Travel to Sri Lanka: when to go, budget and itinerary

Sigiriya, Dambulla and Polonnaruwa form the historic heart of the country, 3-4 hours' drive from Colombo. Sigiriya's rock fortress, with its water gardens and 1,500-year-old frescoes, is best climbed early to beat the heat: allow 1.5 hours for the ascent. Dambulla's five painted cave temples take about 90 minutes to visit. Two nights on site are enough for both without rushing.

The last royal capital before British rule, Kandy holds the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, a major pilgrimage site drawing worshippers from across the Buddhist world, with daily drum ceremonies at 5:30am, 9:30am and 6:30pm. Set aside half a day for the temple and the surrounding lake walk. The city is mainly the starting point for one of Asia's most celebrated train rides to Ella, best booked at least two weeks ahead in reserved second class.

Around Nuwara Eliya and Ella, terraced hills climb to 1,900 metres, where night temperatures drop below 15°C, a sharp contrast with the coast's 30°C; a light jacket is worth packing even in the tropics. Tea factories offer free walk-in visits of about an hour, tasting included. The Nine Arches railway bridge and the two-hour round-trip hike up Little Adam's Peak are Ella's two must-do outings.

From Galle to Tangalle, the south coast strings together a UNESCO-listed Dutch colonial fort, surf breaks at Weligama and blue whale-watching trips off Mirissa, in season from December to April, when morning seas stay calm enough for the boats to head further offshore. Unlike the nearby Maldives, beaches here don't require booking a whole private island: several seaside towns combine easily into a single 3 to 4-night stay.

Trincomalee and its Nilaveli and Uppuveli beaches follow a reversed climate calendar: the dry season runs April to September, exactly when the south is under monsoon rain, making the two coasts a natural year-round pairing for travelers chasing sun. Diving on Pigeon Island's reefs and a tourist crowd still much thinner make it a worthwhile alternative for two to three nights, provided travelers accept a 4-hour drive from the Cultural Triangle.

Closed to travelers for decades during the civil war that ended in 2009, the Jaffna peninsula reveals a Tamil and Hindu culture distinct from the rest of the island: the colorful Nallur temple, a Dutch fort and a lively market. Allow 3 hours' drive from Anuradhapura; stay on marked roads, as some rural areas still hold residual landmines from the conflict.