| Garden
of Eden Cities |
| Click
here for booking |
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| Many a traveller
before you, from ancient mariners and merchants, to modern
astronauts and businesspeople, have been seduced by the
tantalizing beauty of the colours and costumes of this
land which, according to Mark Twain, were “All harmonious,
all in perfect taste” |
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| Today’s Sri
Lanka welcomes its visitors to experience the nation’s
glittering tapestry of culture, and the rich abundance
of nature, so handsomely bestowed, and to give credibility
to the old adage – that good things come in small
packages. |
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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 impresive 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
of Sigiriya 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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| Like
Sigiriya, Dambulla
is a vast isolated rock
mass and it was here that King Valagam Bahu took refuge
in the 1st century B.C. He later turned the caves into
a rock temple. Some of the frescoes are over 2,000 years
old and there is a colossal figure of the recumbent Buddha
carved out of the living rock, some 14 metre long. |
| |
| Today’s Sri
Lanka welcomes its visitors to experience the nation’s
glittering tapestry of culture, and the rich abundance
of nature, so handsomely bestowed, and to give credibility
to the old adage – that good things come in small
packages. |
| |
| Kandy
- The last capital of the Sri Lankan kings which is a
world heritage site. The name Kandy conjures visions
of splendor and magnificence. Many of the legends,
traditions and folklore are still lovingly kept alive.
Drive around the Kandy lake built by the last Sinhala
king Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe in 1806, visit the Kandy
town and bazaar, the arts and crafts center and a gem
museum and lapidary. In the evening visit the temple of
the tooth relic and thereafter witness a traditional cultural
dance show |
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| Peradeniya
Botanical Gardens
was first built as a pleasure garden by a Sinhala king
and was expanded by the British. it is 147 acres
in extent and provides an amazing variety of trees, plants
and flowers. |
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| Nuwara
Eliya is Sri Lanka's premier hill resort
with a fine bracing mountain climate. Nuwara Eliya is
also the heart of Sri Lanka's tea country producing
50% of the world’s best tea. Sri Lanka's highest
mountain Pidurutalagala (8282 ft) is located here. Nuwara
Eliya is the location for one of the finest 18 hole golf
courses in Asia. |
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| Situated 309 km.
south of Colombo, Yala
is approximately 1,259 sq.km. in extent and is located
in the south eastern 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 speciality here is
the large numbers of elephants. |
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| Colombo
- Like many capital cities in developing countries
Colombo is fast changing its face. almost overnight, skyscrapers
arise from where old buildings once stood, yet in some
parts, the old world charm is retained. A 100-year-old
Clock tower and several British built, colonial buildings
are still to be seen in the city. The Pettah bazaar
– where one can shop for bargains, a Hindu and a
Buddhist temple, residential areas where you find the
stately homes of the affluent, the Colombo museum, the
Bandaranaike memorial international conference hall –
an outright gift to Sri Lanka from the people’s
republic of china, the new parliament in Sri Jayawardenapura
and the folk art center are some of the places of interest
that one can visit to. |
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| Best season December
- April |
