Netchap internet directory home » Travel Directory » Tourist Destinations of the world » Asia » Sightseeing in Sri Lanka

Sightseeing in Sri Lanka

In the context of Asia, Sri Lanka is also known as the "Pearl of the Indian Ocean". The country has evergreen tropical forests, tea gardens,spices growing wild and there are forest reserves and national parks with many species of flora and fauna. The island nation is also blessed with fine sandy beaches and crystal clear waters. There is a lot to do in sightseeing in Sri lanka.

Sri Lanka was known as Ceylon till 1972. It has a rich cultural, historic and religious heritage that dates back more than 2000 years ago. Colombo the capital, is the largest city in Sri Lanka. It is the commercial and financial nerve center of Sri Lanka.

When it comes to sightseeing in Sri Lanka, Colombo is a veritable treasure trove. These include Buddhists temples, Hindu temples, Christian churches, mosques as well as colonial buildings, parks, zoo, museums and art galleries. And of course the traditional market places or bazaars. The century-old Clock Tower, old Parliament building in the Fort are structures worthy of exploration. Ancient Cities in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka's historical cities Aluvihara, Anuradhapura, Arthalanthaya, Dambula, Mihintale, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya and Yapahuwa. Other worthy places arre places Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, and Ratnapura.

One of the UNESCO World Heritage sites in Sri Lanka is Anuradhapura to the northeast of Colombo. Anuradhapura was the seat of the Sinhalese Kingdom for some two thousand years, until the capital moved to Polonnaruwa and the last seat of the Kingdom was Kandy. Anuradha served as the royal capital to 113 kings. Archaeologists discovered the ruins in the nineteenth century and since then, efforts are on to rebuild and restore the city. No sightseeing in Sri Lanka is complete without a visit to Anuradhapura.

In the north, west and east of Sri Lanka, there are many beaches. On the west coast, the main beaches are Ambalangoda, Bentota, Beruwela, Galle, Hikkaduwa, Negombo, Mount Lavinia and Weligama. On the north coast, there is Jaffna but it is a trouble prone place to visit. On the east coast, the major beaches are Arugam Bay, Batticaloa, Kalkudah, Nilaveli and Trincomalee.

For flora and fauna such as ebony wood, satin wood, iron wood and other tree species and mangroves; leopard, jungle fowl (Sri Lanka's national bird) and elephant herds, there are the Bundala National Park, Gal Oya National Park, Horton Plains National Park, Maduru Oya National Park, Uda Walawe National Park, Wilpattu National Park, Wasgamuwa National Park, Yala or Ruhuna National Park. You can bask in the full glory of nature while sightseeing in Sri Lanka.

For ornithologists, there are sanctuaries, lagoons and mangroves at Bundala, Kalametiya, Kumana and Wirawila. Sri Lanka also has three excellent botanical gardens - Peradeniya at 488 meters, Hakgala at 1,680 meters and Henarathgoda in the low country.

Sri Lanka has many Buddhist, Christian, Hindu and Muslim festivals. The Kandy Esala Perahera ( in late July/early August) is a glorious ten days long pageant with processions honoring the Buddhist Sacred Tooth Relic of Kandy. Then there is Duruthu Perahera in Colombo (in January) to celebrate Buddha's visit to Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka remains one of the most popular tourist destinations in Asia. Please visit tourist attractions in Sri Lanka for a lot more tourist destinations in Sri Lanka.