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What to do in Sri Lanka?

Sanjeewa Padmal (Seerendipity)

Table of Contents

If you are in a dilemmea what to do in Sri Lanka? you have stumbled upon the correct websiite with the list of , “Top 10 things to do in Sri Lanka”, is quite adventurous; it includes many natural attractions such as wildlife reserves, rainforests, beaches, and mountains. The list also includes cultural and historical monuments in Sri Lanka. Watching blue whales in Sri Lanka is a hot topic among travellers and it gives you the opportunity to spot the largest creature in the world in close proximity, and so is the boat tour of Madu estuary to spot avian fauna species. We have chosen the below 10 things to do based on the reviews that we received from the travellers we served in the past.

What are the top 10 things to do in Sri Lanka?

“What are the top 10 things to do in Sri Lanka?”, “What are the things to see in Sri Lanka?”, “What can we do in Sri Lanka” are some of the very common questions among most travellers, who plan to visit Sri Lanka. Our website provides helpful information to travellers to plan their Sri Lanka trips and our website allows travellers to ask questions regarding Sri Lanka holiday packages. We receive many questions like “what are the things we can do in Sri Lanka on our holiday?”, That’s the main reason why we decided to embark on this article.

There is a wide range of things to do in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka or Ceylon as it was called earlier was also known as the pearl of the orient. Some people say the island was called the pearl of the orient because it produces all varieties of precious stones. Some others claim that Sri Lanka is very rich in natural beauty and therefore it is called the pearl of the orient. Whatever it is, the island is a great resource for explorers with any kind of taste. Maybe it is the wildlife that you are fascinated by or maybe you are a beach holiday lover, cultural sites, adventure activities, or historical monuments, or perhaps you are a foodie traveller… plan your next trip to Sri Lanka, there is something on the island to keep you busy.

This list is quite adventurous; it includes many natural attractions such as wildlife reserves, rainforests, and mountains. The list also includes many cultural and historical monuments. Watching blue whales is a hot topic on the island as it gives you the opportunity to spot the largest creatures in the world in close proximity, and so is the boat tour of Madu estuary to spot avian fain species. I have done all these activities and they are some of my favourite things to do in Sri Lanka.

How to choose the top 10 things to do in Sri Lanka?

Have you already planned the activities of your Sri Lanka road trip? Exploring Sigiriya rock fortress? A whitewater rafting in Kitulgala? perhaps explore the cultural triangle with a hot air balloon ride on Dambulla. This article is about the top things to do in Sri Lanka, and this article might be very useful to plan your fun-filled Sri Lanka activities during the holiday. With this long article, we hope to give some insight into several important and fun things to do in Sri Lanka.

Exploring beaches one of the best things to do in Sri Lanka
Arugam Bay beach

Venturing on a Sri Lanka tour is the best way of visiting important places, Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is a holiday destination with a wide range of attractions and activities. Pristine beaches, fascinating landscape, primaeval rainforests, animal world, historical cities, ancient culture, and tradition are some of the assets of Sri Lanka that helps the island to attract holiday lovers. Wildlife holidays, adventure holidays, cultural tours, health tourism or Ayurveda courses and many other variations of Sri Lanka holiday packages are offered by travel agents such as Seerendipity tours. Holiday in Sri Lanka has become very affordable compared to holiday packages in many Asian holiday destinations such as Thailand, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and India. So, pack yourself and set off to Sri Lanka for a memorable holiday at an affordable price.

Whether you like to travel solo and have a personalized tour or join a group, hotel reservation, Sri Lanka day tours, multi-day tours such as 4 days Sri Lanka trip and 10 days Sri Lanka tour, whatever your requirement is Seerendipity tours can help you to organize your holiday in Sri Lanka. Call or write to us for any inquiries regarding your holiday in Sri Lanka. Following are some fun activities that will make you happy during the holiday.

These are places in Sri Lanka that hold a lot of value for nature lovers such as knuckles forest and Sinharaja rain forest.  So don’t think twice put them on your Sri Lanka tour itinerary and enjoy nature in its wild form.

What are the top 10 things to do in Sri Lanka?

  1. Exploring Sri Lankan beaches
  2. Wildlife exploration
  3. Visiting historical monuments
  4. Adventure Activities
  5. Exploring the fascinating flora
  6. Exploring Sri Lankan Village life
  7. Rejuvenate your mind and body with Ayurveda
  8. Recreations activities
  9. Visiting Colombo–the heart of the Sri Lankan economy
  10. Visiting Kandy -the heart of Sri Lankan culture

Exploring beaches-best things to do in Sri Lanka

Since Sri Lanka is an island in the Indian Ocean, the island is inherited more than 1300 km of pristine beaches. These Sri Lankan beaches are full of geological characteristics such as lagoons, coves, bays and mangroves. Sri Lanka is popular in the world as a beach holiday destination hence there is no Sri Lanka tour itinerary without a beach stay. Due to the popularity of Sri Lanka beaches, all local tour operators in Sri Lanka offer Sri Lanka beach tours and they are on the radar of travellers around the world.

Sri Lanka is also popular among travellers as a country with rich culture and history. Most Sri Lankan cultural tours are based on the cultural triangle located in the central province of Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan culture is one of the oldest cultures in the world and dates back many thousands of years. Cultural sites such as Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Sigiriya are popular cultural places among travellers and are included in many Sri Lanka sightseeing tours. But, unfortunately, natural attractions such as rainforests are not that popular among most travellers. Therefore the nature reserves, rainforests and national parks are largely unexplored and forgotten.

What are the top 10 Sri Lankan beaches for beach holidays?

  1. Bentota Beach
  2. Negombo Beach
  3. Unawatuna Beach
  4. Hikkaduwa Beach
  5. Kalutara Beach
  6. Arugam Bay Beach
  7. Nilaveli Beach
  8. Kalkudah & Pasikudah
  9. Tangalle & Hambantota
  10. Mirissa Beach

What are the top 10 things to do in Sri Lanka on a beach holiday?

  1. Sunbathing
  2. Sea bathing
  3. Diving
  4. Snorkelling
  5. Fishing
  6. Boating
  7. Surfing
  8. Kite surfing
  9. Whale watching
  10. Swimming with sea turtles
Places to visit in Sri Lanka in 3 days

Exploring Fauna: the best things to do in Sri Lanka

Do you know that Sri Lanka is very rich in natural wealth, especially with regard to the animal world? Why don’t you give it a try, I guarantee that you will not regret allocating several days for a Sri Lanka wildlife tour to enjoy the fascinating collection of fauna on this tropical island. You will be surprised to see what Sri Lanka has to offer you. Sri Lanka is emerging as a wildlife holiday destination in the region and attracts a large number of holidaymakers from all around the world to its national parks, wildlife reserves, beaches and marine sanctuaries.

What are the top 10 places in Sri Lanka for wildlife exploration?

  1. Yala national park
  2. Udawalawe national park & elephant transit camp
  3. Minneriya national park
  4. Wilpattun national park
  5. Kumana national park
  6. Pinnawala elephant orphanage
  7. Mirissa beach
  8. Rekawa beach
  9. Pigeon island marine sanctuary
  10. Hikkaduwa marine sanctuary

What are the top 10 things to do in Sri Lanka for wildlife enthusiasts?

  1. Sri Lanka trip to Yala national park
  2. Whale watching tour Mirissa
  3. Bird watching in Kumana national park
  4. Turtle watching on Rekawa beach
  5. Swimming with sea turtles
  6. Exploring a fascinating underwater world in Hikkaduwa
  7. Exploring coral reefs in Nilaveli
  8. Elephant safari in Minneriya Kaudulla national park
  9. Searching for leopards in Wilpattu national park
  10. Boat tour in Madu River estuary
Visiting historical monuments in anuradhapura
Anuradhapura

Visiting historical monuments

Exploring Sri Lankan culture should be on the bucket list of every traveller, who visits Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is one of the very few countries in the world with uninterrupted human habitation since the stone age. Most Sri Lanka tours start with the ancient monument in the central province of Sri Lanka.

Exploring some of the places located in the cultural triangle of Sri Lanka is a must to see the heyday of bygone Sri Lankan people. Inside the cultural triangle, the travellers encounter ruins of thousands of years old well-planned cities with temples, palaces, markets and living quarters of common people.

The historical cities such as Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Dambulla and Sigiriya show evidence of the great culture that existed in the past. The historical buildings such as Jetawanarama are similar to the structures of the Pyramids in Giza. The well-developed water management system that existed on the island is a great feat of the ancient engineers of the country.

Tour operators of Sri Lanka organize round tours such as 4 days Sri Lanka tour, 5 days Sri Lanka tour or 7 days Sri Lanka tour enabling you not only to explore the cultural sites in Sri Lanka but also many other places such as wildlife reserves, Sri Lanka hill country, south coast and beaches. The best way to visit these places is to take part in a Sri Lanka private tour because group tours do not allow you to spend as much time as you need to explore the sites.

What are the top 10 historical places in Sri Lanka that are included in tour packages?

  1. Anuradhapura
  2. Polonnaruwa
  3. Sigiriya
  4. Dambulla Golden temple
  5. Tooth relic temple Kandy
  6. Kataragama temple
  7. Kelaniya temple Colombo
  8. Mihintale
  9. Adams peak
  10. Aukana Buddha statue

What are the top 10 things to do in Sri Lanka’s historical places?

  1. Visiting ancient Buddhist temples
  2. Learn about the engineering skills of ancient engineers
  3. Exploring Sri Lanka’s ancient irrigation works
  4. Visiting museums
  5. Watching ancient paintings
  6. Watching ancient stone sculptures
  7. Learn about ancient wood carvings
  8. Learn about Sri Lankan history and culture
  9. Learn about Buddhism
  10. Visiting Sri maha bodhi
water rafting kitulgala 1
Whitewater rafting

Adventure Activities

Sri Lanka is a destination with a large number of places for adventure holidays. The mountains and escapements in the central part of the country attract a large number of mountain climbers to the country. National parks and rainforests such as Sinharaja and KDN provide some of the best places for nature holidays. The hundreds of rivers, streams, canals, and tanks can be used for fishing, canoeing, rafting and other adventure water sports.

Sri Lanka mountains are the favourite spot for adventure sports in Sri Lank and have the nickname “playground of adventure sports “. Trekking, mountain climbing, waterfall abseiling, rock climbing, white water rafting and some interesting activities can be performed here.

What are the top 10 places in Sri Lanka for adventure activities?

  1. Kitulgala
  2. Sinharaja
  3. Ella
  4. Kandy
  5. Nuwara Eliya
  6. Bandarawela
  7. Sigiriya
  8. Bentota
  9. Haputale
  10. Hatton & DikOya

What are the top 10 things to do in Sri Lanka for adventure lovers?

  1. Trekking
  2. Hiking
  3. Mountain climbing
  4. Rock climbing
  5. Whitewater rafting
  6. Waterfall abseiling
  7. Kayaking
  8. Caving
  9. Mountain biking
  10. Surfing
sinharaja forest reserve tour
Exploring rain forest

Exploring the fascinating Flora

Sri Lanka, a tropical island is very rich in natural resources. Nearly 24% of the total land area is covered with forests and national parks. These valuable natural resources harbour a large number of trees, plants, and vines. Therefore, Sri Lankan jungles are recognized as a country with one of the highest Bio-diversity in the world.

Nature lovers have the opportunity to explore rain forests, dry-zone forests as well as cloud forests. , local tour operators organize excursions and tours enabling tourists to explore these valuable places.

Sri Lanka safari, Boat tours and rainforest exploration tours are the most popular ways to explore the rich bio-diversity of Sri Lanka. Most Sti Lanka multi-day tours are equipped with a few places such as rain forests enabling the tourist to explore the rich flora of Sri Lanka. It can be Kitulgala rain forest, Sinharaja rain forest, Nuwara Eliya, Kandy or any other patch of forest.

What are the top 10 places in Sri Lanka to explore the rich flora?

  1. Sinharaja rain forest
  2. Peradeniya botanical garden
  3. Kitulgala rain forest
  4. Sigiriya wildlife reserve
  5. Udawattekele sanctuary Kandy
  6. Galway forest reserve Nuwar Eliya
  7. Horton plains national park
  8. Knuckles forest
  9. Madu River estuary
  10. Bentota river

What are the top 10 things to do in Sri Lanka for nature lovers?

  1. Rain forest trek in Sinharaja
  2. Kitulgala rain forest exploration tour
  3. Bird-watching trek in Sigiriya
  4. Boating in Madu estuary
  5. Rain forest trek Kanneliya
  6. Trekking through the knuckles rain forest
  7. Trekking through the Horton plains national park
  8. trekking through the Galway forest
  9. Visiting Galway forest
  10. Walking tour of Peradeniya botanical garden
kurunegala
Paddy field

Exploring Village life

Exploring village life is definitely one of the very exciting things to do in Sri Lanka. Village tours are new to the leisure sector in the country. These special packages make you the opportunity to visit traditional Sri Lankan villager’s houses and farmlands. It allows you to explore the lifestyle of village folk. Guest-friendly people in the villagers welcome you with the most dignity and help you to have a memorable holiday. You can have the opportunity to have more insight into the traditional village life through the village tour.

Usually, these packages include many activities performed by the village folk like riding on a bullock cart, kayaking in the village tank etc. Same time you visit important places in the village such as the village schools, temples, and paddy fields.  Eating like locals in a village house is also included in most village tours and it is one of the very interesting things to do in Sri Lanka. This is a perfect opportunity for foodies to taste typical Sri Lanka rice and curry.

What are the top 10 places in Sri Lanka for village tours?

  1. Habarana
  2. Kandy
  3. Polonnaruwa
  4. Galle
  5. Negombo
  6. Sigiriya
  7. Kitulgala
  8. Yala
  9. Hikkaduwa
  10. Bentota

What are the top 10 things to do in Sri Lanka on a village tour?

  1. Take part in a cooking class
  2. Visiting Village temple
  3. Visiting Village school
  4. Visiting farmlands
  5. Boating in the village lake
  6. Bullock cart ride
  7. Bird watching
  8. Visiting village family
  9. Jungle trekking
  10. Elephant ride
ayurveda
Ayurveda

Ayurveda treatments

Experience the healing effect of Ayurveda is one of the interesting things to do in Sri Lanka. The age-old healing method of Ayurveda is one of the most popular healing methods among Sri Lankans.

A large number of health resorts mainly on the west coast provide exposure to healing practices such as herbal massage and various other treatments. Even travellers can choose Ayurveda resorts where Ayurveda treatments are carried on various ailments. These resorts are attracting a large number of customers and the number of travellers who look for the holistic healing system is increasing day by day.

Most leading hotels provide Ayurveda treatment packages for their in-house customers. These Ayurveda packages can last only a few hours to many days, which is largely decided by the Ayurveda doctor and the expectations of the customer.  If you did not plan for a multi-day Ayurveda course in Sri Lanka you can choose short Ayurveda courses such as body massage and sauna.

What are the top 10 places in Sri Lanka to get Ayurveda treatments?

  1. Colombo
  2. Kalutara
  3. Anuradhapura
  4. Kandy
  5. Bentota
  6. Tangalle
  7. Hikkaduwa
  8. Negombo
  9. Unawatuna
  10. Ahungalla

What are the top 10 things to do in Sri Lanka with Ayurveda?

  1. Head massage or Shiro abhyanga
  2. Facial massage -Massage, scrub, face pack, scalp stimulation, facial toner
  3. Herbal steam bath
  4. Panchakarma Ayurveda treatment
  5. Alepa-Medicinal herb plaster
  6. Shirodhara
  7. Nasal Therapy
  8. Vasti
  9. Yoya
  10. Meditation

Recreational Activities

There are possibilities for recreation activities in clubs and nightclubs in Sri Lanka. Most of these clubs are to be found in Colombo and suburbs. Several new nightclubs were opened in the recent past in the resort areas of the west coast.

Watersports is one of the most striking Sri Lanka trips things to do. The island enables travellers to perform a large number of water sports in the water resources such as rivers, lakes as well as the Ocean.

What are the top 10 places in Sri Lanka for recreational activities?

The beach resorts like Bentota, Hikkaduwa, and Negombo provide many possibilities for travellers to get engaged in many water sports activities such as white water rafting, Kayaking, surfing, diving, snorkelling, boating, fishing, banana boating, riding on water scooters etc.

  1. Colombo
  2. Kandy
  3. Bentota
  4. Hikkaduwa
  5. Negombo
  6. Bentota
  7. Unawatuna
  8. Kitulgala
  9. Mirissa
  10. Nuwara Eliya

What are the top 10 recreational activities to do in Sri Lanka?

Travellers can find water sports centres in leading beach resorts. Several popular water sports centres are located in the Bentota beach area. The travellers can book any activity over the phone or just visit the water sports centre.

  1. Running
  2. Hiking & camping
  3. Visiting night clubs/ discos/ casinos
  4. Canoeing, kayaking and rafting
  5. Sailing and motorboating
  6. Rock Climbing
  7. Elephant back ride
  8. Volunteering
  9. Biking
  10. Rock Climbing
What are the things to do in Colombo?
Colombo

Visiting the Colombo-heart of the Sri Lankan economy

Colombo is the commercial hub of Sri Lanka and also the biggest city in Sri Lanka with roughly about 2.1 million population. The city has a fascinating blend of history, culture, colonial heritage and characteristics of the 21st-century modern metropolis. There are many interesting things to do in Colombo such as visiting temples, Visiting gardens, shopping, visiting the zoo, visiting galleries, museums and relaxing on the beach.

What are the Top 10 places to visit in Colombo?

  1. Gangarama temple
  2. Wolvendaal church
  3. Parliament
  4. Colombo Museum
  5. Viharamahadevi park
  6. Pettah
  7. Independent memorial hall
  8. Colombo Zoo
  9. Galle face green
  10. Dutch hospital

What are the top 10 things to do in Colombo?

  1. Shopping
  2. Visiting Gangarama temple
  3. Visiting historical monuments
  4. Visiting beaches
  5. Visiting nightclubs, casinos, Cinemas, restaurants, bars and clubs
  6. Visiting Ayurveda spas
  7. Visiting Museums
  8. Visiting the Colombo Zoo
  9. Visiting parks and gardens
  10. Take part in a cooking class
What are the things to do in Kandy? visiting tooth relic temple
Tooth relic temple Kandy

Visiting Kandy, the heart of Sri Lankan culture

Colombo is the economic hub of Sri Lanka while Kandy is the cultural hub of Sri Lanka. Kandy is one of the most popular cities on the island and there are dozens of interesting things to do in Kandy. Visiting an elephant orphanage, visiting a tooth relic temple, walking in the royal botanical garden, watching Kandyan cultural show, sipping an unblended cup of Ceylon tea and trekking through the tea gardens are some of the interesting things to do in Kandy.

What are the Top 10 places to visit in Kandy?

  1. Tooth relic temple
  2. Pinnawala elephant orphanage
  3. Peradeniya Botanical garden
  4. Kandyan cultural show
  5. Spice garden
  6. Kandy viewpoint
  7. Tea factory
  8. Tea museum
  9. Buddhist & Cultural museum
  10. Udawattekele sanctuary

What are the top 10 things to do in Kandy?

  1. Visiting Tooth relic temple
  2. Walking in the Peradeniya botanical garden
  3. Witness the typical Sri Lankan dance performances at a cultural show
  4. Taking a birds-ey view of Kandy from View Point
  5. Bird watching in Udawattekele
  6. See the frolicking little elephant in Pinnawala
  7. Learn about spices, and Ayurveda in a spice garden
  8. Sip a cup of typical, unblended CEYLON tea
  9. Trekking through the mountains, tea gardens
  10. Enjoy picture-perfect sceneries with waterfalls and green-capped mountains
What are the things to do in Nuwara Eliya?
Nuwara Eliya

Nuwara Eliya is the most popular hill country resort on the island. Nuwara Eliya sits 1800 meters above sea level and has a very appealing mild climate. The healing climate is one of the main reasons for its popularity, which attract a large number of travellers to Nuwara Eliya.

Nuwara Eliya is surrounded by Green capped mountains, tea plantations, rivers, waterfalls and patches of forests. Nuwara Eliya is a destination for nature lovers and there is a large number of things to do in Nuwara Eliya such as trekking, hiking, bird watching, boating, mountain climbing, as well as visiting historical monuments.

What are the Top 10 places to visit in Nuwara Eliya?

  1. Ramboda falls
  2. Tea factory/Tea gardens
  3. Gregory lake
  4. Victoria park
  5. Galway sanctuary
  6. Horton plains national park
  7. Seetha Amman temple
  8. Haggala botanical garden
  9. Ambewela farm/ Strawberry farm
  10. St.Clairs waterfall/Devon fall

What are the Top 10 things to do in Nuwara Eliya?

  1. Boating in the Gregory Lake
  2. Visiting Victoria park
  3. Golfing in Nuwara Eliya golf course
  4. Visiting one of the most historical temples in Sri Lanka, the Sita temple
  5. Watching the tea manufacturing process in a tea factory
  6. Visiting waterfalls
  7. Mountian climbing/trekking/hiking
  8. Horse riding
  9. Shopping
  10. Bird watching in Galway forest
Visiting galle on a day trip from Colombo
Galle Fort, the Colonial walled city is one of the most popular places and included most Galle trips.

Visiting Galle and witnessing the splendour of the Colonial Era

Galle is the capital of southern Sri Lanka. Galle is popular as a destination to see colonial heritage due to the presence of Galle Fort. Gall is located 118 km south of Colombo bordering the Indian Ocean, saltwater activities such as sea baths, sunbath, diving, snorkelling and water sports are the most important things to do in Galle.

What are the top 10 places to visit in Galle?

  1. Galle Fort
  2. Sea turtle conservation centre
  3. Unawatuna Beach
  4. Jungle Beach
  5. Hikkaduwa Marine sanctuary
  6. Visiting Martin Wickramasinghe museum
  7. Mask museum
  8. Boating in Koggala Lagoon
  9. Visiting Moonstone mines
  10. Visiting the ancient Buddhist temples
Places To Visit In Sri Lanka In 7 Days
Negombo Beach

Visiting Negombo Beach

Negombo is a fishing village on the west coast of Sri Lanka. Negombo plays 2 major roles on the island a fishing village and a popular tourist resort. A large number of beach holiday lovers head on to Negombo every year to enjoy the pristine beaches. There are many things to do in Negombo, from exploring religious sites to diving, snorkelling, swimming, boating and fishing. The best thing to do in Negombo is closely connected to the sea.

What are the top 10 places to visit in Negombo?

  1. Negombo Beach/Lewis road
  2. Negombo Lagoon
  3. Hamilton canal
  4. Negombo church
  5. Dutch Fort Negombo
  6. Negombo Fishmarket
  7. Negombo dry-fish market
  8. Muthurajawela wetland
  9. Henarathgoda botanical garden
  10. Buddhist temple

What are the top 10 things to do in Sri Lanka for leisure travellers?

  1. Exploring the city of Kandy
  2. Have a sea bath and sunbath
  3. Trekking through Sinharaja and Kanneliya Rainforests
  4. Have a Fish Massage
  5. Climbing Adams peak
  6. Hot air ballooning
  7. Wine and dine
  8. Experience the gorgeous sunset
  9. The train ride from Ella to Nuwara Eliya
  10. Duck boat tour in Nuwara Eliya
Kandy, hill country sri lanka

The Kandy city tour is one of the best things to do in Sri Lanka

Kandy is a cultural city and probably the most visited city on the island. It attracts locals as well as tourists and offers plenty of opportunities to enjoy your holiday in Sri Lanka. Kandy is a historical city dating back many hundreds of years. Kandy is a popular destination for locals as well as foreign tourists. Kandy shows the best picture of colonial influence in the past. Still, a large number of colonial buildings is occupying the centre of the city while some other buildings show the typical Kandyan architecture.

In the heart of downtown Kandy are shops and markets to keep you busy with purchasing. Kandy shopping area has an interesting blend of merchandise from souvenirs, and clothes to vegetables and fruits. The number of shops, restaurant and bars are exceeding many hundreds.

I can guarantee that you would stay in the city for the whole day, at least one-half of the day. So, just drop into an open restaurant and sip a typical Ceylon tea, while enjoying the busy outside world.  I would choose devon for a quick bite and a drink because it is clean, affordable and good food.

Having a Sea bath and Sea bath

Still, the palm-fringed beaches are the most important tourist attraction on the island. Almost every tourist spends at least one night in a beach resort to enjoy the secluded beaches and have a refreshing bath in the sea. The sea bath can be dangerous sometimes due to the underwater current. Therefore it is highly advisable to consult the lifeguard at the hotel before going to the sea.

Duck boat tour in Nuwara Eliya

If you take a tour or excursion to Nuwara Eliya during your holiday in Sri Lanka, you have the opportunity to get into a duck boat. Duck boating is a popular fun activity among travellers, who visit the hill station of Nuwara Eliya. Duck boats are small boats with the appearance of a duck. It can accommodate two persons at a time and they have to paddle to cruise on the water.  Gregory Lake is the location for this fun activity and boats can be hired for one hour or more. Duck boating is thoroughly enjoyed by kids and adults alike.

Take a ride in a bullock cart

Bullock cart, one of the cheapest and nature-friendly transport methods, unfortunately, can be seen very rarely today. But, it had been the leading transport method in the past. Today, bullock carts can be found in some areas and services for tourists. They can be borrowed only for an enjoyable ride in places such as Sigiriya.

Camellion at Sinharaja rainforest

Trek in the Kanneliya and Sinharaja Forest Reserves

Exploring the tropical vegetation on the island is another brilliant idea to enjoy your holiday. Even though the island is small in size it has a large number of forests and national parks. Visiting national parks and forests is the best way to embrace the natural beauty of the country. One day tour of the beach resort gives you plenty of opportunities to see the wildlife of the country.  Travel companies such as seerendipity tours are always prepared to organize your short trips at an affordable rate.

Kanneliya is another protected wildlife area, which is considered to have one of the highest bio-diversities on the island. The forest is consisting of a vast tract of land with many endemic species of fauna and flora. The fascinating ecosystem here harbours many species of birds, mammals, and reptiles unique to the country. Kanneliya is one of the least known rainforests in Sri Lanka and therefore it is not a very popular natural attraction among travellers.  Kanneloya is overlooked by most travellers who fail to visit this rainforest during their Sri Lanka holidays.

Trekking through Sinharaja Rainforest

Sinharaja rainforest is a stunning protected patch of forests, that should be recommended to visit during the Sri Lanka holidays if someone is fascinated by fauna and flora. Including Sinharaja forest in Sri Lanka holidays allows you to spot a large number of fand flora of Sri Lanka. Sinharaja forest reserve is declared as a world heritage site by UNESCO considering its importance to the world.

The entire forest reserve is a conservation land visitors get the opportunity to see a large array of fauna and flora here. There are many fantastic footpaths readily available for you to explore the forest reserve and see the beautiful scenery. Exploring Sinharaja during your Sri Lanka holidays allows you to experience the most important natural asset of the island.  This virgin rainforest is one of the least disturbed rainforests in the world and has very high biodiversity.

Sinharaja is a natural world heritage site in Sri Lanka. It is one of the last remaining primaeval rainforests in the region and dates back millions of years. Sinharaja is a strict nature reserve and visitors allow having a walk in the buffer zone of the forest.  You will be astounded to see the gloomy, serene and calm atmosphere prevails in the forest. The upper canopy and canopy block the sun rays from reaching the lower part of the forest resulting very gloomy lower part even on very sunny days. Frequent rain is usual here and the heat of the environment is considerably lowered by the water resources and thick grown trees and plants.

Things to do in Sri Lanka-Climbing Adams peak

While Mt.everst is the most widely known mountain in the world due to its height, Mt. Adams peak has the advantage of being a pilgrimage site.  If you love to experience adventure, history, and religion and get to know the local people in one journey then head on to Sri Pada or Adams peak.

Sri Pada or Adam’s peak is a major tourist attraction in Sri Lanka and most tourists are not forgetting to include Adam’s peak in their Sri Lanka holiday packages. Sripada Mountain dominates the sky in the mountains and is the most popular peak on the island. The shrine on the pinnacle, which lies well over 2300 meters above sea level, is a place of veneration for all major religions. If you do not belong to any of the native religions, still it is highly worthwhile to go up the mountains due to the awe-striking scenery across the country from the pinnacle.

Local people are heading to the summit of the mountains due to religious and historical reasons. This is a pilgrimage site for all major religions in Sri Lanka. The mountain is situated in a strict nature reserve and surrounded by thick jungle. One can have a breathtaking view over the surrounding jungle and the view of the sunrise from the summit is a highlight for any person climbing Adams peak.  There are 2 major routes with varying distances to reach the pinnacle of the mountains. Both are very picturesque and adventurous.  The route that starts in Hatton is the shortest and less difficult.

Things to do in Sri Lanka-Hot air ballooning

Hot air ballooning is one of the most popular activities among tourists in Sri Lanka. For the past nine years, 1000’s locals, as well as foreigners, have experienced hot air ballooning, especially in the cultural triangle. Commercial ballooning has been experienced even by the conservative.  The journey with a balloon is proved to be reliable with modern safety equipment and it provided a lot of satisfaction. One can enjoy a bird’s eye view of the sky and one can have a beautiful view of the beautiful vegetation and landscape of the country.

Balloon time can be varied depending on the different packages. The cause of the journey is determined by the wind and the guests are transferred by air-conditioned vehicles from the landing point. Commercial ballooning is frequently sighted in the areas of Dambulla, Sigiriya, and Habarana. The flights take place across the Cultural triangle over the beautiful evergreen dry zone forests. One can have a view over the Sigiriya rock, mountains, temples, lotus pond and local village life

Kandalama near Dambulla has earned a reputation as one of the best places for ballooning and it is voted as the “Top 5” ballooning destination in the world. there are many distinguished guests who have undertaken the flight from this area and some of them are Movie stars, ambassadors, princesses, ladies and knights.

Ballooning started in France in the 1850s then spread around the world and today it has evolved into one of the key tourist attractions. It is estimated that 3.5 million tourists perform balloon tours in Australia alone, for adventure and to view the major cities from the sky. Ballooning believed in providing a more picturesque view during the flight that fixed-wing flights.

With the well-trained pilots, sophisticated equipment and strict international standards have made it a more trustworthy way of air travelling. Sri Lanka’s dry zone is the most favourable for ballooning on the island. Being in the dry zone the cultural triangle does experience the rainy season only for a few months and the rest of the year is usually warm and dry. Dry warm weather provides the ideal atmosphere to enjoy ballooning.

Sampling seafood one of the best things to do in Sri Lanka for food lovers.

Things to do in Sri Lanka-eating delicious seafood

Being an island, Sri Lanka is famous for seafood and has plenty of variations of it. You may be surprised to see the different variety of seafood dishes offered by local restaurants. Even though seafood is available all around the country, fresh seafood is available in the beach areas. Beach areas offer plenty of seafood restaurants, especially the resort areas give you plenty of options to try delicious seafood menus. Jump into a fishing vessel and set off to the deep blue sea to catch the fish on your own. You can spend the entire day or several hours in the sea.

Things to do in Sri Lanka-Experience the gorgeous sunset

If you are doing the sightseeing tours during your holiday, you will find many interesting things to do in Sri Lanka. But you also find some interesting to do in Sri Lanka as you make your beach holiday.

After the hard day of touring let your day wind up in a beach restaurant, cafe or pub on the beach. It gives you the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful scenery at the time the sunset. The West Coast of Sri Lanka is the best place to see the sunset while the summit of the Sripada gives you the best view of the sunrise.

Things to do in Sri Lanka-enjoy scenic train trip, from Ella to Nuwara Eliya

Nuwara Eliya and Ella both are mountain resorts and popular tourist hangouts I the island. What makes the tourist come to Nuwara Eliya and Ella? The answer is nature. The natural wealth of both locations tempts travellers to stop at these places. Nuwara Eliya, I would like to say it is a small town with about a couple of thousand population. But Ella is a laid-back small village with an extensive green cover. There are many dozens of hiking trails in Ella and some of them are easy to do and some others need a bit of experience.

Other than trekking, hiking, exploring tea gardens, and bathing in natural waterholes, the train journey is also among the best things to do in Ella and this scenic train trip is one of the best things to do in Sri Lanka.  The train journey from Ella to Nuwara Eliya or vice-a-Vera last bout 2 hours; you are exposed to the endless valleys as your travel around the jagged mountain. The visors are taken by surprise with the spellbinding view, so don’t forget to make time for it.

What are the top 10 things to do in Sri Lanka for animal lovers?

  1. Wash, feed and treat elephants
  2. Feed street dogs
  3. Whale-watching Sri Lanka
  4. Diving & snorkelling
  5. Visiting Colombo Zoo
  6. Boating to see crocodiles, monkeys, water monitors and aqua birds
  7. Wildlife safari to see leopards at Yala national park
  8. Dive to see exotic fish, sea turtles in the sea off Hikkaduwa
  9. Bird watching
  10. Take a ride in a bullock cart
What watching one of the best things to do in Sri Lanka
Blue whales in southern Sri Lanka

Whale-watching Sri Lanka

Do you know that Sri Lanka has resident whales? Maybe you are not aware that the ocean around Sri Lanka has a sizable whale population. Sri Lanka is one of the best places for whale watching in Asia. A large number of whale gatherings can be seen in areas such as Arugam Bay, Matara, Mirissa, Kalkudah and Pasikuda. According to the naturalists, there are permanent resident whales around the island, other than the migrating whales, which are coming from the direction of the Arabic sea. Therefore chances of seeing whales are at a very high level, especially in the waters of southern Sri Lanka.

The ocean around the island is resided by a large number of whales. Therefore, whale watching is a very popular Sri Lanka activity among travellers, who spend a holiday in Sri Lanka. Apart from the resident whales, the sea around the island is visited by migrant whales coming from other areas such as the Arabian Sea. Therefore, the ocean around Sri Lanka shows a healthy concentration of this largest marine mammal.

The chances of spotting whales are very high due to the healthy population of whales. Whale-watching cruise tours are offered by tour operators such as Seerendipity tours and it takes around 5 hours for the entire whale-watching trip. If you like to hear whales sing-song then get on board and set off to the deep sea, Oops don’t forget your camera.

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Diving

Sri Lanka has become one of the best destinations for diving and snorkelling enthusiasts in the world. There is a large number of diving hot spots around the country. The fascinating deep water world of Sri Lanka is home to a large number of species of corals, exotic fish, underwater plants and other sea creatures. The shipwrecks in the waters of Sri Lanka are great locations to spot sea creatures and most of these ships with historical value and date back many centuries.

Visiting Colombo Zoo

Colombo zoo is one of the best places for fun activities in the city of Colombo, especially for kids. It has a very interesting collection of animals from various parts of the world. Don’t miss out on the elephant dancing performance at the open theatres. It is the most fun activity in the zoo for most people. Kids will enjoy it and love it. The zoo is occupying a beautifully landscaped garden and it is a popular family outing place among the local people.

Madu River boat tour
Madu River boat tour

Madu Ganga River Safari

Perhaps Madu Ganga or Madu river is the most popular wetland on the west coast of Sri Lanka. Madu Ganga river safari along the river exposes you to the existing set-up of fauna and flora along the river. Here you have the opportunity to get through knowledge on Sri Lankan mangroves, fish species, and amphibian species. Being a wetland the richness of avian fauna is very high in Madu Ganga and the best place to spot many rare species of national and migratory bird species.

Madu Ganga or Madu river is widely considered one of the best places to explore the fascinating aquatic environment of Sri Lanka. Madu Ganga is famed for its boat rides and mangrove forest exploration. Madu Ganga is declared a Ramsar wetland and one of the last remaining verging riverine environments in the country. Madu Ganga river safari is one of the most popular excursions among travellers who spend their beach holiday on the west coast.

While the river bank harbours a large number of mangrove species it allows you to see many species of aquatic birds and mammals such as monitors, crocodiles and, monkeys. Madu Ganga boat tour can be booked as an excursion from your beach hotel or it can be combined if you plan around tour during your Sri Lanka holidays. Madu Ganga boat tour lasts around two hours and it gives you a lasting impression of the riverine vegetation on the island.

While a boat ride on Madu gives you a pleasurable time in the aquatic environment in Balapitiya, a Hot air Balloon ride will expose you to the fascinating historical sites of the Cultural Triangle of Sri Lanka. You can have a bird’s eye view over the historical cities, monasteries, palaces, gardens, forests, paddy fields and man-made tanks of the dry zone. Be prepared to have a lifetime experience from the air which comes as a combination of nature and history.

A cruise along the Madu Ganga is a pleasant excursion to explore the rich natural riverine wealth of the island.  It gives you some outstanding views both across the Madu Ganga wetland and of the surrounding mangrove forests. Stopping off at one of the islands makes it an even more impressive experience.  One of those islands is a cinnamon island, which is covered by a rich cinnamon plantation.

Fish massage

Madu Ganga Fish massage centre is the first of its kind in Sri Lanka. You need to take a boat ride in order to reach the message centre. It is located on one of the islands of Madu Ganga Wetland.  Dip your toe into one of the tanks that are teeming with fish species such as tilapia and enjoy the fish therapy.

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Luxury beach holiday in Hikkaduwa

Glass bottom boat tour at Hikkaduwa Marine National Park

If you like to have a glimpse of the fascinating underwater world of Sri Lanka you have to head on to Hikkaduwa during your  Sri Lanka holidays. Hikkaduwa is an area with high biodiversity within the Indian Ocean. It is the home to one of the largest colonies of coral species and exotic fish species. It also harbours a huge number of other sea creatures such as endangered sea turtles. Don’t forget to visit one of the sea-turtle conservation centres on the west coast during your Sri Lanka holidays, where the members are happy to tell you about the conservation efforts of their organizations.

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Bird watching is one of the best things to do in Sri Lanka

Bird watching

Sri Lanka is very rich in avian fauna species and the country is inhabited by 425 bird species. Therefore Sri Lanka is visited by a large number of bird lovers every year. But, it is not necessary to undertake a deep jungle journey to witness birds in Sri Lanka. Birds can be seen without any great effort by approaching the countryside, where the paddy fields, woods and waterways are to be found. For people, who especially travel to Sri Lanka for bird watching, must be heading to places such as Kumana, Attidiya and Rekawa.

Wash, feed and treat elephants

Grooming, washing and feeding the Elephant are some of the jobs to be done by the mahout (companion of the elephant). Every tamed elephant is accompanied by a human companion or mahout. The animal can be controlled by the specific mahout most of the time. It can be very enjoyable to groom and feed one of the jumbos, but it is advisable to have the mahout always with you.

Feed street dogs

As soon as on the streets of Sri Lanka, one can see the number of wild dogs. Even though they are not aggressive and harmful to humans, it is advisable to keep a distance from them. Most of these animals are mainly dependent on the litter bins for their food. Therefore if you have any leftovers from your lunch packet or breakfast packet, be nice, and open them to one of the hungry dogs.

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Sri Lankan leopard

Spotting leopards at Yala national park

Sri Lanka is not a safari destination like Kenya or Tanzania but the island is inhabited by a large number of animals. One distinct advantage of the Sri Lankan safari is the higher possibility of seeing wild animals within a small geographical area.

Yala national park is situated in the southeast corner of Sri Lanka. This is the second biggest national park in the country and is spread over 97000 hectares. This national park can be comfortably reached from Colombo and the west coast and it takes only a few hours to get there by private vehicle. Public transport may take several hours more due to the many transit points. Yala is the most suitable national park to witness the largest carnivore of Sri Lanka leopard. Yala block 1 is ranked among the best places to witness leopards due to the large concentration of them.  Therefore you have the best chance of seeing leopards in Yala. Elephants, bears, wild boars, deer, crocodiles, monkeys and many species of birds and snakes are some of the most spotted here.

8 thoughts on “What to do in Sri Lanka?”

  2. I believe this post and I heard that Sri Lanka is an interesting holiday destination with nice beaches, wildlife parks and many other interesting things.

    Reply

  3. Sri Lanka is good for a wildlife tour. We booked Sri Lanak south coast tour which was 2 days tour and covered 4 wildlife sanctuaries, It was a very interesting trip and well worth what we spent. Despite teh lot of travelling, we were lucky to spot a large number of animals.

    Reply

  4. Sei lanak is a nice and beautiful country. You are right Sri Lanka offers a large number of activities for travellers. As we were in Sri Lanka in 2019 we had engaged in many activities you mentioned don this article. But spending time on beaches are the best activity.

    Reply

  6. I agree with your article on top 10 things to do in Sri Lanka. We experienced most things you mentioned on teh article such as beach hopping, digging, and snorkelling and we also did 1 safari in Yala.

    Reply

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