5. Spot Leopard in Yala
Sri Lanka's alpha predator is protected in a number of national parks, but is most easily sighted in Yala, on the island's southern coast, where you can cool off in the ocean after a day on safari.
Yala National Park is Sri Lanka’s number one leopard sanctuary. The big cats are thriving here in territories of little more than a kilometre each – “the highest density in the world” – making seeing one almost a certainty.
If you want to see a leopard up close, make it’s way down the tree and casually saunter through clearing to the cover of the bushes, this is the place to come.
Lounging leopard in Sri Lanka (Shutterstock.com)
6. Seafood and eat it
Sri Lankan food is not dissimilar to that served in India to the north. But with the sea never far away, the emphasis is on seafood, fresh and delicious, caught that very day.
Jaffna Crab Curry is regarded as the best in the world, especially when sampled at the source where chefs take their time to grind the coconut, making the paste toasty and rich. In the south, seek out Squid Curry, cooked quickly in coconut cream and lime juice.
Devilled tuna: seafood from Sri Lanka
7. Discover the untouched islands
Intrepid travellers looking to get off the beaten track will head to the handful of islands trailing off Sri Lanka’s northernmost tip. The biggest of these is sleepy Neduntivu (named Delft by the Dutch), home to just 3,819 people and herds of wild horses.
The crossing is short but rough, and once you arrive on the islands you won’t find much there. There are no hotels – you need to find a local renting a room – and fish is the only dish on the menu. But the pace of life is slow and the locals are friendly.
Once you’ve ticked off the Dutch fort built from coral and the giant baobab tree, rumoured to be over 1,000 years old, there is nothing left to do except relax.
Sri Lankan fishing boat (Shutterstock.com)
8. Meet Big Blue
Sri Lanka’s southern tip nudges the depths of the continental shelf. It’s an area favoured by blue whales and nowhere else does the world’s biggest creature swim so close to land, so reliably.
Dondra Head is your jumping off point. From January to April, blue whales pass here on their route from the Bay of Bengal to the western Indian Ocean. They fill their bellies on the krill and squid that thrive in these waters, enriched by the outfall of Sri Lanka’s 105 rivers.
Whale off Sri Lanka (Shutterstock.com)
9. Gorge yourself on Kandy
The last capital of the ancient kings of Sri Lanka and a popular getaway for colonial administrators looking to escape the heat, Kandy is a pretty town – tucked beside a lake in the country’s central highlands.
Make sure you visit the 'Temple of the Tooth'. Wars have been fought over this relic, which is housed in a teeming temple complex in Kandy. Join the devout to add your own petal offerings and light votive candles.
Temple of the Tooth, Kandy (Shutterstock.com)
If your visit coincides with the spectacular Esala Perahera festival, make sure to get a seat. Restaurants and shops along the route sell tickets: book early.
Craving a Sri Lankan adventure of your own? See Wanderlust's Trip Finder for Sri Lanka tours with top travel operators.
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