It's been more than a decade since the end of Sri Lanka's civil war, and the country has bounced back to become one of the favorite travel destinations.

Getting there: Fly into Sri Lanka's international airport at Katunayake (airport code CMB), just north of Colombo.

With countless sacred sites, boundless crystal blue waters, and picturesque jade green tea estates, Sri Lanka offers myriad charms to those willing to explore.[1] The axiom “big things come in small packages” certainly applies here: 

• For tea lovers

  • If you want to see tea being grown and made, Sri Lanka is one of the best destinations for the tea loving traveler to visit as there are numerous tea factories offering tours and tastings as well as the chance to walk through beautiful tea estates.

• For animal lovers

  • There are lots of options for wildlife viewing in Sri Lanka. Both Udawalawe and Gal Oya national parks contain hundreds of elephants, while Yala National Park is home to the world's highest concentration of leopards. 

• For culture lovers

  • The island nation is full of post- and pre-colonial history in capital city Colombo, and eight UNESCO World Heritage sites.[2]

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Cultural (6)

1. Ancient City of Polonnaruwa (1982)

2. Ancient City of Sigiriya (1982)

3. Old Town of Galle and its Fortifications (1988)

4. Rangiri Dambulla Cave Temple (1991)

5. Sacred City of Anuradhapura (1982)

6. Sacred City of Kandy (1988)

Natural (2)

1. Central Highlands of Sri Lanka (2010)

2. Sinharaja Forest Reserve (1988)

Sigiriya Rock

Sri Lanka was the first Asian country known to have a female ruler: Anula of Anuradhapura (r. 47–42 BCE).  Sri Lankan monarchs undertook some remarkable construction projects such as Sigiriya, the so-called "Fortress in the Sky", built during the reign of Kashyapa I of Anuradhapura, who ruled between 477 and 495. 

The Sigiriya rock is located near the town of Dambulla in the Central Province, Sri Lanka.  The name refers to a site of historical and archaeological significance that is dominated by a massive column of rock nearly 200 meters high.  It is surrounded by an extensive network of ramparts and moats. Inside this protective enclosure were gardens, ponds, pavilions, palaces and other structures.

Where to Stay

In recent years, a hotel boom has led to the opening of wellness resorts and high-end spas that all put you within arm’s reach of your dream vacation.  

Geoffrey Bawa is a Legendary Sri Lankan architect who was born in 1972. He has explored modernism and its local cultural implications and created a uniquely recognizable style of design. Bawa’s architecture influenced the formation of a new architectural identity and aesthetic for many tropical backgrounds. These made him win recognition and awards.  The below hotels are the ones recommended in the  TV series—RAKUEN The Secret of Paradise (Amazon link) :

• Heritance Kandalama in Dambulla – Geoffrey Bawa

• Jetwing Lighthouse in Galle – Geoffrey Bawa

• AVANI Bentota Resort

• Jetwing Lagoon in Thalahena – Geoffrey Bawa

For tea lovers, you can base yourself at Thota­lagala, a seven-suite hotel near Dambatenne, the world’s most famous tea estate, planted in 1890 by Sir Thomas Lipton.

References

1. THE PRETTIEST COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD

2. Sri Lanka (whc.unesco.org)

3. The Best Islands in the World: 2020 Readers' Choice Awards

4. Top 5 Hotels Architect by Geoffrey Bawa in Sri Lanka

5. RAKUEN The Secret of Paradise

6. Things to do in Sri Lanka

7. Travel for tea lovers