A teardrop-shaped South Asian island nation, Sri Lanka is home to lovely beaches scattered around its tropical coastline. Ancient cities of great historical and religious importance and dense jungles hiding an incredible flora and fauna fulfill the mixture, making the beautiful but restless Sri Lanka a great destination for adventurous travelers.
Nature wonders. The nature of Sri Lanka is full of wonders waiting to be explored, from coral reefs to rainforests and mountains. The most popular natural sights of Sri Lanka are its various national parks, of which Yala National Park attracts with its jungles and elephants, Uda Walawe with open grasslands, and Horton Plains with its scenic hills. Trekking and birdwatching are popular in the national parks of Sri Lanka. Additionally, inland Sri Lanka offers also excellent possibilities for adventure sports such as mountain climbing or kayaking and rafting in Sri Lanka.
Ancient cities. Along with its beaches and nature, Sri Lanka has a multiple row of historically and architecturally interesting sights. There are six ancient cities in Sri Lanka such as Polonnaruwa, Anuradhapura, Galle, and Kandy, which are nominated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Hidden in jungles or along the shores of Sri Lanka, these fascinating cities send you to a journey into many different phases of Sri Lanka's history, from the times too early to be mentioned in your school books to the 16th century. The ancient cities of Sri Lanka host architectural masterpieces such as the gigantic lion of Sigiriya Rock, which with its 5,000 years of history is the oldest ancient site and one of the most popular travel sights in Sri Lanka. If you want to try spas in Sri Lanka, they are best available in the island’s capital Colombo.
Traveling to Sri Lanka is most often done through the capital Colombo which offers flights to Sri Lanka from many parts of the world. In addition to airways, you can also travel to Sri Lanka by ferry from India.
Sri Lanka, island of ancient cities and enjoyable beaches
The main attractions in Sri Lanka are no doubt its magnificent beaches which offer enjoyable conditions for sunbathing, swimming, and even diving. There are numerous lovely beach resorts located on the southern and eastern coasts of Sri Lanka. You can choose for example Hikkaduwa, the oldest beach resort of Sri Lanka that is suitable also for diving in Sri Lanka. You could try also Arugam Bay's excellent facilities for surfing in Sri Lanka, or choose Negombo, which is located near the main airport of Sri Lanka, and thus offers an easy choice for relaxing beach holiday with as little traveling as possible.Nature wonders. The nature of Sri Lanka is full of wonders waiting to be explored, from coral reefs to rainforests and mountains. The most popular natural sights of Sri Lanka are its various national parks, of which Yala National Park attracts with its jungles and elephants, Uda Walawe with open grasslands, and Horton Plains with its scenic hills. Trekking and birdwatching are popular in the national parks of Sri Lanka. Additionally, inland Sri Lanka offers also excellent possibilities for adventure sports such as mountain climbing or kayaking and rafting in Sri Lanka.
Ancient cities. Along with its beaches and nature, Sri Lanka has a multiple row of historically and architecturally interesting sights. There are six ancient cities in Sri Lanka such as Polonnaruwa, Anuradhapura, Galle, and Kandy, which are nominated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Hidden in jungles or along the shores of Sri Lanka, these fascinating cities send you to a journey into many different phases of Sri Lanka's history, from the times too early to be mentioned in your school books to the 16th century. The ancient cities of Sri Lanka host architectural masterpieces such as the gigantic lion of Sigiriya Rock, which with its 5,000 years of history is the oldest ancient site and one of the most popular travel sights in Sri Lanka. If you want to try spas in Sri Lanka, they are best available in the island’s capital Colombo.
Practical information for your trip to Sri Lanka
Weather in Sri Lanka is tropically warm with average monthly high temperatures rising over 30 degrees Celsius available throughout the year. Sri Lanka has two monsoon seasons, of which the first one is from May to July and the second from December to January. Overall, Sri Lanka is a suitable holiday destination throughout the year.Traveling to Sri Lanka is most often done through the capital Colombo which offers flights to Sri Lanka from many parts of the world. In addition to airways, you can also travel to Sri Lanka by ferry from India.
Photo: Mckaysavage, used under Creative Commons License (By 2.0)
Touristic services on the island are quite good with a wide variety of hotels in Sri Lanka available as well as lovely culture for food and restaurants in Sri Lanka. Possibilities for affordable shopping in Sri Lanka are best available in Colombo, but facilities for nightlife are available in most beach resorts.
Safety and touring. Before you go, a word of warning: Safety situation in Sri Lanka is not good as a civil war has only recently ended in the North of Sri Lanka, and occasional terrorist attacks may happen. Extra caution should be followed especially when moving around in Colombo, while traveling to eastern and northern parts of the island should be avoided. Car rental in Sri Lanka is therefore a solution suitable only to certain areas of the country. Scams, pick-pocketing, natural disasters like floods and the chaotic traffic are among the other safety concerns in Sri Lanka. English is spoken by many people around Sri Lanka.
A spoonful of Sri Lankan history and culture
Inhabited by Indian Sinhalese nations as early as in the 6th century BC, Sri Lanka's history goes back to much further than yesterday. The first phases of the country's long life have left behind fascinating remains of Sri Lanka's two most important ancient cities, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. During the later phases of its history, Sri Lanka was attached to South Indian Tamil kingdom in the 14th century, after which it was controlled by the Portuguese, the Dutch, and the British separately.Independent Sri Lanka saw its first phases as Ceylon in 1948, after which the name of the country was changed to Sri Lanka in 1972. Since then, Sri Lanka has faced serious inner troubles between the two ethnic groups of the country, Tamils and Sinhalese. The Tamil Tiger movement in the north and east of Sri Lanka fought to establish an independent state for Tamils since 1983. Although the civil war has now ended and political violence in the country has not been aimed at tourists, Sri Lanka is not the safest possible place for traveling at the moment.
