Encounter Sri Lanka

You might say Sri Lanka has been hiding in plain sight. Scores of travellers have passed overhead jetting elsewhere, but Sri Lanka is buoyant and the tear drop isle is ripe for discovery. Home to spectacular views over Sigiriya, beautiful sunrises over vast tea plantations, leopards and elephants in Yala National Park and a relaxed capital called Colombo that knows a thing or two about cricket matches, Sri Lanka is an exquisite country that will leave you yearning for more.

Sri Lanka’s attributes are many. Endless beaches, ancient Buddhist cities and amazing ruins, famous Ceylon tea, fragrant gastronomy, lots of fauna, flora and avifauna at Udawalawe and Bundala, friendly locals, busy sapphire lapidaries in Ratnapura and no less than a staggering 8 UNESCO World Heritage sites. And all this, packed in a country 117 times smaller than Australia! Sri Lanka’s 2000-plus years of culture can be discovered at ancient and mysterious sites.

Extraordinary temples boast beautiful and intricate details crafted by artisans. Discover Kandy’s Temple of the Tooth, and at Anuradhapura discover the world’s oldest living tree. And, the best part is the distances are short! Beyond the temples, cities and towns, there are alluring beaches - dazzlingly good and so often untrod.

Find a favourite beach to call your own, meditate in a 2000-year-old temple, marvel at birdsong and the beauty of tropical wildflowers, sample palm hoppers and we bet you won’t be able to keep count of all the little dishes that come with your curry and rice. Sri Lanka is spectacular, it’s affordable and it’s still mostly uncrowded. Now is the best time to discover it. And when you have discovered it for yourself, return home and tell just the special people about this special place.