An island you can cross in a day, and still not finish in a month.

A palace on top of a rock, 1,200 steps and the frescoes on the way up. Everyone photographs it; almost nobody regrets the climb.

Cool air, tea slopes, waterfalls and the train ride people book the whole trip around.

Leopards, elephants, sloth bears. I book the jeep with a tracker I trust and we go before the crowd.

Dutch ramparts, coffee shops and a lighthouse. Best explored on foot after five, when the heat drops.

The lake, the Temple of the Tooth and the drumming at pooja time. The city where the hills begin.

Blue whales offshore in season, palm-fringed sand the rest of the year, and grilled fish at the end of a long drive.

Colonial cottages, strawberry farms and tea factories at 1,900m. Cold enough to want a fire in the evening.

A 2,000-year-old capital spread across paddy and jungle. Quieter than Sigiriya and, to me, more moving.

The east swings on the opposite monsoon. Point break, lagoons, and a village that shuts down when the swell drops.