Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon, is a fantastic country attracting many tourists – it’s fair to say that is becomes a very hot destination! And for a good reason.
This precious island boasts amazing natural sights and a rich cultural heritage influenced by Dutch, British, and local traditions, offering a wealth of exploration opportunities.
The island of Sri Lanka is shaped like a water droplet, and we spent a week at its southernmost point: our hotel overlooked the Indian Ocean, with no major landmass between us and Antarctica! So we spent our time exploring this part of the country.
Let me guide you through some of the amazing sites in the south of Sri Lanka: natural parks, hotels, forts, lighthouses and so on. Scroll down to explore more and stay tuned for a special guide to the Sri Lankan capital Colombo!
1. Udawalawe National Park
Udawalawe National Park is one of Sri Lanka’s most well-known parks (along with Yala National Park, famous for its leopards) and the best place to see elephants in the wild.
Established in 1972 by the Department of Wildlife Conservation, adjacent to the Udawalawe Reservoir, it spans almost 31 hectares. Around 400 Sri Lankan elephants, one of the three subspecies of the Asian elephant, roam freely here! We observed over a dozen elephants of all ages, from approximately 6 months to very old, enjoying solitary walks, feeding in groups, and interacting with each other.
We also saw water buffalo, mugger crocodiles, ruddy mongooses, black-naped hares, Ceylon spotted deer, and oriental garden lizards.
The birdlife was abundant, including Sri Lankan junglefowl, orange-breasted green pigeons, painted storks, three types of bee-eaters, Indian peafowls, white-bellied sea eagles, possibly changeable hawk-eagles, and even Eurasian hoopoes!
To explore Udawalawe National Park, we switched from our regular car to a safari vehicle, traveling with Tusker Safari accompanied by a guide and a driver. Choose your safari tour carefully, as some drivers were less considerate when approaching animals. Our knowledgeable guide was invaluable, helping us spot many species we would have otherwise missed!
The scenery around the reservoir near the river was breathtaking, especially with the stunning sunset we witnessed!
If you love animal watching, southern Sri Lanka is ideal for whale watching, particularly from Mirissa. However, we visited during the off-season (the high season is November-February) and were advised that sightings were unlikely. Other option is the National park of Yala to spot leopards, and this is on our list for the next trip!
If you’d like to help animals – especially stray dogs – in Sri Lanka, you can check this charity (I haven’t been there myself unfortunately but this cause is really good).
2. Elephant Transit Home and Information Centre
The Elephant Transit Home and Information Centre in Udawalawe provides temporary care for orphaned elephant calves.
Established in 1995, the center rehabilitates elephants that have lost their parents due to natural causes or human-animal interactions until they are 5-6 years old and ready for release into the wild.
The first group of elephants was released in March 1998. Feeding times are at 10:30 AM, 2:30 PM, and 6:00 PM (check times before your visit), when the calves are given milk in groups of four.
The public can attend with a ticket, and donations are welcome. Visitors can observe the elephants from a nearby arena as they drink their milk and eat (the food is portioned to encourage natural foraging behaviour), and little baby elephants enter the area in small groups and get their milk and some leafy branches.
There is also a small but informative educational center about elephants, their lives in the wild and in Sri Lanka, and the Transit Home’s care measures.
3. Dutch fort of Galle
Galle is a top destination in Sri Lanka, a city centered around an old fort with numerous historical sites and tourist attractions.
This harbor was a known trade site by the 2nd century AD, with Arab traders settling here to control the spice trade. As European influence grew, the Portuguese occupied Galle in 1518, building a small fort in 1588-1589.
When the Dutch seized it in the 1640s, they constructed a large fortification with over a dozen bastions and wide ramparts. It became the main port for the Dutch East India Company, trading spices, textiles, and porcelain until trade volume necessitated a larger port, leading to Colombo’s rise.
The Galle Dutch Fort fell into disrepair but has survived to this day and has been restored, along with many colonial-era buildings inside. These renovated buildings now house trendy cafes and hotels. It’s no surprise that it has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.
A walk along the ramparts from the Clock Tower above the gates to the lighthouse near sunset is a delight!
Other landmarks to visit include the colonnaded Dutch Hospital dating to the 18th century (now home to cafes and shops), the historic Dutch Reform Church dating back to 1640, the 18th-century All Saints Anglican Church (we spotted a peacock on top!), Amangalla Hotel (a former Dutch Governor’s residence built in 1684), the Galle National Museum, the Black Fort (the oldest part of the fort with Portuguese heritage), and the Meeran Mosque.
We loved Galle and regretted not staying overnight! We’ll definitely return on our next trip to Sri Lanka!
4. Handunugoda Tea Plantation
A trip to Sri Lanka, also known as Ceylon, isn’t complete without visiting a tea plantation and factory! The Niwara Eliya is a poplar destination for that. but you can find plantations on the very south of the island too.
The Handunugoda Tea Plantation near Koggala is a historic tea factory established during British colonial times (and still uses some machinery from that period!). It is now privately owned by Herman Gunaratne (a famous writer; check out his autobiography, “The Suicide Club: A Virgin Tea Planter’s Journey!”).
This isn’t a typical tea plantation: tea plants grow under shady trees because of the heat, and pepper, cinnamon, rubber, and other plants are also cultivated here.
We took a tour with a plantation staff member who explained the tea-making process. Local women harvest around 20 kg of tea leaves daily (we didn’t see them as it was the New Year holiday!), which will become black or green tea depending on fermentation.
The next stages occur in a factory with both new Chinese machinery and old machinery dating back 150 years. These include withering, rolling, steaming (for green tea only), oxidation (for black tea only), drying, sorting, and grading according to size.
The tour includes a tea break with chocolate cake and a cup of tea.
We sampled different types of black tea, green tea, oolong tea, tea infused with local herbs, and the star of the show: virgin white tea! Only 150 grams of the tiniest leaves are picked daily without fingers touching them, making it the finest and most delicate tea.
5. Cinnamon Island
Did you know that the best cinnamon in the world, Cinnamomum verum, originates from Sri Lanka? The finest cinnamon is produced on Cinnamon Island in the Koggala Lagoon!
Head to the Koggala Lagoon near the Thalathuduwa Aranya Senasanaya temple and take a boat – there are lots of locals with their boats waiting for visitors.
The Koggala Lagoon itself is a beautiful destination with gorgeous mangroves endemic to Sri Lanka and diverse wildlife, including langur monkeys, monitors, and eagles. We visited Cinnamon Island, located within the lagoon!
Here, you can see how cinnamon sticks are prepared by hand from freshly cut 2-year-old plants (only the inner bark is used) and then left to dry. A local young lady showed us the whole process!
Don’t miss the chance to buy the best cinnamon in the world (in powder or sticks), cinnamon oil, and try cinnamon tea.
6. Turtle Hatchery
There are many turtle hatcheries in Sri Lanka, and we were advised to visit the one by Habaraduwa beach. Although promoted as an ethical activity, I’m not convinced it’s 100% conservational (it could be improved to benefit turtles more), but it does have some educational value.
The hatchery is a building opening onto the ocean shore with tanks inside and educational posters. The tanks housing the large turtles were quite small. We were told that these turtles had been trapped in plastic or caught in fishermen’s nets and would be released once healthy.
The center also collects turtle eggs, as many beaches are in poor condition and locals used to poach them. The center releases the baby turtles into the wild and you can participate for a fee. We opted for a ‘bucket’ of turtles, probably the cutest activity I’ve ever done – you can see our bucket with baby turtles above as well as protected nesting site (this is not a cemetery).
Baby turtles not released by tourists are released later by the center staff. Donations and fees are said to benefit the turtles.
Sadly, we saw visitors interacting with turtles in the tanks despite signs prohibiting it, and the staff did not intervene. It’s also unclear where the visitor fees go, and the ‘turtle release’ activity is clearly a tourist attraction. However, I hope these turtles have a better chance of survival than if they were left to face humans and natural predators alone.
7. Dondra Lighthouse
The Dondra Lighthouse is one of Sri Lanka’s most important landmarks. Constructed in 1890 by the British using materials brought from Britain, it was one of the best and most advanced lighthouses of its time, featuring a Hyper-radial rotating lens (replaced only recently in 2000).
The Dondra Lighthouse marks the southernmost point of the country, facing the Indian Ocean. At 49 meters tall, it is the tallest lighthouse in the country and one of the tallest in Southeast Asia.
This tall white column surrounded by palms and turquoise waters is extremely picturesque! Locals swim among the rocks or on a nearby sandy beach. Its name comes from the nearby village and translates to ‘City of the Gods.’
8. Devinuwara Uthpalawanna Sri Vishnu Maha Dewalaya
Devinuwara Uthpalawanna Sri Vishnu Maha Dewalaya is a religious site near the Dondra Lighthouse. We were fortunate to visit during New Year celebrations, with locals bringing baskets of fruits and flowers as offerings. Photography is restricted inside some temples inside its premises.
Locals call it Wisnugod temple, likely derived from ‘Vishnu God.’ This unique temple complex contains sacred temples for both Buddhists and Hindus.
The site includes several buildings with temples dedicated to different gods. The Vishnu (Upulwan) temple, covered in bright blue paint, is the most famous, founded around the 7th century (destroyed during Portuguese control and later rebuilt). You’ll also find a large reclining Buddha surrounded by colored figures and a large white Buddha statue outdoors. Don’t miss the huge bodhi tree on the grounds!
Sadly, we saw two chained elephants on the premises, a striking contrast to Udawalawe National Park.
9. Mawella Lagoon
A short trip from Tangalle led us to Mawella Lagoon, a perfect spot for birdwatching.
We hired a cushioned boat (more like a raft with a sofa) through our hotel for a 2-hour journey around the lagoon.
We spotted egrets, pelicans, cormorants, and eagles in this peaceful and beautiful area. We felt we could have seen more, as monkeys, bats, monitors, and other birds inhabit the mangroves, but we were too far away.
Unfortunately, our guide spoke little English and didn’t help us find wildlife; he only mentioned eagles and pelicans and seemed more interested in taking us to his friends to buy things (we’re happy to support local communities, but this felt forced and lacked communication). Nevertheless, it was a serene and relaxing experience, with no other boats on the lagoon. With a different operator, this would be a truly unforgettable experience.
There was also a herbal garden on the shore near our boat piers, close to Sanu Lagoon Resort.
10. Goyambokka Beach and Other Beaches
Tangalle is famous for its beaches, and Goyambokka was a gem just steps from our hotel.
The giant rocks and palms make it one of the most naturally beautiful places I’ve ever been. It felt like a dream!
Did you know that the King coconut, or Thæmbili, is native to Sri Lanka?
Where to Stay in Sri Lanka:
Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle
We stayed at Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle on the southernmost part of Sri Lanka in a villa facing the Indian Ocean, though there are also rooms and villas facing the gardens.
The scenery was idyllic, with the ocean waves audible even with the doors closed.
Walks around the Anantara were such a treats both by day and by night! The welcoming package included chocolate sweets with local ingredients, fruits, and herbal oils.
Our villa was extremely stylish, with a panoramic bathroom and traditional decorations and amazing skincare.
It was had a private pool which was decorated with fresh hibiscuses and frangipani, and our floating breakfast there was fantastic.
However there was also a large pool on the hotel premises, and you can swim in the ocean (carefully, as the currents are strong in the ocean!).
Besides that, there are several restaurants, including Italian, Spanish, and Japanese, and the breakfast selection was great – featuring many Sri – Lankan traditional dishes, including dhal, curries and numerous desserts.
The Anantara grounds are extensive, with paddy fields and huts where you can learn to cook Sri Lankan food (you can see freshly made clay bowls left to dry).
There is also abundant wildlife! During our stay, we spotted grey langurs, palm squirrels, black-naped hares, yellow-billed babblers, Indian peafowls, cattle egrets, land monitors, house toads, and brown mongooses!
The Anantara spa is a true gem. I indulged in the Signature Ceylon Retreat, a 2-hour scrub, massage, and facial with green tea and lemongrass – pure bliss! And yes, Sri Lanka was formerly known as Ceylon, and tea is very important here. The ladies in the kids’ club were accommodating and fun.
Overall, we adored our stay, with friendly and welcoming staff and incredible hotel grounds.
See my other blogs about Asia.
Hope you liked my new blog,
Yours,
Anna xxx
