The new, nearly 200-mile Pekoe Trail—which winds through Sri Lanka’s central highlands, passing remote villages and tea estates—was voted the Best of the World 2024 Reader’s Choice Winner.
Sri Lanka is virtually synonymous with tea. The island nation is one of the world’s top producers of tea leaves. Now visitors can trace the footsteps of historic planters on the new trail, which is also the country’s first long-distance walking route.
Starting just outside Kandy, the trail follows the 19th-century tracks upon which workers and horse-drawn carts transported freshly plucked leaves. Hikers can even stop to take a cooking class or savor a cup of aromatic Ceylon tea.
Below are the top 20 places in the world for adventure travel in 2024 as named by National Geographic.
- Go on horseback safari in Kenya
2. Run an Olympic marathon in Paris
3. Ski tour UNESCO sites in Georgia
4. Bear watch in Katmai National Park
5. Hear legendary live music in Kyoto
6. Cruise an epic river in Colombia
7. Road trip Route 66 in New Mexico
8. Explore ancient art in Algeria
9. Dive with sharks in Western Australia
10. Hike a volcano in Panama
11. Catch the eclipse at Niagara Falls
12. Trek a glacier in Chile
13. Step back in time on Menorca
14. Ride classic rails in Scotland
15. Find authentic flavor in Thailand
16. Wander tea trails in Sri Lanka
17. Gallery hop in São Paulo
18. Raft the rapids in West Virginia
19. Go antiquing in Hudson Valley
20. Sleep on the water in British Columbia
