The jewel in the crown of the Sri Lankan Central Highlands region is the vast Horton Plains National Park. It spreads over more than 30 square kilometers in the very heart of the island, split asunder by precipitous mountains 2,389 meters high, carved by deep gorges and crevices. The whole lot is blanketed in wild rainforest, which lends the area a fantastic level of biodiversity.

Most tour guides will start your tour to the Horton Plains National Park early, so as to reach the reserve as the sun rises. That should give you a whole day of explorations, which will be filled with ease. Nature enthusiasts can opt for the trek that weaves past crashing Baker's Falls and up to the soaring cliffs of the World's End Drop. Others might prefer routes around the cloud forests and the montane grass savannahs, spotting lime-green lizards, wild deer, rhododendron trees, and rare Sri Lankan leopards as they go.

Between all those adventures, learn about the unique religious significance of the preserve for Sri Lanka's Hindus, who tell of legends of King Rawana and the Thotupala mountaintop. Meanwhile, the nearby town of Nuwara Eliya (a perfect base) is a tea haven, with plantations and tasting rooms galore.