Sri Lanka Holidays

Buy one Sri Lanka and you get others free – well, almost! First is the Sri Lanka of beaches. Long Indian Ocean strands of glistening gold backed by ranks of leaning palms. Then comes a Sri Lanka of history and heritage – with ancient ruined cities, awesome temples and echoes of Portuguese, Dutch and British colonial days (cricket anyone?). And the Sri Lanka of wildlife - whose national parks are home to elephant, leopard, bear, deer and exotic birds.

 

Inland is a Sri Lanka where tropical jungle and rainforest give way to rubber and spice plantations, cool hills draped in vast tea estates and lofty mountains. Or you could just enjoy the Sri Lanka of the friendly welcome, delicious cuisine - and sheer value for money.

 

Island Adventure

Bored with pool and beach? Unlikely!  But Sri Lanka can also put you in touch with a host of exhilarating adventure activities: hiking, mountain-biking, and white-water rafting, climbing, elephant-back safaris, hot-air ballooning – and more. For visitors drawn by the island’s beautiful interior and its 25 centuries of history, a journey into the hill country offers much to enjoy. Here echoes of past civilisations abound and Buddhist shrines and vast ruined palaces dot the landscape. Everywhere the eye is met by the lush vegetation of the tropics – a tapestry of sweeping tea-plantations, rugged mountains, cascading waterfalls and forests of sandalwood and mahogany.

 

Nightlife & Party with Locals

In the island’s beach areas, where most resort hotels are, the ‘nightlife’ tends to be concentrated around the hotels themselves, although there are local bars in plenty.

 

Gourmet Cuisine & Dining Out

Here again, for the visitor sampling the fare on offer in neighbouring resort hotels - both island and international - tends to provide the best opportunities. Some of the more upscale properties offer fine dining of exceptional quality.

 

World's Best Scuba Dive Sites

A wide coral reef, 5 - 40 metres deep, protects Sri Lanka's coast at intervals from north to south. It boasts many species of coral and spectacular fish and a mix of wrecks, caves and striking formations. The east coast seas are calmest from April to September, where Nilaveli is among the best sites. There are also interesting wreck drives at Unawatuna around Galle.

 

Family Holidays

Sri Lanka’s beach hotels and tours make it a family-friendly choice. On tour distances are modest – and the wildlife interest will have a great appeal for many youngsters.

 

One of Sri Lanka’s greatest assets is its sheer variety in a relatively small area. You can be bathing in the Indian Ocean in the morning – and exploring dense jungle or cooling off in the hills in the afternoon. You could devote your entire stay to the beach – but the history, scenery and wildlife demand otherwise.

 

 

WHAT TO SEE

 

Galle

From your beach hotel you can (and definitely should!) visit this historic old port city. Its wealth of old colonial buildings include the vast Dutch Fort (all 96 acres and 700 buildings of it), an amazingly well-preserved UNESCO World Heritage site.

 

Mount Lavinia

For a glimpse into Sri Lanka’s colonial past take tea at the famed Mount Lavinia Hotel (a former British Governor’s House dating from 1805) at this popular beach resort near Colombo.

 

Negombo

This is Sri Lanka's oldest and best-known fishing community, not far from Colombo and set on a strand separating the sea from a lagoon. The seafood here (especially shellfish) is a local speciality.

 

Bentota & Hikkaduwa

40 miles from Colombo, Bentota is a pleasant beach resort area between the sea and the river. Hikkaduwa is another leading beach resort, with an attractive coral reef, golden beaches and scuba-diving, surfing and snorkelling.

 

Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage

Whether or not you’re into elephants, a visit to this popular location (2.5 hours from Colombo on the road to Kandy) is always a great favourite with visitors. It is home to over 60 elephants – you may have the chance to see some of them being bottle-fed and taking a bath.

 

Dambulla

Awesome Dambulla is Sri Lanka’s largest and best-preserved Cave Temple complex dating back to the first century BC, its many statues and murals dedicated primarily to the Buddha.

 

Sigiriya

Built in the 5^th century, Sigiriya Rock Fortress stands atop a monolith of red rock more than 600 ft high. Don’t rush the climb! One of Sigiriya’s most famous features is the amazingly good rock paintings of women. You can also try to decipher a graffiti wall over 10 centuries old – and stroll through the water gardens.

 

Anuradhapura

Sri Lanka’s first capital established around the 4th century BC and inhabited for over 1,000 years. The carved stone remains of the old complex reveal extensive temples, tanks and ponds. Holiest site of all is the Sacred Bo-Tree, allegedly a descendant of the tree under which the Buddha received enlightenment.

 

Polonnaruwa

The second most ancient of Sri Lanka’s kingdoms, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and notable for its colossal reclining Buddha carved into a granite boulder - and the original old irrigation systems that still supply water necessary for paddy cultivation.

 

Kandy

70 miles up-country from Colombo, Kandy is the island’s second largest city. The last stronghold of the Sinhalese Kings, it was ceded to the British only in 1815. Today it’s a cultural sanctuary where age-old customs, arts, crafts, rituals and ways of life are well preserved. Arguably the most sacred of Buddhist shrines in Sri Lanka is the 16^th century Temple of the Tooth (a World Heritage Site), housing a tooth believed to be that of the Buddha. The Royal Botanical Gardens are a ‘must see’ here.

 

Nuwara Eliya

Over 6,000 ft above sea level and surrounded by lush tea plantations, this is Sri Lanka’s main hill resort of Sri Lanka and the capital of the island’s tea industry (50% of the world’s finest teas come from here). Once a pleasure retreat of British planters, set against a beautiful backdrop of mountains, valleys, waterfalls and plantations, it still has many attractive English-style bungalows and buildings and preserves a faintly ‘English’ feel.

 

Yala National Park

Sri Lanka’s largest and most-visited park, habitat of many elephants, as well as boar, monkeys, buffalo, sambar, peacocks and a variety of migrant birds. You might even be one of the fortunate few to see a leopard!

 

Udawalawe National Park

Resembling an African game park, Udawalawe has up to 500 elephants, often roaming in herds of up to 100. Buffalo, deer, sloth bears and the occasional leopard keep them company, along with mongooses, bandicoots, foxes, water monitor lizards and crocodiles.

 

 

WHAT TO DO

 

Sports

The beaches in the south-west of the island (at their best from November to April) provide a wealth of watersports options. In Hikkaduwa, where keen surfers will always find good waves, the marine sanctuary, abundant with rare corals and tropical fish, offers great snorkelling. From here through to Unawatuna and beyond there are a number of excellent scuba diving and snorkelling spots (see also the At a Glance section for more information on scuba-diving). At Bentota the Bentota River is a venue for boat safaris, windsurfing and jet-skiing. Windsurfing is gaining in popularity and facilities are located in Bentota, Beruwela, Kalutara and Negombo. And while golfers may have to travel for their sport here, there are 18-hole courses in Colombo, Nuwara Eliya and Kandy.

 

Wildlife

Pre-booking a tour to complement your beach stay is the way to enjoy the best that Sri Lanka has to offer (see What to See above), including its fascinating wildlife. The birdlife is especially prolific, with hundreds of species and winter migrants to be seen, and Bundala National Park is a popular bird-watching venue. Sri Lanka is a country of diverse landscapes, rich in culture, history and incredible beauty.

 

Ayurveda

This ancient form of medicine, using herbs and oils to heal and rejuvenate, is widely practised in Sri Lanka. Many hotel spas and wellness centres can offer a variety of therapies ideal for fostering total relaxation – the perfect condition for enjoying Sri Lanka to the full!

 

Shopping

Your budget is elastic? Then you’ll be tempted by Sri Lanka’s precious gemstones – sapphires, rubies, beryls, zircon, quartz and more. Ratnapura is the gem centre, but gemstones are widely available (though often at higher prices). Otherwise you’ll find many handicraft items, among them painted wooden ceremonial masks, batiks, leather and lacquer-work, jewellery, coir-ware and earthenware. Laksala, a government-run store found in most tourism areas, is ideal for sourcing out goods. Street stalls require bargaining - expect vendors to start the bidding at twice (or more!) the true value.

 

Nightlife

Sri Lanka’s nightlife, except at main hotels and in larger cities like Colombo and Kandy, is of the ‘blink and you’ve missed it variety’. Larger hotels may have a casino or nightclub – and some feature cultural dance and other performances. Kandy, especially, has dancers, drummers and fire-walkers performing almost every night in peak season.

 

A number of annual religious festivals are a regular feature of the Sri Lanka events calendar – in the main celebrated very publicly and in flamboyant and lively style. Some of the main occasions are shown below – though you may find other local celebrations dotting the island landscape!

 

January

The annual Duruthu Perehera Festival in Colombo celebrates Lord Buddha’s third visit to Sri Lanka and is marked by a huge procession and festival.

 

February

The incredible spectacle of Nawam Full Moon Poya Day is a lavish tribute to the February Full Moon - with a two-day Colombo event that features parades and processions including elephants, dancers and the music of drummers and horn players.

 

April

Sri Lanka’s Sinhalese and Tamils celebrate their New Year each April with a series of feasts and religious services in towns and villages throughout the island.

 

May

Vesak Day is one of the biggest days of the year in the Buddhist calendar and is honoured island-wide by Buddhists. It marks the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha and is a day of great celebrations. It is traditional to clean the home and decorate it in preparation for the celebrations which begin before dawn and continue throughout the day with services, meditation and processions.

 

June

Held near Anuradhapura, the annual June full moon Poson Festival is also an ancient celebration commemorating the introduction of Buddhism to Sri Lanka in the third century BC.

 

July

Held at Kataragama in Sri Lanka's southern jungle this annual two-week event celebrates the variously named Kataragama God in true style, culminating in a spectacular fire-walking performance.

 

November

Deepavali (also known as ‘Diwali’ or the ‘Festival of Lights’) is one of the year’s biggest celebrations for the Hindu faith, with Colombo, Kandy and Galle the main centres for performances. Homes are traditionally decorated with lights and lanterns - and so popular are the celebrations here that members of other faiths often join in the fun and feasting.