1. Scenery. Marco Polo described Sri Lanka
as the finest island of its size in the world (and he had done his share of
travelling!). From the tropical rainforest in the south, through the tea
plantations and gentle rolling slopes of the Hill Country to the wilderness
peaks of the Knuckles Range, few areas of this size can match the variety and
beauty of Sri Lanka’s scenery.
2. Crowds. Not here. These days popular
trekking areas like Kilimanjaro, the Inca Trail and Nepal can seem like Oxford
Street during the January sales. In Sri Lanka you will mostly have the hill
country and Knuckles Range to yourself.
3. Wildlife. The whole island is full of
wildlife ranging from monkeys and mongooses to monitor lizards, wild elephants
and even the occasional leopard. Sri Lanka is also home to over 450 species of
birds. There’s no better way to get up close to the local wildlife than on
foot.
4. Weather. While summers in Europe can seem
hit or miss affairs and the rest of the year often blends into continuous
drizzle, Sri Lanka has a relatively constant temperature of 25-30 degrees –
enough to make you take off a layer or two. Due to the island’s location it is
affected by two wet seasons but don’t worry – if one side of the island is wet then
the other side will be basking in sunshine.
5. Culture. Temples with spectacular
religious ceremonies, ancient cities perched on precarious outcrops, giant Buddhas,
Royal Palaces, a fascinating mix of Sinhalese Buddhism and Tamil Hindu culture,
not to mention the ancient aboriginal Vedda tribe – the island packs a
considerable cultural punch.
If 5 reasons weren’t enough: refresh after your
trek with cup of local tea and a plate of Sri Lanka’s famous rice and curry.
