Like a teardrop dangling off the end of India, Sri Lanka floats in the Indian Ocean, a tropical island like no other. Marco Polo described Sri Lanka as ‘undoubtedly the finest island of its size in the world’. This still holds true with its beautiful beaches and stunning interior landscape.
There is no doubt that Sri Lanka has had its troubles with the violent clashes between the Tamils and the Sinhalese, and then the devastating tsunami in 2004. But Sri Lanka and its people are resilient and so friendly, it is hard not to smile when talking to them or finding out about their culture. They are part of the reason why so many holidaymakers decide that Sri Lanka is well worth giving a go.
Sri Lanka may be tiny and just off the coast of India but never for a minute confuse this colourful island of being second best or third rate. It is also not India in miniature, but has a glorious uniqueness, combining sun-drenched beaches with ancient culture, scrub jungles, and some of the best scuba diving in the world.