To the south of India, lies a beautiful country SriLanka separated by the Gulf of Mannar from India, has a beautiful sea as well as the trill of lush green forests in abundance. The island country Srilanka has a rich heritage and history which can be found in most of the mythological texts as well as in the epic. The Srilanka being an island has a good climate most of the time in the year and is full of gorgeous tourist spots that have natural historic and cultural importance. Buddhism is one of the most followed religions in the country and can be seen in the monasteries which are calm and quiet and people feel peace here.

Let’s have a look at some of the best places to visit in Sri Lanka

1. Dambulla Royal Cave and temple

This is also known as the golden temple of Dambulla and is a world heritage site according to UNESCO. This place is a must to visit in Srilanka and famous for its five caves that surround the temple. The caves are believed to have statues and paintings that depict the life of Gautam Buddha. Paintings found on the wall and even on the ceilings of the cave are a great attraction for the tourists here.

2. Sigiriya

This is an ancient rock fortress located in the town of Dambulla, Srilanka. The name means rock structure and the place is famous for 200-meter massive rock columns. According to the locals, this was the home to King Kashyapa and his kingdom. The palace was built on top of these rocks and on the halfway one can find an enormous lion as its entrance. This is one of the best places to visit in Sri Lanka.

3. Temple of Sacred tooth Relic

Sri Dalada Maligawa or the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is located in the town of Kandy, Sri Lanka. This is a Buddhist temple that is located in the old age kingdom of Kandy which aligns with the relic tooth of Buddha. This place is quite important to the locals and people in the ancient age believed that whoever held the relic was the ultimate ruler of the country. This has been a world heritage site and it one of the largest Buddha temples in the world.

4. Adam’s Peak

This is a mountain peak located in central SriLanka. The peak is also known for Sri pada which is a rock formation just below the peak. According to this, the pada is believed to be the footprints of Lord Buddha by Buddhists, or the footprints of Lord Hanuman or shiva by the Hindus. This is a must-visit place in Sri Lanka as people often go for a trek on the mountain.

5. Elephant Orphanage Zoo

SriLanka is famous for its elephants all over the world. Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is a caring place for the elephants in Srilanka. Here they are fed and breed in their natural environment. It has the highest number of elephants in the world. This was founded to take care of the wild elephants and breed them for their generations to come by.

6. Galle Dutch fort

Originally built by the Portuguese in the year 1588 is a must to see the place in Srilanka. This fort in Galle was captured by the Dutch and then remade. It has great architecture and is still maintained by the SriLankan government as of date. The fort has a rich and diverse history and is now used for ethnic reasons.

7. Arugam Bay Beach

This is a beach that is situated nearby the Indian ocean in the dry territory of SriLanka. This is an ancient and historic place to see in Srilanka as it was for the Batticaloa territory. This is predominately a Muslim area but also a lot of Tamil speaking people could be found here. The beach is nice and quite less-visited being far from the capital city of Colombo.

8. Unawutana Beach

This is like most of the beaches you can find in the world and is one of the biggest beaches in SriLanka. The sand here is golden and people from all over the world come here to visit this beach. A lot of sporting activities are also available on Unawatuna Beach.  The beach in Sri Lanka can be visited at any time of the year.

9. Ventura Beach

Moving from one of the busiest beaches to a calm one, the Ventura beach in Srilanka is famous for being a white sand beach. The water here is crystal clear and you can almost see underwater with your naked eyes. Sea walking and snorkeling is done here and that’s why most visited place in Sri Lanka by water sports adventurers.

10. Yala National Park

This is one of the most visited national parks in SriLanka and is the second biggest National Park. The park is along the border of the Indian ocean and is divided into 5 parts of which two are accessible to the public. Leopards, birds, and elephants are one of the most seen species here while a lot of exotic species can also be found here. The place is a must-visit in Srilanka for wildlife enthusiasts.

11. Royal Botanical Garden

It is located in the city of Kandy and is one of the most visited places in SriLanka. Tourists are attracted here due to orchids which is a specialty of this place. The garden shares its boundary with the National herbarium and more than 4000 species of plants can be found in this garden.

12. Ashok Vatika

Ashok Vatika is quite famous in the mythology of Ramayana and is believed to be destroyed by Lord Hanuman. The current place is located near Hakgala Botanical Garden and has a resort nearby to the place. This place is visited by most of the people in Srilanka to see how the place has been destroyed as depicted in the epic. There is a Sita temple that has also been made in honor of the goddess Sita.