I was in Sri Lanka about 10 years and I found the country a wonderful place to visit. In a relatively compact country, there is a great diversity of things to see. People were friendly, the country is beautiful, and the food is delicious. Among my favorite sights were the incredible Sigiriya, Horton Plains National Park, the landscape of tea plantations in the southern highlands, the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, and the fortified town of Galle.
While I was there, I met tourists from various countries who had just been visiting India. I often asked them to compare India & Sri Lanka, and there were 3 things which virtually everyone said: Sri Lanka is cleaner than India, people don't hassle you as much as in India, and it's more expensive than India.
I was there a year or two after the tsunami hit, and I saw first-hand some of the destruction.