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In Sri Lanka, there are so
many attractive, beautiful and interesting places to visit.
In fact, The whole country is a down to earth heaven on the
hand of beauty. Some of the most interesting places and a 'must
visit' destinations are, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya,
Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, etc......
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Sri Lanka's first capital, founded in the 5th century
B.C. is situated 206 km. from Colombo. Attractions worth
seeing are:- The Sacred Bo Tree, Abhayagiri Dagaba,
Jetavanaramaya, Brazen Palace, Thuparama Dagaba, Samadhi
Buddha, Kuttam Pokuna and Mirisavati Dagaba.
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The
island's medieval capital (11th to 13th century A.D.)
is situated 216 km. from Colombo and rose to fame after
the decline of Anuradhapura. The largest of the man made
reservoirs, the huge Parakrama Samudra, is larger in size
than the Colombo harbour. See also the ruins of the King's
Council Chamber, the Royal Citadel, the Kumara Pokuna,
Royal Pavilion, the Vatadage Relic House lavished with
moonstones, guardstones and sculptured railing, Kiri Vehera
- the best preserved of all Sri Lanka's un-restored dagabas;
Gal Vihare - the most impressive sculptures are the colossal
Buddha images carved on the face of a granite boulder.
The recumbent Buddha measures 14 metres and the standing
figure is 7 metres in height. |
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This rock fortress was built by king Kasyapa in the 5th
century A.D. and was a royal citadel for more than 18
years. In a sheltered pocket, approached by a spiral stairway,
are the famous frescoes. The summit of the rock, with
an area of nearly one hectare was the site of the palace,
the outer wall of which was built on the very brink of
the precipice. The UNESCO - sponsored Central Cultural
Fund has restored Sigiriya's 5th century Water Gardens
to their former glory. |
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Sri
Lanka's hill capital, stronghold of the Sinhala Kings,
is our most beautiful town. It is 488 metres above sea
level and next to Colombo is Sri Lanka's most visited
place. The focal point of the town is, without doubt,
the golden roofed Dalada Maligawa where the Sacred Tooth
Relic of the Buddha is enshrined. Major restoration work
is in progress here by the UNESCO - aided Central Cultural
Fund. The highlight of the year is the Esala Perahera,
when a replica of the relic casket is taken in procession
accompanied by exotically costumed dancers, drummers and
about 80 to 100 elephants during ten glittering nights
in July/August.
Visit
Kalapuraya in the beautiful Dumbara valley 8 km. from
Kandy, where descendants of the ancient craftsmen still
create items of rare elegance in metal and wood. There
are many shrines and temples in and around Kandy, where
you will see rare paintings, frescoes, wood and stone
carvings. Don't miss the Peradeniya Gardens begun as a
pleasure garden by a Sinhala King, with its amazing variety
of trees, plants and flowers. Kandy is an exciting place
for shopping with souvenirs in wood, copper, silver, brass,
ebony and bronze. Ceramics, lacquer work, handlooms, batiks,
jewellery and rush and reed-ware can also be purchased.
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98 km. south of Colombo, Hikkaduwa is the place for underwater
delight. Site of the famed coral gardens; hire a glass
bottomed boat or goggles and flippers and explore the
fantasies under your feet. Don't purchase or encourage
sale of corals. |
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High
up in the central hills of the island, nestling on a wild
and windswept saddle at an elevation of 2016 m where the
bright and clear, the soft and misty change from moment
to moment is one of Sri Lanka's most forbidding yet fascinating
and stupendously beautiful regions. As the name implies,
here are a series of vast open plains rolling along as
far as the eye could see, dipping now and then into misty
vales and mossy, muddy marshes, often rising up again
into pointed peaks and running into deeply wooded areas
of moss covered forest. Vast jungle covered cliffs of
awesome height & ice
cold, crystal clear streams, pools and waterfalls mark
her verdant face. The Horton Plains grips you with her
unique atmosphere and ever-changing character while you
are there and then beckons you again with her cold, stark
beauty when you have left her. Two of the main attractions
are "Worlds End" & "Bakers Falls"
spectacular views are available in the worlds end where
the plateau plunges into 950 m in a vertical drop. Due
to the high elevation and wind swept areas Horton Plains
has unique vegetation and is famous for many rare and
endemic highland birds. |
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Sri
Lanka's capital up to recent times, Colombo, is a fascinating
city, not only for a comfortable blend of east and west,
but also for a cosy mixture of the past and present. It
is still the commercial centre of the country. Situated
34 km. from the International Airport, Colombo has been
a flourishing seaport for centuries. Today the bustle
of the harbour mingles with the activity of its busy commercial,
banking and shopping areas. The original trading settlers
- the Portuguese, Dutch and the British have all left
in their wake churches and monuments, names and religions,
costumes and food and smatterings of their languages which
have been absorbed into the speech of the Sri Lankans.
Colombo, with its population of over half a million is
divided into fifteen zones. |
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Set
in the heart of the tea-country, this beautiful town is
where the British succeeded in creating an English countryside
with homes in styles from Georgian to Queen Anne. Well-kept
lawns with hedges, an Anglican church and the famous golf
course and beautiful parks give the place an air of nostalgia.
Situated 1890 metres above sea level, the air here is
cool and fresh - a serene retreat from the hustle and
bustle of Colombo. Close to Nuwara Eliya are Horton Plains,
Sri Lanka's highest and most isolated plateau. Nature
lovers will revel in this wide, patna grass covered plain,
the haunt of many wild yet harmless animals and the home
of many species of birds. Bridle
paths will take you to the precipice known as World's
End - a sheer drop of 1050 metres. Acres and acres of
tea with its lush green foliage extend miles across the
hills and no visit to the hill country is complete without
a visit to a tea estate and the chance to purchase some
of the world's finest flavoured tea - our major export
crop. |
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World's
End in Horton Plains is close to Nuwara Eliya, 1,890 m
above sea level. Access is by road and rail. Horton Plains
is the highest and most isolated plateau in the country.
This wide, patna-grass covered plain is the haunt of wild
animals and numerous species of birds. The precipice,
popularly referred to as World's End, is a sheer drop
of 1,050 m. In the surrounding hill country are acres
of rich green foliage where, thick tea bushes thrive,
waterfalls cascade down mountain sides and steep hairpin
bends overlook narrow mountain gaps. |
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Situated
170 km. South East of Colombo the Uda Walawe National
Park is approximately 30,821 hectares in extent. This
Park which lies within the Ratnapura and Monaragala Districts
acts as the catchment to the Uda Walawe Reservoir and
is located in the Dry Zone. This Park comprises grasslands
and thorn scrubs and many valuable species of trees are
found within it. Large herds of Elephants and Deer species
such as spotted Deer, Sambhur, Barking deer and Langur,
Wild Boar, Water Buffalo, Jackal are some of the prominent
wild animals found in this Park and a variety of avifauna
is seen. |
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116 km. south of Colombo, is the most important southern
town with an old-world charm. Believed to be the 'Tarshish'
of the Bible, its natural harbour was a famous fort in
days gone by. Famous for its Dutch fort, lace making,
ebony carving and gem polishing. |
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Situated
309 km. south of Colombo, Yala is approximately 1,259
sq.km. in extent and is located in the southeastern corner
of the island. Its northern boundaries border on the Lahugala
Elephant Sanctuary and it has the added bonus of a scenic
ocean frontage. The terrain is varied flat plains alternating
with rocky outcrops. The vegetation ranges from open parkland
to dense jungle. Water holes, small lakes, lagoons and
streams provide water for the animals and birds. The specialty
here is the large numbers of elephants. |
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This
is a unique experience for a visitor because it is the
only place in the entire planet earth where one can see
such a large herd captive elephants comprised of weeks
old babies to fifty year parent an grand parents. Situated
deep in the hill country near kegalle, Pinnawala Elephant
Orphanage was set up by the government and run by the
national zoological gardens of Sri Lanka to save abandoned
or Orphan aged wild elephants. Nowhere else in Sri Lanka
will you see so many elephants at such close quarters.
At the Orphanage, human foster parents who make sure they
are fed at the right time and do not harm anyone raise
the motherless calves and help in the preservation of
Asia's dwindling elephant population. The Orphans arrive
from all across the country, rescued from remote villages
where they have lost their mother's either through abandonment
or through quarry accidents, shooting or lynch mobs. There
are about 60 young elephants at the sanctuary and they
are pretty much allowed to roam free within the park.
In mornings and the evenings, you will see the elephants
being taken from there daily baths after which comes feeding
time. Once the elephants have grown up, most of them become
working elephants and occasionally, one of the females
produces a baby to add to the herd. |
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