The best cricket stadiums to visit in Sri Lanka

Galle International Stadium sits on the old Esplanade below the walls of Galle Fort, with the Indian Ocean on two sides. The ramparts above the ground act as a free grandstand during Tests, and the clock tower and fort walls fill the background of every photograph.

Galle staged its first Test in 1998 and has since become Sri Lanka's most famous Test venue, known for pitches that turn sharply as a match goes on. Shane Warne took his 500th Test wicket here, and Muttiah Muralitharan took his 800th in his final Test in 2010. The ground was wrecked by the 2004 tsunami and reopened in 2007.

For a visitor, Galle is the easiest stadium to combine with sightseeing: the fort, its cafes and the south-coast beaches are all within a short walk or drive.

Pallekele International Cricket Stadium lies about 30 to 40 minutes east of Kandy, in a valley framed by green hills. Grass banks run around much of the ground, and on a clear afternoon the setting rivals Galle.

Pallekele opened in 2009 and hosted its first Test in 2010. It stages Tests and white-ball matches and was a venue at the 2011 World Cup and the 2012 World Twenty20. Afternoon showers are common, so a light jacket is worth packing.

The ground combines easily with Kandy, the Temple of the Tooth and the start of the hill country.

Colombo has three international grounds within a short drive of one another. The R Premadasa Stadium, in Maligawatte north of the centre, is the largest in the country at roughly 35,000 and the home of day-night cricket. Sri Lanka made 952 for 6 against India here in 1997, still the highest Test total.

The Sinhalese Sports Club, in Cinnamon Gardens, and the P Sara Oval, in Borella, are smaller club grounds with pavilions and long histories. P Sara hosted Sri Lanka's first Test in 1982, and the SSC saw Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara's record 624 stand in 2006.

Between them, the three grounds cover every format, and a visitor staying in the capital can see all three in a single day.

Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium sits beside a reservoir in the dry zone, with the Dambulla cave temple's rock in view. Built in a matter of months and first used in 2001, it hosts white-ball internationals only, and the heat can be intense.

The Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium at Sooriyawewa, inland from Hambantota, opened for the 2011 World Cup. Large and open, it hosts white-ball internationals and Lanka Premier League matches, and it is the closest ground to Yala National Park.

Both grounds suit travellers already heading to Sigiriya or the deep south, more than those planning a trip around the stadium itself.

For a first visit with a match, Galle is the one to choose if a Test is on, and the Premadasa if the fixture is a night game. Pallekele is the best all-rounder: a lovely setting, a relaxed crowd and Kandy close by.

For history, the SSC and P Sara Oval matter most, and both can be seen from outside on almost any day. For a stadium on a wider holiday, Dambulla fits a Cultural Triangle trip and Hambantota a Yala safari.

Lankan Stays & Trails builds itineraries that include one or more grounds, with or without a match, and arranges drivers between them.

Sri Lanka's home season runs through most of the year, but no ground hosts cricket every month, and fixtures are announced only a few months ahead. Check Sri Lanka Cricket's schedule before building a trip around a match, and buy tickets through the official channels once they go on sale.

Without a match, most grounds can still be seen from the outside, and Galle can be viewed from the ramparts at any time. Some grounds allow a look inside on quiet days at the discretion of the staff, so it is always worth asking politely at the gate.

The detailed pages in this series cover each ground's history and seating, the smaller and former grounds, comparisons between them and routes that link several in one trip.