Just a few months after the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Board won the “Best Tourist Board” at the World Tourism Awards 2024, Sri Lanka has notched up another accolade, this time from the prestigious Wanderlust magazine and website. The magazine’s readers have overwhelmingly voted for Sri Lanka as the “Most Desirable Island in the World”, taking the Pearl of the Indian Ocean from last year’s 8th place all the way to the top this year. Judging by the quality and beauty of the other contenders – Taiwan, Puerto Rico, Tobago, Tasmania, Bermuda, Cuba, Barbados, Madagascar and Palawan, this is no easy feat.
Among the other publications that recently extolled Sri Lanka’s virtues are Travel+Leisure, Forbes, Daily Express UK, Lonely Planet, Conde Nast Traveller, Delicious, Daily Mail UK, Tempo (which termed Sri Lanka as the “Ultimate Tropical Paradise” in its own top 10 best places to visit), Luxury Lifestyle, The Independent UK, The Herald Scotland, The Times UK and Escape Magazine. 300 Km Pekoe Trail One reason for Sri Lanka’s spectacular rise in the global tourism rankings was the recent introduction of the 300 Km Pekoe Trail that meanders through the hilly terrains of Central Sri Lanka, offering a trek through sleepy villages, verdant tea plantations and lush greenery. Pekoe (named after a variety of tea) has already become one of the top 10 hiking trails of the world, even before it is fully complete.
Combine it with the magnificent train ride from Kandy to E.
