3. Go on a Safari inside Yala National Park

Going on safari in Yala National Park is a must do when you visit Sri Lanka. Although it’s the second largest park in the country it’s the most visited due to the likelihood of seeing leopards.

In fact, there is a higher density of leopards in Yala National Park than anywhere else on Earth. We were fortunate to find a leopard sleeping in a tree on the day that we visited. It’s amazing to see creatures that you normally only see in zoos in person!

You’ll almost always see elephants as well, we saw many during our time in the park.There are many companies that can arrange a jeep safari for you. Make sure to ask around and bargain hard as prices can greatly vary.

4. Take Tea in the Mountains Near Nuwara Eliya

While staying Kandy in Sri Lanka’s high country, a day trip to the mountains to taste tea is a must-do. The journey up the mountain is incredibly scenic. Make sure you have your camera ready. As you climb the New England air becomes increasingly more crisp. Most tours include entry to the bigger tea plantations like Mackwoods and Glenloch. The tours are quick and interesting; they take you through the whole tea production process from picking to packaging from the tea terraces to the factory floor. Afterwards, you can enjoy a cuppa and a piece of cake overlooking the valleys. Make sure you take tips for your guides and ensure you ask workers or tea pickers before snapping their photos.

5. Climb the famous Pidurangala Rock in Sigiriya

One of the best things that we did during our month long trip in Sri Lanka was climbing on top of Pidurangala rock in Sigiriya town. We woke up at 4 am, rode our bicycles to the start of this hike and climbed in dark to reach the top. The climb is easy in the beginning but gets slippery towards the end. We reached just in time to see the most spectacular sunrise from up here.

On one side we could see Sri Lanka's most popular landmark - Sigiriya rock, while the other side was covered with forest and mountains. Sigiriya rock and Pidurangala rock are located next to each other in Sigiriya town. Climbing Pidurangala rock much more tricky as compared to climbing on top of Sigiriya peak where you can just follow the steps.

6. Take a train powers up through Sri Lanka’s southern hill country

The train rides through Sri Lanka’s tea country between Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Ella are some of our favourites ever.The train powers up through Sri Lanka’s southern hill country in Kandy, passing the many tea plantations and then ventures into the clouds, weaving in and out of the many mountain tunnels as it eventually descends to reach Ella.

The railway network in Sri Lanka was initially introduced by the British Colonial government in 1864, mainly to transport the tea (and coffee) from the hill country to the capital, Colombo. Since the advent of road travel, the train network in Sri Lanka declined heavily after the the 1970s, but recently the industry has been reignited, mainly for tourism.

Our favourite part of this journey is the stretch between Nuwara Eliya to Ella, because of the incredible views across the southern Sri Lankan hill country as the train passes in and out of numerous mountain tunnels through tea plantations, eucalyptus forests and nearby villages, with low lying clouds adding to this very memorable scenery.

7. Visit Anuradhapura

Anuradhapura, the capital city of the North Central Province, is a sacred, well-preserved settlement of the ancient Sri Lankan civilization.

The old city, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is made up of several complexes, temples, stupas and monasteries. The highlights are the four monumental stupas: Jetavana, Ruyanvelisaya, Mirisavati and Abhayagiri, and the Temple of the Sacred Tree. They are truly huge, dramatic and full of history, and while some sites look to be in ruins, others have been completely rebuilt.

The site is enormous, so I recommend that you take one or two full days to visit this place. It’s become quite popular to rent a bike and explore the site at your own pace. Otherwise, you’ll find plenty of tuk-tuks available to take you around to the different stupas within the archeological park. Tickets cost $25 US and are sold at the Archaeology Museum.​

8. Go on the Colombo Food Tour

While we weren't "wowed" by Colombo the one tour I highly recommend doing if you have an evening is the Colombo Tuk Tuk Safari food tour. It was difficult to find authentic food but with this tour we were brought right to it. Riding in the comfort of a tuk tuk we ate our way across Colombo. The tour mixed in some history highlights to round out the eating. Not only was the food excellent (the mango juice and egg hoppers were my favorite), the guide was entertaining and the price was a steal at just $50 per person. In my opinion, this is the one thing you must do if you're in Colombo.

9. Take a cooking class and market tour in Unawatuna

Once you try the tasty deliciousness that is Sri Lankan food, you’ll want to learn how to recreate the famous “curry and rice” dishes at home. Karuna’s cooking school in Unawatuna is a great place to learn how to make the most amazing fish, green bean, beetroot, pumpkin curries and perfect dhal.

Firstly you jump in a tuk-tuk to journey up the road to visit the Galle market and source your vegetables for the day. Swinging by a spice shop and the roadside fishmonger you return to Karuna’s rustic kitchen where she shows you all the tips and tricks of how to make this fabulous food.

The setting is really rustic - think cooking in an open air kitchen over a basic gas stove - but the food is easy to make, delicious and Karuna is such a character. Once you’ve cooked all the food it’s time to sit down and enjoy the feast with your fellow classmates. It’s a really fun way to learn more about this incredible cuisine.

10. Try Pol Roti

Having lived in Sri Lanka for over three years I slowly grew fond of its unique vibrant cuisine full of spices, coconut milk and carb-loaded dishes. If you visit this little island in the Indian Ocean, chances are you will eat rice and curry almost every day. But I encourage you to explore Sri Lankan food beyond rice and curry and try some other local treats. My personal favorite has to be pol roti – Lankan coconut flat bread.

Pol roti is made by mixing in scraped coconut flesh into dough and grilling the flat breads in coconut oil. Pol roti is usually served for breakfast along with lunu miris – spicy paste made of onions and chili. You can also eat it with parippu (lentil curry) and pol sambol (scraped coconut mixed with chili and lime juice). Although Sri Lankans usually eat their roti with all things spicy, I love mine sweet. You can pour some kithul treacle (local sweet syrup) or spread butter and jam on top.

11. Visit the Elephant Transit Home 

There many places to see elephants in Sri Lanka. Some are amazing, and some are downright cruel. Ideally, elephants should be in the wild. Unfortunately, Sri Lanka has the highest rate of elephant-human conflict in Asia! As such, there is a need for centres to care for orphaned elephants. Luckily there is the Elephant Transit Home. 

It is an actual orphanage.  There are no chained and no hooks or goads. The orphans and injured elephants are together in a “herd”. The rules for visitors are rightfully strict, and there is no direct contact allowed. The few dollars it costs to enter covers the milk formula costs. During the feeding times, you can view them from a viewing platform some distance away to limit the human contact. It was brilliant to see their cute little faces as they charged in during bottle time. 

The Elephant Transit Centre is located very close to Udawalawe National Park, so makes an ideal addition to a safari drive. The centre has even successfully released over 100 elephants back into the wild! It also has a great museum on site. It is an experience you can proudly support knowing you are helping care for these baby and maimed elephants!   

13. Go Surfing in Midigama

When people think of surfing in Sri Lanka, they think of the crowded spots like Mirissa or Arugam Bay but there is a hidden spot in the Southern coast that's not so crowded - at least not yet. 

Surfing in Midigama is not popular yet but this town boasts with decent waves and a very tight-knit community of surfers. Though there aren't a lot of food options (not even malls!), this is definitely the haven for many surfers who are seeking for a less-crowded trip. Beginners and professionals alike have a place in Midigama because there are a lot of spots that will fit your capability and likeness. 

The beaches are swimmable and day trips to neighbouring cities are easy (Galle, Koggala, Mirissa, etc) so even if you are not into surfing, there is something in this area for you. 

14. Go Whale Watching in Mirrissa

We went whale watching in the south of Sri Lanka in a small tourist town called Mirrissa. This hands down must be in your itinerary when traveling to Sri Lanka. It’s the best, easiest and most consistent place in the world to see Blue Whales, not to mention all the other species of whale you have a very good chance of seeing.

We set out early in the morning as the guide advised us that sometimes it takes longer to find them. However, we struck gold when the whales were only just off the coast. This gave us so much time with the whales and we have some cracking shots of tails in the air.

There are A LOT of whale tour guides operating out of Mirrissa harbor so shop around as always. Always choose a guide that has mandatory lifejackets throughout the trip. If you get sea sick then you can pick up sickness pill very cheaply in local pharmacies. Finally, try to go with a reputable tour group that doesn’t endanger or interfere too much with the whales, we saw some very invasive maneuvers just to get closer to the whales which is unnecessary.

15. Visit Jaffna

Jaffna is located all the way up in the North of Sri Lanka and not many travelers make it this far. But if 
you have the time, you really should include Jaffna in your itinerary!


Why you may ask? Jaffna and the surrounding area is not very touristy (yet) and exploring this off the
beaten track was one of the highlights of our 1-month Sri Lanka trip! The best way to explore? Rent a
scooter and drive around the beautiful islands Velanai and Karainagar. Discover crumbling buildings,
colorful Hindu temples and deserted roads.


The islands are connected to the mainland by bridges and small ferries. These days the roads are quiet
and peaceful, but this area was heavily impacted by the Sri Lankan civil war which ended only in May
2009…

16. Climb the famous Pidurangala Rock in Sigiriya

One of the best things that we did during our month long trip in Sri Lanka was climbing on top of Pidurangala rock in Sigiriya town. We woke up at 4 am, rode our bicycles to the start of this hike and climbed in dark to reach the top. The climb is easy in the beginning but gets slippery towards the end.  We reached just in time to see the most spectacular sunrise from up here. On one side we could see Sri Lanka's most popular landmark - Sigiriya rock, while the other side was covered with forest and mountains. Sigiriya rock and Pidurangala rock are located next to each other in Sigiriya town. Climbing Pidurangala rock much more tricky as compared to climbing on top of Sigiriya peak where you can just follow the steps.