The island, guide by guide
Each pin is a place we have written about. Choose one to see the guide. Guides for the whole island are listed below the map.
Every place on the map
- Kankesanthurai The India–Sri Lanka ferry: Nagapattinam to Kankesanthurai
- Jaffna Jaffna: etiquette first, and what to know before you go north
- Wilpattu National Park Wilpattu National Park: villus, leopards and what a safari there is like
- Anuradhapura Anuradhapura in a day: what to see in the first capital
- Minneriya National Park The Gathering at Minneriya: when and why the elephants come
- Pidurangala Sigiriya or Pidurangala? What each climb gives you
- Sigiriya Is Sigiriya worth climbing? What you see, and what most visitors miss
- Polonnaruwa Polonnaruwa: how to see the medieval capital by bicycle
- Dambulla The Dambulla cave temple: what the five caves hold
- Temple of the Tooth, Kandy What to wear at the Temple of the Tooth, and why
- Kandy The Kandy Esala Perahera: what it is and how to watch it
- Kandy How many days in Kandy, and what to fill them with
- Nuwara Eliya Tea country: how a leaf becomes Ceylon tea, and visiting a factory
- Colombo Things to do in Colombo: a day or two in the commercial capital
- Ella Ella in 2026: how to get there, the walks and the bridge
- Nine Arch Bridge, Demodara Photographing the Nine Arch Bridge: train times and safe positions
- Ella Kandy to Ella by train: booking, classes and the 2026 closure
- Sri Pada (Adam's Peak) Climbing Sri Pada (Adam's Peak): season, start time and respect
- Horton Plains Horton Plains and World's End: timing the walk before the cloud
- Yala National Park When to see leopards in Yala, and how to choose a responsible safari
- Udawalawe National Park Udawalawe: elephants in the wild, and the transit home
- Rekawa Turtle hatcheries in Sri Lanka: which help, and which harm
- Galle railway station Colombo to Galle by train: the coast line, times and tickets
- Galle Fort Galle Fort: who built it, and what to look for on the walk
- Mirissa Whale watching from Mirissa: the season, and how to choose a responsible boat
Guides for the whole island
- What to wear and pack for Sri Lanka
- What a trip to Sri Lanka costs in 2026
- How to book a train in Sri Lanka: classes, seats and tickets
- Health in Sri Lanka: vaccines, dengue and drinking water
- Twenty Sinhala and Tamil phrases worth learning
- PickMe and Uber in Sri Lanka: when an app beats a tuk-tuk
- Is Sri Lanka safe? What the advice says, and what to watch for
- Driving or riding a scooter in Sri Lanka: the permit and the roads
- Buses in Sri Lanka: how they work, and when to take one
- What a tuk-tuk ride should cost, and how to agree a fair price
- Temple etiquette in Sri Lanka: the rules and the reasons behind them
- Sri Lankan food: what to order, and what it is
- Sri Lanka in two weeks: the classic loop, explained day by day
- Ten days in Sri Lanka in 2026, without the Kandy train
- Sri Lanka ETA and visa: what you need before you fly
- Sri Lanka in July and August: Arugam Bay or Trincomalee?
- Getting a tourist SIM or eSIM in Sri Lanka
- Swimming safety in Sri Lanka: the sea, the seasons and the lifeguards
- Negombo or Colombo for your first night?
- Money in Sri Lanka: cash, cards, ATMs and tipping
- Kandy to Ella without the train (2026)
- Hiring a driver in Sri Lanka: what to agree before you start
- Ten mistakes first-time visitors make in Sri Lanka
- From Colombo airport to Kandy or Sigiriya: real road, bus and rail times (2026)
- Buddha images in Sri Lanka: photos, tattoos, souvenirs and the law
- When to visit Sri Lanka: the two monsoons, explained
- Which safari in Sri Lanka? A one-screen chooser by goal and month
Island outline: Natural Earth (public domain). Place positions: Wikidata (CC0). Not for navigation.