Sri Lanka Attractions

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Sri Lanka Attractions

• Colombo is the capital of Sri Lanka and is a
  metropolitan city with a population of nearly one
  million. Among the many places of interest in the
  City are the Fort, the Old Parliament House
  (presently the Presidential Secretariat),
  Buddhist temples, Old Churches, Hindu temples,
  Mosques, the National Museum, Independence Hall,
  and the Zoological Gardens. Five Star
  international chain hotels and a large number of
  other hotels and guest houses provide comfortable
  accommodation to the visitors at affordable
  prices. Several specialty restaurants serving
  international cuisine, karaoke bars, and
  discotheques keep the visitors happy late into
  the night.

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Sri Lanka Beaches

• The southern coastal belt is the most popular
  among the tourists and comes to life mainly from
  October through April when the monsoon moves
  north east and the sea becomes calm with blue
  skies. It is an ideal place to spend the Winter
  vacation fully made use of by the European
  tourists. The main beach resorts are at Beruwala,
  Bentota and Hikkaduwa having several beach hotels
  with their exclusive beachfronts. Another
  interesting stretch of beach in the south is
  Unawatuna.
• Unawatuna-Four kilometers south of Galle (120 km.
  from Colombo),is a beautiful stretch of beach in
  the south safe for bathing. The road leading
  south from Colombo passes through the Southern
  Beach Resorts winding its way through stretches
  of coconut land. When you are there you may spot
  men high in the air crossing from tree to tree on
  two ropes tied to the two trees like a tight
  roper. He is a toddy tapper getting about his
  daily chores tapping the sap off the tender
  inflorescence of the coconut trees which is used
  to distill Sri Lankan Arrack and other alcoholic
  beverages. 

Unawatuna
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ANCIENT CITY- Kandy

• Kandy, the Hill Capital was the last bastion of
  the Sinhala kings and is a charming city offering
  a living record of a magnificent past. Center of
  attraction in Kandy is the Dalada Maligawa, the
  temple housing the sacred Tooth Relic of the
  Buddha. Kandy Lake enhances the charm of the
  City.Kandy is a romantic city any time of the
  year, but in August, this ancient capital becomes
  the venue of one of the most legendary festivals
  in Asia, the Festival of the August Moon when
  thousands of people from all parts of the country
  and from foreign countries crowd to the Hill
  Capital to witness the magnificent spectacle.

Dalada Maligawa
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Regional Differences

• Population and Religion
• Like other nations in the South Asia region,
  Sri Lanka has a diverse population. Various
  communities profess four of the world's major
  religions Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and
  Christianity. The major ethnic groups include not
  only the Sinhalese and the Sri Lankan Tamils, who
  compose 74 and 12.6 percent of the population,
  respectively, but also Indian Tamils (5.5 percent
  of the population) who view themselves as
  separate from the Sri Lankan Tamils, as well as
  "Moors" or Muslims (7.1 percent), "Burghers" and
  other people of mixed European and Sri Lankan
  descent (0.4 percent), Malays (0.4 percent), and
  tiny percentages of others including the
  aboriginal Veddahs, who are considered to be the
  island's original inhabitants.

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Regional Differences(cont)

• Sri Lanka is an island in the Indian Ocean,
  located to the south of Indian Subcontinent.
  Sprawling over the area of 65, 610 square
  kilometers, Sri Lanka with its tear-dropped shape
  is dominated by the astonishingly varied features
  of topography, making it one of the most scenic
  places in the world. Three zones can be divided
  by its distinguished elevation the Central
  Highland, the plains, and the coastal belt.
• The Central Highland the highest pinnacle is
  Pidurutalagala Mountain levitating at 2,524
  meters Sri Lankan people consider this mountain
  as the sacred site of pilgrimage. The Adam's Peak
  lying to the west, at the southern end of the
  plateau is better known for its spectacular
  scenery and sacred pilgrimage site with its
  elevation of 2224 meters.
• The Plains Then the land descends from the
  Central Highlands to a series of flat plains
  between 30 and 200 meters above sea level,
  dominating the east and the north of the island.
  Extensive erosion in this area has worn down and
  deposited the rich soil good for agriculture.
• The Coastal Belt A coastal belt surrounds the
  island, consisting of scenic sandy beaches and
  lagoons. Best beaches line along the southern
  coast, southwestern coast and eastern coast. In
  the northeast and the southwest, the coasts cut
  across the stratification of crystalline rocks,
  cliffs, bays, and offshore islands, creating one
  of the world's best natural harbors