Ventours Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is one of the world's hidden gems.

It has everything a gem ought to have – sparkle, authenticity, and an aura of beauty that is irresistible. It has a rich history and culture with an added mixture of Dutch, Portuguese, and British influences. You can go from verdant landscapes to sandy beaches, a cosmopolitan capital in Colombo of sacred sites, atmospheric luxury villas to earthy tea plantations, World Heritage-listed colonial Galle to new-age, cutting-edge boutique hotels – all of which are contained in this tiny teardrop.

Then there’s the cuisine, which can range from burn-your-mouth local food to world-class fusion. You'll find leopard-spotting and unspoiled elephant sanctuaries. It is home to no fewer than eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and more than 2,000 years of culture can be discovered in the ancient capital cities of Anuradhapura, Sigiriya, and Polonnaruwa.

Sri Lanka can show you dive sites comparable to any in the world. It can evoke the raging shopaholic in you – for nowhere in the world are crafts, art, design, fabric, tea, and antiques so original and so reasonable. But more than anything, it is the island’s natural beauty that has withstood so much but remains unspoiled that strikes the right chord.