Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is a teardrop-shaped island off the southern tip of India: 65,610 square kilometres containing eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, 26 national parks, and a coastline that changes character completely depending on which side of the island you are standing on.

The Cultural Triangle in the north-central highlands is the heart of it: Sigiriya, the 5th-century rock palace rising around 200 metres above the jungle, with frescoes on its western face that archaeologists are still interpreting; Dambulla's cave temple with 153 Buddha statues and murals covering 2,100 square metres of ceiling; and Polonnaruwa, a medieval capital abandoned to the forest for eight centuries. Yala National Park, on the south coast, has one of the highest densities of wild leopards anywhere in the world.

The hill country around Ella and Nuwara Eliya produces the tea that defined an empire. Galle Fort, a 17th-century Dutch walled city still fully inhabited, is now home to boutique hotels in restored merchant houses. The train from Kandy to Ella, winding through tea estates and cloud forest, is among the most scenic rail journeys in the world, and reserved observation seats sell out weeks ahead.

The island's weather follows two monsoons, which is why it can be visited year-round with some planning. From December to March, the southwest coast, the hill country and the Cultural Triangle are generally dry and sunny, while the east coast receives rain. From May to September, the pattern reverses: the east coast around Trincomalee and Arugam Bay is at its best, while the southwest is wetter. October and November can bring rain across much of the island.

A two-week journey might begin in the Cultural Triangle, with Sigiriya at dawn, Dambulla, Polonnaruwa and the ancient capital of Anuradhapura, whose huge stupas and sacred Bodhi tree are among the most important pilgrimage sites in Buddhism. Continue to Kandy, the last royal capital, where the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic holds the island's most revered Buddhist relic. The Esala Perahera, held in July or August, is one of Asia's great festivals, with processions of elephants, drummers and dancers through the streets of Kandy.

From Kandy, the train climbs into the hill country, passing tea estates, waterfalls and misty forests on its way to Nuwara Eliya and Ella. Stay in a tea estate bungalow, visit a working factory, and walk to viewpoints such as Little Adam's Peak and the Nine Arch Bridge. Horton Plains National Park, a high plateau of grassland and cloud forest, ends at World's End, a cliff with views over the southern lowlands when the mist allows.

The south coast combines wildlife and beaches. Yala and Udawalawe national parks, the latter known for its herds of elephants, are best visited early in the morning. Mirissa is a base for whale watching from November to April, when blue whales and sperm whales pass offshore. Galle Fort, with its ramparts, churches and lanes of colonial houses, is a perfect place to end a journey.

Sri Lankan food is rich and varied. Rice and curry, served with many small dishes of vegetables, lentils and sambols, is the everyday meal. Hoppers, bowl-shaped pancakes of fermented rice flour, often with an egg in the middle, are a breakfast favourite, and kottu roti, chopped flatbread stir-fried with vegetables and meat, is a street-food staple.

Travel is usually by car with a driver, trains and occasional domestic flights. Distances look short but roads are slow, so allow plenty of time between destinations. Dress modestly at temples, remove shoes and hats, and never pose with your back to a Buddha image.