Every area has something it is not good for. We say so, because that is the part that actually helps you choose.
About 4 hrs from the airport
The middle of the Cultural Triangle: flat, green and dotted with ancient sites. Most people come for Sigiriya rock and stay for the cave temple at Dambulla and a jeep safari to the reservoirs.
Good for
History, early risers, wildlife, and a quiet couple of nights.
About 3 hrs from the airport
The last kingdom, the tooth relic, and the point where the road starts to climb. Kandy is where most routes turn from flat and hot to cool and green.
Good for
Temples, gardens, and breaking the drive between the Cultural Triangle and the hills.
About 6 hrs from the airport
A gap in the hills with a view straight through it, a famous railway bridge, and more banana pancakes per square metre than anywhere else in Sri Lanka.
Good for
Walking, tea country views, and the train in from Kandy or Nanu Oya.
About 5 hrs from the airport
Sri Lanka at 1,900 metres: tea in every direction, mist most afternoons, and evenings cold enough to want a fire.
Good for
Tea, cold air, and a real change of climate halfway through a trip.
About 6 hrs from the airport
A railway town balanced on the edge of the escarpment, where the hill country stops and the southern plains start.
Good for
Early risers, walkers, the train, and a view most visitors never see.
About 5 hrs from the airport
Two parks, two very different days: elephants almost guaranteed at Udawalawe, leopards possible at Yala.
Good for
Wildlife, families with older children, and early mornings.
About 2.5 hrs from the airport
A Dutch fort still lived in, with beaches either side of it and the expressway making it the easiest place on the island to reach.
Good for
History, walking, sunset on the ramparts, and an easy last stop before flying.
About 2.5 hrs from the airport
A wide shallow bay where everyone learns to surf, with the whale boats going out from Mirissa next door.
Good for
Families, first-time surfers, whale watching, and two flat nights at the end of a trip.
About 4 hrs from the airport
The first capital: stupas the size of hills, a bo tree grown from a cutting carried here in the third century BC, and far fewer visitors than Sigiriya.
Good for
Ancient history, pilgrims and stupas, and getting away from the Sigiriya crowds.
About 1 hr from the airport
The question most people actually have about Colombo is whether to bother. The honest answer depends on what time you land.
Good for
Late arrivals, early departures, layovers, and eating well.
One planner, one quote for the whole trip: hotels, the driving between them, and anything you add.
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