Sri Lanka makes for a great destination to visit if you want everything that a typical holiday offers. There are plenty of reasons to choose Sri Lanka as your next holiday destination, but we have about five of the best of these reasons. Here are 5 Reasons to Holiday in Sri Lanka:
1. The beaches and sea life
Sri Lanka offers some of the most beautiful beaches you will ever come across. From the east to west coast, you will find a number of pristine beaches that are ideal for relaxing and sunbathing on. There is a vast number of water sports that you can enjoy at these beaches, including swimming, snorkeling, surfing and kiteboarding. If you are into scuba diving then there is no better place than Sri Lanka to give it a try since it has some of the best dive sites in the world. If you have never been scuba diving before then this is the perfect place to give it a try!
2. The wildlife sanctuaries and national parks
If you are an animal lover then Sri Lanka should be your next holiday destination! There are many national parks in Sri Lanka which protect animals and their natural habitats from poachers and illegal hunters who want to kill them for their fur or meat. These wildlife sanctuaries include Yala National Park, Bundala National Park, Kanneliya-Dediyagala-Nakiyadeniya Sanctuary, Mirissa Lake National Park and Wilpattu National Park. You can go on safari tours in these parks where you can drive through them or even walk through them if you want to get up close with nature! Or if walking isn’t your thing then there are plenty of places where you can see animals from your car window. So if you love animals then Sri Lanka is the place to go!
3. The ancient temples and ruins
If you are interested in history and culture then Sri Lanka is definitely a place that you should visit! Be sure to stay in the historic Galle for the best access. There are many ancient temples and ruins which tell the story of Sri Lanka’s past. Some of these include Sigiriya, Dambulla Cave Temple, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Mihintale and the Temple of the Tooth Relic. You can also see some of the oldest living trees in the world in Sri Lanka including the Bo tree at Mahiyangana and several trees at Sigiriya. History lovers will definitely find plenty to do in Sri Lanka!
4. The wildlife safaris at Yala National Park
Yala National Park is one of my favorite places to go on safari tours during my time in Sri Lanka because it has so much wildlife in it! If you enjoy seeing wild animals then this park is definitely worth visiting since there are hundreds of different species. I went on a tour where we saw leopards, crocodiles, elephants, monkeys, deer and many more animals which were all amazing to see! This park also has some amazing scenery with mountains covered with tropical rainforests and beautiful beaches filled with palm trees. There are also many waterfalls which are great for swimming under too! I really enjoyed going on safari tours at Yala National Park because I got to see so many different animals in their natural habitat which was really interesting!
5. The ancient cities of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa
Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa are two ancient cities in Sri Lanka which are located not too far from each other. They were once important cities during the reign of kings who ruled the country thousands of years ago and there is still some evidence of these old kings left behind such as temples and statues. These cities are also very beautiful with a lot of wildlife around them including elephants, monkeys, peacocks and exotic birds. There is also a lot to see inside these two cities such as Buddhist temples, statues, frescos and more! I enjoyed exploring both Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa because they were very unique places with a lot to see inside them. I would recommend visiting both for anyone who has an interest in seeing historical sites!