All our Sri Lanka guides

The best time to visit Sri Lanka is between November and April in the south-west and February to September in the north-east.

Whether you are travelling by train, wildlife watching in rainforests, or just blissing out at the beach, Sri Lanka has something for everyone. And as for the food – that just ticks everyone’s boxes.

The most glimmering Sri Lanka highlights are the ancient archaeological and sacred wonders of the Golden Triangle. But this teardrop island has so many other glittering gems too.

You can’t really go to Sri Lanka and not touch one of the points on the Golden Triangle. But with beaches, wildlife and Ayurvedic spas, there are endless activities.

White sands, swaying palms and all year round heat in the high 20s makes Sri Lanka beach bliss. There are, in fact, 1,600km of beaches here.

As if Sri Lanka didn’t ooze magic from every pore already, blue whales are jumping out of the ocean to upstage the other natural wonders for a few weeks between February and mid March.

Buddhism is often at the heart of cultural holidays in Sri Lanka, whether you are visiting the ancient sites, a contemporary temple or just just meeting local people.

From the Sri Lanka blue magpie to the Sri Lanka leopard, the great Asian elephant to the ginormous blue whale, Sri Lanka has stupendous wildlife.

Sri Lanka is a culinary paradise, where fresh local ingredients, sizzling spices and recipes bequeathed by a history of colonisation create a diverse and delicious culinary scene.

Sri Lanka translates as ‘resplendent island’ in Sanskrit and after years of conflict both north and south are now united and gloriously resplendent.

Read about tea plantations in Sri Lanka, including which hill towns to visit, why you should give tea picking a miss, and what else there is to do in marvellous, misty Hill Country.

Not for those with vertigo, Sigiriya is a 200m-tall rock fortress that sprouts out of the plains of northeast Sri Lanka.

Yala National Park steals the show on many a Sri Lanka holiday.

Yala National Park is the key destination that big cat safaris in Sri Lanka focus on, as it's home to a higher concentration of leopards per square kilometre than anywhere else on the planet.

If you want a trip to the tropics that combines culture, history, nature and incredible Indian Ocean vistas then look no further – Sri Lanka and the Maldives are your perfect twosome.

Travelling in Sri Lanka with kids is not only a journey through ancient culture, wildlife central and beach bliss, it is also a wonderful island of wonderfully welcoming families.

Our experts give great where, when, who and why Sri Lanka travel advice. Where to cycle, when to go, whom to meet and guide you and safari wisdom too.

There are many issues to take into account, sadly, when it comes to responsible tourism in Sri Lanka, and we encourage you to read on for more details.