Sri Lanka Travel - Attractions, Information

Beaches

North Coast

Jaffna

Situated in the north 398 km away from Colombo, Jaffna has an austere kind of beauty that is vastly different from the rest of the island. A vacation on its virgin beaches, coralline coast, off shore islets, and in the peninsula that is expressing a very distinctive way of life can be an enigmatic experience for a traveler. Not to be missed are the sand dunes of Manalkadu - a miniscule desert whose sheer wildness - that impresses most visitors. Casuarina Beach is situated at Karainagar and there are good beaches as well at Santhakulam and Thondaimannar.

Mannar Island

The Island is probably the driest, most barren area in Sri Lanka. The landscape features many baobab trees, probably introduced from Africa by Arab traders centuries ago. Mannar, the major town on the island, is at the southern end, joined the mainland by a 3 km causeway. It's not interesting apart from its picturesque Portuguese/Dutch fort. Talaimannar, near the western end, is about 3 km from the pier that was the arrival and departure point of the ferry for India that operated until 1984. A little farther west, an abandoned lighthouse at South Point marks the start of Adam's Bridge, the chain of reefs, sandbanks and islets that almost connects Sri Lanka to India. In the Ramayana, this is the series of stepping stones that Hanuman used to follow Rawana, the demon king of Lanka, in his bid to rescue Sita.

West Coast

The West Coast broadly stretches from Mt. Lavinia, a southern suburb of Colombo to Mannar Island in the lower northwest. Mt. Lavinia and Negombo are considered the best developed beach resorts in this region. Isolated hotels have sprung up in most places along the western coastal stretch.

Negombo

The major beach resort in the West Coast is Negombo which is a characteristic fishing town in Gampaha district, 37 km north of Colombo, merely 6 km from the International Airport. The wide sandy beaches and its safe sea attract thousands of visitors to Negombo. Set amid lush groves of coconut palms, it breathes the spirit of the sea. Negombo is also a gourmet's paradise with seafood in plenty. The fish market where there are busy trading of a variety of fish, prawns, crabs and seer that take place lively in the mornings, when the fishing crafts return to the shore with their catch, is a worth visiting place. The most popular fishing craft is the outrigger canoe called 'oruwa' dug out from a huge log which is seen in large numbers in the Negombo lagoon.

Mount Lavinia

Situated in the South Colombo 12 km away from the city, Mount Lavinia is a suburb of always well known beach since the colonial time. The sea is a safe and popular bathing spot. Its clean sandy beaches, lies alongside a wind swept headland, are jutting into the waters of the Indian Ocean with softest sand and the calm and clear water. The name Lavinia reminds of a secret love affair between a British Governor and a local damsel who used to meet at the holiday house of the Governor, built in 1805 by Sir Thomas Maitland, which now became part of the famous Mount Lavinia Hotel.

East Coast

From April to October, the East Coast comes to life. It is one of the best stretches of beach in Sri Lanka. The Eastern beaches stretch for over 300 kilometers along which tourist resorts are developed.

Trincomalee

Situated 257 km from Colombo, this city is the ideal refuge for the beach addicts. It comprises a fine natural harbor and excellent beaches. Horatio Nelson - the British admiral of the 18th century - had, on arriving at the Trincomalee harbor, described it as the finest harbor in the world. This beautiful harbor was in use since the days of the early Sinhala kings. At the site there is an old Portuguese/Dutch Fort which has an inscription above its entrance, made by Dutch in 1676, is reminiscent of the colonial rule. It was subsequently named 'Ford Frederick' by the British.

Nilaveli

Located in Trincomalee district, 271 from Colombo or 14 km from Trincomalee, Nilaveli is a prime beach resort in the east coast. It is ideally suited for sun bathing, swimming and diving. Also, at few meters off shore, there is a small rocky island that is good for snorkeling. All water sports are available here including fishing and sea angling and whale watching in the sanctuary. In 1985, Nilaveli was the venue for the 1985 International Funboard Championships.

Arugam Bay

Further east, 314 km from Colombo, in Ampara district is a most beautiful bay good for surfing. Arugam Bay is a fishing village with a wide, sweeping beach in front of the village itself that has a low promontory and is good for swimming. The East coast offers unlimited possibility for many kinds of water sports and underwater photography. The many ship-wrecks of the coast are a tempting challenge to many divers.

Kalkudah & Passekudah

A 2 km-long Kalkudah Bay, 32 km north of Batticaloa, is one of fine beaches in the east coast that is well protected from the monsoon by the off shore reef. Passekudah Bay is another wide beach with the length of 4 km located to the south of Kalkudah and is a lovely bay with clear water. The combined area of Passekudah and Kalkudah was declared as a National Holiday Resort in 1973. This is an ideal site for bathing, windsurfing and water skiing and is a well frequented tourist center with a modern hotel and related facilities.

Batticaloa

The city is like most other coastal townships that were under Portuguese and Dutch rule. A Dutch Fort stands close to the Batticaloa lagoon. The most famous attraction of Batticaloa is the 'Singing Fish'. On a full moon night, between April and September, there is a faint but distinct musical sound (described as the type of noise produced by rubbing a moistened finger around the rim of a wine glass) rises from the lagoon water, this sound is attributed to a noise emanated by one kind of fish found in the lagoon.

South Coast

The southern coast is the most popular among tourists and comes to life mainly from October through April when the monsoon moves northeast and the sea becomes calmer with blue sky. It is an ideal place to go on a vacation. The main beach resorts are at Beruwela, Bentota and Hikkaduwa and Unawatuna.

Beruwela

An hour drive from Colombo along the southwest coast will take you to Beruwela marked for the beginning of the 130 km stretch southwest coast beach resort. Beruwela is in Kalutara district 56 km to the south of Colombo that is considered to be the first Muslim settlement in the island established by the Arab traders of the 8th century. There is also a famous Muslim mosque at the beachhead.

Bentota

Situated in Galle, a district that is 62 km southwards of Colombo or 4 km southward of Beruwela, the Bentota Resort Complex is a romantic rendezvous of river and sea with several hotels, railway station, post office, shopping arcade, cafeteria and an open air theatre showing folk and mask dancing with clusters of palms overlooking everything. There is also an abundance of water based recreational activities in the area.

Ambalangoda

The beautiful coast of Ambalangoda is a half an hour drive from Bentota or 86 km from Colombo. It is a fair-sized town that has a beautiful sweep sandy beach to its north. It is also home of devil dancing and mask making. Colorful masks worn during traditional dance are carved out of soft wood and brightly painted. Other products such as batiks and hand-woven cottons are also found here.

Hikkaduwa

Located in Galle district 98 km south of Colombo, Hikkaduwa has long been Sri Lanka's most popular beach spot. It is the place for underwater delight where there is a marine sanctuary, abundant with rare corals and tropical fish. The underwater world of colorful corals and beautiful shoals of fish can be explored either by snorkeling or taking a ride in a glass bottom boat. Hikkaduwa is a fun and busy town, there are numerous and varied restaurants, bars, clubs and cafés. Hikkaduwa has it all to offer: coral for snorkellers, waves for board and body surfers and good wide strips of sand if you want to just sit back and relax. During May to October of monsoon season, many places close and water can be quite rough.

Galle

Considered as the southern capital (116 km from Colombo), Sri Lanka's fourth biggest town, Galle is the most historically interesting living city. Its modern towns were gradually built separately from the ancient one. It was the seaport of Sri Lanka before the Colombo Port was developed in the late 19 century and it still handles shipping and cruising yachts today. Its main attraction is the Fort called 'Santa Cruz' that has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The Fort was built by the Portuguese in 1619 and subsequently expanded and developed by the Dutch and the British the one time colonial masters of the island. What now remains is mostly the work of the Dutch and the British.

Weligama

Weligama - means 'Sandy Village' - is situated in Matara district, 143 km from Colombo or 27 km from Galle with its sandy sweep bay. It is indeed a very fishing town with less travelers visit. Very close to the shore there is an off shore islet known as Taprobane where a dream house of French Count de Maunay was built on, Weligama is where you will see the famous stilt fishermen.

Unawatuna

Unawatuna is 4 km southeast of Galle or 120 km from Colombo, and is a beautiful wide curving golden beach in the south that is popular and safe for bathing by which there is a reef protecting it. It is popular for travelers because at this beach there is no annoying road right to the beach unlike some other places such as Hikkaduwa. However, during public holiday, the beach can get very crowded.

Going further south, 189 km. from Colombo, is a blowhole, Kudawella, rare geological formation on the rocky beach throwing huge columns of water high up into the air with a loud noise like a natural spout. This noise has given the village its name Hoommane. Huge ocean waves breaking on the rocks are thrown up through an opening in the rock causing this wonderful sight that should not be missed by anyone going along the southern coastal road.

Mirissa

Situated on the Matara road 4 km southeast of Weligama, Mirissa marks for one of the country's most beautiful beach. Its headland separates its small fishing harbor from its beautiful curve of sandy beach with calm, clear waters. Mirissa is the alternative for quieter place to Unawatuna or Hikkaduwa.

Tangalla

Situated 195 km from Colombo, Tangalla is one of the nicest spots along the cost, particularly if you want somewhere to find a place to laze and soak up the sun. Tangalla's series of bays are the modern attraction, white sandy beach of Medaketiya shimmer away from the northeast to smaller bays on the west. However, some of the beaches in these bays shelve off very steeply and the resulting waves make them dangerous for swimmers. The town pretty much reminds of the Dutch period, for example, the Rest House was once home of the Dutch administrators.

National Parks

Sri Lanka is a paradise for animal lovers who enjoy animal or bird watching. There are many national parks and sanctuaries in Sri Lanka that offer you an opportunity to observe a real wildlife once in your lifetime. The animals that roam the national parks and sanctuaries are variety. Example of animals that you can see in a national park such as Yala National Park are elephants, leopards, sloth bears, deer and monkeys, wild buffalos, wild boars (pig), porcupines, ant-eaters, civet cats, jackals, mongooses, Loris (unique to Sri Lanka), several varieties of lizards, squirrels, reptiles and amphibians.

Yala (Ruhuna) National Park

Yala National Park is 309 km south of Colombo on the southeast of the island. It is well known for its biggest, extensive the area of 1,259 sq km, and for its best wildlife preservation in the country. With it considerable size, the terrain of the national park is varied from flat plains to rocky outcrops. The vegetation ranges from open parkland to dense jungle. There are also abundance of water supply for animals and birds ranging from waterholes, streams, small lakes to lagoons. The national park is divided into Yala West (also called Ruhuna) and Yala East.

Yala West or Ruhuna National Park is now well recognized for the best park in the world to observe and photograph leopards. There are about 35 leopards in the park which probably is the highest density than anywhere in the world. It is possible to take one day jeep-safari trip through the park although it takes you three days to see the entire park. The park is usually closed relatively late (almost 7.00 pm) therefore the chance to come across one of the leopards is quite high.

As well as leopards there are a large number of elephants living inside the park and these can be seen bathing in anyone of the numerous lakes within the park. Other animal living in the park include sloth bear, spotted deer, barking deer, mouse deer, toque monkey, stripe-necked mongoose, ruddy mongoose, wild pig, jackal, water monitor, marsh crocodile and estuarine crocodile.

Also, 130 species of birds have been recorded here, they includes Sri Lanka Jungle Fowl, Brown-capped Babbler, Stone Curlew, Greater Thick-knee, Black-necked Stork, Lesser Adjutant, Painted Stork, Sirkeer Malkoha, Blue-faced Malkoha, Green Bee-eater, Pompadour Green Pigeon, Blue-faced Malkoha, Green Bee-eater Orange-breasted Green Pigeon, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Brahminya Myna and Rose-colored Starling.

A large variety of water birds also can be seen in the Kumana Mangrove Swamp inside the Yala East, which is 180 sq km in extent. Yala East National Park can be entered at Okanda, 25 km down the coast track south of Arugam Bay via the small town of Panama. Going to Yala East is not always possible as it is officially closed however a three-hour round trip can be arranged from Arugam Bay.

Gal Oya National Park

Situated in Inginiyagala district west of Ampara, the Gal Oya National Park is 314 km from Colombo with its area of 260 sq km. It is surrounded by the largest tank in Sri Lanka, the Senanayake Samudra. The best time to see wildlife here is between March and July when you can possibly see almost 150 elephants at one time. This park is most renowned for its extraordinary elephant population. The usual way to enjoy the park's scenery is to take a boat trip around the lake, watching animals and birds on the shore before drifting close to the herds of elephants.

Uda Walawe National Park

Situated 170 km southeast of Colombo, the Uda Walawe National Park covers area of approximately 30,821 hectares in the dry zone. This park lies within the Ratnapura and Monaragala districts and sitting in the middle of the park is the Uda Walawe Reservoir. This Park comprises grasslands and thorn scrubs and many valuable species of trees especially teak. It is largely inhabited by elephants, spotted deer, sambhur, water buffaloes, mongoose, bandicoots, foxes, water monitor lizards, crocodiles, wild boars, Toque Monkeys, Grey Langur, leopards and 30 varieties of snakes.

Bird life includes Sri Lanka Jungle Fowl, Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Wooly-necked Stork, Black-headed Ibis, Black-shouldered Kite, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Crested Serpent Eagle, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Shikrs, Sirkeer Malkoha, and Blue-faced Malkoha.

As similar to Yala it is possible to take an all day safari through the park and there is a wonderful rest area next to a river for a relaxing break. As well as Yala, this park closes quite late (approximately 6:30pm) thus improving your chances of spotting nocturnal predators.

Wasgamuwa National Park

Situated approximately 200 km away from Colombo, the Wasgamuwa National Park lies within the Polonnaruwa and Matale Districts and have the Mahaweli River and Amban River as its eastern and western boundaries. Tropical intermediate dry mixed evergreen forest dominates its environment. The vegetation consists of primary forests, secondary forests, scrublands and grasslands. The inhabitants here are elephants, wild buffaloes, spotted deer, leopards, sloth bears, water monitors and crocodiles. Other livings are 143 species of bird including the Red Faced Malkoha, Ceylon Jungle Fowl, Lesser Adjutant, Yellow Fronted Barbet, Ceylon Spur Fowl and Ceylon Frogmouth. Plus there are 8 species of amphibians reported of living in this park which include the endangered skink, lizards like the Red Lipped Lizard and Earless Lizard. In addition, 17 species of fish and 50 species of butterflies are found here.

Adam's Peak

Adam's Peak or Samanalakade, the butterfly mountain where butterflies go to die, is another beautiful and fascinating place in Sri Lanka. The name 'Adam's Peak' came from the fact that on the top of its 2,224 m peak there is a footprint called 'Sri Pada' that is still indistinguishable of that of whom. Some believe that it was that of Adam who was made the mark just after he was cast out of the heaven and some other believe that it was that of the Lord of Buddha. Whichever legend to believe, the fact remains that this place has been a pilgrimage center for over 1,000 years. Not only the sacred footprint is the big attraction, the first rays of drawn light are eulogized as a very fine view, the hill country rises to the east while the west the land slopes to the sea. On any one clear day, Colombo which is 65 km away can be visible from the peak of this holy mountain.

Horton Plains National Park

The Horton Plains National Park is the only national park situated in the hill country and falls within the Nuwara Eliya district and is 200 km away from Colombo. It consists of grasslands interspersed with areas of forest and some unusual vegetation that grows only in high altitudes. From here rise Sri Lanka's second and third highest mountains. The plains afford some excellent, silent walks.

The most amazing feature is the 'Horton Plains is the World's End' where the southern part of the plains comes to a sudden end and drops almost straight down for 700 m. Dawn is the ideal time to view this site. The mountains are free of mist and the sun is just rising.

The dense forests are home to deer, jackal, the shaggy bear-monkey, sambhur - a member of the cat family - and the occasional leopard among these there are some endemic avifauna also found within this park.

The plains are also popular with bird watchers. Birds include Ceylon Jungle Fowl, Ceylon Wood Pigeon, Orange-billed Babbler, Ceylon Blue Magpie, Ceylon Hill Munia, Dusky-blue Flycatcher, Pied Bush-Chat, Grey Tit and Ceylon Whistling Thrush.

Bundala National Park

Bundala National Park is the latest addition to national parks and is situated 260 km away from Colombo with 62 sq km in extent. Comprising of scrub jungle and bordering the sea, the park stretches along the coast east of Hambantota. The beach is an important nesting site for turtles. Between October and January, four of Sri Lanka's five species of marine turtles come to lay their eggs. Wildlife living in the park includes elephants, spotted deer, grey langur, jackal, water monitor, crocodiles, the olive ridley and leatherback turtles, the hawksbill and green turtles.

Among all the 150 species of water birds resident here are the Flamingo, Brown-capped Babbler, Ceylon Jungle Fowl, Cattle Egret, Median Egret, Large Egret, Openbill, Spoonbill, Glossy Ibis, Black-winged Stilt, Yellow-wattled Lapwing, etc. Migrant birds include Asiatic Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Lesser Sand, Large Sand Plover, Kentish Plover, Marsh Sandpiper, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, etc.