Sri Lanka - Wonder of Asia

Kandy is a large city in central Sri Lanka. It’s set on a plateau surrounded by mountains, which are home to tea plantations and biodiverse rainforest. The city’s heart is scenic Kandy Lake, which is popular for strolling. Kandy is famed for sacred Buddhist sites, including the Temple of the Tooth shrine, celebrated with the grand Esala Perahera annual procession.

The dusty little town of Dambulla is famous for its remarkable cave temples. Five magical, dimly lit grottoes crammed with statues and decorated with fine murals, offer a picture-perfect snapshot of Sinhalese Buddhist art at its finest. Dambulla’s cave temples are cut out of an enormous granite outcrop that rises more than 160 m above the surrounding countryside.

Around 15 km northeast of Dambulla, the spectacular citadel of Sigiriya rises sheer and impregnable out of the denuded plains of the dry zone. Sitting atop a huge outcrop of rock towering 200 m above the surrounding countryside. The shortest-lived but the most extraordinary of all Sri Lanka’s medieval capitals. Sigiriya (“Lion Rock”) was declared a World Heritage Site in 1982 and is the country’s most memorable single attraction – a remarkable archaeological site made unforgettable by its dramatic setting.

The second most ancient of Sri Lanka’s kingdoms, Polonnaruwa was first declared the capital city by King Vijayabahu I, who defeated Chola invaders in AD 1070 to reunite the country once more under a local leader. The Ancient City of Polonnaruwa has been declared a World Heritage Site. Currently the new Polonnaruwa is under going a major development project. Known as the “Awakening of Polonnaruwa” under the concept of President Maithripala Sirisena.

Anuradhapura is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, famous for its well-preserved ruins of ancient Sri Lankan civilization. It was the third capital of the Kingdom of Rajarata, following the kingdoms of Tambapanni and Upatissa Nuwara. The city, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was the center of Theravada Buddhism for many centuries. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The ancient city, considered sacred to the Buddhist world, is today surrounded by monasteries.

A World Heritage Site, this historic city is a delight to explore on foot, an endlessly exotic old trading port blessed with imposing Dutch-colonial buildings, ancient mosques and churches, grand mansions and museums. Wandering its rambling lanes you’ll pass stylish cafes, quirky boutiques and impeccably restored hotels owned by local and foreign artists, writers, photographers and designers. Built by the Dutch beginning in 1663, Galle’s core is the Fort, a walled enclave surrounded on three sides by the ocean.

From a shabby sprawl, to be skirted enroute the beaches of south, Colombo has become a confident Cosmopolitan. It is no longer that boring city that you simply had to get away with it when on your way to the Southern Beach but is rather a worthy holiday destination in its own very right that demands a definite visit when in the country. City’s major sections are the old area of narrow streets and colorful market stalls; modern commercial and government area and a wealthy residential and recreational area. The tourist places in Colombo include some of the historic Buddhist temples, monuments and places that showcase the socio-cultural richness of the place.

The park is situated in the dry semi-arid climatic region and rain is received mainly during the northeast monsoon. Yala hosts a variety of ecosystems ranging from moist monsoon forests to freshwater and marine wetlands. Yala harbors 215 bird species including six endemic species of Sri Lanka. The number of mammals that has been recorded from the park is 44, and it has one of the highest leopard densities in the world. The area around Yala has hosted several ancient civilisations. The park is best known for its variety of wild animals. It is important for the conservation of Sri Lankan elephants, Sri Lankan leopards and aquatic birds.

May to October is the best time to visit the Minneriya National Park in preparation for the famous wild elephant rally. The vegetation of the park consists of mixed evergreen tropical forests, abandoned oaks, grasslands and wetlands. Among the 24 species of mammals residing in the park are elephants, leopards, lazy bear, spotted deer, deer, wild ox, wild pig, gray leopard, purple leaf monkey, three species of mongoose, the porcupine and the Indian pangolin. Minneriya National Park has registered more than 170 species of birds. The park is a dry season feeding ground for the elephants dwelling in forests of Matale, Polonnaruwa, and Trincomalee districts.

Often referred to as ‘Little England’, this genteel highland community does have a rose-tinted, vaguely British-country-village feel to it, with its colonial-era bungalows, Tudor-style hotels, well-tended hedgerows and pretty gardens. Indeed, Nuwara Eliya was once was the favoured cool-climate escape for the hard-working and hard-drinking English and Scottish pioneers of Sri Lanka’s tea industry. The surrounding countryside is dotted with waterfalls, including the multiple cascades of St. Clair’s Falls. The naturally landscaped Hakgala Botanical Gardens displays roses and tree ferns, and shelters monkeys and blue magpies.

Negombo is a city on the west coast of Sri Lanka, north of the capital, Colombo. Near the waterfront, the remains of the 17th-century Dutch Fort now house a prison. Negombo Lagoon, lined with fishermen’s huts, feeds into the Dutch-era Hamilton Canal. The canal leads south to Colombo. Just north of the city, Negombo Beach is lined with coconut trees and mangroves. It offers opportunities for diving, with coral reefs and a 20th-century shipwreck offshore.

Trincomalee is a port city on the northeast coast of Sri Lanka. Trincomalee is home to the fine beaches of Nilaveli, Uppuveli and the off-shore Pigeon Island. Recently, Trincomalee has become popular as a whale watching destination as well. The dive centres at Nilaveli and Uppuveli offer tourists the opportunity to enjoy their holidays in diving, snorkeling and swimming. Trincomalee is studded with a multitude of ruins and is considered a major Buddhist cultural site.