Discover Sri Lanka



                           
      Discover Sri Lanka


Western Province



The commercial capital of Sri Lanka is one of the most diverse and vibrant cities in Asia. The city combines the colonial influence from the past, the modern day cosmopolitan vibe and signs of different ethnic identities. There is much to discover in Colombo from culinary trails to shopping sprees. There are also places of interest to add to your sightseeing list.

Colombo is the best shopping destination in Sri Lanka offering you a wide variety of experiences. There are upmarket shopping outlets, sophisticated department stores such as Arcade Independence Square, Paradise Road, street markets and bazaars such as Pettah Markets, and everything in between. Sri Lankan cuisine in Colombo is a mixture of tastes and styles from different cultures in the country. The main cuisines revolve around delicious rice and curry. There are many restaurants offering a variety of gastronomical experiences from fine dining to everyday local and foreign food.

Colombo has some notable sights, which include colonial buildings, parks, museums, art galleries and religious sites. You have the opportunity to take part in cycling tours, art tours, open deck bus tours, walking tours and culinary demonstrations. Being a coastal city, Colombo also has many beachfront seafood restaurants. The beach at Mount Lavinia is a popular bathing spot and there are many bars, cafes and restaurants along the beach with a laid back nightlife. You can also go for a stroll on the Galle Face promenade which stretches half a kilometer along the Colombo coast. Other landmarks to visit will be the National Museum, Old City Hall, Dutch Museum and Viharamahadevi Park. You will also find chic boutique hotels and Colonial styled luxury hotels in sprawling mansions from the British era. Colombo is a convenient stopping point on your way to down south and you must not miss the opportunity to discover what it has to offer.

Koratota Temple

Gangaramaya Temple


  Craft Village




Lotus Pond

  Beddagana Wetland



Central Province


This is the second largest city in Sri Lanka and the gateway to the central highlands. Kandy lies amidst the hills of the Kandy plateau. It is surrounded by several mountain ranges including the Knuckles mountain range and the Hanthana Mountain Range. The city has an elevation of 500 metres above the sea level. At the heart of the city is the Kandy Lake next to the world famous Temple of the Tooth. Not only it is one of the most scenic places on the island, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with significant religious and cultural importance.

Kandy was the last capital of the ancient Sinhala kingdom which fell under British rule. It holds one of the most sacred items of Buddhist religion, the tooth relic of the Buddha, enshrined in the impressive Temple of the Tooth or Sri Dalada Maligava.

The temple is located in the royal palace complex of Kandy and is located adjacent to the Kandy Lake, built by the last king of Sri Lanka, Sri Vikrama Rajasinha. Every July, the relics and artifacts from the temple are paraded around the city on elephant back in a colourful festival called the EsalaPerahera. This festival is one of the most-watched cultural events in the country. It lasts for more than an hour and is adorned with traditional Kandyan dancers, elephants and one special elephant in charge of the most sacred relic.



The Royal Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya is another lovely attraction in the city of Kandy. The gardens are fashioned after the Royal Gardens in Kew in London. They are the largest botanical gardens in Sri Lanka and have earned a reputation as the finest in Asia. The elephant orphanage at Pinnawela is a must visit attraction of the area, where you can feed elephants and watch them take a river bath.

Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic

Udawattakelle Forest Reserve

Brassware Village

Royal Botanical Garden




North Western Province


Wilpattu



In the northwest coast lowland dry zone is Sri Lanka’s largest national park. Wilpattu National Park is not only the largest in size but it is the oldest park on the island to receive national park status. The 130,000 hectare park is defined by a unique feature – it consists of nearly 60 natural lakes, as the name suggests (‘Willus’ meaning lakes). Although the leopard population in Wilpattu is unknown, the park is recognised as one of the top national parks in the world for spotting leopards. It is located just 30km from the historic city of Anuradhapura and 26km from Puttalam and Kalpitiya. The park is a great place for wildlife to sustain as the lakes provides plenty of water during the dry season.


Wilpattu is dotted with a variation of vegetation from dry zone scrub jungles to grassy plains. Like in almost every major national park, Asian elephants are seen here among a spectacular show of wildlife including the sloth bear, water buffalo, Sambhur, spotted deer, mongoose, wild boar and crocodile. The abundance of lakes has created a perfect wetland for aquatic birds and the park in general has an ample bird population. Endemic birds such as Sri Lanka Junglefowl, Babblers, Woodshrike, and Black-capped Bulbul are often spotted here. Wilpattu has an exquisite butterfly population to keep a lookout for, as well.



Alankudawa Beach





Anawilundawa


                                                                

Munneswaram



                                                                      Muthurajawela

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Birds and more at Bundala National Park

Image
Birds and more at Bundala National Park The Bundala National Park is located 245km Southeast of Colombo, on Tissamaharama Road in Hambantota city. The park is world renowned as a wintering ground for aquatic birds that migrate to Sri Lanka to escape the winter season in their respective home countries. This is the only National Park in Sri Lanka where you can see estuarine, saltwater and freshwater crocodiles, all within the same safari ride. The exceptional plant life enhances the beauty of the park, thereby making it more attractive to visitors. Established in 1969 as a wildlife sanctuary, Bundala was transformed into a National Park in 1993. In addition to being proclaimed as a Ramsar wetland site, UNESCO chose Bundala National Park as a biosphere reserve in 2005, making it the fourth biosphere reserve in Sri Lanka. What to see at Bundala National Park Tourists flock in large number to experience the eco-friendly environment of this park. There are seven types of t
Read more

Royal Botanical Gardens in Kandy, Sri Lanka – A Must Visit!

Image
Royal Botanical Gardens in Kandy, Sri Lanka – A Must Visit! Established in 1843, the Royal Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya, close to Kandy, are the oldest formal gardens in Sri Lanka. Home to over 4000 species of plants, these gardens are world renowned for their orchid collection and the long, palm framed pathways. In addition to displaying Sri Lanka’s native flora, there are many other plant species from across the world that were shipped in during the colonial era from the famous Kew Gardens in London. Did you know? According to The Guardian, Sri Lanka’s Royal Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya ranks amongst the “10 great botanical gardens around the world”, in an article published in August 2018. The article in The Guardian goes on to state that the 300 acre garden in Kandy showcases an unusual variety of trees such as the ‘massive java willow, an avenue of royal palms, 40-metre high bamboos, a spice garden and an orchid house’, which is also ab
Read more

Southeast Asia – A Backpacker’s Paradise

Image
Southeast Asia – A Backpacker’s Paradise Southeast Asia, as a tourist destination, has been more popularly known as a backpacker’s paradise since a long time now. Most places such as Sri Lanka tours, Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand are very affordable, have very simple travel logistics, very safe to travel around and are blessed with an amazing, holiday-friendly tropical climate throughout the year. If you have a few weeks or months to spare on your calendar, you should definitely explore Southeast Asia as a backpacker. Not all backpackers touring the region will follow the same routes, but usually, this is how a practical route could be defined. A quick run through the banana pancake trail, which comprises Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. This name was given after the typical breakfast that was served to foreigners at most guesthouses. Next, you would move on to Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, South China, Phillipines and Myanmar. In your itinerary, yo
Read more