Places we have actually been.
Not a gazetteer. These are the places we put people, with how long is worth giving each one, the month it works, and the things that do not show up in a photograph.
Nowhere here is good all year. Half of planning a trip is knowing which month.
Two monsoons mean the country is never uniformly in season, so a place that is the highlight of a January trip can be the wrong call in July. Each page says when it works and roughly how long it holds up — which matters more than whether it makes anyone's list.
Wilpattu
The biggest park in the country and the least visited. Harder sightings, better mornings.
What it is really like
Yala
The best leopard odds anywhere — if you get the block, the month and the hour right.
What it is really like
Ella
The edge of the escarpment, two good walks, and more people than there used to be.
What it is really like
Mirissa
Blue whales in season, and a beach that's busier than its neighbours for no particular reason.
What it is really likeNot sure which of these
belong in your fortnight?
Tell us your month and how long you have. We will say which of these are worth your time and which are better left for a different trip.