2. Anuradhapura and Mihintale
Mighty dagobas, the holiest tree, and Sri Lankan Buddhism’s birthplace.

3. Aukana
Exquisitely carved Buddha colossus hewn from a single rock.

4. Kandy
Home to the worshipped Tooth and the island’s grandest festival.

5. Peradeniya
The finest botanical garden in Asia

6. Colombo
Buzzing capital and a food paradise

7. Kitulgala
Prehistoric caves, white water rafting and the location for the film, ‘Bridge on the River Kwai’.

8. Adam’s Peak
Perfectly conical, a holy mountain worth climbing

9. Sinharaja Biosphere Reserve
This reserve, criss-crossed with trails feathered friends

10. Galle
UNESCO protected Dutch old town

11. Uppuveli and Nilaveli
Beautiful beaches with hardly a soul around

12. Kaudulla National park
An ancient tank where herds of elephants in their hundreds can be seen

13. Sigiriya
Spectacular ‘Lion Rock’, bare breasted damsels and a fifth century playboy’s penthouse.

14. Polonnaruwa
Well preserved and compact ancient city in a peaceful shaded park

15. Nuwara Eliya
Eccentric former British hill station in the cool climes of tea-growing country.

16. Ella
Mountain walks, waterfalls and vistas

17. Arugam Bay
The island’s best surf and its latest beach hotspot

18. Kataragama
Hindu pilgrimage site famed for the water-cutting and fire-walking ceremonies

19. Yala West (Ruhuna) National Park
The best chance of spotting the elusive leopard

20. Mirissa
A picture perfect stretch of palm backed sandy beach

Originally posted 2008-08-07 13:40:21. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Originally posted 2008-08-07 13:28:22. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Clothing:
Some of designer brands have their clothes made here include GAP, Ralph Lauren and Next. Most are exported to Western countries, but they are sold in Sri Lankan boutiques and malls at tempting low prices; as low as USD10 – USD30. Be on the lookout when buying, as fake products abound.

Gems & Jewellery:
Sri Lanka has been famous for its precious stones. Gems and jewellery remain important to the national economy even today. Blue sapphires, rubies, amethysts, topaz, moonstones and more are to be found here, so it is hardly surprising that these dazzling items feature high on many visitors’ shopping list. Ratnapura is the gem mining centre where locally excavated uncut gems are traded daily on the streets. Word of caution though, unless you are an expert gemologist, there is a strong chance that you will end up with an expensive piece of coloured glass. You could find many sophisticated scams who would lure you to buy gems at a special “cheap” price with assurances that you will be able to resell them back home for several times the price you paid for them.

Masks:
The most characteristic – and clichéd – Sri Lankan souvenirs are brightly painted masks

Originally posted 2008-08-07 13:42:07. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Originally posted 2008-08-07 13:29:51. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Helpful checklist

• Toiletries, including barrier contraceptives and tampons
• Personal medicines and inhalers and a copy of a prescription
• International driving license
• Photocopies of essential documents – flight ticket, passport identification and visa pages
• Spare passport photographs
• Hat and sunglasses
• Insect repellant
• Sun protection cream
• Swiss army knife
• Torch
• Wet wipes
• Zip lock bags
• Contact lens cleaning solutions

Originally posted 2008-08-07 13:36:51. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( known as Ceylon before 1972) is an island nation in South Asia, located about 31 kilometers (18½ mi) off the southern coast of India. It is home to approximately 19.043 million people.

Originally posted 2008-07-16 20:39:00. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Originally posted 2008-08-07 13:32:31. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Ask for a double entry visa if you are intending to visit another country, eg. India or the Maldives.

A 60 day extension is available to nationals of all countries upon paying a fee, which varies according to the charge to Sri Lankan of entering your country. Payment is accepted in Rupees, US dollars or by credit card. It is not necessary to wait until shortly before the expiry of your original visa. Extensions will be granted at any time within the original 30-day period.

Nationals of some countries are issued with a free, 30 day visa upon arrival. This one month visa can be easily extended to three months by visiting the Department of Immigration, Sri Lanka.

Countries for which visa is issued for free in alphabetical order: A-K | L- Z

Originally posted 2008-08-07 13:27:26. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Maximum Length 432Km
Maximum Breadth 224Km
Land Area 65,525 Sq. Km
Excluding Inland Waters 62,336 Sq. Km

Highest Water fal l( Bambarakanda) 241 meters
Highest Peak ( Pidurutalagala ) 2524 meters
Longest River ( Mahaweli) 335 k. meters

Climate Low Lands- tropical, average 27C
Central Hills – cooler

Climate:
Temperature(Mean Annual) 270C in the lowland, with temperatures dropping to 14C at Nuwara Eliya (altitude 1800 m). Relative Humidity varies from 70% during the day to 90% at night.
The south-west monsoon brings rain to the western, southern and central regions from May to July, while the north-eastern monsoon occurs in the north and east in December and January. Rainfall (annual) 2500 mm to over 5000 mm in South West of the Island. Less than 1250 mm in the North West and South East of the Island.

Originally posted 2008-08-07 13:38:49. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Cathay pacific

Emirates

Gulf Air

Indian Airlines

Korean Airlines

Kuwait Airways

Lufthansa

Malaysia Airlines

Oman Air

Pakistan International Airways

Qatar Airways

Royal Jordanian

Saudi Arabian

Singapore Airlines

Sri Lankan Airlines

Thai International

Originally posted 2008-08-07 12:16:57. Republished by Blog Post Promoter