Sri Lanka is an island in the Indian Ocean, located to the south of the Indian Subcontinent. Sprawling over the area of 65, 610 square kilometers, Sri Lanka's shape is dominated by the astonishingly varied features of topography, making it one of the most scenic places in the world. Three zones can be divided by its distinguished elevation: the Central Highland, the plains, and the coastal belt.

The core of the island is dominated by a high plateau where several of the highest mountains of Sri Lanka are located. Among them, the highest pinnacle is the Pidurutalagala Mountain at 2,524 meters. The Adam's Peak lying to the west with an elevation of 2224 meters, is better known though for its spectacular scenery and as a sacred pilgrimage site.

Scenic sandy beaches and lagoons surround the island. The best beaches are found along the southern coast, southwestern coast and eastern coast. In the northeast and the southwest, the coasts cut across crystalline rocks, cliffs, bays, and offshore islands, creating one of the world's best natural harbors at Trincomalee on the northeastern coast and a smaller rock harbor at Galle on the southwestern coast. In the northwest, Mannar Island which is joined with the mainland by a bridge, is almost connected to the southern India by a long chain of sandbanks and islets called Adam's Bridge.