Popular Destination

An Overview of Negombo

Negombo is located on the west coast and at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon, in the Western Province, 38 km from Colombo via Colombo – Katunayake Expressway. Negombo is popularly known for its long sandy beaches and centuries old fishing industry. Due to this, this city has become an easily accessible tourist destination. Apart from tourism, Negombo is also popularly known for its cinnamon production.

Negombo is a popular choice for many travelers. What makes it a natural choice and a tourist destination are the beautiful and gorgeous beaches and water sports. Offering many stay options from hostels to five-star resorts, it becomes easy for the travelers to explore the popular places to visit in Negombo.

An Overview of Colombo

Colombo city executive and judicial capital of Sri Lanka. (Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, a Colombo suburb, is the legislative capital.) Situated on the west coast of the island, just south of the Kelani River, Colombo is a principal port of the Indian Ocean. It has one of the largest artificial harbours in the world and handles the majority of Sri Lanka’s foreign trade.

Colombo’s important buildings include the Secretariat, the Town Hall, the Clock Tower, St. Lucia’s Cathedral, and the Galle Face Hotel. Other distinctive buildings in the city are the Wolvendahl Church, built by the Dutch in 1749; a complex of hospitals; the University of Colombo (1921); several Buddhist and Hindu temples; and the residences of the head of state and of the prime minister.

Nuwara Eliya

Nuwara Eliya is a city in the tea country hills of central Sri Lanka. The naturally landscaped Hakgala Botanical Gardens displays roses and tree ferns, and shelters monkeys and blue magpies. Nearby Seetha Amman Temple, a colorful Hindu shrine, is decorated with religious figures. Densely forested Galway’s Land National Park is a sanctuary for endemic and migratory bird species, including bulbuls and flycatchers

Dubbed “Little England” due to its cool climate and colonial-era bungalows, Nuriwaya Eliya boasts a landscape far more dramatic than Britain’s. Mist-shrouded mountains and terraced tea plantations surround the former hill station, while world-class brews are abundant.

 

Sacred City of Kandy

Located in the Central Province of Sri Lanka, Kandy is one of the major and most beautiful cities of Sri Lanka. The city is situated in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy, being the capital city of the Central Province, is also both an administrative and religious city. One of the most significant features of Kandy City, is that it is the home of the Temple of the Tooth Relic (Sri Dalada Maligawa), one of the most sacred places of worship in the Buddhist world. Besides this, the city was also declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1988. Another feature which adds to the beauty of Kandy is that, located within the heart of the city is the scenic Kandy Lake (Bogambara Lake), which is popular for strolling. The best time to visit Kandy is in July/August as this is the season for the most colorful festival in the city to happen, the Kandy Perahera.

Ancient City of Sigiriya

Sigiriya an ancient rock fortress and palace ruin encircled by the remains of a widespread network of gardens, reservoirs, and other structures. Sigiriya consists of an ancient castle built by king Kassapa during the 5th Century AD. It is a popular tourist destination. Sigiriya or Lion Rock is an ancient rock fortress located in the northern Matale District near the town of Dambulla in the Central Province, Sri Lanka. The name refers to a site of historical and archaeological significance that is dominated by a massive column of rock around 180 metres (590 ft) high. Sigiriya has it all and its prehistoric paintings (frescos), which are significant of the Ajanta Caves of India. According to the ancient Sri Lankan chronicle the Culavamsa, this area was a large forest, then after storms and landslides it became a hill and was selected by King Kashyapa (477 – 495 AD) for his new capital. He built his palace on top of this rock and decorated its sides with colourful frescoes.

Sacred City of Anuradhapura

Anuradhapura is a major city in Sri Lanka. It is the capital city of North Central Province, Sri Lanka and the capital of Anuradhapura District. Anuradhapura is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, famous for its well-preserved ruins of an ancient Sinhala civilization. The city, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was the centre of Theravada Buddhism for many centuries. In the morning, based on the itinerary you will visit the Thuparamaya, considered to be the first dagaba or pagoda built in Sri Lanka, which enshrines the collarbone of the Lord Buddha. If you love visiting ancient ruins which have historical values, one of the best places to travel to would be Anuradhapura !!

Old Town of Galle

Founded in the 16th century by the Portuguese, Galle reached the height of its development in the 18th century, before the arrival of the British. It is the best example of a fortified city built by Europeans in South and South-East Asia, showing the interaction between European architectural styles and South Asian traditions. Galle was built as a fortified coastal city with large walls along the seashore. It was designed with a European way of thinking – to prevent armed attacks from colonial competitors that could come from the sea as well as the land. Battlements along the walls provide the means for defense in case of an invasion.

An Overview of Polonnaruwa

It is located in the North Central province of Sri Lanka. Due to its archeological prominence and the ancient technological superiority, UNESCO declared Polonnaruwa as a World Heritage in 1982 under the name of Ancient City of Polonnaruwa. Poḷonnaruwa is the main town of Polonnaruwa District in North Central Province, Sri Lanka. Kaduruwela area is the Polonnaruwa New Town and the other part of Polonnaruwa remains as the royal ancient city of the Kingdom of Polonnaruwa. Polonnaruwa is a great city in Sri Lanka which came in to prominence during its’ brief period of 2 Centuries of Sri Lankan history, being second only to the ancient city of Anuradhapura in ancient cultural heritage. Polonnaruwa today is a showcase of the great ancient Sri Lankan architecture dating back to 12th Century AD, which was interwoven with many Buddhist monasteries and monuments which were built by the King Parakramabahu.

Dambulla Cave Temple

Dambulla is the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. The rock towers 160 m over the surrounding plains. There are more than 80 documented caves in the surrounding area. Dambulla cave temple, also known as the Golden Temple of Dambulla is a World Heritage Site (1991) in Sri Lanka, situated in the central part of the country.[1] This site is situated 148 kilometres (92 mi) east of Colombo, 72 kilometres (45 mi) north of Kandy and 43 km (27 mi) north of Matale. Major attractions are spread over five caves, which contain statues and paintings. These paintings and statues are related to Gautama Buddha and his life. There are a total of 153 Buddha statues, three statues of Sri Lankan kings and four statues of gods and goddesses. The latter include Vishnu and the Ganesha. The murals cover an area of 2,100 square metres (23,000 sq ft). Depictions on the walls of the caves include the temptation by the demon Mara, and Buddha’s first sermon.

An overview of Minneriya National Park

Minneriya National Park is a national park located in North Central Province of Sri Lanka. The area was designated as a national park on 12 August 1997, having been originally declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1938. The reason for declaring the area as protected is to protect the catchment of Minneriya tank and the wildlife of the surrounding area. The tank is of historical importance, having been built by King Mahasen in third century AD. The park is a dry season feeding ground for the elephant population dwelling in forests of Matale, Polonnaruwa, and Trincomalee districts. Being part of the elephant corridor which joins up with Kaudulla and Wasgamuwa National Parks, Minneriya National Park gives the opportunity to see herds of Elephants throughout the year. May to October is the best period to visit Minneriya National Park in view of the World famous Great Elephant Gathering of the Asian wild elephants. Along with Kaudulla and Girithale, Minneriya forms one of the 70 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) of Sri Lanka. The park is situated 182 kilometres (113 mi) from Colombo.

An Overview of Yala National Park

Yala National Park is a huge area of forest, grassland and lagoons bordering the Indian Ocean, located in the southeast Sri Lanka. It’s home to wildlife such as leopards, elephants and crocodiles, as well as hundreds of bird species. Yala National Park is the most visited and second largest national park in Sri Lanka. Yala combines a strict nature reserve with a national park. Divided into 5 blocks, the park has a protected area of nearly 130,000 hectares of land consisting of light forests, scrubs, grasslands, tanks and lagoons.

An Overview of the South coast - Mirissa

Mirissa is a small town on the south coast of Sri Lanka, located in the Matara District of the Southern Province. It is approximately 150 kilometres (93 mi) south of Colombo and is situated at an elevation of 4 metres (13 ft) above sea level. Mirissa’s beach and nightlife make it a popular tourist destination. It is also a fishing port and one of the island’s main whale and dolphin watching locations. The Whale and Dolphin watching in Mirissa are one of the most thrilling water activities in Sri Lanka. The warm waters around Sri Lanka are ideal to spot blue whales, Bryde´s whales, sperm whales, fin whales, common dolphins, bottlenose dolphins and sometimes killer whales. Spinner dolphins, Risso’s dolphins, and striped dolphin can be seen too. If you are a whale and dolphin watching enthusiast, the best place to travel will be to Mirissa.

An Overview of Hikkaduwa

Hikkaduwa is a small town on the south coast of Sri Lanka located in the Southern Province, about 17 km (11 mi) north-west of Galle and 98 km (61 mi) south of Colombo. Hikkaduwa’s economy was traditionally based on fishing and coconut cultivation. This was replaced by tourism when its golden sandy beaches were discovered. It is a well-known international destination for board-surfing. Hikkaduwa is very popular for its coral rocks. (which can be viewed by travelling in glass bottom boat). The other place of interest for the traveler is the Hikkaduwa National Park. This is one of the three marine national parks in Sri Lanka. The national park contains a fringing coral reef of high degree of biodiversity. The area was declared a wildlife sanctuary on May 18, 1979, and then on August 14, 1988, upgraded to a nature reserve with extended land area. The growth of the number of visitors in the next 25 years increased the degradation of the coral reef. To reduce the effects to the ecosystem, the reef was declared a national park on September 19, 2002.

An Overview of Weligama

Weligama is a town on the south coast of Sri Lanka, located in Matara District, Southern Province, Sri Lanka. The name Weligama, literally means “sandy village” which refers to the area’s sandy sweep bay. It is approximately 144 kilometres (89 mi) south of Colombo and is situated at an elevation of 9 metres (30 ft) above the sea level.

The main industries are tourism and fishing. Weligama is a popular tourist destination and hosts several boutique hotels including an off shore islet known as Taprobane, which houses a villa constructed by the French Count de Mauny, and is currently owned by Geoffrey Dobbs. It was the birthplace of the scholar monk Weligama Sri Sumangala.

There are a number of sites of historical importance within Weligama and its vicinity, including a 3 metres (9.8 ft) high bas-relief statue of Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, carved into the surrounding rock, between the 6th-9th century AD.

An Overview of Bentota

Located in the district of Galle of the Southern Province, Bentota is a coastal town in Sri Lanka. It is approximately 65 kilometres (40 mi) south of Colombo and 56 kilometres (35 mi) north of Galle. Situated on the southern bank of the Bentota River mouth, at an elevation of 3 metres (9.8 ft) above sea level, Bentota is also a tourist attraction, with a local airport (Bentota River Airport) and a handful of world-class hotels.

Bentota is also a destination for watersports as well and known to deliver an ancient art of healing called Ayurveda. Bentota is also famous for its toddy production, an alcoholic beverage made out of coconut nectar. It also has a turtle hatchery, located on Induruwa beach.

An Overview of Hikkaduwa

Hikkaduwa is very popular for its coral rocks. (which can be viewed by travelling in glass bottom boat). The other place of interest for the traveler is the Hikkaduwa National Park. This is one of the three marine national parks in Sri Lanka. The national park contains a fringing coral reef of high degree of biodiversity. The area was declared a wildlife sanctuary on May 18, 1979, and then on August 14, 1988, upgraded to a nature reserve with extended land area.

Hikkaduwa’s economy was traditionally based on fishing and coconut cultivation. This was replaced by tourism when its golden sandy beaches were discovered. It is a well-known international destination for board-surfing

An Overview of Ella Rock & Little Adam’s Peak

Little Adam’s Peak in Ella should not be confused with Adams Peak in Dalhousie.

The latter is a sacred mountain that is home to the annual pilgrimage taking place between December and May. It’s a tougher hike than both Ella Rock and Little Adam’s Peak and will see you climbing throughout the night.

From Little Adam’s Peak you have a beautiful view of Ella and the valleys below. Whilst the view from Ella Rock is equally as gorgeous, Little Adam’s Peak takes this one as there are far more viewpoints.

The Ella Rock hike is more rugged, untouched and quieter, whilst Little Adam’s Peak is well marked and an easy trail to follow with steps directing you to the top.