Sri Lanka Holidays 2012 by National Geographic

Poya Festival

A long line of lights illuminates the path to the summit of Adam's Peak during the Poya Festival in the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka. This mountainous, mist-draped realm has long been popular with backpackers and other adventurers for its tea plantations and rain forest preserves. The Central Highlands recently were added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list.

Photograph by Greg Elms, Getty Images

Dambulla Cave Temple

Photograph by Massimo Ripani, SIME

The cave monastery of Dambulla, a World Heritage site, has five sanctuaries and is the largest, best preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka.

Temple of the Tooth

Photograph by Massimo Ripani, SIME

In the northern part of the Central Highlands lies the historic town of Kandy and its 18th-century Temple of the Tooth, an important Buddhist shrine.

Leopard

Photograph by Andy Rouse, Getty Images

A leopard (Panthera pardus) rests in tree in Yala National Park. Located on the southern coast of the island, Yala is Sri Lanka's most visited and second largest national park.

Grand Hotel

Photograph by V. Dorosz, Alamy

Pristine grounds surround the Grand Hotel in Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka.

Royal Palace of Kandy

Photograph by Paolo Giocoso, SIME

Visitors leave the Royal Palace of Kandy, which houses the Temple of the Tooth. Kandy is also a good jumping-off point to the so-called ancient cities region, which includes the looming rock and fortress complex known as Sigiriya.

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