A quiet viewpoint on a winding Knuckles range mountain road, often described as a mini World’s End, with sweeping ridgeline views and a short walk to a natural rock arch, without the crowds of the more famous highland sites.

A strange, 48 metre spiral tower near Kandy at the centre of a working Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and Christian temple complex, with a staircase that narrows to barely a shoulder’s width near the summit. One of the more unusual stops on the entire island.

The highland town most travellers arrive in and find difficult to leave, with the Nine Arch Bridge, a dramatic valley gap and a relaxed independent cafe culture all within easy walking distance of each other. The natural stop at the end of the Nanu Oya scenic train.

A colonial hill station shaped by British-era architecture and a noticeably cooler climate, surrounded on every side by working tea estates. A natural base for factory visits, tastings and the early departure to Horton Plains and World’s End.

Sri Lanka’s last royal capital and still its cultural heart, home to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic and the Royal Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya. The evening puja ceremony, drumming and incense filling the shrine, anchors nearly every itinerary that passes through.