Sri Lanka - Some of the Top Attractions
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Sri Lanka Map with <----- major destinations Sri Lanka Flag -------> |
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Colombo and suburb
Colombo National Museum
The Colombo museum as it was called at the beginning was established on 1 January 1877. It founder was Sir William Henry Gregory the British Governor of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) at the time. More details about the Museum, see Link: http://www.museum.gov.lk/web/index.php?option=com_regionalm&task=regionalmuseum& id=6&Itemid=73&lang=en 
Shopping in Colombo
Generally everywhere in and around Colombo Zones. Some of them are, Magestic City, Odel, Laksala (in Colombo few zones, mainly for Tourists), Hamedias (formal Suits for men & women), Fashion Bug, No Limit (in many Colombo Zones), Mondy and much more! |
Galle Face Green
Galle Face Green is a magnificent place to witness an awesome sunset over Sri Lanka. It is a 1+ km long beach side located in the heart of Colombo (Fort) along the Galle Road and a well maintained beachside. Along with the locals and experiencing the sunset over the Indian Ocean is undoubtedly magnificent as the wonderful breeze coming off the ocean and an evening sinking the whole city in bright deep red. It's a fantastic place to visit but a crowded place, full of local tourists as well as foreign tourists, the sea breeze is fantastic, you can really feel the spray when walk along the Green. During the sunset, hundreds of locals come to fly kites or simply to enjoy a nice walk along the Green having ice cream or enjoying some snacks. The best place to sample some local street food. There are so many food stalls offering a whole range of food from deep-fried shrimps, crabs, fish, BBQ, and many other Sri Lankan specialties! The best time to visit is the late afternoon towards sunset since there is no shade in the morning, and of course the beauty is around the sunset. There are some star hotels are nearby, so you can even wrap up your Galle Face Green visit with a Fine Dining Dinner in one of a nearby Star Hotels. |
Tuck into rice and curry
In Sri Lanka a meal is typically referred to as 'rice & curry'--and curries can vary from main dish offerings (meat, chicken, fish, or mutton) to an assortment of vegetable and even fruit curries. The rice and curries served in the island’s all star hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, and every food serving outlets. A plateful of rice accompanied by at least 5, and go as many as 15-20 side dishes. The food uses all natural ingredients i.e. green & red chili, black pepper, cardamom, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, ginger, garlic, fresh coconut milk, coconut oil, and many other spices. It has a distinctive taste. The spicier preparations are believed to be among the world's hottest in terms of chilli content while natives are born into this cuisine and develop a healthy tolerance to spicy food, many visitors and tourists to the country often find the spiciness excessive. As a result, many local restaurants in developed and tourist areas offer special low-spice versions of local foods to cater to foreigners, or have an alternative western and international menus for tourists. |
Kandy
The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic (Sri Dalada Maligawa)
The Sri Dalada Maligawa or The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is a temple in the city of Kandy in Sri Lanka. It was built within the royal palace complex which houses the one of the two surviving relic of the tooth of Buddha, an object of veneration for Buddhists. Kandy (Ancient Senkadagala) is the last capital of the Sinhala Monarchy the History of which goes back to at least 5 centuries before the beginning of the Common Era. The city is surrounded by a ring of mountain ranges and Sri Lanka’s largest river Mahaweli Ganga. Kandy enjoys a salubrious climate and still breathes the ancient lifestyle of the people. More details about the Temple, see Link: :http://www.sridaladamaligawa.lk/ |
Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage (40km west of Kandy
Elephants young and old are given sanctuary in a natural habitat at the massively popular Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage. The Orphanage cares for almost 100 elephants, many of whom were either orphaned or injured in the wild. It’s a good idea to time your visit to coincide with either the morning or midday meals, after which the elephants are led over to the river to take a bath in the shallow waters of the "Ma Oya" (River) – the unique spectacle of 90-odd elephants splashing around together in the river is one of Sri Lanka’s most entertaining and impressive sights, and not to be missed. More details about the Gardens, see link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinnawala_Elephant_Orphanage |
Peradeniya Botanical Gardens (5.5km (west of Kandy
Enclosed in a loop of the "Mahaweli Ganga" (River), the lush 60-hectare (147-acre) Gardens are stuffed with a baffling array of Sri Lankan, Asian and International flora. From the entrance the stately, much-photographed Royal Palm Avenue leads down to the Great Circle at the centre of the Gardens; while the Great Lawn is home to a famous giant Javan fig tree sometimes claimed to be the largest tree in the world. North of here, the Gardens become wilder, with troupes of macaque monkeys foraging in the bushes and huge clusters of flying foxes dangling from the trees overhead. More details about the Gardens, see link: http://www.botanicgardens.gov.lk/peradeniya/ |
The Western and Southern Coast Attractions
Yala National Park
Yala National Park is the most visited and second largest national park in Sri Lanka. The park consists of five blocks, two of which are now open to the public, and also adjoining parks. The blocks have individual names such as, Ruhuna National Park (block 1) and Kumana National Park or 'Yala East' for the adjoining area. It is situated in the southeast region of the country, and lies in Southern Province and Uva Province. The park covers 979 square kilometres and is located about 300 kilometres from Colombo. Yala was designated as a wildlife sanctuary in 1900, and, along with Wilpattu was one of the first two national parks in Sri Lanka, having been designated in 1938. The park is best known for its variety of wild animals. It is important for the conservation of Sri Lankan Elephants and aquatic birds. |
Go Whales & Dolphins-watching
Sri Lanka is a major spot for watching Whales & Dolphins. Sri Lanka is situated within international whaling commission's protected zone in Indian Ocean. West coast in locations from Alankuda beach in Kalpitiya, Mirissa or Dondra Point of down south, east coast of Trincomalee in Sri Lanka is the main ports of Whale and Dolphin watching in Sri Lanka. Whale and Dolphin sightings are additionally available in the western coastal cities of Alutgama, Ambalangoda and Hikkaduwa. A high concentration of Blue Whales and Sperm Whales has been spotted in the seas off Dondra Head along the deep south coast of Sri Lanka during the months of January to April. Alankuda beach in Kalpitiya is the best places if you are interested in seeing Dolphins. During November to March is the best season to go Dolphin Watching off Kalpitiya. Whale and Dolphin watching is also possible during June to September off the eastern shores such as Trincomalee. |
Beaches
Sri Lanka, an island in the blue waters of the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal. Endowed with over a thousand miles of beautiful golden beaches fringed with coconut palms. A large percentage of Sri Lankan hotels and resorts are located along the seacoast. The western and southern coast beaches begins from Negombo, 13kms north of Colombo and curves south along the coastline for 273kms up to Hambantota. 
Galle Fort
The most perfectly preserved colonial town in Sri Lanka, and an atmospheric piece of time-warped island history. Streets of low-slung Dutch villas are hemmed in by massive coral bastions and the waves of the Indian Ocean break just beyond. History's influence is unavoidable in Galle Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. |
Sri Lanka's Cultural Triangle
Cultural Triangle -
Stretching from medieval Kandy to the ancient kingdom of Anuradhapura to the north and Polonnaruwa to the east – is a treasure trove of some of the island’s, if not the world’s, finest ancient monuments. 
Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi Anuradhapura
Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi is a Sacred Fig tree in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. It is said to be the southern branch from the historical Bodhi tree Sri Maha Bodhi at Bodh Gaya in India under which Lord Buddha attained Enlightenment It was planted in 288 BC, and is the oldest living human-planted tree in the world with a known planting date. Today it is one of the most sacred relics of the Buddhists in Sri Lanka and respected by Buddhists all over the world. |
Mihintale
Birthplace of Buddhism in Sri Lanka - According to legend, it was at Mihintale – literally “Mahinda’s Hill” – that the Indian missionary Mahinda, met and converted King Devanampiyatissa in 247 BC, establishing Buddhism as the island’s state religion. Mahinda was the son of the great Mauryan emperor Asoka, sent by his father to bring word of the Buddha’s teachings to Sri Lanka. Buddhism was immediately embraced with fervour by the Sinhalese people and soon became firmly established in the island – unlike in India, its birthplace, where it would subsequently fall into terminal decline. 
Sigiriya
Sigiriya, the Lion RockIn the middle of the area lies Sigiriya, where a usurper defied engineering laws to build a royal palace in the sky on top of a giant rock – Sri Lanka’s single most extraordinary sight. |
Polonnaruwa
The huge Aukana Buddha - The stately Aukana Buddha is the most perfectly preserved ancient statue in Sri Lanka. Aukana means “sun eating”, and the statue is best seen at dawn, when the low light shines directly into its face. Standing 13 metres (43ft) high, the imposing image was carved with supreme assurance out of a single rock. The Buddha stands erect, with his heavy right hand raised in the posture of blessing, while his other hand delicately touches his shoulder, as if holding his pleated robes in place. It is only when you lower your gaze to the massive feet that a crick in the neck remind you of the vastness of this statue. |
Hill Country
Adam's Peak (Sri Pada )
Although only the fifth-highest mountain on the island, at 2,243 metres (7,360ft), Adam’s Peak is easily the most dramatic, rising in solitary splendour above the surrounding hills. The peak has been an object of worship and pilgrimage for centuries amongst the Sinhalese, thanks to a strange impression on the bare rock at its summit that is popularly claimed to be a footprint made by the Buddha himself during one of his three legendary visits to the island. The arduous climb up the mountain from Dalhousie is traditionally made by night during the pilgrimage season from January to April. Arriving in time for dawn, one has the best chance, weather permitting, of seeing the extraordinary sunrise and the associated spectacle known as the “Shadow of the Peak”, whereby the rising sun casts a perfectly triangular shadow of the peak’s summit which hangs miraculously suspended in mid-air for 20 minutes or so. This bizarre phenomenon has yet to be satisfactorily explained, but is commonly taken by visiting Buddhists as proof of the mountain’s extraordinary supernatural qualities. |
Tea Plantations
Driving through the twisting roads of the tea estate, you see the colourful women, mainly of Tamil origin, at work in the plantations. The tea factory within the estate welcomes visitors and you will be able to see all the stages of the tea-making process and perhaps buy a few packets of the excellent quality tea produced here to take home with you. Tea production is one of the main sources of foreign exchange for Sri Lanka (formerly called Ceylon), The humidity, cool temperatures, and rainfall in the country's central highlands provide a climate that favors the production of high quality tea. Sri Lanka is famed for producing the finest black tea in the world, grown and produced according to uncompromising, traditional methods and standards. The industry was introduced to the country in 1847 by James Taylor, the British planter who arrived in 1852. |
Ella
A charming village and breathtaking view at Ella. The idyllic little village of Ella is one of the most pleasant spots in the region, with a halcyon atmosphere approaching that of an English country hamlet – although rampant development is now beginning to slightly overwhelm its modest charms. The village’s biggest attraction is the drop-dead gorgeous view through the narrow cleft in the hills, the so-called Ella Gap, down to the hills below, one of the finest views in an island that is full of unforgettable panoramas. |
