The city's Hindu temples - especially the ancient Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil - are among the finest examples of Dravidian temple architecture, and the annual Nallur Festival is a spectacle of colour, devotion and ritual that attracts tens of thousands of pilgrims. Jaffna's unique cuisine, its Dutch Fort, its islands accessible by causeway across a luminous lagoon, and the warmth of its people make it one of Sri Lanka's most underexplored destinations.

Gangaramaya Temple blends architecture and culture from Sri Lanka, Thailand, India and China into a layered complex of shrines, libraries, a museum and a spectacular relic chamber. Founded in the late 19th century, the temple has grown into a centre of Buddhist learning and cultural activity, and its annual Navam Perahera festival - held in February - is one of the most dazzling religious processions in Sri Lanka, drawing thousands of spectators.

The Red Mosque, officially known as the Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque, is a striking Colombo landmark, its vivid red-and-white candy-striped facade rising above the crowded streets of the Pettah bazaar district since 1909. Built to serve the city's growing Muslim population during the British colonial period, its Indo-Saracenic architecture is a brilliant blend of styles that stands in wonderful contrast to the bustling market life that surrounds it.

The Koneswaram Temple is one of Sri Lanka's most ancient and spectacular Hindu shrines, dedicated to Lord Shiva. The site, known as the 'Shrine of the Thousand Pillars', is one of the Pancha Ishwarams or five ancient abodes of Shiva in Sri Lanka, and its setting above the crashing sea makes it one of the island's most visually awe-inspiring religious sites.

Set on the banks of Kandy Lake within the ancient royal palace complex, the temple houses the tooth relic of the Buddha, which has been protected by the rulers for nearly 2,000 years. The daily puja ceremonies, performed three times a day to the accompaniment of traditional drumming and the fragrance of incense and flowers, create an atmosphere of devotion that touches visitors of every background.

Sri Lanka's primary tropical rainforest and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sinharaja is an ecological treasure of global significance. Home to over 60% of Sri Lanka's endemic bird species, Sinharaja rewards visitors with some of the most extraordinary wildlife encounters in Asia. The forest is magical in the soft light of early morning, when mixed feeding flocks of endemic birds move through the canopy in a spectacle.

Sri Lanka's most visited national park, Yala is a vast wilderness of rocky outcrops, dense jungle, open grassland and coastal lagoons that create the perfect habitat for one of the world's highest concentrations of wild leopards. While leopard sightings are never guaranteed, the park also reliably delivers encounters with elephants, sloth bears, crocodiles, water buffalo and a diversity of bird species.

Each year between July and October, Minneriya National Park becomes one of the great wildlife spectacles of the natural world - 'The Gathering', in which hundreds of wild elephants converge on the shores of the Minneriya reservoir during the dry season in search of fresh grazing. Witnessing this congregation of elephants - feeding, bathing and socialising in herds - is among the most humbling wildlife experiences.

Udawalawe National Park is home to over 300 Sri Lankan elephants who roam freely across open grasslands and around its large central reservoir - offering some of the most reliable and spectacular elephant viewing in the world. The adjacent Elephant Transit Home, a rehabilitation centre for orphaned elephant calves, provides an ethical and educational wildlife encounter that is both heartwarming and informative.

Wilpattu covers a vast wilderness, scrubland and natural lakes of beauty. The park is celebrated for its leopard population and also supports Sri Lankan elephants, sloth bears, spotted deer and a diversity of water birds. Because Wilpattu is less visited than Yala, wildlife encounters here feel more intimate and undisturbed, making it a favourite among wildlife travellers.