Holidays in Sri Lanka

Dangling off the southern tip of India like a tiny teardrop, Sri Lanka bursts with beauty. It more than makes up for its diminutive size, overflowing with culture, untamed landscapes and wildlife, all knitted together with the contagious warmth of its locals.

From its golden sands to thickly forested mountains, colourful prayer flags fluttering in the breeze to the rolling tea plantations, emerald lakes to the turquoise Indian Ocean, there’s a visual and unparalleled vibrancy about a holiday to Sri Lanka you can’t help but fall in love with.

The Cultural Triangle is the country’s leading light, a mesmerising mix of UNESCO-listed historic ruins and ancient cities slowly being claimed by nature. The magical bubble-wrap hills of the Tea Country and its capital Kandy are a legacy of British rule, while the delightful colonial town of Galle was built by the Dutch. Sri Lanka’s wild national parks are full of breathtaking sights, too, including the leopards of Wilpattu, elephant-rich wetlands of Minneriya and the Jungle Book lookalike that is Udawalawe. Beautiful beach time can easily be found on Sri Lanka’s east and south-west coasts as well.

On a luxury holiday in Sri Lanka, you’re only ever a short hop from something completely new. See – size doesn’t always matter!

It's scarcely believable that there's so much to see in a country as small as Sri Lanka. The fact it's pocket-sized forms part of its appeal, as you can combine a number of wonders and natural sights in a short space of time. In just a fortnight, you could stay on a working tea plantation, hole up in an estate of noble ancestry, hide away in a hut on the fringes of a national park and relax in a beach bolthole, all without feeling like you've travelled any great distance!

Like its landscapes, the weather in Sri Lanka is really diverse – despite its small size – with some places best to visit at some parts of the year and others at different times. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that the weather in Sri Lanka doesn’t always run to script!

Kandy & the Tea Country
The sunny, dry season in the Tea Country occurs from December to April, where temperatures in Kandy hover around 20°C. Higher up in the heart of the Tea Country, where the rolling plantations are over 6,500 feet high, the climate is like a cool, pleasant British summer, where the mercury doesn’t rise far past 15°C. If you’re looking to climb Adam’s Peak, December to April is the pilgrimage season and traditional teahouses will line the hiking trail for a charming atmosphere, where you’ll also be joined by plenty of locals. From May to September, the chances of rain increase but these typically exist in short bursts and it’s not unusual you’ll experience plenty of dry days, too. At the end of the year, between October and early December, the Tea Country endures its heaviest spell of rain as it’s hit by the inter-monsoonal period, which bridges the gap between the two monsoons that hit each coastline. Though the rain can be heavy, this is when the Tea Country is at its most lush and green.

East Coast (Trincomalee & Batticaloa)
While the rest of Sri Lanka gets wet, its east coast stays dry between April and September, with warm temperatures between the high 20s and north of 30°C. It’s also the best time for whale and dolphin spotting in Trincomalee, with spinner dolphins and Bryde’s, sperm and blue whales frequenting the waters nearby. From October to February, the north-east ‘Maha’ monsoon drenches the region, so it’s not great for hitting the beach during this time! In March the weather starts to improve ahead of the dry season.

Cultural Triangle
Unlike the rest of the country, the Cultural Triangle stays dry for the majority of the year, escaping the two major monsoons that hit Sri Lanka. Temperatures never really deviate from 28-32°C, so it’s warm year-round, but it’s slightly cooler in January to March, making it more comfortable for exploring. Only November and December see any significant rainfall, while in June and July you can experience the hot winds that keep the south-western ‘Yala’ monsoon away.

South & South-West (Galle, Colombo, Mirissa, Weligama & Yala National Park)
Like the Tea Country, Sri Lanka’s southern reaches are best visited between the end of November and March. Days are often dry and sunny, with temperatures consistently around 30°C – the perfect time to visit Sri Lanka if you want to spend time at a beach resort. Showers aren’t unheard of, but they never stick around for long. In April, the south-western ‘Yala’ monsoon arrives and stays until September. Rather that constant rain, you’re more likely to encounter regular showers throughout the day. Despite the monsoon thinning in September, the rains continue up to November because of the hangover from the inter-monsoonal period, though they’re not as strong and regular. Head to Yala National Park when it’s at its driest between February and June for the best wildlife sightings, as the animals gather around the watering holes to quench their thirst.