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The Atlas Obscura Guide To Sri Lanka

49 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Sri Lanka

Updated August 10, 2025
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Buddhism 17
Temples 11
Religion 6
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Architecture 4
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Rama’s Bridge between India and Sri Lanka figures in ancient myths, and can be seen from space, in this case captured from the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1994.

Sea Cucumber Crime Is a Thing, and This Is Where It’s Happening

A "seafood mafia" is plying the waters between India and Sri Lanka to satisfy China's appetite for an increasingly rare delicacy.
by Frank Jacobs
A Hindu priest holds a lit coconut oil lamp in front of statues of Prince Vijaya (left) and Kuweni (right) at the Sri Subramaniam temple in the southern Sri Lankan town of Matara.

How This Demon Dance Banishes Illnesses in Sri Lanka's Remote Jungles

The kankariya dance all started with a legendary demon queen named Kuweni.
by Zinara Rathnayake
For Sri Lankans, the sound of Beethoven means baked goods.

The Resilience of Sri Lanka's Musical, Mobile Bakeries

Faced with stiff competition and a strained economy, these Beethoven-blasting bread trucks fight to stay afloat.
by Imogen Sewell
A Sri Lankan Navy soldier walks amid the debris washed ashore from the container ship MV X-Press Pearl in May 2021.

What It Takes to Clean Up a Massive Nurdle Spill 

Following a maritime disaster, Sri Lankans are cleaning their beaches, nurdle by nurdle.
by Zinara Rathnayake
Angampora combat includes many jumping maneuvers.

Capturing Sri Lanka’s Ancient, Almost Lost Martial Art

Photographer Reza Akram spent seven years documenting angampora, an indigenous fighting style banned by British colonizers. 
by Zinara Rathnayake
Two women create a fabric-pulp sheet.

How Elephant Poop Becomes Fancy Paper in Sri Lanka

An elephant can defecate 16 times in one day—and its 200 pounds of dung can double as paper pulp.
by Zinara Rathnayake
The jungle highlands of Sri Lanka, where humans settled at least 45,000 years ago.

Eurasia's Oldest Tiny Tools Were Essential for Living in the Rain Forest

And perfectly sized for small, Sri Lankan jungle prey.
by Isaac Schultz
Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
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