Nature comes to life on park safari

Galle's old town wall. [Photo by Ben Lerwill/China Daily]

1 Kandy: Sri Lanka's second city sits "upcountry", surrounded by hills in the center of the island and providing a vivid counterpoint to the sand-fringed resorts of the coast. It's home to a number of absorbing sights, not least the Temple of the Tooth, the most significant Buddhist shrine on the entire island. The city's main landmark is Kiri Muhuda, the lake at its center, and it's possible to take short pleasure cruises onto the water. But perhaps Kandy's greatest gift is its role as a gateway to the dramatic scenery and tea plantations of the so-called "hill country", the most archetypal of all Sri Lankan landscapes.

2 Wilpattu National Park: Set in the northwest of the island, this is the largest of Sri Lanka's national parks. Before the civil war made the region dangerous, it was also its most visited. Today its charm lies in the fact that it draws relatively few visitors, while also offering excellent opportunities to spot leopards and sloth bears. The birdlife, as elsewhere in Sri Lanka, is world-class too. The park takes its name from the picturesque willus－natural depressions filled with rainwater－found across its land. It's also a good spot for seeing elephants, and there's even accommodation within the park.

3 Colombo: The national capital is a busy city, with around 3 million people calling it home. It's not an immediately lovable place, but as Sri Lanka's only functioning international airport sits on its outskirts, the city gets incorporated into many itineraries. Its most obvious attractions for visitors are the buzzing bazaar quarter referred to as The Pettah－most of the goods on sale are practical items rather than souvenirs, but it still makes for a highly atmospheric area－and the historical district known as Fort, where you'll find a good selection of museums and colonial buildings.