Sri Lanka Holidays

Sri Lanka is a small Indian Ocean island, covering just 65,610 square kilometres. That makes it smaller than the Republic of Ireland. But it manages to pack a lot into such a small space. You'll find a UNESCO-worthy old city in Galle, beach parties galore in Hikkaduwa, and Buddhist temples in Bentota. The Coastal Line train service is ideal for travelling between top destinations in the main tourist zone.

Many travellers to Sri Lanka choose to stay on the popular west coast of the island. There are lots of places of interest here including the country's largest city of Colombo, and the capital, Kotte. This region boasts a number of beaches that are well worth checking out. Bentota Beach is large and lively, and attracts watersports enthusiasts. For families, there's a small beach at Unawatuna, just a 20-minute drive from Galle, which offers calm waters for swimming.

One of Sri Lanka's biggest exports is Ceylon tea, and where better to enjoy a cup than where it all started? If you're staying in Negombo, it takes just three hours to reach Kandy by car. This is where the country's first tea was planted back in 1867. There are a number of plantations dotted across the mountains here, and there's a tea museum just 15 minutes to the south.