Jaffna

Jaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna district located on a peninsula of the same name. With a population of 88,138, Jaffna is Sri Lanka's 12th largest city. Wikipedia

Elevation: 16.4′

Province: Northern Province

Nuwara Eliya

Nuwara Eliya is a city in the hill country of the Central Province, Sri Lanka. Its name means "city on the plain" or "city of light". Wikipedia

Elevation: 6,129′

Hotels: 3-star averaging $60, 5-star averaging $160.View hotels

Province: Central Province

Postal code: 22200

Colombo

Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, is a bustling city and a hopping-off point for beaches in the island nation's south. It has a long history as a port on ancient east-west trade routes, ruled successively by the Portuguese, Dutch and British. That heritage is reflected in its spicy cuisine as well as its architecture, mixing colonial buildings with high-rises and shopping malls.

Hotels: 3-star averaging $60, 5-star averaging $170.View hotels

Population: 647,100 (2001) 

Province: Western Province

Kandy

  Kandy is a large city in central Sri Lanka. It's set on a plateau surrounded by mountains, which are home to tea plantations and biodiverse rainforest. The city's heart is scenic Kandy Lake (Bogambara Lake), popular for strolling. It's famed for its sacred Buddhist sites, including the Temple of the Tooth (Sri Dalada Maligawa) shrine, and for its Esala Perahera annual procession.

Hotels: 3-star averaging $70, 5-star averaging $210.View hotels

Population: 109,343 (2001)