If you don’t have time to visit the Cultural Golden Triangle on your Sri Lankan holiday, be sure to visit the National Museum in Colombo. It offers travellers a walk through Sri Lankan history and is a great introduction to the country’s architecture. Another Colombo attraction worth visiting is the Dutch Period Museum. Once the residence of the Dutch governor in the 17th century, the mansion’s beautiful courtyard and exterior is reason enough to visit, but once inside you’ll uncover the story of the Dutch colonial rule of Sri Lanka.

In the heart of Colombo lies Pettah Market, a bustling bazaar of hawkers, shops and vendors selling everything from spices and fresh produce to clothes and electronics. Locals flock to the market for great deals, but tourists will stay for the great atmosphere. It’s a must-visit if you’re looking to buy Sri Lankan spices and Ceylon cinnamon. For a more relaxed local market experience, Good Market is another top place to visit in Colombo. You’ll find organic labels, home bakers, and small produce options at this artisan food market in the northeast car park of the Colombo racecourse.

Sri Lanka, and Colombo in particular, has a strong architectural and design sensibility. The country is filled with beautiful colonial buildings that have been perfectly preserved over the years. Due to wars, there are few buildings left in Colombo, but The Old Dutch Hospital is considered the oldest and one of the finest buildings in the city. Amid the historic surroundings of the Fort’s Hospital, today, is undoubtedly one of Colombo’s most atmospheric shopping areas, filled with outlets of Colombo favourites such as Spa Ceylon, and textile and jewellery shops, peppered between cafés and restaurants.

Gangaramaya temple is one of the oldest and most important temples in Colombo, constructed by famous scholar monk Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Nayaka Tera in the late 19th century. It is set beside the tranquil Beira Lake, providing visitors with an oasis of calm within the energy of Sri Lanka’s capital city. Enjoy a leisurely stroll across the bridge to the temple and marvel at the unique architecture, which showcases Sri Lankan, Thai, Indian and Chinese designs. The building also houses a library, museum, residential hall, and educational hall.

Just a few blocks away from the Beira Lake is Park Street & Slave Island, one of Colombo’s cooler up-and-coming neighbourhoods. Hail a Tuk Tuk and enjoy a thrilling ride over to the colourful streets of this area. Down these narrow streets and lanes you’ll find local street vendors next to upscale restaurants and lively nightclubs neighbouring artisan cafes. A walking tour is a great way to get to know this area of the city, which boasts a rich, multicultural (but especially Malay) heritage, and the impressive Murugan Temple.

Located just 3km from the city centre, Cinnamon Gardens is an area rich with history. A century ago, this neighbourhood was covered in (you guessed it) cinnamon plantations. Many an author have written about this beautiful area, and if not for the abundance of this spice, the Portuguese, Dutch, and English wouldn’t have taken such an interest in the island. Today, it’s an affluent area containing picturesque mansions, stylish cafes, shops, museums, Independence Hall, Old Town Hall, and is the perfect setting for an afternoon of exploring.

The UNESCO World Heritage protected Galle Fort is an 18th-century Dutch walled town with boutique shops, grand colonial homes, and beautiful beaches set against the azure blue Indian Ocean. This picturesque town is roughly 2.5 hours from Colombo and is the perfect place to add on to your Colombo holiday. Explore the ochre-washed buildings along the narrow streets that were once homes for the Dutch admiralty and marvel at the white lighthouse that sits on the edge of the cliff by the granite ramparts that keep the crashing waves at bay. Then, head to the beach for an afternoon of sunbathing or surfing.

Kandy, the cultural capital of Sri Lanka, is just a short 3.5-hour drive or train journey from Colombo. Catching a train between destinations is one of the most popular modes of transport in Sri Lanka, and this journey in particular, known as the ‘tea train’ line, provides a magnificent view of the tea plantations as you pull into Kandy. Start your visit at the Buddhist Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, located in the former Kingdom of Kandy, set beside the tranquil Kandy Lake. Afterwards, drive up into the hills for a spectacular view over the city and its surrounding mountains, which are full of adventures. The Kandy mountains are home to tea plantations, a lush rainforest, and close by lie the Knuckles Mountain Range, a Unesco world heritage site.

Sri Lanka is ringed with beaches, and some of the relaxed feeling of the island is owed to these vast, sandy expanses that meet the Indian Ocean. The serene south coast is home to seaside towns Benota, Mirissa, Unawatuna, Tangalle and Weligama, all of which are fringed with welcoming palms and boast exquisite sandy beaches. The stilt fishermen, who perch on tall wooden poles above the shallows to avoid frightening fish, are well known to fish in these areas on calm days. And from November until April, you can spot whales in the area on boat excursions.

No trip to Sri Lanka is complete without a trip to Tea Country: an area of breathtaking beauty with exquisite tea to enjoy. These vast undulating hills are filled with tea plantations, small villages and endless trails that weave their way through the cool, lush landscape. At the heart of it all is Hatton: the epicentre of Sri Lanka’s tea production and one of the top places to visit on a Colombo holiday. Head to the hills and enjoy a walk through the glossy green fields full of tea plants or learn about the process of making Ceylon tea at a factory tour.