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Sri Lanka

A fig tree planted at Anuradhapura in 288 BCE is the oldest planted tree with a written record.

Northern Indian OceanCapital: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

Cultural HeritageBudget FriendlyAdventureFoodie

The Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi was planted at Anuradhapura in 288 BCE, and monks have kept a written record of its care ever since — no other planted tree has documentation going back that far. The city around it was a capital for over a thousand years and is one of eight UNESCO sites on an island roughly the size of Ireland.

The other one everybody climbs is Sigiriya, a palace and fortress built on top of a 200-metre rock in the fifth century, with fifth-century frescoes still on the wall halfway up. James Taylor planted the first commercial tea estate in 1867, two years before coffee rust reached the island and destroyed the crop that tea then replaced. Two monsoons hit opposite coasts at opposite times, so some part of the island is always in season.

Quick facts

Currency

LKR

Sri Lankan rupee

Language

Sinhala

+ Tamil

Power

—

Driving

Left

UK-style

Airport

CMB

HRI

Emergency

—

Police · Fire

When to go

Monthly breakdown

Storm risk: Low

Jan

Best

Feb

Best

Mar

Best

Apr

Best

May

Rain

Jun

Rain

Jul

Best

Aug

Best

Sep

—

Oct

Rain

Nov

Rain

Dec

Best

Best monthsRainy season

Major events

Apr

Sinhala and Tamil New Year

Mid-April, observed by both communities. Cooking, work and travel all pause at astrologically fixed times, and much of the country closes for several days.

Cultural

May

Vesak

The Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death marked in one full-moon day, with paper lanterns on every house and free food stalls called dansal along the roads.

Religious

Aug

Esala Perahera

Ten nights in Kandy with tusker elephants, fire dancers and whip crackers escorting a replica of the Buddha's tooth relic. Tickets for balcony seats sell out months ahead.

Religious

Hidden gems

Nature

Gal Oya

The only park in the country where you watch elephants from a boat, sometimes swimming between islands in the reservoir.

Village

Meemure

A village of about 400 people under the Knuckles range, reached by one rough road and without mobile signal for most of its history.

Waterfall

Diyaluma

The second-highest fall on the island at 220 metres, with a chain of pools at the top reached by a scramble from the road above.

Local food

Rice and curry

dietary_tags.vegetarian

Not one dish but five to twelve at once: dhal, a coconut sambol, a green, a starch and often fish, all served round a mound of rice.

Hoppers

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Fermented rice-flour batter swirled in a small bowl-shaped pan so the middle stays soft and the rim goes lace-thin; an egg is cracked in for egg hoppers.

Kottu roti

Godamba roti chopped on a hot plate with vegetables, egg and meat, the metal-on-metal clatter audible down the street.

Safety tips

Nature

The island has two monsoons hitting opposite coasts, so a washed-out west coast usually means the east is fine. Check which side you are booking against the month rather than a national forecast.

Health

Dengue is present year round and rises after the rains, and there is no vaccine or prophylactic for travellers. Repellent during the day matters more here than at night.

Transport

Long-distance buses and tuk-tuks are the main road hazard, particularly on the hill country roads. Use metered or app-booked tuk-tuks in Colombo, and agree a price before setting off elsewhere.