What to see in Sri Lanka: 9 must-sees

Admire Sigiriya Rock, a 200-meter mass in Sri Lanka's central plain crowned by the ruins of King Kasyapa's fortress. Climb stone-cut stairways to the gallery of frescoes of the cloud maidens, cross the platform with the lion paws that give the site its name, and descend to walk the water gardens, terraces and moats laid out with exceptional symmetry. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982, this 5th-century complex keeps murals, a royal pond at the summit and the remnants of a vanished civilisation that still surprises whoever visits it.

Pause on the trails of Yala, Sri Lanka's most visited park, where the concentration of leopards is among the highest in the world. Jeep through the five zones open to the public between lagoons, scrub and the southern coast. Spot elephants, sloth bears, crocodiles and more than 200 species of birds — best between February and July, when the water level drops and the animals come to drink.

Step into the warm water of Unawatuna, a bay in southern Sri Lanka sheltered by a coral reef that calms the swell. Snorkel among tropical fish just a few meters from the shore, walk the pale sand of this half-moon bay and climb to the white pagoda on the headland for sunset over the Indian Ocean. Fishermen sell the day's tuna at the beachside stalls of the coastal road, and turtles nest on nearby beaches between November and April. From Galle, only 6 kilometers away, you arrive by tuk-tuk in about 15 minutes.

Explore Colombo, Sri Lanka's capital in the Western province, where the market stalls of Pettah sell spices and fabrics next to Buddhist temples and mosques. Walk the Galle Face Green promenade facing the Indian Ocean, try isso wade from the street vendors and observe how British colonial buildings share the map with glass towers. Enter Gangaramaya Temple, take a tuk-tuk to the Fort district and end the day with sunset over the port.

Stroll Ella, a village among mountains in Uva Province, ringed by tea plantations and trails climbing to Little Adam's Peak and Ella Rock. Walk the Nine Arches Bridge, where the blue train crosses between the jungle, and head to Ravana Falls after the rainy season. From the viewpoints you will see the Ella Gap valley opening toward the southern plains, while birds and monkeys move through the greenery at dawn.

Walk the grounds of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, beside Kandy's lake, and discover the Buddha's tooth relic that devotees have venerated for centuries. Follow its halls of gilded roofs and carved wood, observe the flower offerings and listen to the drums of the daily ceremonies. Learn the adjoining royal palace and the walls recalling its past as the last capital of the Kingdom of Kandy. Go in with easy-to-remove footwear, shoulders and knees covered, to respect the site's etiquette and follow the visit like one more pilgrim.