Sri Lanka Top Things To See
• Ramble around coastal ramparts, colonial villas and atmospheric streets in the striking Dutch fort of Galle, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. Galle is also a centre for crafts that include lace-making, ebony-carving and gem-polishing.
• Visit Kandy, a picturesque town that was the last stronghold of the Kandyan Kings. It is now a cultural sanctuary where age-old customs, arts, crafts, rituals and ways of life are well preserved. Its fabulous UNESCO-listed Temple of the Tooth (Dalada Maligawa) (website: www.sridaladamaligawa.lk) shelters the sacred tooth relic of the Buddha.
• Go underground. The Dambulla Cave Temples in the island's centre are an intriguing collection of temples tucked away beneath a massive rock outcrop. They shelter an extensive collection of religious murals and exquisite statues.
• Wonder at the extraordinary civilization that ruled from the ancient capital of Anuradhapura thousands of years ago. Its majestic remains testify to an advanced city carefully planned and filled with beautiful palaces, temples and giant stupas.
• In Colombo, root out bargains in the Pettah market, marvel at the blossoms in the Vihara Maha Devi Park between March and early May, and sample the offerings of some of the country's best restaurants.
• See the huge reclining Buddha at Polonnaruwa, an ancient capital and another UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its remains of royal palaces, temples and stupas. It also has a superb museum, one of the country's best.
• Explore Sri Lanka's most popular wildlife-viewing destination, Yala National Park, on the southeast coast. It is home to the world's highest density of leopards, as well as a wealth of other species - from elephants to birds.
• See Sri Lanka's oldest and best-known fishing village, Negombo, also a popular resort near Katunayake International Airport. It stands on a strand separating the sea from a lagoon. The seafood here, particularly the shellfish, is superb.
See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.
Fresh ideas are just one click away...
Travel Deals
-
Finland Family holidays There is something about the snow in Finland that makes you wonder if the locals sneak out at night and spray it with a coat of brilliant white paint – it
-
Finland Activity & adventure holidays Finnish Lapland has enormous areas of untouched wilderness and mile upon mile of wild rolling fells. This vast open countryside, sparkling in the winter sunshine, just begs to be explored by
-
Orlando Adrenaline Whether you’re enjoying the hair-raising delights of the world’s only flying rollercoaster called Manta at SeaWorld or racing through the Everglades on an airboat in search of alligators, one thing’s for
-
Cambodia Luxury holidays Today Cambodia is symbolised by awesome Angkor Wat, the largest man-made religious structure in the world. However, Cambodia is also home to some of the finest boutique hotels in the world
-
Laos Inspire Me When the French colonised Indochina they had a saying: "The Vietnamese grow the rice, the Cambodians watch the rice grow, and the Lao people listen to the rice grow." This is
-
Vietnam Cultural breaks Vietnam is a country with a rich and varied history that is now firmly focused on her bright future. This is why it has become one of the hottest destinations for
