Why This Is One of Our Favorite Adventure Destinations Right Now

Trips to Sri Lanka, the teardrop-shaped island nation just south of India, have often been associated with the honey-slow rhythm of early-morning yoga sessions, Ayurvedic massages and lazy afternoons spent supine on the beach. Lately, though, that’s started to change, with the rise of new adventures that are more likely to leave you with sore muscles than oiled shoulders, and turn a trip into a reinvigorating test of stamina and grit.

With relaxed visa rules for U.S. travelers on the horizon, and new expressways shaving hours off travel between the hills and the coast, planning a Sri Lankan adventure is easier than ever. And sure, you’ll likely leave with snapshots of dreamy infinity pools and massage-softened limbs that smell of jasmine and lemongrass; but it’s the burn in your calves, the salt in your hair and the memories of those hard-won views that’ll linger long after you’ve returned home.

Pekoe Trail

In the country’s Central Highlands, where tea estates roll across the hills, the 19th-century dirt roads and cart tracks once used by British tea exporters now link to form the Pekoe Trail, Sri Lanka’s first long-distance hiking route. Bring your boots for this head-clearing, slow-burn adventure, as the 200-mile trail, which snakes from the ancient city of Kandy to the misty hill station of Nuwara Eliya, weaves through eucalyptus groves, past waterfalls and up boot-busting mountaintops with views that’ll quite literally expand your horizons.

Walking the entire route would take weeks, but even tackling a few of the well-marked sections—say, a three-day leg from Ella to Haputale—will offer you a fresh perspective on the mood-boosting qualities of a good workout. Tour operators like Abercrombie & Kent can handle bag transfers and expert guides.

Where to Stay

Find tea-estate vistas from the pool’s edge at Uga Halloowella.

There are elegant lodges along the way, like the new Uga Halloowella, set in a restored 1912 planter’s bungalow in a rolling tea estate of the same name. But don’t have to keep your head in the clouds all vacation long. Once off the trail, head south along the coast, watching as the action switches from trails to swells, and hills give way to coconut palms and reef-fringed bays. Over the past few years, once-sleepy fishing villages like Ahangama and Hiriketiya have grown into fully fledged surf hubs, with board shops, surf schools and toes-in-the-sand bars shaking arrack sours at sundown.

Uga Prāva

Farther along the coast in Tangalle, the surf scene is a little more mellow—ideal if you’re just getting your feet wet—and nearby, the breezy bedrooms and shimmering infinity pool at the just-opened Uga Prāva promise a cushiony comedown after days of wave-chasing and excursions inland to bird-filled lagoons.

A Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Coming Soon

The softest post-break landing will arrive with Ritz-Carlton Reserve’s new location in Pottuvil, a charming coastal town just north of Arugam Bay. Announced last summer, the ultra-luxe resort’s sprawling villas will front a stretch of sand prized for its consistent right-handers and will offer access to a destination spa, water sports club, and marine and wildlife center.

Where Else to Go for a Next-Level Adventure

From kayaking expeditions to untrodden jungle treks, these three destinations offer more ways to tire yourself out in the best way.

Dolomites, Italy

Meandering past alpine hamlets, medieval castles and glassy mountain lakes, the new Cammino Retico trail proves that la dolce vita isn’t confined to rolling vineyards and sherbet-colored coasts. Though thanks to the region’s recent hotel boom, you can still cushion your recovery from the 105-mile route; fresh lodges like adventure-minded Hotel Tofana and Diesel founder Renzo Rosso’s stylish Ancora Cortina offer comfy bases nearby for post-hike (and bike) R&R.

Okinawa, Japan

It’s little wonder that luxury hotel brands like Hoshinoya and Four Seasons are flocking to Okinawa, which claims more than 150 tropical islands. But while the beaches are as postcard-pretty as they come, the real thrill lies beyond the sand: Hiking trails crisscross the jungle-cloaked inlands, the tangled mangrove forests make for perfect kayaking trips and underwater adventures bring you up close with dolphins, sea turtles and—if you’re lucky—humpback whales from late December to April.

Scotland, United Kingdom

Scotland’s new Pictish Trail links ancient stone carvings, rugged scenery and the crumbling hill forts of the indigenous Pict people in a 466-mile cycling route that runs from Edinburgh to the most northerly tip of the British mainland. You can camp wild along the way, or break it up with a stay at the recently revamped Fortingall hotel near Loch Tay, which combines Highland heritage with modern comforts.