The best places to visit in Sri Lanka's Central Province

Sri Lanka's Central Province is shaped like a staircase. Matale district, in the north, is low and dry, with Sigiriya, Dambulla and spice gardens. Kandy district, in the middle, is green and hilly, with the royal city and the Knuckles Range. Nuwara Eliya district, in the south, is high tea country, with the island's tallest peak and its coolest air.

Because these zones sit so close together, the province lets you move from sunrise on a rock in the plains to a misty tea estate in a single day's drive, though it is a long one. Most travellers spend at least a week here without ever leaving the province.

Sigiriya's rock fortress, with its frescoes, mirror wall and lion's paws, is the province's most famous sight. Climb at opening to avoid heat and crowds, or climb Pidurangala, the neighbouring rock, for the view of Sigiriya itself at sunrise.

Dambulla's Royal Cave Temple, with five caves full of painted ceilings and Buddha figures, is roughly 30 minutes away. Further south, the rock monastery of Aluvihare, where Buddhist scriptures were first written down, and the small stone temple of Nalanda Gedige make quiet stops on the road to Kandy. Matale's spice gardens are best treated briefly, as some are more shop than garden.

The area is dry and hot most of the year. Its main rains fall roughly October to January.

Kandy is Sri Lanka's cultural capital. The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, beside the lake, holds the island's most important Buddhist relic, and its evening puja is a moving sight. Peradeniya's Royal Botanic Gardens, with giant bamboo and avenues of palms, are roughly 20 minutes away.

Around the city, the old Kandyan temples of Embekka, Lankatilaka and Gadaladeniya have fine wood carving and stonework. Ambuluwawa, a spiral tower on a hill near Gampola, gives huge views for those comfortable with heights.

The Knuckles Range, roughly two hours north-east, is a UNESCO-listed mountain forest with trekking trails, villages and waterfalls. It is far quieter than the southern hills and suits walkers best.

Nuwara Eliya, at roughly 1,900 metres, is the old British hill station, with a racecourse, Gregory Lake, rose gardens and tea factories on every side. Hakgala's botanical garden, roughly 20 minutes away, is lovely in the flowering months.

Horton Plains National Park, a high plateau of grassland and cloud forest, holds the walk to World's End, a sheer drop with views to the south coast on clear mornings. Start very early, as cloud often rolls in by mid-morning.

Adam's Peak, Sri Pada, rises at the western edge of the hills. Pilgrims of several faiths climb it overnight to watch the sunrise from the summit, usually from Dalhousie near Hatton. The pilgrim season runs roughly December to May.

The Central Province suits a north-to-south route: Sigiriya, then Kandy, then Nuwara Eliya, then on to Ella in Uva by road or train. Allow roughly two nights in each base. The Kandy to Nuwara Eliya road takes roughly three hours, and the train from Kandy to Nanu Oya roughly four.

The hills are cool and rainy at times all year. The south-west monsoon brings more cloud to the western slopes roughly May to September, and the north-east monsoon brings rain to the Knuckles and Matale roughly October to January.

Lankan Stays & Trails builds most of its classic trips through this province and can add the quieter corners, from the Knuckles to the Kandyan temples, without lengthening the route much.