Sri Lanka is a beautiful country, and I highly suggest it as travel destination for all. A minimum of a week will be needed, though I suggest spending at least 10 days to really take in all the sights. Based on my experience, below is a list recommendations for your trip to Sri Lanka.
Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage
While the elephant orphanage is a bit controversial, I believe the keepers of the Pinnawala elephants have their best interests at heart. It is heart warming to see them well cared for, and watching them march down to the river and bathe in the water is quite captivating. For me, the visit to the orphanage was a wonderful way to start my trip.
Sigiriya
Sigriya is a sight to behold from the ground, but the view from the top is even better. I suggest making the climb earlier in the day do to heat and humidity, but the climb itself doesn’t take too long – just a few hours to make it up and back. Most of the climb is actually up stairs. Make sure you pack appropriate athletic shoes for such a climb, which I failed to do.
Take a Safari – Minneriya National Park or Yala National Park
I am a big fan of safaris, and going on one while in Sri Lanka should be on your to-do list. Seeing elephants in the wild, going about their daily lives, is sure to happen on a Sri Lankan safari. I went on two safaris, one in Minneriya and one in Yala, and each featured lovely views of elephants. Yala is also known for its leopards, though seeing one is not guaranteed. If you were to only go on a safari at one of these two parks, I would suggest Yala. Yala is on the ocean, and along with an exciting safari, also features the tsunami memorial.
Nuwara Eliya
Nuwara Eliya, known as “Little England,” is located up in the hills, and has an English feeling to it. Due to its higher elevation, it was not nearly as warm or humid as the majority of the country. The cool evening caught me a bit by surprise, so I suggest you bring a warmer set of clothes. The hotels have heavier blankets to compensate for the cooler weather though. There is a large lake, with a few restaurants overlooking the lake, a horse race track, and lots of terraced farming in Nuwara Eliya.
Tour a Tea Plantation
Visiting a tea plantation and learning about the processing of the Ceylon tea is highly recommended. The plantations let you tour the factory and see the process of turning green leaves into teas ready for drinking. Additionally, many will let you try your hand at picking tea leaves, should you be interested. There are many plantations, and if you make the trip to Nuwara Eliya, you will have your pick of places to stop and learn about the tea industry. These visits don’t need a lot of time, but can be a nice stop in what might otherwise be a long drive.
Galle
I only made a short stop in Galle, but I would suggest spending at least one night here. If you are opting for a backpacking trip, this should definitely be one of the cities you explore. This ocean-front city, features a large fort with Dutch architecture, as well as many small shops. It appeared to be an easy city to explore on foot as well.
As you can see, Sri Lanka is a beautiful country with a variety of things to do and see. My marvelous trip was put together by the kind people of Ceylon Travel Designers. If you are looking to visit Sri Lanka, which I highly recommend you do, get in touch with them. They booked all my hotels, arranged for my driver/guide, and put together an itinerary of activities based on my interests.