Sri Lanka’s landscapes are vast and varied, welcoming and wild. This island nation of 22 million is a place where leopards slip like a whisper through the undergrowth, blue whales breach offshore, tea estates paint the hill region a lush green, and ancient Buddhist and Hindu temples whisper stories of centuries past. In the coastal towns, surfers line the golden sand beaches and tuk-tuks zip along twisting roads, their horns blending with the rhythmic clink of fishmongers’ knives and the sizzle of hoppers frying in street stalls. Plates heaped with rice and aromatic curries showcase the island’s culinary riches, while orange king coconuts are cracked open and offered as a sweet, refreshing balm to the humid heat.
Photo: Courtesy of Ceylon Tea Trails
But, the past several decades have been challenging for Sri Lanka. The legacy of colonization by the Dutch, Portuguese, and British left lasting scars. From 1983 to 2009, the country endured a prolonged civil war, followed by the devastation of the 2004 tsunami and a 2022 economic crisis which thrust Sri Lanka back into global headlines, culminating in an abrupt change of government.
Yet today, the country stands resilient. Improved airline services, a new political era under President Dissanayake, and strategic visa policies have revitalized the tourism industry, which is set to break earning records in 2025. As sustainable, locally-focused luxury fuels this rebound, now is the perfect time to visit this southern stretch of paradise.
