Sri Lanka included in Google's Street View

When explorer Marco Polo visited Sri Lanka in 1265, he described it as "the finest island of its size in all the world." Tourists from around the world agree, as it's an increasingly popular travel destination, especially for those who want to explore the country's rich history and natural beauty.

Now, even more people around the world will appreciate the sites of Sri Lanka, with the launch of the 'Land of lions' in Google's Street View. This brings the total number of countries that you can in explore in 360-degree panoramic imagery to 76.

From the hustle and bustle of downtown Colombo, to the cool tea plantation hills, to the long white beaches, Sri Lanka's landscape is as beautiful as it is diverse. To capture this imagery, we drove about 50,000 kilometres, across every province so you can virtually explore this beautiful landscape from coast to coast. The Bergala tea estates on the Beragala-Hali Ela main roads home to many of the world's best brews - people picking tea among the lush rolling hills.

For more jungle and mountain views, take a tour along the Colombo-Kandy road. Starting in the nation's biggest city, the road has some spectacular scenery and takes you inland to Kandy.

The Kandy-Jaffna highway heads out to the coast and down to the Elephant Pass causeway. While you may not see any elephants, this stretch of road connecting North and South Sri Lanka gives you a 360 degree view of the Indian Ocean on either side of the road.

In the South East, Arugam Bay is a popular surfing spot renowned for its amazing point break. If you prefer spending time on the sand rather than on a board, the sleepy little fishing village of Point Pedro on the northern tip of the island has some pristine beaches to explore.

In Anuradhapura you can catch a glimpse of the ancient Ruwanweliseya Stupa. It was built in 140 BC and remains one of the world's tallest monuments, standing at over 100 metres.

- Google