Sri Lanka is the forgotten adventure travel destination of Asia. The country has all the classic ingredients for exotic adventure: a spectacular natural environment, complete with cool hill stations, jungles, golden beaches and coral reefs; and a traditional culture that's as sophisticated and colourful as it is ancient. Sadly, in recent years these attractions have been overshadowed by terrorism and civil unrest, and the fledgling adventure tourism industry has struggled to take off. But despite the difficulties, the local adventure operators have stayed and adapted to the situation, knowing that if and when the political climate stabilizes they're sitting on top of one of the most exciting destinations in Asia. As we hope the following article on scuba diving illustrates, even with the restrictions currently in place it's possible to enjoy an excellent adventure holiday in Sri Lanka. And there's still much cause for optimism that Sri Lanka can achieve its huge potential as an adventure location.

"The sea is as flat as a mirror as we motor out towards the dive site. Suddenly we hear a blowing sound and the mirror is broken by several dorsal fins around the boat. Dolphins! They start racing with the boat, staying just in front of it, playing in its bow wave. The water is so clear they appear to be soaring in mid-air. When we finally come to a stop we're about three kilometres off the coast.

"The sea is still absolutely calm as we roll over the side and descend into the clear blue depths. Already I have a feeling this is going to be a special dive, but even so I'm not prepared for the stunning scene that greets us on the bottom: we're in a craggy undersea landscape of boulders, and there are schools of fish everywhere, so dense they form solid, shimmering curtains that part as we swim through them and close as we pass. Wispy forests of black coral carpet the sea bed, creating a magical impression of an early winter landscape of frost-covered trees. I aim my torch beneath a boulder and its surface explodes into colour as encrusting corals are illuminated in its beam. Looking closer I find an exotic miniature world of strange creatures: nudibranchs in brilliant, toxic colours; a longnose hawkfish lying motionless on a coral branch; a pair of mating octopuses that, the instant I trigger my camera flash, turn as white as snow. Although I'm captivated by the scene playing itself out inches in front of my mask, I look up in time to see two eagle rays swoop into view, then wheel around in a graceful arc and with a couple of lazy beats of their wings swim off into the blue. This has turned into one of those unforgettable dives when everything seems to happen at once. . . ." - Erik Bjurstrom

Welcome to Sri Lanka. For years, tourists have focused their attention either on the island's cultural attractions - its ancient monuments and temples - or on its beaches. While many people are probably aware diving is possible here, few think of the island specifically as a place to come for a dive holiday. But as the above passage illustrates, Sri Lanka fully merits being considered as a "serious" dive destination. Not only is the diving on a par with many more famous Asian dive sites, the range and variety of underwater experiences available guarantee you'll have plenty to keep you interested whatever your experience level, interests or length of stay. If Hikkaduwa - the site referred to in the description above - sounds great, it pales in comparison with the very best dive sites in the country. While these, ironically, are currently off-limits to tourists because of political problems, in terms of raw potential Sri Lanka is one of the most exciting dive destinations in the region.

You can find good diving all around Sri Lanka except off the north coast. The island essentially sits atop a huge sandbank that drops 3000m into deep ocean. This drop-off is anything from 1km to 10km offshore. Close in you usually find shallow sand or rock bottoms, but in places, especially along the east coast and wild south coast, you can also dive on walls and drop-offs. Because you're seldom far from deep water, opportunities for encounters with pelagics, sharks and other inhabitants of the open ocean abound. Adrenalin levels are highest in the east - at places like Trincomalee - and in the south, at the wonderful Basses Reefs, arguably the most adventurous diving in the country.

Ironically, the southwest coast - which is the now most popular with divers - has fewer big fish and generally less pristine marine life: however there's still plenty to see, especially if you go further offshore, including an abundance of reef creatures such as Titan and clown triggerfish, moray eels, lobsters and the usual brilliant assortment of smaller fish. Turtles are also very common on all southwest coast dives.