Island of Paradise

Colombo derived from Sinhalese name Kola-amba-thota which means “mango harbour”, altered by the Portuguese to honor Christopher Columbus, population 737,396 Colombo, is the largest city and commercial center of Sri Lanka. Colombo was probably known to Roman, Arab, and Chinese traders more than 2,000 years ago. Muslims settled there in the 8th century and controlled much of the trade between Sinhalese kingdoms and the outside world. The Portuguese arrived in the 16th century and built a fort to protect their spice trade. The Dutch captured the city in the 17th century. The British made the city the capital of their crown colony of Ceylon in 1802.

Anuradhapura – For over 1000 years Singhalese Kings with occasional South Indian interlopers rule from the great city of Anuradhapura. It is the most extensive and important of the Sri Lankan ancient cities. Anuradhapura was founded in the 4th century BC. Anuradhapura is famous for its Dagobas (Temples), Reservoirs, and beautifully landscaped gardens, the ruins of which still remain to this day. The sacred Bo Tree (the world’s oldest tree on record) “Jayasri Maha Bodhi” and the “Ruwanwali Seya” Temple are two of Sri Lanka’s most sacred places found in Anuradhapura. In addition to this there are many other historical and religious sites found in Anuradhapura.

Minintale – In the 3rd century BC, area of Mihintale (mihinthalaya) was a thick jungle area inhibited by wild animals and was a hunting ground reserved for the royals. All this changed in 250 BC when the son of the Indian Emperor Asoka, Mahinda Maha Thero arrived at the Missaka Pauwa to meet king Devanampiyatissa for the first time and asked the famous questions to decide whether he is intelligent enough to understand the philosophy of the Buddha. Initially Mahinda Maha Thero’s residence, but later Mihintale (mihinthalaya) became a main center for Theravada Buddhism and is considered the cradle of Buddhism in Sri Lanka and was developed throughout the millennia by many kings as massive monastic complex completes with hospitals for the sick bhikkhus.

Polonnaruwa is 218 kilometers from Colombo, yet another well planned medieval city defended by enclosing walls, graced by palaces, shrines, monasteries, pavilions, parks, ponds and irrigation lakes which bears witness to a glorious past. A dominant feature of the city, is the vast irrigation lake of 5940 acres aptly named “Parakrama Samudraya” or the sea of Parakrama after its royal builder King Parakramabahu depicting an example of the advanced engineering and construction skills prevailent during the ancient times. This gigantic reservoir was built to collect rainwater, which did not permit a drop of water to go waste.

Sigiriya Rock Fortress is popular for its amazing architecture and the skill and genius that went into building it. As it was the residence of the king, there are many entertainment units as well. The Sigiriya Maidens paintings are widely talked about and praised. It is believed that the massive mural once must have held paintings of around 500 maidens, although only twenty-one paintings have survived to this day. The maidens are painted from the waist up with naked torsos. The torsos meet paintings of clouds, giving way to speculation that these paintings are of goddesses. However, some believe that these maidens were King Kasyapa’s ladies.

Dambulla The Great Cave Temple of Dam bulla is 100 to 150 meters above the road in the southern part of the village of Dambulla. The gigantic rock towering more than 160 m above the surrounding area is 1.5 km. These caves were the refuge of King Walagamba when he was exiled for 14 years. On his return to the throne in the 1st century BC, King Walagamba had a magnificent rock temple built in Dambulla. Dambulla too has been designated as a World Heritage site. The caves feature a mixture of religious and worldly paintings and sculptures. Several reclining Buddha statues and a 15 m long sculpture of the dying Buddha. The famous Dambulla frescoes on the walls and ceiling dates back to the 15th-18th Centuries.

Spice & Herbal Garden – Enjoy the Sri Lanka’s world renowned spices at their source. Visit a spice garden, where smells of cinnamons, pepper, cardamom, nutmeg and mace overwhelm the senses and the visitors are provided an insight into an age old industry of spice production, which attracted many a European and Asian merchants to the ports of ancient Sri Lanka.

Batik Factory where you can see the manufacture of beautiful Batik prints. The shop contains a wide variety of Batik items.

Kandy is an ancient hill capital and the last stronghold of the Sinhala Kings before the island was finally ceded to the British in 1815. It bears strong influence of the influence of Buddhism in the country and is revered by Buddhists as a sacred city because of the ‘Dalada Maligawa” Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha. Kandy is the venue of the annual glittering pageant each August where the Buddha’s Tooth Relic in a golden casket is paraded on a majestic elephant accompanied by over 100 elephants, fire dancers, and ceremonial whip crackers, dancers and drummers.

Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic – Commonly known as the Sri Dalada Maligawa (Glorious Tooth Temple), is a Buddhist temple in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Ever since 4th Century A.D, when the Buddha’s Tooth was brought to Sri Lanka hidden from sacrilegious hands in an ‘Orissan princess’ hair, the Relic has grown in repute and holiness in Sri Lanka and throughout the Buddhist world. It is considered Sri Lanka’s most prized possession.

Royal Botanical Garden in Peradeniya is 06 kms from Kandy, the magnificent river girdled 57 hectares laid out in 1832 are among the finest in the world. Its treasures of tropical flora include fine collections of orchids, aromatic spices, medicinal herbs, palms and rare endangered plant species. These gardens were the naturally camouflaged operations headquarters of SEAC Supreme Allied Commander, Lord Louis Mountbatten during the 2nd World War.

Tea Plantation & Factory – Proceed to a tea plantation and factory in the mountains where you will have the unusual opportunity of joining tea pluckers in picking the signature ‘two leaves and a bud’ which are later processed as tea for export around the world. This is a fine art and you will have the chance to learn it from the experts as they pluck these tender buds with precision and speed. Make your way to the factory where you will observe the process that transforms the raw green leaf in to the familiar brown particles of made tea. After experiencing tea production participate in a tea tasting session to sample some of the various grades of tea produced at the estate’s factory.

Ramboda falls (Puna Ella) double fall is unique in the ‘Y’ form where two waterfalls with two water sources merge in to one at the bottom. The water in the fall on the left is from the Puna Oya, A canal which comes through the forest reserve above. The fall on the right-hand side is made up from water from Pundalu Oya which flows through cultivated land above. Most of the year the fall flowing through the Pandalu Oya carry more volume but during periods of long drought the role is reversed. The water on flowing on the left fall remains more or less the same while the water on the other fall reduces significantly.

Nuwara Eliya – “The City of Light” was the favorite hill station of the British, a scenic town 2500 m above sea level surrounded by misty mountain ranges, pine forests and tea cultivations. Nuwara Eliya has a much cooler climate, which is in stark contrast to the tropical climate experienced in other parts of the island. This is probably why Nuwara Eliya is also known as ‘Little England’. The areas around Nuwara Eliya also provide the main output of tea in Sri Lanka. A trip to the highlands of Sri Lanka is never complete without witnessing the age-old traditional tea plucking and sipping a cup of “Ceylon Tea”. Nuwara Eliya has a fair assortment of British Country style houses and an 18-hole Golf Course, which is a real beauty with its scenic location considered to be one of the finest in Asia and a picturesque Race Course where horse races are held.

Nine Arch Bridge – The Nine Arch Bridge is built by British rulers at the time of colonial era. With its beautiful nine arches located between Ella and Demodara station is one of places that you surely want to visit when in Ella. The train ride in the highlands with the Kandy to Ella train is named as one of the most beautiful train rides in the world. The bridge itself located between dense jungle and agricultural setting and very picturesque and is made out of entirely by rocks bricks and cement no metal at all.

Rawana Falls which is about 82ft (25m) high and cascade from an oval-shaped concave rock outcrop. Forming part of the Rawana Ella Wildlife Sanctuary, the source of the fall is the Bandarawela Hill Oya Reservoir, and it flows to the Kirindi Oya Reservoir. Rawana caves are near Rawana Falls: According to legend, it is said that King Rawana (who was the king of Sri Lanka at the time) had kidnapped princess Seetha, and had hidden her in the caves behind this waterfall, now simply known as the Rawana Ella (Rawana falls) Cave. At the time, the cave was surrounded with thick forests in the midst of wilderness. There is small pool which consider as queen Seetha bathed in a pool that accumulated the water falling from this waterfall.

The Yala National Park is the second largest national park in Sri Lanka. Situated in the south- eastern corner of the island. It is famous for its high density of leopards, perhaps the highest in the world. Yala is also home to a plethora of reptilian species and platoons of crocodiles. Common in Sri Lanka, there is a huge diversity of spectacular birdlife, including migratory species such as the flamingo. It is also one of the few places in the world where you can still see the severely endangered black-necked stork.

Galle Dutch Fort – Old Galle is a world heritage site; a unique example of a preserved 17th C colonial Fortress. The Galle Fort itself is still a living monument with a bustling community within the great ramparts, massive bastions, pepper pot towers, while narrow streets display its Dutch heritage with beckoning pillared verandas and fretwork facades.

Turtle Hatchery – At the north end of Induruwa is one of the turtle hatcheries set up to protect turtle eggs till they hatch. Turtle eggs, which would otherwise be eaten, are bought for a few rupees each from local fishermen & re-buried along the beach. Once hatched, the baby turtles are kept in holding tanks. Small tanks contain hundreds of one to three-day old turtles, as well as larger one, including an albino, kept for the collection. In the night, you can release a three-day-old turtle into the Indian Ocean to fend off itself.