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A week in Sri Lanka

continent
Asia
country
Sri Lanka
Length of time
Around a week
Rough cost
$
Time of year visited
December
OVERALL SCORE The highest score of nature or culture, + fun factor, + avoid the crowds, + the highest score of world famous or unique. Then turned into a score out of 100. More details at the bottom of the page
65

Summary

Sri Lanka is often described by travellers as "India-light".  It is far more compact, with many of the highlights possible to cover in a week; it has a similar culture in many ways; similar type of experiences on offer, such as tropical beaches, old forts, tea plantations etc; and it…

Couple of hours in Kandy

continent
Asia
country
Sri Lanka
Length of time
1 day or less
Rough cost
$ 20
Time of year visited
December
Primary Tags
OVERALL SCORE The highest score of nature or culture, + fun factor, + avoid the crowds, + the highest score of world famous or unique. Then turned into a score out of 100. More details at the bottom of the page
35

Summary

Kandy, with its Temple of the Sacred Tooth and basic Buddhist museums on the relatively peaceful north shore of Kandy Lake, is nice as a brief 2 hour stop on the way to the Tea Country in the south or the Ancient sites in the north.  But I don't suggest…

Walking Horton Plains to World’s End

continent
Asia
country
Sri Lanka
Length of time
1 day or less
Rough cost
$ 60
Time of year visited
December
Primary Tags
OVERALL SCORE The highest score of nature or culture, + fun factor, + avoid the crowds, + the highest score of world famous or unique. Then turned into a score out of 100. More details at the bottom of the page
52

Summary

Horton Plains National Park is a plateau sitting over 2000m / 6500 ft in the centre of Sri Lanka between the 2nd and 3rd highest peaks in the country.  It's often called out as being one the of highlights of Sri Lanka because of World's End, a 880m / 2900…

Staying in Nuwara Eliya’s “Little England”

continent
Asia
country
Sri Lanka
Length of time
1 day or less
Rough cost
$ 120
Time of year visited
December
Primary Tags
OVERALL SCORE The highest score of nature or culture, + fun factor, + avoid the crowds, + the highest score of world famous or unique. Then turned into a score out of 100. More details at the bottom of the page
60

Summary

Nestled up in the middle of Sri Lanka's Tea Country, Nuwara Eliya was one of the old colonial centres for the tea industry and, with the combo of old quaint buildings, race course, golf courses and, well bloody drizzly bleak weather, is affectionally known as "Little England".  As an Englishman…

Train ride through Sri Lanka’s tea country

continent
Asia
country
Sri Lanka
Length of time
1-2 days
Rough cost
$ 10
Time of year visited
December
OVERALL SCORE The highest score of nature or culture, + fun factor, + avoid the crowds, + the highest score of world famous or unique. Then turned into a score out of 100. More details at the bottom of the page
72

Summary

This is the highlight of Sri Lanka.  Sitting with the window open as you watch the old train slowly snake its way through hours and hours of beautiful tea plantations that sit within the most dramatic part of Sri Lanka's Hill Country.   You'll spend the first couple of hours gawping…

The Hill Country Village of Ella

continent
Asia
country
Sri Lanka
Length of time
1-2 days
Rough cost
$ 40
Time of year visited
December
OVERALL SCORE The highest score of nature or culture, + fun factor, + avoid the crowds, + the highest score of world famous or unique. Then turned into a score out of 100. More details at the bottom of the page
57

Summary

Ella is the prettiest of the towns that are scattered throughout Sri Lanka's Hill Country, and makes the most sense to start / finish at as part of the wonderful train journey through the tea plantations that most people are here to experience.  Definitely worth a day on its own…

Whale watching in Mirissa

continent
Asia
country
Sri Lanka
Length of time
1 day or less
Rough cost
$ 60
Time of year visited
December
OVERALL SCORE The highest score of nature or culture, + fun factor, + avoid the crowds, + the highest score of world famous or unique. Then turned into a score out of 100. More details at the bottom of the page
57

Summary

Mirissa is one of the only places in the world you have a good chance of seeing Blue Whales, the largest animal to have ever lived, as well as Fin Whales (second largest) and Sperm Whales (the largest toothed predator).  You’re practically guaranteed to see hundreds of Spinner Dolphins, Bottle-nosed…

The Historic Fort of Galle

continent
Asia
country
Sri Lanka
Length of time
1 day or less
Rough cost
$ 40
Time of year visited
December
OVERALL SCORE The highest score of nature or culture, + fun factor, + avoid the crowds, + the highest score of world famous or unique. Then turned into a score out of 100. More details at the bottom of the page
52

Summary

The atmospheric UNESCO World Heritage site of Galle is on most traveller’s Sri Lankan list.  The place has some wonderful deep history across the colonial times of the Portuguese, Dutch and British that you can soak up while wandering the old streets and the fort walls in an afternoon, or…

Colombo

Summary

From what I could see as a standard tourist, and I only checked out the Fort and Petrah areas, it's best to minimise the time spent in Colombo! (Unless, as always, you know some locals who can show you the real city and best places)

5 days for Oman

Summary

Oman is a cracking country for a 5 day trip.  It has that wonderful Middle East vibe without the extreme restrictions of the likes of Saudi or Iran, the extreme opulence of the UAE and Qatar, and without the crowds of Egypt and Jordan.  To add to the mix, it…

Driving up to Jebel Akhdar

Summary

Jebel Akhdar (Green Mountain) is the second highest point in Oman and is famous for its otherworldly feel as you rise far above the main Omani valley floors up to the large Saiq plateau 2000m /6560ft above sea level. The experience itself is all about talking short walks through the…

Exploring Nizwa Fort and Souq

Summary

The town of Nizwa is famous for its Fort, high walled Souq and wonderful location on the valley floor surrounded by palm trees and the daunting Hajar Mountains.  Probably doesn't justify the 2 hour drive from Muscat on its own, but its very much worth an extra hour or so if…

4WDing across the Hajar Mountains via Hatt

Summary

The Hajar Mountains, with their spectacular peaks, hidden hill towns, mini luscious oases and dramatic canyons are some of the most striking mountains in the world and by far the highlight of Oman.  Most people visit the forts of Bahla, the Wadi Ghul canyon and drive up to the plateau…

Walking Jebel Sham’s Wadi Ghul canyon

Summary

Jebel Shams is regularly listed as one of the highlights of Oman, and rightly so - the view down into the immense Wadi Ghul is impressive and justifies its tag as the “Grand Canyon of Arabia”.  You've also got the drive up there with a spectacular mountain landscape that makes…

Turtles laying and hatching at Ras Al Jinz

continent
Middle East
country
Oman
Length of time
1 day or less
Rough cost
$ 15
Time of year visited
November
Primary Tags
OVERALL SCORE The highest score of nature or culture, + fun factor, + avoid the crowds, + the highest score of world famous or unique. Then turned into a score out of 100. More details at the bottom of the page
27

Summary

Ras Al Jinz is a beach and wildlife centre that is at the far eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula and is an important protected site for the Green Turtle species to lay their eggs.  What these turtles go through in their migrations and nesting techniques to secure the next…

Hiking and swimming Wadi Shab

continent
Middle East
country
Oman
Length of time
1 day or less
Rough cost
$ 10
Time of year visited
November
OVERALL SCORE The highest score of nature or culture, + fun factor, + avoid the crowds, + the highest score of world famous or unique. Then turned into a score out of 100. More details at the bottom of the page
72

Summary

Wadi Shab is a large gorge that makes its way from the Eastern Hajar Mountains to meet the Arabian Sea.  Purely for looking at it is beautiful - steep arid dramatic sides rising above and crystal clear turquoise water rushing through the streams and irrigation channels that cross all through…

A day in Muscat

continent
Middle East
country
Oman
Length of time
1 day or less
Rough cost
$ 80
Time of year visited
November
Primary Tags
OVERALL SCORE The highest score of nature or culture, + fun factor, + avoid the crowds, + the highest score of world famous or unique. Then turned into a score out of 100. More details at the bottom of the page
42

Summary

As the natural entry point for the vast majority of trips to Oman, Muscat is a nice spot for a day or so to rest before or after a long flight.  The walk by the Corniche with its fish market and Mutrah Souk; the walk along the pretty beaches where…

Riding a moped around the El Nido Peninsular

continent
Asia
country
Philippines
Length of time
1 day or less
Rough cost
$ 20
Time of year visited
November
All Tags
OVERALL SCORE The highest score of nature or culture, + fun factor, + avoid the crowds, + the highest score of world famous or unique. Then turned into a score out of 100. More details at the bottom of the page
75

Summary

Most people visit El Nido for the stunning Bacuit Archipelago, or for the sensational boat trips through the island chains to Coron.  These are for sure amazing, but another option is to rent a moped and ride the loop around the El Nido peninsular for something that is a little…

Diving the Bacuit Archipelago off El Nido

continent
Asia
country
Philippines
Length of time
1 day or less
Rough cost
$ 80
Time of year visited
November
OVERALL SCORE The highest score of nature or culture, + fun factor, + avoid the crowds, + the highest score of world famous or unique. Then turned into a score out of 100. More details at the bottom of the page
62

Summary

The Bacuit Archipelago is seen as one of the highlights of the Philippines - hundreds of islands with huge jagged limestone sides looking like something from the Lost World often opening up to reveal a turquoise coloured lagoon or perfect white sandy beach.  Most people go by a tour to…

Island hopping Coron to El Nido with Tao Philippines

continent
Asia
country
Philippines
Length of time
3-4 days
Rough cost
$ 450
Time of year visited
November
OVERALL SCORE The highest score of nature or culture, + fun factor, + avoid the crowds, + the highest score of world famous or unique. Then turned into a score out of 100. More details at the bottom of the page
82

Summary

The islands in the north of Palawan between El Nido are some of the most stereotypically idyllic tropical beach paradises you can imagine - hundreds of islands surrounded by perfect white sand, gorgeous clear turquoise water, tropical reefs, and only occasionally sprinkled with tiny villages along the shoreline.  Whilst there…