Sri Lanka, an island in the
Indian Ocean and located south of the Indian
subcontinent, is also known as the Island
of Serendipity. This Pearl of the Indian Ocean
offers an amazing cultural diversity and a
landscape of enormous natural beauty. Its
entire stretch encompasses beautiful tropical
beaches, verdant vegetation, ancient monuments
and a thousand delights to please all tastes.
The climate
of Sri Lanka is typically tropical with an average temperature
of 27°C. Climatically the driest and best seasons are
from December to March on the west and south coasts and in
the hill country, and from May to September on the east coast.
December to March is also the time when most foreign tourists
come, the majority of them escaping the European winter. Out
of season travel has its advantages - not only do the crowds
go away but many airfares and accommodation prices go right
down.
The country is six hours ahead of GMT. Mainly an agricultural
country, the chief crop of Sri Lanka is rice. Tea, rubber
and coconut are also important agricultural crops, other crops
of importance are cocoa and spices.
A traveler to this country will never tire of the constantly
changing patterns of the countryside. It is easy to imagine,
when traveling across Sri Lanka, why Marco Polo called it
the finest island of its size in the world!
Colombo
Colombo, the island's largest city and capital, is
noisy, frenetic - and just a little crazy. To the
north is the Fort district, the country's business
centre. Immediately south of here is Galle Face Green,
a seafront expanse of occasional green graced by cricket
games, kite flyers and trysting lovers. Walk through
the Pattah bazaar and marvel at the riot of goods
- fruit, vegetables, meat, gems, gold, silver, brass
and tin junk.
Kandy
The laid back 'capital' of the hill country, and the
historical bastion of Buddhist power, is built around
a peaceful lake and set in a picturesque bowl of hills.
Its standout attraction is the octagonal Dalada Maligawa
(Temple of the Tooth), a temple which houses Sri Lanka's
most important religious relic - the sacred tooth
of Buddha. During the frenetic Kandy Esala Perahera
celebrations, a replica of the shrine is carried through
the city on an elephant. There are plenty of lovely
scenic walks around Kandy.
Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura is Sri Lanka's first capital, a potent
symbol of Singhalese power, and the most extensive
and important of Sri Lanka's ancient cities. Its impressive
remains were 'discovered' in the early 19th century
and have been in the process of restoration ever since.
The Sacred Bo-Tree is the city's holiest site, and
was grown from the tree under which Buddha achieved
enlightenment. The Thuparama Dagoba, the oldest of
many temples in Anuradhapura, is believed to contain
the right collar-bone of Buddha. The Jetavanarama
Dagoba is the largest remaining structure and may
once have been over 100m (328ft) in height and housed
an estimated 3000 monks. The best way to explore the
area is by bicycle.
Sigiriya
The spectacular rock fortress of Sigiriya is an impregnable
fortress, a monastic retreat, and a rock art gallery.
Built in the 5th century AD, it is situated atop a
200m (656ft) high rock. There are water gardens, 5th
century rock paintings of well endowed damsels, a
1000-year-old graffiti wall recording visitors impressions
of the pin-ups, a couple of enormous stone lion paws
and tremendous views.
Galle
The port of Galle, thought by some to be the Biblical
city of Tarshish, splendidly illustrates the solidity
of the Dutch presence in Sri Lanka. The Dutch Fort,
built in 1663, has withstood the ravages of time.
This area has a quiet, relaxed atmosphere that seems
almost detached from the flow of history.
Nuwara Eliya
Once the favourite hill stations of the British, Nuwara Eliya,
still retains the vestiges of Empire: a blend of Tudor and
Georgian architecture, gabled roofs, immaculate lawns with
rose bushes and moss-covered
Copyright reserved
for Travelvirus.com. Designed & hosted
by Adsin Media
Pvt.Ltd
