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5 Reasons to Visit Sri Lanka

Traditional Dancers

Imagine this. A young millennial couple enters your office, saying they want to travel to Sri Lanka. You’ve never been, so you begin wondering why they want to go there. Is the country still at war (spoiler alert: it’s not)? You scratch your head, wondering how to even fly them there. Wonder no more! Sri Lanka is very much open for globetrotting business. Below are 5 reasons why you should send those curious clients to Sri Lanka soon.

#1 – All new gorgeous hotels with stunning beaches to match

If you’ve never travelled to Sri Lanka, you might be surprised by the level of beautiful hotels the country has to offer. Sri Lanka is a relatively ‘new’ destination in many ways. The country’s civil unrest lasted up until the end of 2009. Prior to that, few people travelled to Sri Lanka so very few chain hotels were investing in the country. In 2019, all that has changed. Your clients may well be amazed by how beautiful some of the properties are, particularly those overlooking Sri Lanka’s gorgeous white sandy coastline.

#2 – The best wildlife viewing outside of Africa

Elephants, leopards, sambar deer, water buffalo, green turtles, monitor lizards, whales, and langur monkeys are just a pinch of the varieties of wildlife Sri Lanka has to offer. My favourite park is Yala National Park, down near the southeast corner of the country. I’d recommend adding at least a couple of days for your clients to do game drives in the area. They won’t be disappointed.

#3 – Adventure activities around every corner

Most clients aren’t content to just sit on a beach anymore. While there is certainly nothing wrong with rolling around in the sand for a bit, Sri Lanka has a ton of activities for the adventure-minded. The country is quite mountainous with lots of tea plantations set on rolling hills. Hiking is a definite, but mountain biking is also popular, along with a ton of watersport activities from surfing to white water rafting to whale watching, scuba diving, and snorkelling. Clients just need to pack their adventurous spirits.

Tea plantation near Nuwara Eliya

#4 – A tea lover’s paradise

Many don’t realise this, but the origins of great English tea lie in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka was colonised by the British between 1796 and 1900. The area was actually called British Ceylon back in the day. The Brits brought back with them their tea seeds because they couldn’t bear to live a day without their beloved ‘cuppa.’ But once the seeds were planted, they soon learned that the soil and climate of Sri Lanka were far superior to that of their homeland and before long, tea plantations popped up everywhere. Today, Sri Lanka exports US$1.5 billion worth of tea. That’s a lot of tea leaves.

#5 – FREE visas on arrival

Who doesn’t like free? As of August 1, 2019, the previous cost of US$35 per visa has been dropped, allowing travellers to get a visa on arrival at no cost. Visitors still have to apply for the visa online in advance at http://www.eta.gov.lk/slvisa/ but there is no longer a charge attached. I recommend putting that US$35 towards a nice long massage once in Sri Lanka!

There are of course far more than five reasons clients should choose Sri Lanka for their next holiday, but my editing team gets upset with me when I write too much copy (We can be bribed with fams. Or cake. Lots of cake – Ed.).

Goway has a number of fantastic touring options to Sri Lanka, from the small group touring experience of Jewels of Sri Lanka, to in-depth private touring on our Best of Sri Lanka, to a chilled out mix of beach and history on our Galle City and Beach package.

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