{"id":82273,"date":"2018-10-23T15:22:09","date_gmt":"2018-10-23T22:22:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=82273"},"modified":"2018-10-23T15:22:09","modified_gmt":"2018-10-23T22:22:09","slug":"sri-lanka-ranked-top-country-for-travel-in-2019-by-lonely-planet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2018\/10\/23\/sri-lanka-ranked-top-country-for-travel-in-2019-by-lonely-planet\/","title":{"rendered":"Sri Lanka ranked top country for travel in 2019 by Lonely Planet"},"content":{"rendered":"

Antonia Wilson\u00a0Courtesy The Guardian<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n

Improved train services mean it\u2019s easier than ever to explore Sri Lanka but campaigners warn a surge in tourism could ruin its natural beauty<\/p>\n

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\u00a0<\/span>Passenger train crossing the nine arches viaduct near Ella, Sri Lanka. Photograph: Alamy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/header>\n
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Almost 10 years after the end of its civil war, Sri Lanka has been named the best country in the world to visit in 2019 by Lonely Planet. Better transport links, new hotels and a growing number of activities were cited as the reason the south-Asian island was chosen for the top spot in the guidebook publisher \u2019s annual\u00a0Best in Travel awards<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Already notable to intrepid travellers for its mix of religions and cultures, its timeless temples, its rich and accessible wildlife, its\u00a0growing surf scene<\/a>\u00a0and its people who defy all odds by their welcome and friendliness after decades of civil conflict, this is a country revived,\u201d says Lonely Planet author Ethan Gelber in the Best in Travel 2019 book, published today.<\/p>\n

Unmissable experiences\u201d include wildlife, such as the 300-strong elephant gathering at\u00a0Minneriya national park<\/a>, thousand-year old Buddhist monuments, and hiking and train travel through the Hill Country\u2019s tea plantations.<\/p>\n

Tourist visits to Sri Lanka have increased dramatically since the end of the 26-year conflict, from 447,890 in 2009 to an all time high of\u00a02.1 million<\/a>\u00a0last year, a figure the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority hopes to double by 2020. Renovations made to the rail system have opened up Jaffna and much of north for the first time since 1990 \u2013 an area that was previously considered too dangerous for tourists. The scenic rail routes in Sri Lanka are now widely thought to be some of the best in the world. Motorways have also been built as far south as Matara, and the number of domestic flight routes has increased in recent years, too: for instance, from the capital Colombo, on the east coast, to Batticaloa, on the opposite of the island, in 45 minutes.<\/p>\n

There has also been a huge investment\u00a0in new visitor accommodation<\/a>: from homestays to high-end eco retreats \u2013 such as the Wild Coast Lodge\u2019s cocoon-like buildings in Yala national park. Major international hotel chains, including Shangri-La, M\u00f6venpick, Sheraton, and Grand Hyatt, are all opening new properties.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0<\/span>The beach near Kalpitiya, Sri Lanka. Photograph: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Sri Lanka\u2019s surf scene has been steadily growing, as more of the coast has become accessible, and tour operators are now offering jungle hiking, alongside yoga breaks with traditional Ayurveda treatments. There are also plenty of free attractions, including colourful\u00a0puja<\/em>\u00a0rituals on the clifftop of Koneswaram Kovil in Trincomalee in the north east; Colombo\u2019s main market of Pettah; and the fortified walls surrounding the colonial old town of Galle in the south.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

While the ratio of tourists to residents is relatively low compared with countries where overtourism is now a major issue, some conservationists have expressed concern over the speed of development in certain areas.<\/p>\n