Attractions

 

1. Mirissa – Go Whale Watching

Spend your days, soaking in the sun on a hammock and whale-watching at the little village of Mirissa, one of the most appealing beach hideaways and places to see in Sri Lanka. The real world will be forgotten as soon as you enter this beachy paradise. Mirissa definitely has to be on your list of beautiful places to visit in Sri Lanka for an amazing holiday.

Not everyone is fond of the rush and crowd of the city. Many of us want to spend our holidays in peace and in some quiet places. So, if you too are one such person and you are in Sri Lanka, then you should definitely visit this beautiful village called Mirissa.

This is the village where most of the citizens living are fishermen; therefore you will get a very close view of the life of the local people. You can even go fishing with the fishermen and have a look at the whales and other big fishes. Some of the very popular and tastier fishes are found here, like tuna. When you are in this village, do not forget to eat the local cuisine that is very tasty.

Also, in the evening time, you can go to the beaches and spend your time relaxing there. So, there are enough reasons for which one can easily fall in love with this small, but beautiful village.

Location: South coast of Sri Lanka

Famous for: Tuna, mullet, snapper and butterfish

Best time to visit: Mirissa is a windy place. So, avoid May-July. The best months would be December, October, and August in that order.

How to reach: Weligama is the nearest train station to Mirissa (7 km). You could take direct train from Colombo or Bentota to Weligama, and then a tuk-tuk or bus ahead.

Where to stay: Mirissa Hills, Glamour Hotel, Paradise Beach Club

Tourist attractions: Mirissa Beach, Coconut Tree Hill, Parrot Rock Bridge

2. Yala National Park – Amidst The Wildlife

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Get dazzled by the leopards at Yala National Park, home to one of the highest densities of leopard in the world. Full of grassy plains, forest, lagoons, and coastline, this National Park is no less than a big cat paradise. A complete package of natural beauty and heritage, Sri Lankan beautiful places will capture your heart and makes it one of the must visit places in Sri Lanka.

A visit to all these gorgeous spots will make a trip an unforgettable experience. This place again comes in the list of the most visited places of Sri Lanka. It is somewhat 200 KMs away from the town of Bentota.

This is one of the most popular wildlife sanctuaries not just in that particular area, but among all the sanctuaries of Sri Lanka. One should hire a jeep to have a ride across the jungles of the Sanctuary. This ride of yours will be full of fun and adventure.

One can even spot many elephants and leopards while the jeep ride in the jungle. By just reading this article one can imagine how adventurous it would be to have such a ride. Therefore, Yala National park is one such place that one cannot miss at any cost if they are in Sri Lanka.

Location: Yala, Sri Lanka

Famous for: Being home to large number of animals

Best time to visit: February to June is a dry season when the chances of spotting wildlife are high.

How to reach: The drive to Yala National Park from Haputale is only one hour. There are direct trains from Colombo, Ella, Kandy, etc to Haputale.

Where to stay: Kulu Safaris, Elephant Lake Yala, Ceylon Wild Safaris

Tourist attractions: Kumana National Park, Ruhunu Maha Katagrama

3. Colombo – Visit The Bustling City

Next place on the list is the city of Colombo that is certainly amongst the best places in Sri lanka. This will be completely unfair and your trip will not be complete if you do not visit the city of Colombo, which is the capital of Sri Lanka. There are several places in this city that you can visit and that will attract you definitely.

The city is beautiful overall and the beauty of it cannot be described in words. To visit the whole city one can book a cab or tuk-tuk and can make a list of places that can be visited. It is sure that one will be able to visit the whole city in one day. This lively capital city is surely among the best places to see in Sri Lanka.

Location: Colombo District, Sri Lanka

Famous for: Its national museum and temples

Best time to visit: January to March is the best time to visit Colombo as it is the dry season. The chances of rainfall are low.

How to reach: Colombo is the capital of Sri Lanka and has a well-established network of rail, road, and air transport.

Where to stay: Mandarina Colombo, C1 Colombo Fort

Tourist attractions: Galle Face Green, Gangaramaya Temple, Independence Memorial Park, Viharadevi Park

4. Jaffna – Explore The Historical Architectures

Looking for religious tourist places in Sri Lanka?This place is also called the city of temples in Sri Lanka, as it has some of the most beautiful temples of Sri Lanka and one of the best Sri lanka attractions for spiritual retreat. The most visited temples of all in this place are the temple of Nallur Kovil.

This temple has the most of the visitors always and this is the most crowded of all temples. Other temples nearby too are visited by the people who come to visit this one. Apart from these temples, the other center of attraction of this place is the Jaffna Fort. This fort is not just a beautiful monument to see but is also the symbol of the history of Sri Lanka.

So, the city of Jaffna is not just for the spiritual kind of people, but those who are a little bit interested in history and culture can also visit this place. With these main spots, another point of attraction in Jaffna is the Nagadeepa Vihara Purana temple.

This temple too is known for its glory and beauty and is a must visit. One can easily reach this temple through waterways, thus you can hire a boat and they can come to this place. The area surrounding provides you with the most peaceful environment and one can go for meditation and all.

Location: Northern Province of Sri Lanka

Famous for: Its historical architectures

Best time to visit: Janaury-Septemeb and December are the best months to visit Jaffna as the rainafall is mediocre and temperatures is warm.

How to reach: There are no idrect trains or buses to Jaffna. However, Kandy is the nearest city to Jaffna. So, if you are in Kandy, you could take a small detour by car or taxi.

Where to stay: Jaffna Guest House, Jaffna Heirage Hotel

Tourist attractions: Fort Jaffna, Nallur Kandaswamy

5. Trincomalee – The Temple City

Do you want to explore a few uncommon places to visit in Sri Lanka? For the people who love water sports and want to live underwater life, he or she can visit this place. This beach is one of the ideal beaches of Sri Lanka. This has everything that a beach should ideally provide to its visitors.

The best part about this beach is that it has some really amazing scuba diving instructors. Therefore, one can go and have the real underwater experience there in the nicest of the way. Apart from this, there are few temples around, so you can go and see them too.

If you are wondering what you are not much interested in spirituality and all, then why should go to visit a temple? The reason why it is suggestive to visit temples in Sri Lanka is that they are not merely the home for God, but also a beautiful creation of man.

The architecture of the temples is marvelous. So, when in Sri Lanka you should not skip visiting any of the temples and especially the one that comes in your way.

Location: Northeast coast of Sri Lanka

Famous for: Historical monumnets and temples

Best time to visit: February to April is the best time to indulge in the water activities.

How to reach: Sigirya is the nearest aiport to Trincomalee. A taxi ride from the airport will cost you about INR 700-900.

Where to stay: Amaranthe Bay Resort & Spa, JKAB Beach Resort

Tourist attractions: Koneswaram Temple, Fort Fedrick