Six of the best: Elevated experiences in Sri Lanka

LANDING IN KANDY

A woman enjoys the train ride through Sri Lanka tea plantations.

Travel by floatplane while in Sri Lanka, especially if you're short on time or longing for a scenic overview of this magical island nation. From the country's vibrant coastal capital of Colombo it's an easy 25-minute flight, rather than a winding five-hour drive, to the cooler and calmer central Sri Lankan city of Kandy up at 500 metres above sea level. Cinnamon Air offers scheduled and scenic flights as well as private charters all over the country in very well-maintained floatplanes operated by pilots who do fly in thongs. See cinnamonair.com

A MOUNTBATTEN BED

If you're into the colonial hill station aesthetic then stay at Mountbatten Bungalow on Spring Hill Estate overlooking Kandy. Its manicured lawn, lush gardens, infinity pool and Victorian-era homestead are surrounded by rainforest and tea plantations. After you've visited the sacred Buddhist site of Sri Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Tooth) and strolled around Lake Kandy and overeaten at some of the local cafes and restaurants it's just a 10-minute drive, traffic permitting, back up to your private suite or garden chalet. See themeresorts.com

ON TRACK TO OHIYA

Sri Lanka has over 1500 kilometres of railway line and the higher you get the more scenic the journey. From Nan Uoya, at 1613 metres, it's an hour by train to Sri Lanka's third highest railway station at 1774 metres. Ohiya opened in 1893 as part of a British colonial government network created to transport tea and coffee from the hill country to the port of Colombo. The best views of villages, farms and forest on this north-to-south route are from the right-hand side of the train. Tickets can be bought on the day at the station and dangling your limbs out the windows and doors is permitted. See railway.gov.lk

KIRIGALPOTHA ON FOOT

Sri Lanka's second-highest peak is 2388 metres high. The trail to Kirigalpotha starts from Horton Plains Visitor Centre and leads you through open grasslands and humid rainforest. The final ascent is up a rocky ridge with a deathly-steep drop on one side and expansive views in every direction. There's a huge range of plant, bird and reptile species, plus other wild creatures like deer, boar, toque macaque and leopard. The trail isn't always clear – so organise a local guide or get on a hiking tour. Sri Lanka's highest mountain, Pedro, is off-limits to the civilian public.

JOURNEY TO WORLD'S END

The most popular route in Horton Plains National Park is to World's End. The surface of this 9.5-kilometre loop is everything from gravel and boardwalk to an eroded clay road and stairs. The round trip takes most people about three hours whether they're walking in full trekking gear with poles or dressed to go clubbing. There's very little altitudinal difference between the start of the track and the lookout, yet the view at World's End is from a 900-metre-high clifftop at the edge of Horton Plains plateau. When you make it back, stop in at the kiosk near the visitor centre for hot tea and fresh pan rolls.

SRI PADA PILGRIMAGE

Rise hours before dawn and join the pilgrims climbing 5500 steps from the village of Nallathanniya up to Sri Pada (or Adam's Peak). This mountaintop has long been sacred to Buddhists, Christians, Hindus and Muslims and most Sri Lankans will make the journey at least once in their lifetime. Despite the ungodly hour, the required physical exertion and the painful ailments some pilgrims are carrying, it's a friendly and inclusive atmosphere. At the 2243-metre summit the crowd takes in the sunrise, everyone single-files through the tiny temple then each person dongs an enormous bell.

Elspeth Callender travelled as a guest of No Roads Expeditions on Sri Lanka Hidden Trails. See noroads.com.au