I went to the exotic island named the most beautiful in the world – and it's about to be even easier to visit
Sri Lanka
coming in no.1.
6
The most beautiful island in the world has been revealed
Credit: Alamy
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I visited back in 2023 - and was shocked by the variety of activities
They explained: "This teardrop-shaped island off the southern coast of India has it all, from golden beaches to terraced tea plantations.
"Whiling away blissful days beach-hopping along the 833-mile coastline is part of the charm, but
Sri Lanka
offers much more beyond the shore.
"Itineraries fill up quickly here, between the timeworn temples, colonial towns, misty mountains, and wildlife safaris in Yala National Park, home to tigers and elephants."
Read more on islands
Being slightly smaller than the size of
Ireland
, I explored more than half of the island in just a week, travelling from the west to the south.
One of the main draws of
I was left in awe during a private safari tour when we stumbled across a huge herd of them, relaxing in the fields.
Don't worry about forgoing your morning cuppa - popular on the island is tea with huge plantations scattered throughout.
Most read in Travel
A word of warning for foodies - the spice levels are up a notch from the standard UK Sri Lankan curries.
But the delicious food is worth the
steam
coming out of your ears, as I gorged on rice and poppadoms and freshly cooked dishes.
The exotic holiday island with beautiful beaches and elephant safaris
You'll easily be able to catch a cricket game as well, remaining as a huge part of the culture following the British colonization of the island.
Brits can even drive on the left side of the road, so getting around the island by car is easy.
Not only that, but the island also has award-winning hotels,
Cape Weligama which is often named one of the best
hotels
in the world.
I sadly only stayed for one night, so was sad to miss the many activities from whale-watching trips to free-cocktail happy hours.
I instead spent my evening in the beautiful crescent moon-shaped
pool
overlooking the ocean.
I also stayed at Jetwing Vil Uyana, named one of the best
pool
and Slender Loris book private tours.
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I squeezed in amazing food, beautiful beaches, award-winning hotels and stunning nature
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Wild elephants also roam the island
Credit: Alamy
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Brits soon won't have to pay for a visa to visit Sri Lanka either
Credit: Alamy
And of course the island has award-winning beaches including Unawatuna Beach - said to be the best on the island - or Hiriketiya for surfers.
If all of this has persuaded you to book a holiday, its about to be even easier to visit from the UK.
Sri Lanka has confirmed plans to scrap visa fees for 33 countries, which includes the UK.
This means Brits could save £37.50 each - meaning more than £100 for families.
Tourists will instead have be able to apply for a much faster, and free, electronic travel authorisation.
An official start date is yet to be confirmed.
The cheapest direct flights operate from London Heathrow to Colombo from £627 with Sri Lankan Airlines, taking around 11 hours.
Or you can book week-long TUI holiday packages from £912 each.
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Flights take around 11 hours
Credit: Getty
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