If you’re looking for a lot of pluck for your buck in a relatively small area, Sri Lanka definitely delivers. It may be a small island, but it offers much to intrigue even the most sophisticated traveler. Sometimes called “the Pearl of the Indian Ocean,” it looms large with both natural and manmade creations. The history of Buddhism is infused throughout the country; but in addition to impressive antiquities you’ll find white-sand beaches, cosmopolitan cities, national parks, tea plantations and endemic animals such as the Sri Lanka leopard.

Known as Ceylon until 1972, the island country lies in the northern Indian Ocean off the southeast coast of the Indian subcontinent in South Asia. Its documented history spans more than 3,000 years, although some artifacts suggest the existence of pre-historic human settlements going back as far as 125,000 years. When its 30-year civil war ended in 2009, the country emerged as a republic and unitary state governed by the presidential system. Its most important national products include tea, coffee, gemstones, coconuts, rubber and cinnamon.

My trip to Sri Lanka with a few photographer friends for a little R&R proved the perfect adjunct to a business trip in India. We met up in the capital city of Colombo at the historic Galle Face Hotel. A grand old colonial-style property, the original part of the hotel was built in 1864 and claims to be one of the oldest hotels east of the Suez. The setting couldn’t be better: The hotel’s manicured lawns front the sea.

A festooned elephant at the Kandy Esala Perahera festival © Ellen Clark

After a city tour and a good night’s sleep, we left the country’s modern capital city for the interior and what is known as the Cultural Triangle, boasting the biggest concentration of Sri Lanka’s most treasured, historic and sacred places.

Our first stop was Anuradhapura. One of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, it is also one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Serving as the center of Theravada Buddhism for many centuries, the UNESCO World Heritage site encompasses one of Buddhism’s holiest places and the location of the 2,200-year-old sri maha bodhi (sacred fig) tree, grown from a cutting of the tree beneath which Buddha found enlightenment.

Besides its religious significance, Anuradhapura housed one of the most complex irrigation systems of the ancient world, and many of the great reservoir tanks survive to this day.

I found Ruwanwelisaya particularly intriguing, an impressive stupa surrounded by a wall decorated with 1,900 large, black elephant statues. Once inside the walls, we followed the worshipers in circumambulation. This involves circling an object of veneration, in this case the stupa, as a gesture of respect. The devout walk clockwise meditatively, keeping their right side toward the scared object to remind them to keep the Buddha’s teaching in the center of their lives.

It was dusk by the time we checked into Cinnamon Lodge Habarana, a resort property with cottages tucked among 27 acres of lush greenery alive with cheeky monkeys. A relaxing swim in the large swimming pool and an alfresco dinner on a patio under the trees provided a perfect ending to our busy day.

The next morning, we set off in a drizzle to visit another UNESCO World Heritage site, Sigiriya, dominated by a nearly 660-foot-high massive column of rock. In the fifth century, King Kasyapa built his palace on the top of the rock and decorated the sides of the rock with frescoes. Though most of these paintings have been lost to the ages, about halfway up 22 of the estimated original 500 remain.

After a fairly ambitious climb, we came to a platform where in ancient times a gigantic brick lion sat. Back in the day, the final ascent to the summit lay between the lion’s paws into its mouth. Today only the paws remain, and the climb to the summit involves hiking up a narrow, zigzagging set of stairs affixed to the rock face — definitely not for out-of-shape or acrophobic travelers. Those who brave it to the top will see not only the ruins of the king’s palace but also a breathtaking view of the site as a whole.

Dambulla Buddhas © Ellen Clark

After lunch we drove a short distance to Dambulla, a sacred place since the second century B.C. that boasts the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. We were on the climb again, but it was well worth the 20-minute haul up moderately steep stairs to see five caves filled with paintings and statues depicting Buddha and his life.

Fascinating as these historic sites were, it was time to change it up. We headed to the cultural capital of Kandy for some serious action.

One of the oldest and grandest of Sri Lanka’s Buddhist festivals, Kandy Esala Perahera honors the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha, housed in Kandy’s Temple of the Tooth, one of the most sacred Buddhist places of worship. Though it lasts for 10 days and includes much religious ritual, the festival’s most spectacular events are touted as the largest cultural parades in the world.

I anticipated a highlight of my Sri Lanka trip would be attending one of the nighttime Kandy Esala Perahera parades. Turns out it is also the highlight for thousands of Sri Lankans. With the overwhelming crowds and extremely tight security, reserving an assigned seat in one of the makeshift bleachers along the parade route proved essential. When the parade began, authorities cleared the route of people, and a military presence made sure spectators stayed off the road at all times.

A dancer at the Kandy Esala Perahera festival © Ellen Clark

My fellow photographers and I arranged for seats and a guide who navigated us through the throngs to get us seated a full two hours before the start of the parade. We realized why as we watched the crowd mushroom in size.

While we waited, we managed to get dinner. The local Pizza Hut showed an admirably entrepreneurial spirit by sending red-shirted employees into the stands to take orders for pizzas and soft drinks. I found watching this fantastically foreign extravaganza while munching on a pepperoni pizza and sipping a Coke pleasantly bizarre.

When the cannon roared and the parade started, we quickly discovered it was worth the wait. The action continuously unfolded before our eyes — colorful, lively and diversified. Groups of dancers cracked whips and tossed and twirled fiery torches; musicians played flutes, drums and percussion instruments; stilt walkers and flag bearers mingled with them all. Elephants by the score, adorned in elaborate trappings and festooned with twinkle lights, lumbered along the parade route with majestically attired riders. A breathtaking spectacle, indeed. But for the devout, the real apex arrived with the elephant bearing the relic casket, symbolic of the Tooth Relic itself. Even more elaborately adorned than the other elephants, this one bore the gold relic casket on its back, draped with jasmine garlands and lights.

By the time the festivities ended, we had been sitting for more than six hours, but none of us complained about this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Once again we changed it up as we left the busy city for a cool and misty hill station. A wonderful example of architecture from the Elizabethan era, the Grand Hotel seemed like a step back in time to the days when the sun never set on the British Empire. It offered a good place to rest in preparation for our hike through Horton Plains National Park the next day.

The van picked us up at 5 a.m. and delivered us to the trail by 6:30 a.m. Occupying more than 12 square miles, the park comprises montane grassland, a cloud forest and many species endemic to the region. We hiked for a leisurely few hours on a well-marked trail. Getting some exercise in a lovely and peaceful environment made a nice counterpoint to sitting for hours at the raucous festival.

Our travels in Sri Lanka immersed us in contrasts, from sacred to celebratory, from natural scenery to lavishly adorned pachyderms. We stayed at a British hotel from the past and ate modern tandoori chicken pizza — truly a trip for all the senses.

Sri Lanka Info to Go

Located 22 miles north of the capital city of Colombo, Bandaranaike International Airport is Sri Lanka’s only international airport. An airport taxi service, supervised by Airport and Aviation Services, operates a counter in the arrivals lobby with a fleet of more than 600 vehicles. Independent taxis are available outside the airport. The estimated price to downtown Colombo is $15. A shuttle bus operates every 15 minutes from the terminal to the main bus station, located less than half a mile away, where intercity buses provide transport to the city.

Read more about Sri Lankan history.