Thailand primarily draws a lot of tourists in due to its relatively cheap price and the many great beaches that can be found on its coastline. It would, however, be a mistake to think Sri Lanka cannot hold its own when it comes to providing stunning, white sand beaches – check out our recent post ‘Sri Lanka – the ultimate beach holiday destination’. Sri Lanka is home to some of the finest beaches in the world, with the likes of Bentota and Induruwa on the West coast and Unawatuna and Mirissa on the South coast where you can take a boat out to view the majestic Blue Whale!

As well as the bonus of stunning beaches, Sri Lanka offers so much more – more than Thailand can offer if you’re interested in more than lounging on a beach for the entirety of your holiday.

Unlike Thailand, Sri Lanka is one of the most culturally rich places in the world with more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than Egypt (eight), and a history you can actively explore spanning back 2,500 years.

Being a small island you can easily tour the world renowned sites such as Kandy, Dambulla Temple Complex, Sigiriya Rock Fortress, the ancient city of Anuradhapura, the Dutch Fort at Galle, and more. Each one of these sites is steeped in history and they are among the world’s finest ancient monuments.

When it comes to wildlife, Sri Lanka once again reigns supreme over Thailand. The island is one of the most diverse and extensive ecosystems in the world and contains 26 National Parks providing visitors the chance to see the stunning wildlife up-close.

To mention a few highlights: Yala National Park has the highest population density of leopard in the world, providing a once in a lifetime chance to see the thrilling predator in the wild. Minneriya National Park is home to hundreds of elephants, all of which travel together to the grass plains during the summer months in what is known as “The Gathering”. Sri Lanka’s oceans are teeming with exotic marine life, including the largest ever creature – the Blue Whale! With large populations and very high encounter rates, the South coast of Sri Lanka is considered the best place in the world to see the Blue Whale. You’ll also have the opportunity to see Sperm Whales, the occasional Killer Whale and an array of dolphins!