Visual Archives

Glimpses into the planetary elite's experience of the teardrop island. Highly classified imagery from our private expeditions.

Photographs: 14
Places: 11
Journeys that go there: 23

14 photographs

Sigiriya Rock Fortress rising above the jungle — Sigiriya's Lion Rock rises 200 m above the jungle. Start the climb at 7 am to beat the heat and the crowds.

Leopard resting on a fallen tree — Yala has one of the highest densities of wild leopards in the world — early-morning game drives give the best chance of a sighting.

Blue train crossing the Nine Arch Bridge in Ella — The blue train crossing the Nine Arch Bridge near Ella. We time your visit to meet a passing train.

Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy — The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Sri Lanka's most revered shrine, beside the lake in Kandy. Visit for the evening puja.

Tea estates on rolling green hills with a winding red road — Tea estates fold over the hills around Nuwara Eliya. Tour a working factory, then stay for a planter's lunch.

Elephants bathing among rocks in a shallow river — Elephants come down to bathe in the Maha Oya river at Pinnawala every morning and afternoon.

Palm trees on a headland above a turquoise bay — Palms above a turquoise bay on the south coast. The sea is calmest from December to April — whale-watching season too.

Nine Arch Bridge seen through tea bushes in Ella — The Nine Arch Bridge through the tea bushes, a short walk from Ella town.

Waterfall dropping from a forested cliff in the hill country — Waterfalls tumble off the hill-country escarpment around Haputale; Bambarakanda, the island's tallest, is close by.

Herd of elephants bathing in a wide river below forested hills — A herd cooling off in the river below Pinnawala, best seen from a riverside terrace.

Shop-lined old town street at dusk — Evening in Galle Fort, when the lanes of shops and cafés inside the old Dutch ramparts light up.

Green hills of the tea country under low cloud — Low cloud over the tea country near Haputale. The hills are at their greenest from May to September.

Aerial view of villas with private pools among palm trees — An island resort from the air. The Maldives is about 90 minutes' flight from Colombo — an easy way to end a journey.

Aerial view of a green coastal city with a canal — Colombo from above. Spend a first or last day on its markets, galleries and Galle Face Green.

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About these photographs

Real places, real journeys

These are demonstration photos from Unsplash, each tagged with the place it stands in for. They will be replaced by photographs from our own journeys before the site launches.

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