By Nuzla Rizkiya
Sri Lanka has been ranked among the top 10 destinations to travel in 2025 by BBC Travel’s inaugural guide to the world’s top travel spots.
The island nation was ranked in the ninth spot on the list compiled by the global media giant, in consultation with its journalists and leading sustainable travel authorities such as the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, Sustainable Travel International and World Travel and Tourism Council.
Sri Lanka was described in the travel guide as a welcoming country renowned for its misty hilltop tea plantations, roaming wild elephants, ancient temples and rolling surf, offering visitors a wealth of incredible travel experiences.
“In April 2022, the former prime minister announced Sri Lanka’s bankruptcy but a new president aims to rebuild the country’s fortunes after it was hit by a pandemic and civil unrest,” BBC noted.

The guide went on to highlight several developments in Sri Lanka, including the construction of its first seven-star hotel in Kandy, a US $ 1 billion mega resort in Colombo and the launch of a new airline, which will connect Sri Lanka to far east Europe and Australia.
The other attractions spotlighted included the 300 kilometre Pekoe Trail, which takes hikers through tea plantations and rural villages and the country’s new initiatives to promote sustainable tourism.
“Visitors looking for a coolcation can take a legendary train ride into its mountainous interior or travel to Colombo and Galle to discover a new generation of mixologists putting their spin on arrack, a fifth-century drink,” the guide added.
Additionally, it encouraged visitors to explore more of the ground island through an innovative start-up that allows travellers to self-drive tuk-tuks, with payments directly being made to the vehicle owner.