Off the Beaten Track

Adam's Peak

From December to April, pilgrims converge to climb the 2224m (7295ft) Adam's Peak. At the top is a huge 'footprint', claimed by Muslims to belong to Adam, who stood there in expiation of his sin in the Garden of Eden. Never mind that Buddhists believe it to be the mark of Buddha or that Hindus hold the print to have been made by Lord Shiva, the fact remains that it is has been a place of pilgrimage for over 1000 years. The view from the peak at dawn is enough to shock the most cynical agnostic into a state of reverie. It takes about four hours to climb to the top from the town of Dalhousie.

Reaching the base of Adam's Peak is simple and if you're making a night ascent, you've got all day to arrive. Buses run to Dalhousie from Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, and Colombo in the pilgrimage season. Otherwise you need to get first to Hatton or Maskeliya. If you're really running late, taxis will take you to Hatton or Dalhousie. You'll need to cover 220km (136mi) to get there from Colombo.

Nuwara Eliya

Once the favourite hill station of the British, Nuwara Eliya still retains the vestiges of Empire: a blend of Tudor and Georgian architecture, gabled roofs, immaculate lawns and moss-covered gravestones. Soak up the quaint atmosphere by visiting the Hill Club - by jove, there's a golf course, tennis courts, even copies of Country Life here - or visit the botanic gardens and tea plantations in the surrounding hills.

Yala West

Though it sustained some damage due to the 2004 tsunami, Yala West is one of the few Sri Lankan national parks still open to travellers. It has scrub, lagoons and rocky outcrops, and is in the country's southeast; it's a particularly good place to see elephants.

There are also leopards, bears, deer, crocodiles, wild boar, monkeys, buffalo and wild peacocks. It's best to hire a jeep and driver in Tissamaharama and be in place near a waterhole at dawn or dusk. Nearby Bundala National Park is Sri Lanka's best spot for birdwatching.

Yala West is closed in September and usually part of August and October too. But when it's open the best way to get there is to catch a bus to the coastal town of Tissamaharama, 241km (149mi) from Colombo, and then hire a jeep and a driver. If you have your own four wheel drive you can just drive up to the front gate and pay the entrance, insurance and tracker fees.