I went to the exotic island named the most beautiful in the world – and it's about to be even easier to visit
Big 7 Travel announced their annual top 50 best islands in the world, with Sri Lanka coming in no.1.
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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."
I was lucky enough to visit back in 2023, and realised quickly how the island really does have everything despite it's size.
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 Sri Lanka are the 6,000 elephants on the island, many of which are free-roaming.
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.
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 eco-hotels in the world with its own infinity pool and Slender Loris book private tours.
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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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