Sri Lankan conservationist Kithsiri Kannangara wipes a tear as he stands over a patch of sand and broken wire mesh, the only surviving incubation pit of his hatchery for endangered sea turtles.

If your idea of a holiday involves snoozing under a palm tree, sipping cocktails by the shore, and occasionally dipping into turquoise waters, Bentota in Sri Lanka is calling your name. It is the kind ...