There is a reason why Sri Lanka is known as ‘The Pearl of the Indian Ocean,’ and it’s because it’s a wonderfully rich and diverse island. We’ve found the things you simply have to experience on your Sri Lankan trip.

The Best Things to See and Do in Sri Lanka

Go Leopard Spotting

While you won’t be making any leopards change their spots, you can admire these amazing creatures on a safari adventure in Sri Lanka. Yala National Park on the south-eastern coastline is one that anyone visiting the country must see. This is your chance to see both leopards and elephants in the wild. Spending time in the beautiful Yala National Park is something you’ll never forget.

Explore the Landscape with a Train Tide

One of the best train rides you could ever hope to take is found in Sri Lanka. Hop on the train from Kandy to Ella, and for eight hours, just sit back and enjoy the diverse landscape Sri Lanka offers. You will snake your way through tea plantations, colorful towns, flowing waterfalls, and mist-covered forests. The atmosphere on the train is one of fun and love, plus there is more chai than you can possibly drink on offer throughout. For just over $6, this is a day you’ll not remember forever.

The Best Things to See and Do in Sri Lanka

Southern Coast Rope Swing

It might sound a little basic, but this simple rope swing has practically single-handedly transformed Sri Lanka’s tourism industry. Thanks to a few influential Instagrammers, the rope swings on Sri Lanka’s Southern Coast have become the must-do thing. Everybody is striving to get ‘that shot,’ and people are coming from all over the world to jump out over the water. It’s the must-have vacation snap people are lining up for.

Sri Lanka has plenty to offer tourists, and these are the things you shouldn’t miss out on. Whatever you see and do here will be amazing, but we don't think you shouldn’t miss these gems.