Adventure World

Sri Lanka

The tropical island of Sri Lanka, formerly know as Ceylon, is rich in history and tradition. Old colonial powers have long since gone, but the Portuguese, Dutch and British influences still impact on the culture, religion, architecture and cuisine of this fascinating country. Picturesque beaches dot the coast, while majestic mountains, tea estates and rainforests cover the interior.

Top Highlights

For a small island, Sri Lanka has many nicknames: Serendib, Ceylon, Teardrop of India, Resplendent Isle, Island of Dharma, Pearl of the Orient. This colourful collection reveals its richness and beauty, and the intensity of the affection it evokes in its visitors. Head for the rolling hills, to escape the heat of the plains in the cool of tea plantations. The entire island is teeming with bird life and exotics like elephants and leopards are not uncommon.

Sri Lanka's blend of ethnicities has often produced friction and tragedy, but it makes for an interesting culture. Traditional art and architecture is predominantly Buddhist, and the country is dotted with stupas and sculptures of the Serene One. Traditional dance is all about agility and symbolism. Food is often fiery hot, with hoppers (pancakes) to wrap it up, and the tea is as marvellous as you would expect.

Anuradhapura: Anuradhapura is Sri Lanka's first capital, a potent symbol of Sinhalese power, and the most extensive and important of Sri Lanka's ancient cities. The Sacred Bo-Tree is the city's holiest site, and was grown from the tree under which Buddha achieved enlightenment. The Thuparama Dagoba, the oldest of the many temples in Anuradhapura, is believed to contain the right collar-bone of Buddha.

Colombo: Colombo, the island's largest city, is noisy, frenetic - and just a little crazy. Thankfully, the breakdowns, snarled traffic and power cuts are received with a shrug and a smile. While the city holds less obvious interest than many other parts of the island, it's still colourful and worth a look. Cinammon Gardens, further south, is the most fashionable neighbourhood, with mansions and tree-lined streets.

Kandy: The laidback 'capital' of the hill country, and the historical bastion of Buddhist power, is built around a peaceful lake and set in a picturesque bowl of hills. It has a distinctive architectural character and the town centre is a delightful compendium of old shops, buses, markets and hotels. Its standout attraction is the octagonal Dalada Maligawa, a temple which houses Sri Lanka's most important religious relic - the sacred tooth of Buddha. There are daily ceremonies of homage to the Tooth Relic, each attracting white-clad pilgrims carrying lotus blossoms and frangipani.

Aukana: According to tradition the magnificent 12m standing Aukana Buddha was sculpted during the reign of Dhatusena in the 5th century, though some sources date it to the 12th or 13th century. Aukana means 'sun-eating', and dawn, when the first rays light up the huge statue's finely-carved features, is the best time to see it.

Dimbulagala: Dimbulagala, or Gunners Quoin, stands out 545m above the surrounding scrub. There are hundreds of caves cut out of the rock in a Buddhist hermitage that has been occupied almost continuously since the 3rd century BC. The temple at the base is the first of 15 cave temples in the complex that can be explored on the way to the stupa at the top.

Uda Walawe National Park: Of all Sri Lanka's national parks, this best rivals the savanna reserves of Africa, with its elephants, buffalo, sambar deer and leopards. There are 30 varieties of snake and a wealth of birdlife.

Fact Sheet

• Country Dialling Code: + 94
• When to Go:Sri Lanka is a typically tropical country with distinct wet and dry seasons but has two monsoons. The southwest monsoon, called Yala blows from May to August with the dry season in this area from December to March. The northeast monsoon called Maha blows from October to January and the dry season in this area is May to September.
• Clothing:As a general guide, comfortable casual and semi-casual clothes are best for day-time with smart casual clothes for evening wear. Clothing made of natural fibres is best in tropical and sub-tropical climates, and with hats should provide adequate protection from the sun.
• Food & Water:Standard foods are spicy and it is advised to approach curries with caution. There are many vegetables, fruits, meats and seafood. Chinese, Continental, Indian and Japanese menus are available in Colombo. A speciality is basic curry, made with coconut milk, sliced onion, green chilli, spices such as cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and saffron and aromatic leaves.
• Things to know:Alcohol cannot be sold on poya holidays (which occur each lunar month on the day of the full moon).
• National specialities:
  • Hoppers is a cross between a muffin and a crumpet with a wafer-crisp edge, served with a fresh egg soft-baked on top.
  • Stringhoppers are steamed circlets of rice flour, a little more delicate than noodles or spaghetti.
  • Jaggery is fudge made from the crystallised sap of the kitul palm.
  • The durian fruit is considered a great delicacy.
• Currency:Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs). ATMs which accept the major cards, such as MasterCard and Visa are available in Colombo and some in Kandy.
• Tipping:Tipping is the customary way of showing your appreciation for services such as to drivers, guides, bag handlers and shoe watchers.
• Language:Sinhala and Tamil are both national languages. English is widely spoken.
• Email:Internet facilities available in most tourist areas are reasonably priced and major hotels will also have internet access.
• Electricity: 230V - 240V 50 cycles alternating current. Round three-pin plugs are usual, with bayonet lamp fittings, so a travel adaptor is recommended.
• Shopping Hints:Sri Lankan masks are popular collectors' items, from key-rings to large wall decorating sizes, as are Batik pictures and clothing items. Good quality low priced leatherwork can be found especially as bags and cases.

Sri Lanka's famous gemstones remain an important industry with countless showrooms and dealers throughout the country and the State Gem Corp. will test for you free or provide a certificate for a small fee but of course it isn't easy to take away a stone to test before you buy!

Be aware of regulations which could affect your ability to bring items such as woodenware, coconut products, teas and spices etc, as well as those from endangered species, back into the country.