SRI LANKA…..known by many names – Ceylon, Taprobane, Serendib later employed by Horace Walpole to coin the word ‘serendipity’.  At the tip of Southern India, Sri Lanka dangles like tear drop to form an island of exotic natural beauty.

Sir Arthur C. Clarke who made Sri Lanka his home for many decades said “the island of Sri Lanka is a small universe; it contains as many variations of culture, scenery, and climate as some countries a dozen times its size”.

With an area about the size of West Virginia, Sri Lanka beckons with amazing ancient temples dating back to 5 BC, primeval jungles where leopards lurk, pristine, golden beaches and sparkling Indian ocean teeming with sea life that include dolphins and migrating whales; hill country with dazzling green tea estates that stun the eye!  In the shadows of Adam’s peak (7,300 ft) which is a holy place to Buddhists, Christians, Hindus and Muslims is the gem city of Ratnapura; dreams of Cleopatra, Catherine the Great, Elizabeth Taylor, Princess Diana were fulfilled with precious gems from these mines which include rubies, alexandrites, amethysts, cat’s eyes, garnets and the most popular sapphires. 

Everywhere you go smiling people greet you and welcome you with their warm hospitality. Sri Lankans are well known for their kindness to strangers as it is part of their culture to be hospitable and generous.

Sri Lanka will not disappoint as it has an immense capacity to fulfill your travel dreams!

Sri Lanka beckons you with festivals... Nawam Maha Perahera is similar to the famous "Kandy Perahera" and is held in Colombo. This colorful and exotic event comprises of almost 100 elephants, over 5,000 artistes with dancers, acrobats, drummers, torch bearers and more... The perahera is officially inaugurated when the sacred relics are paraded in a gilded casket placed on a majestic tusker, which is elegantly caparisoned and walks calmly amidst the hive of activity. This Sri Lanka tour includes other highlights of Sri Lanka with its myriad of attractions.

Read More

One of the biggest Buddhist celebrations of the year, the annual Esala Perahera is a religious ceremony during which devotees pray for good rains to cultivate the crops. One of Buddhism's most sacred relics, the Sacred Tooth is taken from the Temple of the Tooth and paraded through the streets. Following this, more festive events take centre stage and visitors can expect to see a lively cast of dancers, jugglers and fire-breathers milling amongst the crowds. This Sri Lanka tour is one of the best ways to get the most of your visit to Sri Lanka.

Read More

Kerala is where India slips down into second gear, stops to smell the roses and always talks to strangers. The real emerald jewel in South India's crown are the backwaters that meander throughout Kerala. This is an extension from the Sri Lanka tour.

Read More

Official name:	Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Government:	Republic
Location:	Latitude 5° 55. to 9° 50. north, longitude 79° 42. to 81° 52., 650km north of the equator
Dimensions:	430km north to south, 225km east to west
Area:	65,525km
Currency (code):	Sri Lankan rupee (LKR)
Commercial Capital:	Colombo
Climate:	Typically tropical, with mostly sunny days with anortheast monsoon (December to March) bringing unsettled weather to the north and east, and a southwest monsoon (June to October) bringing rainy weather to the south and west
Population:	21,128,773 (2001 Census)
Literacy rate :	Female 87.9 Male 92.5
Ethnic groups:	Sinhalese 73.8%, Sri Lankan Moors 7.2%, Indian Tamil 4.6%, Sri Lankan Tamil 3.9%, other 0.5%, unspecified 10%
Languages:	Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national language) 18%, other 8% Note: English (a link language commonly) is used in government and spoken competently by about 10% of the population
Religion:	Buddhist 69.1%, Muslim 7.6%, Hindu 7.1%, Christian 6.2%, unspecified 10% (2001 census)
Time zone:	Sri Lanka Standard Time isfive and a half hours ahead of GMT. (Allowance should be made for summer-time changes)
International dialing:	+94
Electricity:	230 . 240 volts, 50 cycles AC. If you travel with a laptop computer bring a stabilizer

Ancient cities dating back over 2,500 years with many well preserved ruined cities that are UNESCO World Heritage sites. Anuradhapura was the capital of ancient Sri Lanka in the 3rd century B.C. It is the city of stupas and monasteries, steeped in antiquity. The Jetavanarama Dagoba (temple) which is larger than all but two of Egypt's pyramids is not to be missed. Ruwanweliseya and Thuparama stupas are two other notable dagobas. The holy Bo tree is considered the oldest historically documented tree in the world. It is known as the Sri Maha Bodhi and it is under the shade of this type of tree that Buddha attained enlightenment. A short drive from Anuradhapura is the Aukana Buddha which is a 39 foot rock cut statue and is considered to be one of the finest stone sculptures in Asia.

Polonnaruwa was the medieval capital from the 11th to the 12th century A.D. The most famous of all the sculptures here is the Gal Vihare which comprises of four colossal statues of Buddha carved out of living rock.  Lankathilake or the Image House was one of the splendid shrines in Asia in the 12th century.  The Watadage and the Hatadage, Gal Pota, and Kiri Vehera are all part of a glorious era of prodigious artworks of Polonnaruwa.  The Tivanka Pilimage with its priceless murals and the vast man made lake that is the Sea of Parakrama, is a feat of ancient engineering.

The citadel of Sigiriya is a rock fortress in the sky, and was crowned by a fabled palace on the summit and dates back to the 5th century A.D. The vision of a patricidal King named Kasyapa transformed this awesome monolith into a cloud swept city rising up 600 feet out of the emerald green scrub jungle into the bluest of blue skies. The mirror wall, which protects exquisite frescoe painting of celestial maidens and Lion’s Paw entrance to the summit of the palace are well worth seeing.

Dambulla rock cave temple is another UNESCO World Heritage site. The temple is comprised of a series of 5 caverns with ceilings of natural rock covered with intricate paintings.  The natural folds of the rock have been skillfully used to given the illusion of cloth.  Forty eight statues of the Buddha and images of the various deities can be seen inside the cave.

The drive to the central highlands to the ancient hill capital of Kandy passes through  many spice gardens for which Sri Lanka is famous for. Ancient Arab traders came in search of spices, gems and ivory.  Kandy was the seat of the last king of Kandy and home to the venerated tooth relic of Buddha housed in a golden casket in the Temple of the Tooth known as the “Dalada Maligawa”. 

Driving from Kandy through an undulating landscape passing cascading water falls is the lush, green tea country of Nuwara Eliya. The tea estates and the Victorian style homes speak of a by-gone era.

 

Passing three temperate zones to the south is the wild life sanctuary of Yala where one can spend time tracking wild elephants and leopards in addition to other animals. A scenic drive along the coastline to the Dutch city of Galle with its imposing ramparts and fort will provide a glimpse into the colonial Dutch era.  The capital of Colombo is a busy and bustling metropolis of sleek cafes, boutique-chic hotels, tantalizing restaurants and shops filled with local handicrafts and textiles.