Travelling to the Maldives? Add Sri Lanka to your travel plans

Sri Lanka is the closest neighbour to the Maldives, with a flight time of around an hour. This diverse island destination, a short hop across the Indian Ocean, packs more between its shores than perhaps any other country on the planet. It makes for a fabulous add-on before or after a visit to the Maldives.

Experience incredible wildlife, see the largest land and marine mammals in the world, witness rich culture and heritage and trek through the emerald tea carpeted estates in the Central Highlands. Diverse landscapes sweep from mountainous jungle terrain to roaring waterfalls to the plains dotted with symbols of the 2000-year-old Buddhist civilisation. Eight remarkable UNESCO World Heritage sites dot this small island which was voted the second most popular country to visit in the 2020 Conde Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice awards.

Sri Lanka offers a variety of upscale boutique lodges including Resplendent Ceylon’s trio of Relais & Chateaux resorts.

What can you experience in Sri Lanka?

In the 13th century, explorer Marco Polo described Sri Lanka as “La più bella isola delle sue dimensioni in tutto il mondo” – the finest island of its size in all the world. Read on to find out why….

The Central Highlands
The World Heritage Central Highlands is renowned for its panoramic scenery of tea fields, valleys, waterfalls and forests. The highlands are home to Ceylon Tea, the best tea in the world, and a visit provides you with a glimpse into a day in the life of a tea planter. Stay in a historic tea planter bungalow and learn about the journey of tea from the bud to the cup. Sitting on a verandah, overlooking a sea of tea fields with the cool mountain breeze and a cup of Ceylon tea in your hand, is an experience you should not miss.

The Wildlife Experience
Sri Lanka is the best wildlife and nature destination in Asia with 26 diverse national parks. Yala National Park has the highest density of leopards in the world. Incredible viewing of wild elephants is on hand at parks like Uda Walawe and Minneriya. The country is home to a variety of landscapes from rainforests, dry zone forests, montane forests, mangroves and coastal ecosystems.

The Cultural Triangle
Sri Lanka is known for its rich cultural heritage, rivalling Angkor Wat, and has been a cradle of Buddhist civilisation for 2000 years. Visit Anuradhapura, the first kingdom of Sri Lanka, the rock-hewn fortress of Sigiriya and the royal city of Kandy and be transported back in time. There are many nuances woven into the storyline of this paradise island with the colonization by the Portuguese, Dutch and British, make Sri Lanka a melting pot of culture and tradition.

The Southern Coast
Sri Lanka’s beaches are popular amongst travellers for their unique character and charm, with colourful beachside towns sit along the azure coastline. Weligama has a variety of different surfing breaks and is the heart of the southern surf circuit. Sri Lanka is famed for abundant marine life including the largest colonies of Blue whales.

These are just a few of the many distinct attractions in Sri Lanka, highlighting the amazing diversity of this ancient isle.

OUR RESORTS – DILMAH TEA’S HOTEL COLLECTION

One magical Tea Island. Three extraordinary resorts.

Three Relais & Chateaux resorts; Tea Trails, Cape Weligama & Wild Coast Tented Lodge, form an enchanting “Route de Bonheur (Happiness)” from tea fields to clifftop beach & safari lodge. This “best of Sri Lanka” circuit, created by the family-owned Dilmah Tea Company, features distinctively original resorts, connected by a thread of peerless service.