Sri Lanka offers a wealth of thrilling wildlife safaris: spot elephants, elusive leopards, rare birds and more, and admire the country’s dizzyingly diverse flora and fauna under wide open skies. Opt for a tented safari and you’ll fall asleep and wake up beneath the stars. There are plenty of different options to choose from, with many safaris suitable for families. Start with Yalla National Park, looking for leopards, sloth bears and buffalo.

Prepare to be amazed by the Dambulla Buddha caves, where magnificent Buddha statues and ancient cave paintings await. It’s impossible to describe the caves’ atmosphere; you have to experience it for yourself. Dambulla is in the Matale District, in Sri Lanka’s Central Province.

Feel the temperature drop – and your eyes widen – in Sri Lanka’s cool, hilly tea regions, where verdant plantations stretch across the horizon. Hop on the train from Kandy to Ella, pausing at Nuwara Eliya for at least a few days. Visit one of the tea plantations and factories, meet plantation workers and – of course – sip some tea…

Sri Lanka doesn’t hold back when it comes to jaw-droppingly beautiful stretches of sand: two favourites include Uppuveli and Nilaveli, which are both close to Trincomalee, on the north east. Surfers will love Arugam Bay, on the south east of the island. By night, the bay buzzes with beach parties.