Srilanka is a beautiful paradise island in the Indian Ocean sandwiched between the Arabian Sea in the west and Bay of Bengal Sea in the east. It provides a varied landscape ranging from the hot humid plains in the southwest and northeast to the cooler mountains in the central part of the country.
The climate is primarily tropical with the influence of monsoon rains during the months of May, June, October and November. It has a humid climate all through the year, with the relatively cooler December to February being the best time of year to visit. As you travel from the southern cities to the central hills and northern plains the traditions and heritage of people varies, but they all share a common nature of warmth and friendliness.
The languages spoken by the people here are Sinhalese, Tamil and English. Srilanka is a place where nature exhibits its subtle shades unique to the island. It has never disappointed a tourist be it a person who wants to saunter around the beaches and relax or the adventurous one that likes to camp and hike. It has a rich cultural heritage and to date many of the historical relics have been preserved.
COLOMBO
The southwestern part of the country is the hub of commercial activity where the capital, Colombo is situated. The Katunayake international of Colombo airport can be accessed from most parts of the world. The airport is closer to the town of Negombo where fair price and luxury hotels are available for accommodation. Many more hotels are situated in Fort, the heart of Colombo city. You can move around the country by renting a car, taxi, the public transport buses and trains.
A good way to get started with a tour of Srilanka is to visit tourist attractions in Colombo city. A walk in the Fort area gives you an insight of the Secretariat, the Immigration office, Buddhist shrine called Dagoba and the Fort. The Colombo National Museum exhibits the cultural history and the influences of different countries which ruled here in the past.
The Natural History Museum showcases the flora and fauna of the country. The old Town Hall and the Municipal Council museum with a display of the first printing machine, water fountains, St.Anthony’s church, Garrison church of St.Peters, Dutch house museum at Pettah and the lighthouse clock tower are some places that beckon tourists.
The Dehiwala zoo, one of the best in Asia has numerous species of birds and animals and takes pride in its elephant show which enthralls people of all ages. The Mini Medura aquarium with its marine life, the Nocturnal house with its lemurs, owls and the Reptile house with its albino snake, big python and tortoise taking rides on crocodile backs is a treat to the young and the old.
CULTURAL HERITAGE OF SRILANKA
The ancient cities of Srilanka are an opening for people to imbibe its cultural heritage. The Kelaniya Rajamaha Vihara is a short drive from the Colombo city (which hosts the Duruthu perehera festival in January) is one of the historic places with effigies of reclining and meditative postures of Buddha .The UNESCO heritage sites, which have ancient relics are the Dambulla Vihara, the Sigiriya Rock fortress, the Sacred city of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa.
The Dambulla Vihara, a few miles from Kandy, contains five caves with a sculpture of reclining Buddha, many sculptures of Gods and demons and numerous frescoes on the wall. The view point from the rock situated in the center of the town is splendid.
The Sigiriya Lion Rock, which dates back over a thousand years and its water gardens, is a world heritage site. The Gal Viharaya, an ancient city of Polonnaruwa, built in 12th century AD has sculptures of Buddha in a meditating, standing and recumbent postures carved in one granite slab.
Adam’s Peak is a must see as it holds the footprint of Lord Buddha, the Sripada. The Wewurukannala Vihara, houses a seated statue of Lord Buddha, and the Jataka tales. The Mahinyangana Maha Seya is the first constructed stupa in Srilanka and has a lock of hair and a collar bone relic of Lord Buddha. The Kataragama Devalaya, is a place where conglomeration of Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists takes place - Lord Muruga is worshipped here by all three religions in different forms.
The other interesting places are the Dalada Maligawa in Kandy with the Sacred tooth relic, Ruwanveli Seya located in Mahamega gardens. The Buduruwagala Rock Sculptures with stone images of Lord Buddha, his mythological figure Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, his consort Tara and few other images which exposes the Tantric side of Buddhism. The Thirukoneswaram Kovil is a temple of Lord Shiva as Konesvara in the north east. It is located on the top of the Swami rock with a 360 feet cliff overhanging the sea.
SUNNY BEACHES
For those who take to the water the Srilankan beaches and lakes provide plenty of entertainment. The beautiful beaches are romantic hideouts as well as home for adventurous water sports. The Galle with its Dutch fort, one of the oldest and famous beaches is a natural harbour and one of the vibrant world heritage sites. This beach along with Mount lavania beach are the crowded beaches owing to their proximity to Colombo. The Hikkaduwa beach, one of the earliest resorts, has a shallow coral reef parallel to the coast and various aquatic adventure activities like snorkeling and scuba diving can be undertaken to explore the underwater worlds.
Negombo beach is close to the international airport. The traditional fishing trawlers at Negombo help the restaurants here to dish out some succulent seafood. Bentota beach is a meeting point of the river with the sea and it has an open air theatre and shopping malls. Activities like folk songs and mask dancing add to the frolic at this place.
The Kaluthara Beach resort is a spice trading centre and houses a Dagoba and a bodhi tree. Fine basket wares are woven here and the Mangosteen fruit is at its best here. Arugam Bay, a low budget resort is the best surfing spot in the island. It also offers a view of the wild elephants from the Crocodile Rock situated along the coast.
Nelivali, a north east beach is good for sunbathing, diving and off shore snorkeling. The Bolgoda Lake, an attractive tourist spot is the only natural lake in the island with a combination of fresh and salt water with natural vegetation encircling it.
The northeastern part of the country, Jaffna, is a land of lagoons which is connected to the rest of the mainland by a narrow passage through forest called the Elephant Pass. Palmyra toddy extracted from the palms is Bacchus’s recipe for this place. Trincomalee is a deep water natural harbour. The extensive coral reefs at Trincomalee, Gulf of Munnar and Kalmunai are a main attraction. This region is famous for its juicy seasonal mangoes, with the red coconuts providing a refreshing drink for the heat and humidity of this region.
RAVISHING WATERFALLS, GRAND PEAKS AND EXPANSIVE SANCTUARIES
The adventurous trekker will find many places for exploration. The mountains of Piduruthalagala, the tallest, the Adam’s peak and the Sigiriya are the best spots for hikers. The wildlife in sanctuaries are bountiful. The Yala National Park housing the Lahugala Elephant sanctuary is bounded by the ocean in front with plains and thick forests within is a few hours drive from the city. It is home to many birds and animals owing to its rich vegetation and water sources from water holes, lagoons and streams.
Horton Plains is one of a kind as it is the sole park in the hill country of Nuwareliya sheltering the slender Loris and the purple monkeys. The Pinnawale elephant orphanage originally started to conserve the wild elephants has now become the home to many herds of elephants and it portrays the importance of conservation of wild life. The Bambarakande Falls with the tallest waterfall of the country, close to the Colombo-Bandarewala road is a must see especially in the months of September-October where its capacity peaks.
The Bo leaf shape Bopath waterfall is a small but attractive sight to a traveler on Ratnapura Road. The Bridal falls situated on the way to Nuwareliya, drops like a veil over a rock face. There are many more water falls which can be enjoyed during a train trip across the island.
THE COOL MOUNTAINS
The romantics are not left behind in their share of enjoyment with the cooler mountains starting from Kandy, Bandarawella, Badulla and Nuweraliya. Nuweraliya is a romantic delude with waterfalls, botanical gardens and glimpses of ancient Hindu culture depicted by the Hanuman temple, Sita Eliya. The car racing, horse riding, trekking expeditions to the Devon, Ramboda, Laksapana waterfalls, boating and fishing at the Lake Gregory and golf courses provide ample entertainment for the venturous lot. For the dreamers a stroll in the Victoria Park, a romantic view of the flowers at the Botanical Garden and tea plantations is a treat.
SRILANKAN CUISINE
The cuisine of Srilanka is as assorted as its nature. Nothing is more delectable than some servings of seafood after a day in the water and sands of the beaches. The Pittu and different varieties of hoppers - string, plain, egg, milk and the sweet ones, vanduappa and paniappa made with rice flour with the Hoddha, coconut milk gravy as side dish is a sumptious meal.
Dishes made with grated coconut - the “sambols” - are one of the specialities of the Srilankan breakfast and is worth a try. During ceremonies like weddings and festivities Kiri Bath, a rice pudding cooked in coconut milk is served. Succulent desserts - the Kavun, a deep fried oil cake, the Watalappan, pudding of egg, coconut milk and kitul palm jaggery and the Kiri peni, mixture of curd and honey are scrumptious.
The influence of natural spices in the cuisine is noteworthy. The exotic tropical fruits - bananas, rambutans, mangosteens, papayas mangoes, jackfruit, durians provides a luscious treat to the palate.
FESTIVALS AND DANCES OF SRILANKA
A tour of Lanka is not complete without a glimpse into the festivities of the country. The Sinhala and Tamil New Year are celebrated on the same day (April 14th) probably due to the fact that Hinduism and Buddhism have a historic connection. The preparation for the New year start the day before, with people rushing to their homes to clean them in anticipation of the new year and women team up to play the big drum, the Raban and the fire works follow shortly.
The Sinhala New year starts off with a glance at the moon, a herbal bath followed by lighting of the oil lamp, prayers and a nutritious family meal of brown rice, undu and sweets. On this day paying respect to elders and exchanging betel leaves is considered a very important custom. Meeting family and friends to strengthen bondage and starting new businesses are considered a significant part of this day.
Christians celebrate Christmas and New Year, and Muslims celebrate Ramzan and Id with as much fervor as the Sinhala and Tamil festivals. Wesak, a national festival which marks the day of birth, enlightenment and Parinibana of Lord Buddha is celebrated by people dressed in pure white with floral offerings to the Lord, lighting lamps and incense sticks and prayers.
During Wesak week people give alms as it symbolizes sharing of joy and peace and follow it up by singing devotional songs. The nights are colourful with houses and roads lit with wesak lanterns, and hoardings depicting the story of Buddha are put up in public places. The famous Kandy Esala perahera - a ten day festival during the months of July and August culminates with a palanquin parade in the last five days to worship the Rain God.
Traditionally the festival starts with cutting of the Jackfruit, followed by a procession of over hundred dressed elephants and colourful Kandyan dancers dancing with whip crackers leading the way and is a delight to watch. The thunderous display by the drummers with their distinct variety of drums is an eye catcher. The spirit of music and dance can be experienced throughout the country in different forms. The carnatic music lovers of the north where Nadaswaram and thavil instrument players along with the bharatanatyam dancers captivate the audience. The south and central parts where the Kandyan, Sbaragamuwa, Pahatharata and Wanni dances and the popular baila songs makes one understand the artistic conglomeration of the island.
SHOPPERS ECSTASY
Laksala, a government shop and other innumerable shopping malls near the Colombo Fort has a brilliant collection of the country’s handicrafts and souvenirs. One can shop at reasonable prices at the World market, a day and night bazaar with leather goods, toys and garments and Pettah market.
Srilanka has one of the largest gem collection and precious and semi-precious stones of choice can be bought at the mining town of Ratnapura, and in Colombo. The global influence can be seen in the garment collection, the local Batik garment collection being the favourite of many visitors. Basketry, coir work, pottery, silver and brassware, handloom, decorated ebony elephants, lacquer ware, spices, tea are the specialities of this country."Shop till you drop" may be a perfect term to use here with never-ending choices for shoppers. A tourist never goes home disappointed after a holiday in Srilanka because of its multiplicity and hospitality of the people.
The beauty and diversity in the cultural heritage, geography, wildlife, art, blend of tradition and modernity and the people in a Lilliputian island called Srilanka makes it indeed the pearl of the east.
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