Ryan Ver Berkmoes - Lonely Planet Sri Lanka (Country Guide)

E-reader devices vary in their ability to show our maps. To get the most out of the maps in this guide, use the zoom function on your device. Or, visit http://media.lonelyplanet.com/ebookmaps and grab a PDF download or print out all the maps in this guide.

Endless beaches, timeless ruins, welcoming people, oodles of elephants, killer surf, cheap prices, fun trains, famous tea, flavourful food need I go on? describe Sri Lanka.

ASANKA BRENDON RATNAYAKE / LONELY PLANET IMAGES
Procession toward Gangaramaya Temple (), Colombo

You might say Sri Lanka has been hiding in plain sight. Countless scores of travellers have passed overhead on their way to someplace else, but years of war and challenges such as tsunamis have kept Sri Lanka off many itineraries.

But now as youve probably heard the war is over and Sri Lankas looking up. If youve done India, grown blas about Southeast Asia or simply want to explore a place whose appeal and pleasures are myriad, then its time you dropped in.

Sri Lankas attributes are many. Few places have as many Unesco World Heritage Sites (eight) packed into such a small area. Its 2000-plus years of culture can be discovered at ancient sites filled with mystery. Legendary temples boast beautiful details crafted by artisans through the centuries.

Across whole swaths of the country, that thing that goes bump in the night might be an elephant heading to a favourite waterhole. Safari tours of Sri Lankas pleasantly relaxed national parks encounter leopards, grouchy water buffaloes, all manner of birds and a passel of primates.

When youre ready to escape the tropical climate of the coast and lowlands, head for the hills, which are verdant, virescent and virally infectious with allure. Impossibly green tea plantations and rainforested peaks beckon walkers, trekkers or just those who want to see it on a spectacular train ride.

And then there are the beaches. The beaches! Dazzlingly white and all so often untrod, they ring the island so that no matter where you go, youll be near a sandy gem. Should you beat the inevitable languor, you can surf and dive world-class sites without world-class crowds.

Distances are short: see the sacred home of the worlds oldest living tree in the morning (Anuradhapura) and stand awestruck by the sight of hundreds of elephants gathering in the afternoon (Minneriya). Find a favourite beach to call your own, meditate in a 2000-year-old temple, exchange smiles while strolling a mellow village, marvel at birds and wildflowers, try to keep count of the little dishes that come with your rice and curry. Stroll past colonial gems in Colombo and then hit some epic surf.

Sri Lanka is spectacular, its affordable and its still mostly uncrowded. Now is the best time to discover it.

CHRISTER FREDRIKSSON / LONELY PLANET IMAGES
Beach at Mirissa ()

There are long, golden-specked ones, there are dainty ones with soft white sand, there are wind- and wave-battered ones, and ones without a footstep for miles. Some have a slowly, slowly vibe and some have a lively party vibe, but whichever you choose, the beaches of Sri Lanka really are every bit as gorgeous as youve heard. And we guarantee that after youve returned home, every time you sit in rush-hour traffic on a wet and cold Monday morning, an image of palm trees and azure Sri Lankan waters will float into your mind!

KEVIN CLOGSTOUN / LONELY PLANET IMAGES
Tangalla ()

Travelling by Train

Sometimes theres no way to get a seat on the slow but oh-so-popular train to Ella (), but with a prime standing-room-only spot looking out at a rolling carpet of tea, who cares? Outside, the colourful silk saris of Tamil tea pickers stand out in the sea of green; inside, you may get a shy welcome via a smile. At stations, vendors hustle treats, including some amazing corn and chilli fritters sold wrapped in somebodys old homework paper. Munching one of these while the scenery creaks past? Sublime.

JULIET COOMBE / LONELY PLANET IMAGES

Uda Walawe National Park

This huge chunk of savannah grassland centred on the Uda Walawe reservoir is the closest Sri Lanka gets to East Africa. There are herds of buffalo (although some of these are domesticated!), sambar deer, crocodiles, masses of birds, and elephants and we dont just mean a few elephants. We mean hundreds of the big-nosed creatures. In fact, wed go so far to say that for elephants, Uda Walawe () is equal to, or even better than, many of the famous East African national parks.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC IMAGE
COLLECTION / ALAMY

Ancient Anuradhapura

Here, big bits of Sri Lankas cultural and religious heritage sprawl across 3 sq km. In the centre is the worlds oldest tree, the Sri Maha Bodhi (more than two thousand years old). That it has been tended uninterrupted by record-keeping guardians for all those centuries is enough for shivers down the spine. The surrounding fields of crumbling monasteries and enormous dagobas (stupas) attest to the citys role as the seat of power in Sri Lanka for a thousand years. Biking through this heady past is a thrilling experience ().

JON HICKS / CORBIS
Ruvanvelisaya Dagoba ()

Soaring Sigiriya Rock

If it was just the rolling gardens at the base of Sigiriya (), they would still be a highlight. Ponds and little man-made rivulets put the water in these water gardens and offer a serene idyll amid the sweltering countryside. But look up and catch your jaw as you ponder this 370m rock that erupts out of the landscape. Etched with art and surmounted by ruins, Sigiriya is an awesome mystery, one that the wonderful new museum tries to dissect. The climb to the top is a wearying and worthy endeavour.

MARGIE POLITZER / LONELY PLANET IMAGES