Palm-fringed beaches and idyllic Indian Ocean scenery
The gentle pace and welcoming people of Sri Lanka make this a dream destination for the adventurous traveller keen to explore a whole new world, so forget the package holiday and guided tour, and discover it in your own time.
A dot in the Indian Ocean and cradle of the Buddhist faith, Sri Lanka is a verdant paradise off the southern tip of India boasting no fewer than seven World Heritage Sites listed by Unesco. From sacred cities, palaces and cliff-top citadels to colonial strongholds, the country reveals close to 3,000 years of history. On top of all that, since Sri Lanka is just three degrees north of the equator, the weather is hot, humid and tropical – even in the brief monsoon season there is always a daily spell of sunshine.
Adventurous tourists will find plenty to distract them from everyday modern life on holiday in Sri Lanka. The ancient sites of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya, Dambulla and Panduwasnuwara show the remains of a great civilisation, while the cities of Colombo and Kandy reflect the influence of the foreign colonial powers that fought for control over the island in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, with Dutch-inspired buildings standing side by side with Victorian British mansions and Portuguese fortifications.
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