20 Photos of Sri Lanka that will make you pack your bags right now and go!

Sri Lanka is a country that misses the radar of a lot of travelers. It often gets overshadowed by India and other tropical hotspots like Thailand, but this little island off the southeast tip of India has a lot to offer.

For starters, it has all of the exciting culture, great food and history of India (dubbed “India Lite” by some), without the craziness, chaos and other hassles that can turn first-time visitors off. However, Sri Lanka is more than just a smaller version of India; it’s a beautiful mash-up of many influences that can be seen throughout the culture and unique cuisine.

The center of the country is full of temples that are thousands of years old and boasts 26 national parks full of wild leopards and elephants. Being an island nation, Sri Lanka has 837 miles of coastline, most of which are basically untouched. There you can find great little surf towns that haven’t been overrun with tourism and development. There are even still places where the locals look at a foreigner like they have never seen a person from another country—that’s pretty rare in 2016.

These 20 photos will convince you to put Sri Lanka on your must visit list:

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Tagged: Photo essay