This is the top of the Lonely Planet’s 2019 Best Travel Destinations list, the world’s best whale watching spot, the only sea train in the world, and a very high probability of seeing leopards! This is Sri Lanka.
The turmoil a few months ago has made everyone uneasy. But after these months of rectification, this beautiful country has fully recovered, and friends can rest assured to go.
And just at this time, air tickets to Sri Lanka are as low as 40% off, super value for money!
From August 1, 2019, Sri Lanka will implement a visa-free policy for China. This means that Chinese tourists will save nearly 300 yuan when traveling to Sri Lanka. It’s time to take your proud Chinese passport and go!
So, do you really know how to play in Sri Lanka?
Today we will introduce you to a different Sri Lanka from these keywords: [World Niche Luxury Hotel Brand], [Asia’s Top 25 Best Restaurants], [Asia’s Only Safari Destination], [Best Viewing Place for the World’s Largest Animals], [2500-Year-Old World Cultural Heritage].
Let’s take a 360° look at Sri Lanka.
Niche Luxury Hotel
What is Relais & Châteaux? In a nutshell: “Others look at the beauty, he looks at the taste.”
Relais & Châteaux is a niche luxury hotel brand, many people don’t know it, there are only 7 in China, but little Sri Lanka has 3 alone.
Wild Coast Tented Lodge
Wildlife passes by your room
The Wild Coast Tented Lodge is located next to the famous Yala National Park, known for its dense population of leopards.
This luxurious tented lodge is situated where the jungle meets the pristine beach, overlooking the azure waters of the Indian Ocean.
Although the main buildings are made of bamboo, blending with Yala’s unique rock formations, the air-conditioned tents offer state-of-the-art facilities.
There is also an open-air bar and restaurant surrounded by bamboo, encircling the resort’s naturally formed swimming pool.
You can enjoy a daily updated menu of creative authentic Sri Lankan cuisine at the restaurant, or enjoy sunset cocktails and open-air picnics on the dunes, while admiring the twilight of the Indian Ocean.
Cape Weligama
Live in the moonlight
The Cape Weligama resort is perched atop a picturesque and unique headland 40 meters above the Indian Ocean.
40 tiled roof bungalows are hidden on the top of the cliff, overlooking the magnificent scenery of the Indian Ocean from any angle.
The resort also offers two main swimming pools: one bay pool and one 60-meter-long iconic crescent-shaped clifftop infinity pool, both with magnificent views.
When night falls, a movie screen will be pulled down below the pool, and it’s so romantic to watch a movie under the moonlight!
Asia’s Best Restaurants
Three Michelin stars, the highest honor in the culinary world, have only 2 in China.
This three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Sri Lanka, Ministry of Crab, is located in the capital Colombo, ranked 25th in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, and is very affordable.
This is one of the best places to eat crabs in Colombo, whether it’s Singaporean chili crab or local curry crab, you can enjoy it here, and it’s guaranteed to be fresh crab caught on the day.
Wildness Not Inferior to Africa
Speaking of Sri Lanka, one can’t help but mention Sri Lanka’s national parks, which are numerous and have their own characteristics.
Here is Asia’s largest wildlife park, also the only place in Asia where you can go on safari, the probability of seeing a leopard is relatively higher than the Maasai Mara and Serengeti grasslands in Africa.
Yala National Park
Yala Natnional Park
Yala National Park is located on the southeast coast of Sri Lanka, covering an area of about 979 square kilometers, and is Sri Lanka’s second largest national nature reserve.
The park is not only rich in diverse ecological environments, but also famous for its numerous rare wild animals. There are also grasslands, beaches, rivers, lakes, swamps… and various natural landscapes.
The park is home to a large number of Sri Lanka’s native animals, flocks of white-headed cranes nest in the ponds within the park, crocodiles, peacocks, and monkeys are all common animals in the park.
Minneriya National Park
Minneriya National Park
Minneriya National Park is located between Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa, with forests, lakes, and meadows.
Although relatively small, it covers an area of 90 square kilometers, and the huge reservoir built by King Maha Sin in the 3rd century within the park is second to none in terms of size and scenery.
Here, you can ride a jeep as close as possible to the elephant herd, observing their daily life of drinking water, bathing, and playing.
Besides elephants, the park is also home to deer, buffaloes, wild boars, leopards, and more than 170 species of tropical birds.
Udawalawe National Park
Udawalawe National Park
Udawalawe National Park is located about 200 km southeast of Colombo, one of the most famous national parks in southern Sri Lanka, where hundreds of elephants live.
Riding a converted open-top off-road vehicle, meandering through the savannah, there is a wild atmosphere that rivals the East African grasslands.
Subverting people’s traditional impressions of forest parks, there is no dense vegetation, instead a desolate beauty.
Horton Plains National Park
Horton Plains National Park
Horton Plains is an hour’s drive west of Nuwara Eliya, a hiker’s paradise.
The plateau is 2300 meters above sea level, with varied terrain and rich species, the park has a variety of plants and 24 species of mammals.
Either shrouded in mist or howling with wind, this is the “end of the world”.
Travelers are allowed to hike freely along designated routes, walking on the grass-covered plateau, you will occasionally see a tall fellow running past you – that’s the water deer, they are agile, alert, good at running, and a loner who likes to go alone.
Go Ride the Waves
Sri Lanka’s specialness may lie in the fact that it has both wild land and surrounding waves.
It is surrounded by the sea on all sides, facing the Indian Ocean directly without any shelter, the opposite side is the South Pole. If you go to the local fish market, you can see tuna that are as tall as people, it’s really spectacular.
The most anticipated, is still the blue silhouette leaping out of the sea.
Mirissa, Kalpitiya and Trincomalee
See the world’s largest animals
Mirissa waters are famous for their abundance of blue whales, attracting a large number of diving enthusiasts. In addition to blue whales, you can also see sperm whales, killer whales, fin whales and dolphins leaping out of the sea.
Can you really see whales?
Here, the probability of seeing a single whale is so high that you don’t need to pray. But if you want to see a group of whales and hundreds of dolphins jumping on the surface of the sea, you still need some luck.
* December to April of the following year is the best time for whale watching in Mirissa and Kalpitiya, while the chance in Trincomalee will be greater from June to September.
The Most Beautiful Sea Train
Sri Lanka is the “country with the most beautiful train lines in the world”, in addition to the many beautiful sights of the Ceylon country itself, there are also many train lines famous for their characteristics.
Among them, the most beautiful and popular are two sections, one is the mountain train that can experience the world scenery, shuttling through the mountains at an altitude of about 2000 meters. 
Riding the mountain train is an adventurous journey through the Emerald Forest, from Kandy to Ella, the eye is met with endless green.
As the train travels through the magnificent emerald tea mountain sea, standing at an altitude of 2000 meters, you can see the world scenery in one breath.
The other section is like walking into the story of Spirited Away, while the sea train is particularly like the scene in Spirited Away.
In the film, a train slowly passes by the sea, a little girl and No Face are sitting in the carriage, behind them is the endless blue sea and sky.
In the real world, the sea train has a section that is less than 1 meter away from the Indian Ocean, the red train passes by as if floating on the sea, very charming.
2500 Years of Brilliant Civilization
As Sri Lanka’s tourism calling card, its World Cultural Heritage is definitely not to be missed. Accompanied by 2500 years of brilliant civilization, it is the pride of every Lankan heart.
“Ceylon Calling Card” Sigiriya
Sigiriya Lion Rock
Known as the Eighth Wonder of the World, Sigiriya Rock, built in the 5th century, is one of the peaks of Sri Lanka’s “Cultural Triangle”, and is also a UNESCO-protected World Heritage Site.
This is a real aerial palace built on a giant orange rock, it was buried in the jungle for centuries, until the middle of the 19th century when it was discovered by the British hunter Bell.
The large stone at the top that looks like a lion, the lion’s head has weathered away, leaving only a lonely lion’s body, but on its back is hidden a garden palace built at an altitude of 200 meters.
On the flat top of Sigiriya Rock, you can overlook the surrounding tropical rainforest, a magnificent view!
Dambulla Cave Temple
Golden Temple of Dambulla
Dambulla Golden Temple is a Buddhist cave temple in Sri Lanka, located in the central part of Sri Lanka, it is a pilgrimage site in Sri Lanka, its history can be traced back to the ancient caves of the 1st century BC.
It is located on the slope of a rocky mountain, with temples carved out of the mountain rock, with various stone-carved Buddha statues and other carvings, and covered with murals.
The cave temple includes five shrines, it is the largest and best preserved cave temple in Sri Lanka, with very high religious art value and the charm of Buddhist art.
The charm of Sri Lanka goes far beyond these, it is a special country in Asia. With wildness not inferior to Africa, romance comparable to the end of the world, forests, oceans, culture, trains, food…
I think, this country, will see everything you want to see.
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