When most people think about visiting Sri Lanka, they think of the obvious places to visit. We’re talking about towns, cities and familiar tourist destinations you would be sharing with lots of other tourists from all over the world.

But Sri Lanka hides some real gems away from prying eyes and if you have the determination to go and find them, you will be rewarded with an experience you wouldn’t have believed was possible. It is perfectly possible to go and find the real side of Sri Lanka – a side you haven’t yet discovered or uncovered for yourself.

One of the ideal places to begin this journey of the real Sri Lanka is Ella. Ella is a village that isn’t even known to many tourists, and even less of them actually make the effort to go there. Perhaps this is because there isn’t much to see or entertain you – but then, that would be missing the point entirely.

Ella is situated up in hill country and that gives it one thing that many other locations in Sri Lanka simply don’t have – spectacular views. Many walkers choose it as a base because of the plethora of walks that can be undertaken from here. It may seem hard to believe at first that the village was without electricity until a little over twenty five years ago, but once you see it for yourself you can see how this could have occurred.

Not everyone coming to Sri Lanka is coming to see the masses of traditional tourist attractions and famous cities. Some are coming to see the real Sri Lanka, the one that pokes through in villages such as Ella. This is the real thing and the real reason why you should visit. Being able to explore the surrounding hills, valleys and countryside is the main attraction in Ella, and for many it will be more than enough. What else could you imagine than simply sitting and watching the sun come up and appreciating every moment? These are the moments you will remember long after you come home.

Every country has places that are worth visiting and yet somehow are not among the best known venues that the country has to offer. Kandy probably falls under this heading for Sri Lanka. It is definitely a top place to visit because it has a lot of sights that are worth seeing. Yet it is not one of those instantly recognisable places that people will think of when they are thinking about Sri Lanka.

So let’s take a closer look to see whether there are any particular benefits to seeing this place for yourself if you are considering a holiday in Sri Lanka. Firstly it is a capital of sorts – the main city in the Hill Country of Sri Lanka. Indeed while Colombo is the city that many will instantly think of when talking about Sri Lanka, Kandy comes in a very close second in many ways.

One of the most notable things about Kandy is the height it sits at. Perhaps this was one of the reasons why the Sinhalese Kingdom took it as its capital in the past. It certainly has a presence that is hard to deny.

Perhaps it is the history of Kandy, coupled with its undeniable beauty, which has made it a firm favourite among tourists who know it is there. The Temple of the Tooth is arguably the main venue to visit when you are in Kandy. It dates from the 17th century and it is believed that one of the Buddha’s teeth is held here. No one can be sure but a great and understandable degree of respect is held for the tooth.

Elsewhere in Kandy you can see the Royal Botanical Gardens. This is another chance to see some greenery in Kandy, although the city itself nestles within a belt of green land that is ideal for walks and exploration.

As you can probably tell, Kandy is essentially unmissable. You cannot deny that the Temple of the Tooth holds a degree of curiosity, and you can learn much about the history of the whole country here too, and not just Kandy itself.

If you are heading out to Sri Lanka this Christmas – or perhaps shortly afterwards, in an effort to escape the colder weather in the UK – you might be interested to know that any chicken you eat may also have come from abroad to reach its Sri Lankan destination.

You see, Sri Lanka is enjoying a fantastic period of tourism at the moment. This has led to difficulties in some areas of being able to cater for everyone who visits Sri Lanka. This is quite an unusual event, to import chicken from other countries, but it just goes to show how popular Sri Lanka is at the moment. It would seem as though lots of people have decided that this is the place to spend Christmas this year.

When you consider how popular Sri Lanka is and how much it has to offer to people, it isn’t surprising to find that they now have to rely on importing certain food staples to cater for the rise in demand. And since you will be enjoying the chicken cooked to perfection by those who live and work in Sri Lanka itself, there is no danger of missing out on local specialities.

The growing popularity of Sri Lanka as a holiday destination was further cemented by the fact that the New York Times has voted it number one on their list of thirty one places to visit during 2010. Even though 2010 may be about to give way to 2011, you can do no better than to plan a visit to Sri Lanka during next year. With lots of different types of accommodation to stay in, Sri Lanka can appeal to every type of budget and holidaymaker. No matter where you want to go or what you would like to see, you won’t come up short when it comes to visiting this delightful location.

With everything from adventure holidays to wellness breaks, you can see that Sri Lanka really does have it all. And it has to be one of the best places in the world to visit an authentic tea factory as well. What could be better?

It’s a good question to ask, because different people want different things out of their holiday. Some people like to visit major areas so they can see as many sights as possible. To miss out on anything would be a sin, so they head for the cities and the main popular tourist areas to make the most of everything they can.

Then there is another group – a group that is looking for a different side of Sri Lanka. This side is there to be found, but not everyone looks for it. To get the most of it you must head for an area where there is a sparse selection of things to see and do. This group wants a peaceful and relaxing holiday, surrounded by very little except the basics of a good and relaxing break.

If you think you might fall into this second group of people, the city of Batticaloa might fit the bill for you. It lies on the eastern coast of Sri Lanka and it is not known for its landmarks or must see places. Getting to Batticaloa can be a journey of exploration in itself; many people speak of the journey they have taken to get there. Mountains, plains and jungles can be passed in order to get there, so if you like your holiday to start from the moment you touch down at the airport, you might enjoy the trip over to Batticaloa anyway.

When you get there you will be spoiled mainly by the beautiful beaches. This is a minimalist holiday destination so don’t expect to find too much to do. But this is exactly what suits so many people. Not everyone likes a holiday that contains a plethora of ways to relax, but when you see the beaches here you will want to do little else. There is every reason to want to spend the entire time relaxing on one of Sri Lanka’s outstanding beaches here, so if this is the break you want and need, why go anywhere else? It could be the perfect destination for a week abroad.

If you are visiting a country or region you haven’t been to before, it can be difficult to ensure you see all the best sights so you can really make the most of your time there.

One of the best ways to solve the problem is to book a tour of some kind, and you can do this in Sri Lanka. The first thing to be aware of is that you can book lots of different kinds of tours depending on the kind of holiday you want to have. For instance there is nothing to stop you booking a completely guided holiday so you can sit back and let the experts show you all the best sights.

However it is possible to have the best of both worlds too. For instance you can book a safari tour in one of the national parks Sri Lanka is lucky enough to have. This is by far the best way to see all the wild animals, and indeed you cannot go alone on this kind of excursion anyway – not if you want to come back in one piece!

If you are booking a two week stay in Sri Lanka you could go on safari for one week and then head off on your own to another part of the country for the second week. This could give you the chance to see some of the major cities as well as the wilds of the country.

On the other hand you could be looking for a nice beach holiday instead. In this case you can still take advantage of a couple of individual day tours to various destinations. Think about where you would like to stay and do some research to see where some of the best local day trips are.

As you can see, Sri Lanka offers you the chance to take all kinds of tours. You can enjoy a private tour for a week or so with the opportunity to ride elephants all included, or you can just book the odd one day excursion here and there. Whatever kind of holiday you want, Sri Lanka can offer it to you.

Sri Lanka has so much to show you that it can be tricky knowing where to begin if you are visiting the area for the first time. However it is worth bearing in mind that Sri Lanka is lucky enough to have lots of national parks. One of these is the Yala National Park.

This has the designation of being the most popular park in the whole of Sri Lanka. This is quite an accolade when you consider there is one other park that is larger than Yala, and it has plenty of other contenders for the title as well.

But let’s take this fact at face value and try and figure out why so many people head there each year. What does the Yala National Park have to offer to its many visitors?

You would expect any national park in any country to have a selection of animals and birds to show off. Yala is no different in this respect. But it does have a huge selection that is very diverse, and this no doubt attracts a lot of people to it. You can see elephants here for one thing, as there is a huge conservation effort in Sri Lanka from their point of view. The park is also a huge draw for anyone wanting to see leopards in the wild.

As you can probably tell, this isn’t the kind of park you would go wandering around in on foot. If you are going to see the park you need to make sure you take your place on a proper safari. This gives you the opportunity to get as close as possible to all the animals, without getting into any danger in the process. If you have never been on a safari before Sri Lanka may not be the place you immediately think of going to. But as you can see, the Yala National Park can definitely make this particular dream come true.

There are many areas of Sri Lanka that can boast a national park. But Yala is definitely at the top of the list – and it is easy to see why.

In some countries coffee is the main drink of choice. But when you visit Sri Lanka you will be able to experience a culture that is – if you’ll excuse the pun – steeped in tea.

This is the former Ceylon after all, from where some of the best tea in the world originates. So it would seem foolhardy and disappointing to visit the country and not embark upon something of a tea expedition while you are there.

Many Brits are drawn to drinking tea in Sri Lanka because they serve it very much as we do. Generally it will have milk and sugar included rather than drinking it black, but you can expect slightly warmed milk rather than splashing it in straight from the fridge as we do.

But this is only the beginning of your tea exploration duties on holiday in Sri Lanka. You can also visit the tea plantations and experience the very beginnings of where this drink comes from. It will certainly give you a whole new appreciation of the drink that wakes you up every morning.

Handunugoda is one of the best plantations you could head for while you are there. It is mostly famous for its white tea, which is so called because no one actually touches it during the process of cultivating, picking and processing it for consumption around the world.

The plantation consists of a hundred and fifty acres of land but only half of that is devoted to tea. The remainder of the plantation is taken up with other things. There are other plantations in Sri Lanka of course, but this one is rather famous and not just for the white tea. It also uses machinery that is over a century old, adding another layer of history and insight into the process of tea making in itself.

Tea is such an integral part of Sri Lanka and its livelihood and reputation that it would be a shame to overlook it while you are there. Whether you are a huge fan of tea or not, you should definitely go to the Handunugoda tea plantation to take a closer look.