Cavernous beaches, refreshing tea, timeless archaeological sites, great wildlife and welcoming people; Sri Lanka has taken highs and lows in stride. Be it Cricket world cup win in 1996, Sunami in 2004 or 20year long civil war: this small island country has never lost calm. Rising like phoenix from the ashes it has emerged as a must visit destination in Asia. Despite being small in size; this island country is efficiently packed with some of the gem of tourist attractions that nudge you towards this country beautifully plonked on the azure waters of the Indian Ocean. From peaceful activities like visiting a temple or strolling through a tea estate to white water rafting; the country called Sri Lanka makes sure that visitors to the country could feel completely at home.
When to go
Despite being small in size there is a difference in the weather of east and west coast. The best time to visit west coast is October to March while the ideal time to visit east coast is April to September. For most parts of the year, the weather remains hot and humid and visitors are advised to pack cotton clothes. For a visit to the hilly areas the tourists are advised to pack light woollen clothes.
How to get there
Visitors should fly to Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport situated 35km north of the city.
From The UK
Sri Lankan Airlines and BMI offer direct flights to Sri Lanka from the UK. Qatar Airways connects to Colombo through Doha; Emirates through Dubai; Virgin Atlantic and Jet Airways through Mumbai and British Airways through Chennai.
Getting Around
Domestic flights in Sri Lanka are very small in number but the scenario is expected to change with improvement in tourism. The visitors can choose between trains and buses for travel but they should remember that buses and trains could be crammed and may take more time than expected to reach the destination.
Where to go
Most of the trips to Sri Lanka start from Colombo, the capital city of Island country. This bustling metropolis offers a peek into the multi cultural population and multi layered history. The city also has some good museums, parks and Buddhist temples. The historic city of Galle founded in the 16th century by Portuguese is also a major city in Sri Lanka. Cycling in the narrow streets of this historic city could be an experience in itself.
Heritage
Sri Lanka is home to some of the most historic settlements in the world and Anuradhapura is prominent among them. Polonnaruwa and Digamadulla are other places once home to vibrant townships, palaces, temples and monasteries that are now in the ruins.
Nature
Plonked amidst the azure waters of Indian Oceans; the country called Sri Lanka enjoys more than 1600kms of coastline. Needless to say; it is home to some of the most pristine beaches in the world. The guests can indulge in fun water activities or just sit idle. For an ideal beach experience the guests can visit southern beaches of Tangalla, Beruwala, Mirissa, Bentota and Unawatuna. Arugam Bay is the most famous beach on the eastern coast where guest can indulge in an array of sea activities.
Wildlife
This small country also houses a diverse wildlife. Elephants, sloth bear, leopards, sambar and wild buffaloes are major animals. The country is also home to some of the endangered species like red slender Loris, toque macaque, and purple-faced langur.
Festivals in Sri Lanka
When it comes to number of fairs and festivals; Sri Lanka beats some of the large countries of the world. With a multicultural, multi- religious population festivities seems like an everyday affair in this island country. The Sinhala-Tamil New year festival is celebrated with great fun and fervour. An extended holiday coupled with lip smacking delicacies like kokis accentuates the mood of festivities. The May full moon poya day or Vesak is another important festival in the country celebrated by Buddhist devotees. The Kataragama Esala Festival is popular across the religions.