Country Information

• Spy on Sri Lanka’s abundant wildlife (much of which is found nowhere else on earth) in the country’s various sanctuaries and national parks. Birdwatching is superb, and as well as the famous elephants there are also leopards, deer, bears, wild boar, porcupines and monkeys to see.

• Ride an elephant; it’ll make you feel like Asian royalty rolling from side to side and looking down on the passing scenery. Wild elephants can be seen in sizeable numbers in several national parks, and there is a well-known elephant orphanage at Pinnawela.

• Enjoy sunbathing and swimming along Sri Lanka’s 1,600km (1,000 miles) of beautiful palm-shaded beaches. Good resorts include Beruwela, Bentota, Mount Lavinia Negombo and Hikkaduwa. Meanwhile Unawatuna in Galle claims to be among the top 15 beaches in the world.

• Go diving (website: www.divesrilanka.com) or snorkelling to glimpse the country’s thriving coral reefs and their myriad multi-hued inhabitants. Colourful diving spots include Bentota and Hikkaduwa, which also have underwater caves and shipwrecks to explore.

• Catch some waves surfing: recommended locations include Hikkaduwa, Midigama and particularly Arugam Bay (near Potuvil), which also offers waterskiing and yachting. Alternatively, try your hand at windsurfing; facilities are located in Bentota, Beruwela, Kalutara and Negombo.

• Go hiking through diverse landscapes, especially the rainforest and cloudforest of the hilly interior. Popular trekking destinations include Adam’s Peak, Sri Lanka’s highest point at 2,243m (7,358ft), World’s End in the highlands, near Nuwara Eliya, and the Knuckles wilderness area near Kandy.

• Join in a game of cricket; impromptu games are always striking up on the beach and in the street, and the cricket-mad locals are always happy for an extra pair of hands.

• Immerse yourself in one of Sri Lanka’s many colourful festivals. Most involve huge processions of glittering elephants, dancers and drummers. The best-known is Esala Perahera in Kandy; Vel Festival in Colombo is also spectacular.

• Trail your morning tea to its source in Sri Lanka’s highlands: inhale the delicious aromas of Victorian-era tea factories, drink their finest and roam the lush tea plantations. The Nuwara Eliya hill station is a popular destination.

• Head to the village of Kitulgala, tucked away amid ravines in the hill country, to enjoy both beginners-standard and high-adrenaline white-water rafting.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.