Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon, has known Portuguese, Dutch and English colonisation, and today still displays a fascinating blend of local and old colonial cultures in a landscape of upland tea plantations, jungle and a coastline of palm-fringed beaches. Colombo The capital is a hot and bustling city on the coast and you will probably only need to spend your first or last night of your trip here. The Galle Face Hotel is fun for sundowner or stay in some of our prefered boutique hotels listed in the hotel directory above. Kandy Probably Sri Lanka's loveliest town is Kandy, situated amongst wooded hills on the shores of a lake at an altitude of 1,600 ft and famous for its rambling colonial buildings, its craft bazaars and the Royal Botanical gardens at Peradeniya, just outside Kandy is famed for its rare collection of orchids, herb gardens and arboretum. Kandy also has Buddhist temples in particular - the Temple of the Tooth - which claims to possess a tooth belonging to Buddha. Nuwara Eliya Even higher than Kandy - at 6,000 ft is Nuwara Eliya, a former British hill station, little changed since colonial days. The journey there is spectacular, winding up through tea plantations via the impressive Ramboda Pass. Map of Sri Lanka The Coast The coast of Sri Lanka offers long, often deserted, beaches shaded by coconut palms and warm waters. In general, the further south you travel, the quieter the beaches. If you're planning a beach holiday in this area, the best time to go is November-April when the weather is drier and the sea is calm. Galle on the south coast is famous for its 17th century Dutch fort and considered Sri Lanka's finest colonial town. The old part of town is undergoing quite a revival and is fun to explore on foot. There is a good choice of exquisite boutique hotels together with a sprinkling of luxurious international style hotels in and around Galle. Ancient Cities The dry, flat area north east of the Hill Country is known as the Cultural Triangle. The region covers Sri Lanka's most famous cultural and archaeological sites some of which contain the remains of the Sinhalese civilisation which grew through the centuries under the influence of Buddhism. Dambulla One of the better-known sites and the nearest to Kandy is the rock temple of Dambulla on the way to Anuradhapura. The caves' history dates back to 1st century BC when King Balagam Bahu, took refuge here and later turned the caves into a magnificent rock temple. It's now a World Heritage site. The five caves, richly painted with Buddhist murals, are sited on a huge granite outcrop towering 150m above the surrounding jungle. The climb up is best done in the early morning. Sigiriya This wonderful 200m high fortress built on an isolated rock is a World Heritage site and one of Sri Lanka's major attractions. Overlooking dense jungle and a vast plain, are the remains of a 5th century cliff-top palace and water gardens, now excavated, that once covered 5 acres. According to legend, it was the stronghold of King Kasyapa who killed his father and found refuge here for 18 years. Among the ruins are frescoes of 'heavenly maidens' painted half way up the rock and a two enormous stone lion's paws. It's well worth the steep climb - the views are stunning from the top. Go early in the morning to avoid the crowds and midday heat. Anuradhapura One of Sri Lanka's most important archaeological sites and the first capital of the Sinhalese kings (lasting over 1300 years from 3th century BC to 10th century AD). It contains large artificial lakes (known as tanks), temples, frescoes and dagobas (solid hemispheric mounds) and the sacred Bo-Tree believed to have grown 2,300 years ago from the tree under which Buddha became enlightened. The site though magnificent is unfortunately now quote touristy. Polonnaruwa An ancient and compact city, Polunnaruwa was the second seat of rule and a medieval capital 11-12th century. Features include 12th century stone sculptures, an old irrigation system with huge tanks/lakes and three huge Buddha figures, the Gal Vihara, considered to be amongst the most sacred monuments in Sri Lanka. There are also palace ruins and friezes. Climate Basically an all year destination being a tropical climate with a temperature between 72F and 29C all year round. The temperature falls as you move higher up into the central hill country where it can be warm during the day but can get refreshingly cool at night in the highlands. There are two monsoons. The south west monsoon (May to October); north east monsoon (December to March). Its a tropical climate so whilst seasonal the rains are not a major concern when planning a holiday in the interior.   The best time for travelling is October to mid April when it's mainly dry on the south and west coasts. If you are diving then the waters are calmest December to February The central highlands are pleasantly cool and relatively dry from January to April. In recent years the seasons have been erratic!