ANURADHAPURA
According to agooddir, ANURADHAPURA was the largest city on the island and served as the capital of Sri Lanka for about 1400 years. Even today, its ruins testify to the rare beauty of this city, whose stone structures are comparable in mass only with the pyramids of Ancient Egypt.
MIHINTALE
The history of this place is deeply immersed in the national identity of the Sri Lankans. It was in MIHINTAL that the cleric Devanampiyatissa, while hunting for a deer, encountered a phenomenon that prompted him to accept Buddhism.
Mount Mihintale, located 13 km from Anuradhapura, never lacks pilgrims – both local and foreign, as it is the cradle of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Visitors can take part in climbing 1840 steps of one of the oldest staircases on earth leading to the top of the mountain.
KANDY
The royal city, located among the mountains of the center of the country, was the residence of the last Sinhalese king, Sri Vikremarajasinghe.
Every guest of Sri Lanka must visit KANDY, the second largest city, the Sinhalese cultural and spiritual capital, which also attracts with its comfortable climate. Here is a Buddhist shrine – the Temple of the Tooth Relic.
KANDY is also a cultural center famous for its handicrafts, ancient colorful dances.
Visit the magnificent Royal Botanical Garden of Peradeniya, located on the banks of the Mahaweli River, the longest on the island.
Kandy’s biggest attraction has long been the annual Esala Perahera (a magnificent religious procession in honor of the sacred Tooth of Buddha), a majestic elephant parade that turns the city into a pandemonium of tourists from all over the world. Thousands of dancers and over 100 elephants made this the biggest event of the year in Sri Lanka.
NUWARA ELIYA
The British rulers planned NUWARA ELIA as an early 19th-century English settlement with residences and other buildings ranging from Georgian to Queen Anne. The city was built at an altitude of 1890 meters above sea level. Cool climate, picturesque hilly landscape in the center of the realm of tea plantations. In the surroundings there are beautiful waterfalls, falling in cascades from many meters high.
One of the main attractions of NUWARA ELIA is one of the best 18-hole golf courses in Asia.
horton plains
It is the largest and most isolated plateau in Sri Lanka. Nature lovers will appreciate this wide, grassy upland, inhabited by several species of wild, but not dangerous animals and many birds. A narrow path across the plateau will lead you to a 1050 km high bluff known as “The End of the World”. Lie down on your stomach and look over the mountain range: in good visibility, the view is simply breathtaking.
MUTURAJAWELA
It is the largest swamp in Sri Lanka. It covers an area of 8,000 acres, from the mouth of the Kalani River to the outskirts of the Negombo lagoon. The swamp, more habitable and wild on the Negombo side, is home to many different birds, small mammals, snakes, butterflies, dragonflies and even crocodiles.
40% of Sri Lankan vertebrate species live here, many of which are endemic.
126 species of birds living here and 40 species of migratory birds have been registered.
It is a paradise for anglers using the traditional net, line, fish and shellfish tank.
Interesting boat tours are organized along Muturajavel, which introduce tourists to the diversity of landscapes and ecosystems, as well as traditional fishing techniques. Nature lovers will not find anything better.
UDAWALAWE
This is one of the newest national parks. It is located around the reservoir of the same name south of the central part of the island. Inspection of the park is carried out only with a guide and only in the morning and evening hours. In the park you can see herds of wild elephants, deer, buffaloes, wild boars, monkeys; many other species – such as peacocks, crocodiles, and with special luck – bears and leopards.
A patient and observant visitor will be rewarded a hundredfold.
SINHARADZA
These are the remains of the virgin jungle of Sri Lanka. There is a walking path through 50 square miles of forest. Just like in the Congo or the Amazon, the plants are arranged in tiers. The suffocating silence is broken only by the sounds of rain: precipitation here exceeds 500 cm per year.
BUNDALA
A reserve where birds abound. During the northwest monsoon you can often see flamingos. During a drought, elephants come to the salt islands of BUNDAL.
The sandy beaches of Sri Lanka are not inferior to the best beaches in the world.
NEGOMBO (north of Colombo)
It is the best resort north of Colombo. Known as the Fisherman’s Village. A special atmosphere here is created by the old churches of the 17th century, which lined up along the highway and the old fort.
At the end of July, a festival dedicated to St. Anne is held here.
Like many coastal cities of the island, NEGOMBO was engaged in the spice trade long before the arrival of the first Portuguese in Sri Lanka.
In the Negombo lagoon, a large number of fish and seafood are caught, which are sold at the fish market. During the day, fishing nets are stretched along the beaches to dry and repair.
South of Colombo are the beautiful beaches of Wadduwa, Kalutara, Weruwala, Aluthgama, Bentota, Kosgoda, Hikkaduwa, Galle, Unuwatuna, Tangalle and Weligama.
GALLE
The coastal HALLE is famous for its well-preserved 17th century fort, lacework and bone carvings. A trip to GALLE includes a visit to Ambalangoda, famous for its mask-making workshops, and Hikkaduwa, with its extraordinarily beautiful coral gardens and exotic tropical fish. Seafood restaurants abound along the way.
It is also very interesting to see the sea turtle hatchery.
HAMBANTOTA
The largest city on the southeast coast with a beautiful harbor. On the territories adjacent to the city there are salt lakes, where salt is evaporated from sea water. The salt is then transported by rail to the factories. The city is also famous for the best buffalo curdled milk.
KALUTARA
It was once one of the main spice trade centers on the island, especially cinnamon. Today, the city is best known for its mangosteen.
Just south of Kalutara, the best beaches of Ceylon begin.
