Sigiriya is magnificent. So is Galle Fort, and the train from Kandy to Ella, and a dawn safari at Yala. These are genuinely world-class experiences, and if they are on your list, we encourage you to pursue them without hesitation. But Sri Lanka is a country of extraordinary depth, and some of its most remarkable places receive a fraction of the attention they deserve. These are five of our current favourites, destinations that we consistently recommend to travellers willing to move slightly off the principal circuit.
Ritigala. This ancient forest monastery in the North Central Province is visited by almost no one, which makes it one of the most extraordinary archaeological sites in Sri Lanka to actually spend time in. The ruins are spread across several kilometres of dense forest, connected by raised stone pathways and cooling tanks, and the complete absence of crowds gives the site an atmosphere of genuine discovery. The endemic forest around the ruins supports exceptional birdwatching, and the combination of archaeological significance and wild natural setting is unlike anything available at the better-known cultural triangle sites.
Mulkirigala. Often described as a smaller Dambulla, which significantly undersells it. The rock temple complex at Mulkirigala in the Hambantota district rises from a forested hill with panoramic views across the southern plains, and its cave temples contain some of the finest Buddhist murals in the country – vivid, well-preserved and almost never photographed by foreign visitors. The physical journey to the summit is manageable, and the experience at the top, with the paintings, views, and the sound of the surrounding forest, is deeply memorable.
Jaffna. The far north of Sri Lanka has opened substantially to visitors since the end of the civil war in 2009, and Jaffna is one of the most culturally distinct and rewarding destinations on the entire island. The city has its own cuisine, its own architectural traditions, its own dialect and a network of Hindu kovils that are among the finest examples of Dravidian religious architecture in South Asia. The surrounding peninsula and islands are hauntingly beautiful, and the experience of travelling in a part of Sri Lanka where tourism remains genuinely nascent has an authentic quality of discovery that more established destinations cannot replicate.
Haputale. Overlooked in favour of its better-known neighbours Nuwara Eliya and Ella, Haputale sits on a ridge with views on both sides of the escarpment – tea estates and cloud forest to the north, the flat dry zone and distant ocean shimmer to the south. It has a genuine working-town character, excellent access to Lipton’s Seat and Diyaluma Falls, and a handful of small, excellent guesthouses whose owners know the surrounding landscape intimately. Spend two days here, and you will understand why generations of planters chose to build their bungalows on this particular ridge.
Arugam Bay in the off-season. Arugam Bay in peak surf season (May to October) is deservedly famous. But the bay in the shoulder months, March to April, or October to November, has a different, quieter quality that suits a certain kind of traveller very well. The fishing community is more visible, the restaurants are less crowded, the coast walks reveal a landscape of wild beauty, and the handful of surfers still in the water have waves largely to themselves. Pair it with a visit to Kumana National Park, just south of the bay, and you have one of the least-known and most rewarding combinations of wildlife and coastal experience available anywhere in Sri Lanka.