Things to do in Sri Lanka

How the island is laid out

Sri Lanka is 65,610 square kilometres, close to the size of Ireland. Hills in the middle, coast the whole way round. Two monsoons cross it from opposite directions, so one coast is dry whenever the other is not.

• The west coast. Colombo, the airport at Negombo, and the beach strip running south — Beruwala, Bentota, Hikkaduwa.
• The hills. Kandy at about five hundred metres, the tea country above it, and Nuwara Eliya near two thousand, where the nights are genuinely cold.
• The cultural triangle. Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, the painted caves at Dambulla and the rock at Sigiriya, built in the fifth century.
• The south and east. Galle's Dutch fort, the whales off Mirissa, and the parks — Yala and Udawalawe — where the safaris run.

Crossing between them

Distances look small and are not. Colombo to Kandy is 115 kilometres and takes three to four hours. That is why so much sold here is a transfer rather than an outing.

• Car and driver. The normal way to see the island, priced by the day and usually cheaper than it sounds.
• Trains. Slow, and worth it on one stretch above all: the hill line through the tea between Kandy and Ella.
• Tuk-tuks. For towns and short hops, metered in Colombo and agreed in advance everywhere else.

What the island puts on sale

Day trips out of two bases. From Colombo the offer reaches almost everywhere — Kandy, Sigiriya, Galle, Yala — as one long day each. From Kandy the same sights are closer and the days are better.

Practical

• Two seasons at once. The Yala monsoon wets the west and south from May to September; the Maha wets the east and north from October to January. December to March is the west coast at its best.
• Temples. Shoulders and knees covered, shoes and hats off. Turning your back on a Buddha for a photograph is taken badly.
• Adam's Peak. Climbed overnight in season, December to May, to reach the top for sunrise. Outside those months the steps are unlit.
• Safaris. Yala's first block is the busiest in the country; Udawalawe is quieter and better for elephants. Both go at dawn.
• Money. Rupees, and cash still matters outside the cities. Cards are fine in Colombo and patchy in the hills.