Sri Lanka Travel Guide

For a small island, Sri Lanka has many nicknames: Serendib, Ceylon, Teardrop of India, Resplendent Isle, Island of Dharma, Pearl of the Orient. This colourful collection reveals its richness and beauty, and the intensity of the affection it evokes in its visitors.

Head for the rolling hills to escape the heat of the plains in the cool of tea plantations. The entire island is teeming with bird life, and exotics like elephants and leopards are not uncommon. To top it all off, the people are friendly, the food is delicious and costs are low. There are hundreds of miles of beautiful palm-fringed beaches, and the country boasts no fewer than seven World Heritage Sites listed by Unesco, ranging from sacred cities, palaces and cliff-top citadels to colonial strongholds, spanning close to 3,000 years of history. Situated just three degrees north of the Equator, the weather is constantly hot, humid and tropical.

However, It's not all perfect in this paradise. Boxing day of 2004 dealt a deadly card to this country with the worst Tsunami in history wiping out much of this glorious land and its humble population. Modern day Sri Lanka has also experienced indigenous terrorism, particularly in the N and E of the island and the metropolis of Colombo city, but the beautiful beaches and towns of the S and SE coast have been unaffected. Tourists should take up to date advice when entertaining travel in the North and East of the country.

Sightseeing enthusiasts will also love Sri Lanka and marvel at the ancient sites of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya, Dambulla and Panduwasnuwara, where the remains of a great civilisation are etched into its infrastructure. The colonial cities of Colombo and Kandy show the influence of the foreign powers that fought for control over the strategic, lush island in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Dutch-inspired buildings stand proudly next to Victorian British mansions and Portuguese fortifications.

Weathering a global financial crisis and funding a wa, Sri Lanka’s proud population has had it tough for a few years. But backed by an unrivalled combination of scenery, culture and history, a growing focus on sustainable tourism and (hopefully) a more settled society, Sri Lanka is firmly back on the radar for curious travellers seeking unique experiences.

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