A small country, Sri Lanka nonetheless offers an enormous variety of quintessentially Asian experiences. The island is dotted with ruins from ancient Buddhist empires, including serene, gigantic Buddha figures, as well as dagobas, white-painted domed shrines ranging from just a few meters tall to immense, imposing structures; variations of those are found in India, Thailand, China and other Asian countries. Other architectural features worth keeping an eye out for are buildings dating from the Portuguese, Dutch and British colonial periods, which lasted from the first European arrival in 1505 through to Independence in 1948.

Sri Lanka also boasts glorious landscapes, with lovely beaches, cool rolling hills, mountains and huge tracts of rainforest, excellent for spotting wildlife. Many bird species like it here too, spending the winter on Srilanka’s southern coasts before returning to temperate zones. Outside Colombo and Kandy- the main cities –the island has a rural feel.

Main Attractions

Colombo Though this is where everyone arrives, most visitors don’t linger long in the capital. However, the National Museum are worth a look, while the Raja Maha Vihara, 13km from the city centre, is the most visited Buddhist temple on the island, built on a site that Buddha himself is said to have visited. For retail therapy, there are some extremely stylish shops selling modern Asian chic gifts, homewares, soft furnishings and cloths, making the city an ideal last stop.

Adam’s Peak (2224m) The mountain is a place of pilgrimage for Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists, who believe that the metre-long –like imprint in a rock on the peak belongs to Adam, Shiva and Buddha, respectively. The less devout can also make the three-to four- hour ascent (up a total of 4600steps) from the village of Dalhousie to see the sunrise.

Anuradhapura The island’s capital from the fourth century BC until the ninth century AD, Srilanka’s holiest town has much of historical interest.

Polonnaruwa Set beside a huge artificial lake, Plolonnaruwa was the medieval capital of the island, after the decline of Anuradhapura. The town is the site of numerous well-preserved chambers, palaces and temples spread over a huge area, many still boasting fine carvings and friezes.

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage - Elephants are a pervasive Srilankan image, whether painted or sculpted. Pinnewala offers a great chance to see live once at close quarters; orphaned, abandoned or injured infant elephants are reared and trained here. Be certain to catch them during bathing time in the river.

Kandy Situated on the hills surrounding a huge artificial lake and reachable by a scenic train ride from Colombo, Srilanka’s cultural capital is a cool and picturesque place to hang out. It is also the home of one of the most venerated temples in Srilnaka, the Dalada Maligawa or Temple of the Tooth

Sigiriya Built on top of a massive 200-metre-high granite monolith, this fifth-century fortress stands sentinel over the surrounding plains.

Beaches- Sri Lanka has many sandy beaches in the east and west coasts of Sri Lanka.

Also Recommended

Sunrise over World’s End The highest plateau in Srilanka has a view point over a one-thousand –metre drop, from where you can admire the clouds several hundred metres below.

Galle Enclosed inside the ramparts of the old Dutch fort, this port town retains much of its colonial ambience. It is possible to walk most of the way around the ramparts for great views across the town and out to sea, especially lovely at sunset.

Yala National Park Although its elephants are the main draw, you’ll probably see the more tourist jeeps in srilanka’s most popular park. You’ve also a chance of spotting leopards here, as well as deer, sloth bears, crocodiles, wild boar, jakals and around 130 species of bird, including the impressive hornbill.

Tea Srilanka is the world’s biggest tea exporter and in the upland area around Nuwara Eliiya the hillside are covered with its brilliant green bushes. Visit one of the tea factories to learn about the intricate process that gets the leaves from the field to the pot.

Festivals

February Navam Poya. Celebrating Buddha’s announcement of his impending death, this is one of the island’s biggest festivals, taking place at Gangaramaya temple in Colombo, and featuring parades of dancers, drummers and elephants.

July/ August Esala Perahera. Srilanka’s most extravagant festival, honouring buddha’s scared tooth relic from the Temple of the tooth, takes place over ten days in Kandy. The great final procession includes fabulously bedecked elephants, accompanied by dancers and drummers.

July/ August Katatagama. Fire-walking and self- mutilation are the most famous aspects of the annual celebration at Kataragama temple- sacred to Buddhist, Hindus and Muslims.

July/ August Colombo’s most important Hindu festival includes a procession of the chariot of Skanda, God of War, across the city.

Geography

Sri Lanka is about half the size of England. Its length from north to south is 435km (271 miles) and its greatest width is 240km (149 miles). A stretch of water 48km (30 miles) wide, known as Palk Strait, separates the island from India. It is so shallow that ocean-going vessels cannot pass around the north of the island.

Climate and Seasons

Being close to the Equator, Sri Lanka’s seasons are not well defined, and there is no winter. Daylight is almost equal in length throughout the year; the difference in Colombo being only 48 minutes between 22 june and 22 December.

Sri Lanka’s climate ranges from an average low of 12C in Nuwara Eliya to a high of 33C in Trincomalee.

Language

Sinhala is the language spoken by the majority of the population. It is a language of Indo-Aryan origin. The constitution now designates Sinhala and Tamil as the official languages and English as the link language. English is becoming more widely spoken, after a lull when it was not used as a medium of education; it is the main language of the mercantile sector and the hospitality industry. Place names and signboards are usually in English and Sinhala or English and Tamil; sometimes all three.