Sri Lanka, a teardrop-shaped island in the Indian Ocean, has become a top destination for families seeking a unique travel experience. According to Forbes, Sri Lanka offers a remarkable combination of stunning landscapes, pristine beaches, captivating cultural heritage, and unique wildlife experiences within a compact location.
The island is home to eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, 800 miles of coastline, 15 national parks showcasing abundant wildlife, miles of lush tea estates and botanical gardens, 350 waterfalls, and a rich culture that extends back over 2,500 years. Sri Lanka’s original soul of Buddhism still flourishes, and the island is abundant with unspoiled nature and wildlife.
For families seeking adventure, Anuradhapura, the original capital of Sri Lanka, is a great starting point. This city is rich with culture and history and is home to ancient temple ruins, some of the largest stupas of the world, and palaces dating back to the 10th Century BC. The architectural wonder of the rock fortress of Sigiriya is a must-see attraction on the way to Anuradhapura. This impressive citadel was built by the rebel king Kashyapa and features gardens, bathing pools, rock carvings, a palace perched on the majestic rock, and colorful frescos on the rock walls.
Minneriya National Park is famous for the annual gathering of its elephants, one of the world’s largest recorded assemblies of elephants. Meanwhile, Wilpattu National Park is home to Sri Lankan elephants, the elusive leopards, sloth bears, spotted deer, buffaloes, sambar, mongoose, and over 30 species of animals, exotic birdlife, reptiles, and amphibians.
Ruhuna National Park, commonly known as Yala, is the largest and oldest of a chain of six national parks and three sanctuaries in the vicinity. It is by far the richest in biodiversity, boasting 44 different resident mammal species and one of the highest leopard population densities in the world. Yala also has dozens of reptile species and over 215 resident and migrant bird species.
Source: Forbes
