate.

The best way to see the island is on a chauffeur-guided tour, either on a standard tour or a Wonderland Leisure-designed tour that includes attractions and comfortable lodging.

Sri Lanka’s attractions are diverse enough to fascinate and gratify every tourist. Among the architectural highlights are ancient cave temples, an extraordinary rock citadel, mediaeval Kandyan building styles with high hipped roofs, colonial bungalows and Edwardian mansions, contemporary constructions by Sri Lankan architects, and modern high rise hotels and apartment blocks, including Colombo’s own World Trade Centre twin towers.

Nature, on the other hand, provides the most stunning attractions, from wide rivers and crashing waterfalls to Adam’s Peak, a sacred mountain, and the rolling hills and deep dales of the hill area, all of which give spectacular panoramas far to the horizon. Safaris take only a few hours, whether by automobile into the forest or by boat through mangrove swamps, so wildlife is an added treat. For leisure, there are various beaches with snorkelling and water activities.

Accommodation to meet all budgets is also part of Sri Lanka’s charm making the island country to be a photographer’s paradise.