• ✔ sigiriya (amazing but might not climb to top again in a while. check out more of the gardens...)
  • pidurangala rock
• ✔ this amazing accommodation?!
• ✔ dambulla caves (the oldest but not necessarily best of the cave temples--really loved aluvihara instead, which was very quiet)
• ✔ polonnaruwa (oddly very touristy in some places, not at all in others where some of the most impressive structures are. a marvellous ruined city that reminded us of laputa...)
• colombo
  • ape gama
  • ✔ national museum
  • national natural history museum
  • the pettah
  • this off the beaten track tour?
• ✔ maduru oya (thanks lonely planet for ranking it the worst national park in sri lanka! no one else here against the surreal landscape but us and some indigenous fishers)
• yala/wilpattu/udawalawe
  • kaudulla in december better for seeing elephants--no need to see udawalawe. would enjoy seeing leopards in yala
• turtle hatchery
  • went to the one in hikkaduwa instead.
• ✔ kandy (the thing the SO & i thought was the standout was watching the traditional dances. very lovely layout, but crowded, dusty, and without the charm of the country)
• ✔ anuradhapura (would definitely come back & explore more thoroughly...)
• yapahuwa
• mask making workshop
• gal oya???
• ✔ aluvihara
• ✔ galle

sights for next time:

• nuwara eliya
• horton plains
• adam's peak
• waterfall at ella
• yapahuwa
• more time on the west coast--snorkelling at hikkaduwa particularly
• the mask making workshop!!!
• jaffna