Building the Ultimate Sri Lanka Travel Guide:
A Passion Project
Project:
srilankan.vacataions
Role:
Full Stack Developer
Stack:
Next.js 15 (App Router)
Next.js
TypeScript
Headless WordPress
Leaflet.js
Tailwind CSS
The Spark
I’ve been running lankan.org as a news hub for years, but I noticed something frustrating. When people searched for “Sri Lanka travel,” they were landing on political news articles instead of the beautiful travel guides they wanted.
I realized the world needed a dedicated space to explore Sri Lanka—one that was fast, beautiful, and easy to use. So, I decided to build Srilankan.vacations from the ground up, not just as a website, but as a modern travel application.
For the Traveler: Planning Made Simple
My goal was to create a site that feels less like a blog and more like an app. Here is what makes it special:
It’s Blazing Fast: No one likes waiting for photos to load. I built this site to be nearly instant, so you can flip through itineraries and guides without staring at a loading screen.
Interactive Exploration: Instead of just reading a list of names, you can explore a custom Interactive Map. It lets you visualize where the best surf spots are relative to the cultural temples, helping you plan a smarter route.
Trusted Info: From visa requirements to safety tips, I’ve integrated verified resources directly from official government feeds, so you never have to guess if the info is up to date.
Under the Hood: The Engineering
To achieve that “app-like” speed and interactivity, I moved away from traditional website builders and engineered a custom Headless Architecture.
The Tech Stack: I used Next.js 15 (App Router) for the frontend to get that snappy performance, paired with a Headless WordPress backend. This gives me the best of both worlds: robust content management and a cutting-edge user interface.
Smart Maps: The interactive map isn’t a standard plugin. I engineered it using Leaflet.js, creating a custom component that loads dynamically. This keeps the initial page load light and fast, only loading the heavy map data when you actually need it.
SEO Engineered: I didn’t just write articles; I wrote code that helps Google understand them. The site automatically generates “Structured Data” (the code that powers those rich snippets in search results), helping travelers find the right answers faster.
The Result
Today, srilankan.vacations is a live, thriving platform. It helps travelers discover the wonders of Sri Lanka every day, and it stands as a testament to what’s possible when you combine a passion for travel with modern web engineering.
Challenges and Solutions
Making "Heavy" Content Fly
The Problem: We all know the frustration of opening a travel blog and waiting… and waiting… for the high-resolution photos to load. I wanted Travel.Lankan.org to be visually stunning—full of HD photos of beaches and temples—but I refused to let that slow down the experience.
The Solution: I couldn’t use a standard website builder for this. Instead, I engineered a Headless Architecture. By separating the content database (WordPress) from the visual frontend (Next.js), I could use advanced image optimization techniques.
For the Tech Savvy: I utilized next/image for automatic format conversion and lazy loading.
For the Traveler: You get cinema-quality visuals that load instantly, even on spotty vacation Wi-Fi.
Visualizing the Journey (Not just reading it)
The Problem: Most travel sites just give you a list: “Go to Sigiriya, then go to Ella.” But without seeing where those places are, planning a route is a headache. I wanted to give users a bird’s-eye view, but interactive maps often make websites clunky and slow.
The Solution: I built a custom Interactive Map Engine from scratch. Instead of using heavy, expensive map plugins, I coded a lightweight solution using Leaflet.js. I created custom logic to “lazy load” the map—meaning it only activates when you actually need it.
The Result: A smooth, interactive planning tool where you can filter by “Beach,” “Culture,” or “Wildlife” to build your perfect itinerary without slowing down your browsing.
