Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is a tropical island in the Indian Ocean, just off the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent. Its south and south-west coast is lined with golden beaches. Galle Fort, a UNESCO-listed 17th-century fort town, has ramparts and quiet old lanes. Weligama and Mirissa bays are known for surfing and, in season, whale watching; Tangalle has quieter coves.

The Hill Country brings tea estates on green slopes, cool mornings, waterfalls, the scenic Kandy–Ella railway, Kandy's Temple of the Tooth and Ceylon tea tastings. The Cultural Triangle holds Sigiriya's 5th-century rock fortress, the Dambulla cave temple and the ancient cities of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, all UNESCO-listed. With rangers you can look for leopards in Yala, wild elephants in Udawalawe and, usually in late summer, their gathering at Minneriya; blue whales are seen off the south coast.

Meals mean rice and curry, hoppers (crisp bowl-shaped rice pancakes), cinnamon and seafood. Ayurveda lives on as a spa tradition, alongside batik, Kandyan dance as a living art, calm temples and meditation. The climate is tropical with two monsoons: the south and west coasts are driest roughly December–April, the east coast roughly May–September, so one coast is always in season; the hills are cooler. The currency is the Sri Lankan rupee. The island suits couples, families, and lovers of nature and culture.