WELCOME TO SRILANKA
Sri Lanka is a green, fertile tropical island with palm-fringed beaches, misty mountains and significant archaeology.
Explore rain forests, marvel at ancient cities, discover the many national parks or get dazzled by the famous gems.
Adam’s Peak
Located in a beautiful and fascinating area of the southern Hill Country, this lofty peak has sparked the imagination for centuries. It is variously known as Adam’s Peak (the place where Adam first set foot on earth after being cast out of heaven), Sri Pada (Sacred Footprint, left by the Buddha as he headed towards paradise) or Samanalakande (Butterfly Mountain, where butterflies go to die). Some believe the huge ‘footprint’ on the top of the 2243m peak to be that of St Thomas, the early apostle of India, or even of Lord Shiva.
Ahangama & Midigama
This is Sri Lanka’s surfers’ paradise, known for its powerful left break. For the best surfing in Ahangama, head straight out from Kabalana Beach Hotel; in Midigama, look for the breaks near the 139km marker. The whole area is popular with surfers as it’s cheap to stay here and the breaks are never crowded. But apart from surfing, the area doesn’t have wide appeal; the beaches can be pretty thin and there’s no real concentration of places that appeal to travellers.
Aluthgama, Bentota & Induruwa
Bentota’s beach is one of the best on the west coast, protected from Galle Rd by the broad sweep of the Bentota Ganga. While it is dominated by big package
hotels, it also has a number of smaller places catering to independent travellers. There are more such places in Aluthgama, a small town on the main road between Beruwela and Bentota.
Ambalangoda & Around
Ambalangoda is a fair-sized town, but its touristy near-neighbour, Hikkaduwa, overshadows it as a destination. It does, however, have a beautiful sweep of sandy beach to its north, some famous mask carvers, local cultural centres and a bustling fish market. Crafts include hand-woven cotton and finely carved wooden doors, screens and lintels. If you want to see a traditional dance performance, Ambalangoda is the place to go. Genuine devil dances – which drive out spirits causing illness – still occur irregularly in the hinterland villages. Visitors are welcome, though you do have to expect more curiosity and less English from the villagers. The real catch is finding one of these dances, but ask around and count on good luck from the gods.
Colombo
Colombo, Sri Lanka’s capital, biggest city and major port, draws together all the colours and cultures that make up this island nation, condenses them into a patchwork of markets, gardens and buildings both humble and grand, and knocks them against a narrow slab of beachfront.
Many visitors will appreciate Colombo’s colonial heritage, its fine dining and shopping opportunities, and the dash of urban buzz in an overwhelmingly rural country. Others will tire quickly of the diesel fumes and the modern buildings on Galle Rd, the city’s main artery. If you’re only on a short trip to Sri Lanka, you may wish to pass by Colombo, but if you have the time – say at least two days – there are plenty of cultural and historical attractions in areas such as Fort, Cinnamon Gardens and Pettah.
Kalkudah & Passekudah Beaches
To the north of Batticaloa, two fine curves of swimming beach nuzzle either side of the palm-tipped Kalkudah headland. Long touted as the east coast’s touristic crown jewels, they had been recovering from years of civil-war damage when the 2004 tsunami obliterated everything. One day this lovely area is likely to be redeveloped, but for now the few who venture out here have virtually the whole place to themselves.
Mannar
The only access to Mannar is by a 3km-long causeway. When the road is low in the water the journey feels like a Biblical miracle. Look left to spy the collapsed rail bridge on the horizon. The LTTE makes periodic attempts to blow up the causeway road bridge too, hoping to isolate Mannar Island – hence all the army checkpoints.
Negombo
Negombo is a modest beach town located close to Bandaranaike International Airport. In many ways it is a more salubrious introduction to the country than Colombo, and it’s a pleasant alternative to the monster traffic into and through the capital. In fact, some budget-conscious sun seekers just stay here, although doing this means missing the much nicer beaches to the south.
Udawalawe National Park
With herds of elephants, wild buffalo, sambar deer and leopards, Uda Walawe is the Sri Lankan national park that best rivals the savanna reserves of Africa. The park’s 30, 821 hectares centre on the large Uda Walawe Reservoir, fed by the Walawe Ganga
Weligama
About 30km east of Galle, the town of Weligama (which means ‘Sandy Village’) has a fine sandy sweep of bay – just as its name suggests. It’s a busy fishing town, and you could easily spend a day wandering around, getting a feel for local life. The commercial area is small but vibrant; the fish stalls are both smelly and interesting.
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