Sri Lanka is an island offering a myriad of choices beautiful
beaches, history and culture, wildlife and wonderful
scenery.
Colombo
(
Gampaha,
Kaluthara
)
The political capital of Sri Lanka is a
fascinating city mixing areas dating from the 5th
century with modern shopping malls. The city has much to
interest visitors with Buddhist and Hindu temples,
churches, the old parliament buildings, zoos and museums. Shopping is
a must in Sri Lanka which is famous for gems and
jewellery, teas and spices and good value clothing. So
whether shopping in a local bazaar or in one of the
modern shopping malls with their designer boutiques,
there are many opportunities to purchase souvenirs of
your holiday.
Kandy
(
Matale,
Nuwara Eliya
)
Sri Lanka's hill capital is situated in
the foothills of 'up country', next to a picturesque
lake and is the island's most beautiful town. One of the
main attractions
Bahirawakanda temple
and Dalada Maligawa Temple, where the sacred tooth relic
of Buddha is enshrined, and each year the Esala Perahera
festival is held when a replica of the relic is paraded.
The procession is accompanied by exotically costumed
dancers and musicians and 100 elephants, making it one
of the most colourful pageants in Asia. The festival
lasts for 10 days during July and August. Kandy also has
numerous shrines and temples and the lovely Peradeniya
Gardens with an amazing variety of plants, flowers and
trees.
Anaratnapura
(
Polonnaruwa
)
The most famous gem mining area and know
as the ' gem capital', Ratnapura is situated in the
foothills of Adams Peak about 60 miles from Colombo.
Precious stones including sapphires, rubies, amethysts,
aquamarines, topaz and garnets are mined here and can be
purchased or viewd at the local museums. Visits to the
mines can also be arranged.
Nuwara Eliya
Set in the heart of tea country, this
beautiful hill resort is over 6000 feet above sea level
which gives it a spring like climate all yaer round. It
is a serene retreat from the bustle of the towns and it
is where the British created an English style
countryside, with perfect lawns and beautiful parks. The
scenery is stunning with rolling hills, waterfalls and
acres of tea plantations.
Sigiriya
Where King Kashyapa built a fortified
palace on top of a rocky outcrop in the 5th century,
with the outer walls being built on the very brink of
the rock. The site is best known for wonderful frescoes
and the water garden which has been restored to its
former glory.
Galle
(
Hambanthota,
Matara
)
This fortress city is built around a
harbour, with many reminders of its chequered colonial
past. Galle is a shoppers paradise for local crafts and
a fascinatiing place to visit, especially the Dutch fort
which encloses virtually the whole city.
Pinnawela
The elephant orphanage is a
favourite with visitors and is where the annimals are
cared for before being released back into the wild. At
any one time there will be about fifty elephants ranging
from babies to enormous adults.
Yala National Park
A game reserve in the south east corner
of the island which is home to elephant, leopard, wild
boar, deer, buffalo, monkeys and a huge range of birds.
Uda Walawe National Park
Situated just 100 miles from Colombo the
grasslands of Uda Walawe contain large herds of elephant
and deer as well as wild boar, jackals and water buffalo
Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mannar, Vavuniya, Mullativu Ampara, Batticaloa, Badulla, Monaragala Kegalle, Rathnapura