Sinharaja Forest Reserve

Sinharaja Forest Reserve is a national park and a biodiversity hotspot in Sri Lanka. It is of international significance and has been designated a Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
The hilly virgin rainforest, part of the Sri Lanka lowland rain forests ecoregion, was saved from the worst of commercial logging by its inaccessibility, and was designated a World Biosphere Reserve in 1978 and a World Heritage Site in 1988. The reserve's name translates as Kingdom of the Lion.
The reserve is only 21 km (13 mi) from east to west, and a maximum of 7 km (4.3 mi) from north to south, but it is a treasure trove of endemic species, including trees, insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.
Because of the dense vegetation, wildlife is not as easily seen as at dry-zone national parks such as Yala. There are about 3 elephants and the 15 or so leopards are rarely seen. The most common larger mammal is the endemic Purple-faced Langur.
An interesting phenomenon is that birds tend to move in mixed feeding flocks, invariably led by the fearless Greater Racket-tailed Drongo and the noisy Orange-billed Babbler. Of Sri Lanka's 26 endemic birds, the 20 rainforest species all occur here, including the elusive Red-faced Malkoha, Green-billed Coucal and Sri Lanka Blue Magpie.
Reptiles include the endemic Green pit viper and Hump-nosed vipers, and there are a large variety of amphibians, especially tree frogs. Invertebrates include the endemic Common Birdwing butterfly and the inevitable leeches.
Peaks

1. Pinipitigala
2. Mulawella

Access ways

1. Kudawa entrance - Colombo --> Kalawana --> Kudawa
2. Pitadeniya Entrance - Galle or Matara --> Deniyaya --> Pitadeniya
3. Morning Side Entrance -- Galle or Matara --> Deniyaya --> Morning Side Estate

Trincomalee (Tamil: திருகோணமலை Tirukōṇamalai, Sinhala: තිරිකුණාමළය Trikuṇāmalaya)

Trincomalee (Tamil: திருகோணமலை Tirukōṇamalai, Sinhala: තිරිකුණාමළය Trikuṇāmalaya) is the administrative headquarters of the Trincomalee District and major resort port city of Eastern Province, Sri Lanka. Located on the east coast of the island overlooking the Trincomalee Harbour, 113 miles south of Jaffna and 69 miles north of Batticaloa, Trincomalee has been one of the main centres of Tamil language speaking culture on the island for over two millennia. With a population of ...99,135, the city is built on a peninsula of the same name, which divides its inner and outer harbours. People from Trincomalee are known as Trincomalians and the local authority is Trincomalee Urban Council. Trincomalee city is home to the famous Koneswaram temple alluded to in its historic Tamil name Thirukonamalai and is home to other historical monuments such as the Bhadrakali Amman Temple, Trincomalee, the Trincomalee Hindu Cultural Hall and, opened in 1897, the Trincomalee Hindu College. Trincomalee is also the site of the Trincomalee railway station and an ancient ferry service to Jaffna and the south side of the harbour at Muttur.

The recorded history of Trincomalee spans more than two and a half thousand years beginning with civilian settlement associated with the Koneswaram temple in the pre-modern era. One of the oldest cities in Asia, it has served as a major maritime seaport in the international trading history of the island with South East Asia. In the ancient world, it was successively the capital of eastern kingdoms of the Vanni country, developing under the Pallava Dynasty, Chola Dynasty, Pandyan Dynasty, the Vannimai chieftancies and the Jaffna kingdom through the Koneswaram shrine's revenue. Trincomalee's urbanization continued when made into a fortified port town following the Portuguese conquest of the Jaffna kingdom, changing hands between the Danish in 1620, the Dutch, the French following a battle of the American Revolutionary War and the British in 1795, being absorbed into the British Ceylon state in 1815. The city's architecture shows some of the best examples of interaction between native and European styles. Attacked by the Japanese as part of the Indian Ocean raid during World War II in 1942, the city and district were affected after Sri Lanka gained independence in 1948, when the political relationship between Tamil and Sinhalese people deteriorated, erupting into civil war. It is home to major naval and air force bases at the Trincomalee Garrison. The city also has the largest Dutch fort on the island.

The Trincomalee Bay Harbour, bridged by the Mahavilli Ganga River to the south is referred to as "Gokarna" in Sanskrit, meaning "Cow's Ear", akin to several areas of Siva worship across the Indian subcontinent. Its sacred status to the Hindus has led to the city being declared "Dakshina-Then Kailasam" or "Mount Kailash of the South" and the "Rome of the Pagans of the Orient." The harbour is renowned for its large size and security; unlike any other in the Indian Ocean, it is accessible in all weathers to all craft. It has been described as the "finest harbour in the world" and by the British, "the most valuable colonial possession on the globe, as giving to our Indian Empire a security which it had not enjoyed from elsewhere." Popular tourist destinations include its beaches at Uppuveli, Salli and Nilaveli, used for temple visits, surfing, scuba diving, fishing and whale watching, and the Kanniya Hot Springs. Trincomalee is served by a campus of the Eastern University, Sri Lanka and has been the inspiration of both domestic and international poetry, films, music and literature for many centuries.

 

Pigeon Island

Pigeon Island National Park is one of the two marine national parks of Sri Lanka. The national park is situated 1 km off the coast of Nilaveli, a coastal town in Eastern Province. The island's name derives from the Rock Pigeon which has colonized it. The national park contains some of the best remaining coral reefs of Sri Lanka. Pigeon Island was designated as a sanctuary in 1963. In 2003 it was redesignated as a national park. This national park is the 17th in Sri Lanka. The island was used as a shooting range during the colonial era. Pigeon Island is one of the several protected areas affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004.

 Pigeon Island consists of two islands; large pigeon island and small pigeon island. The large pigeon island is fringed by a coral reef, and is about 200 m long and 100 m wide. The small pigeon island is surrounded by rocky islets. The national park is situated within the dry zone of Sri Lanka. The mean annual temperature is around 27.0 °C (80.6 °F). The annual rainfall ranges between 1,000–1,700 millimetres (39–67 in) while most of the rain is received during the North-eastern monsoon season from October to March

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is an orphanage, nursery and captive breeding ground for wild Asian elephants located at Pinnawala village, 13 km (8.1 mi) northwest of Kegalle town in Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka. Pinnawalla is notable for having the largest herd of captive elephants in the world. In 2011, there were 88 elephants, including 37 males and 51 females from 3 generations, living in Pinnawala.
The orphanage was originally founded in order to afford care and protection to many of the orphaned unweaned wild elephants found wandering in and near the forests of Sri Lanka. It was established in 1975 by the Sri Lanka Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC).
The Millennium Elephant Foundation is a separate registered private charity organization which is a retirement home for 7 elephants and a tourist attraction.

Sri Lankan cuisine

Sri Lankan cuisine is one of the most complex cuisines of South Asia. Due to its proximity to South India, the cuisine of Sri Lanka shows some influence, yet is in many ways quite distinct. As a major trade hub, it draws influence from colonial powers that were involved in Sri Lanka and by foreign traders. Rice, which is consumed daily, can be found at any occasion, while spicy curries are favorite dishes for lunch and dinner. Some of the Sri Lankan dishes have striking resemblance to Kerala cuisine, which could be due to the similar geographic and agricultural features with Kerala.

Main dishes:
Sri Lanka has long been renowned for its spices. Since ancient times, traders from all over the world who came to Sri Lanka brought their native cuisines to the island, resulting in a rich diversity of cooking styles and techniques.
The island nation's cuisine mainly consists of boiled or steamed rice served with curry. This usually consists of a "main curry" of fish, chicken, pork or mutton (typically goat), as well as several other curries made with vegetables, lentils and even fruit curries.

Side-dishes include pickles, chutneys and "sambols". The most famous of these is the coconut sambol, made of ground coconut mixed with chili peppers, dried Maldive fish and lime juice. This is ground to a paste and eaten with rice, as it gives zest to the meal and is believed to increase appetite.
Another well-known rice dish is kiribath, meaning "milk rice." In addition to sambols, Sri Lankans eat "mallung", chopped leaves mixed with grated coconut and red onions. Coconut milk is found in most Sri Lankan dishes to give the cuisine its unique flavor.

Sri Lankan people use spices liberally in their dishes and typically do not follow an exact recipe: thus, every cook's curry will taste slightly different. Furthermore, people from different regions of the island (for instance, hill-country dwellers versus coastal dwellers) traditionally cook in different ways while people of different ethnic and religious groups tend to prepare dishes according to their customs. Although Sri Lankan food appears similar to South Indian cuisine in its use of chilli, cardamom, cumin, coriander and other spices, it has a distinctive taste, and uses ingredients like dried Maldive fish which are local to the area.

Sri Lankan food is generally equivalent in terms of spiciness to South Indian cuisine, yet many spicy Sri Lankan preparations are believed to be among the world's hottest in terms of chilli content (Comparable to Sylhet and Bengal). There is a liberal use of different varieties of scorching hot chillies such as amu miris, kochchi miris, and maalu miris (capsicum) among others. While native Sri Lankans are born into this cuisine and develop a healthy tolerance to spicy food, many visitors and tourists to the country often find the spiciness excessive. As a result, many local restaurants in developed and tourist areas offer special low-spice versions of local foods to cater to foreign palates, or have an alternative western menu for tourists. It is generally acceptable for tourists to request that the food is cooked with a lower chilli content to cater for the milder Western palate. The chili content in food cooked for public occasions is typically much less than home-cooked food.

Polonnaruwa

 Polonnaruwa (Sinhalese - පොළොන්නරුව or පුලස්තිපුර Tamil - பொலநறுவை or புளத்தி நகரம் as called by Cholas) is a town. It's the main town of Polonnaruwa District in the North Central Province, Sri Lanka. Kaduruwela area is the Polo
nnaruwa New Town and the other part of Polonnaruwa, remains as the royal ancient city of polonnaru kingdom.
The second most ancient of Sri Lanka's kingdoms, Polonnaruwa was first declared the capital city by King Vijayabahu I, who defeated the Chola invaders in 1070 to reunite the country once more under a local leader.

The Ancient City of Polonnaruwa has been declared a World Heritage Site.

History:
While Vijayabahu's victory and shifting of kingdoms to the more strategic Polonnaruwa is considered significant, the real "Hero of Polonnaruwa" of the history books is actually Parakramabahu I. It was his reign that is considered the Golden Age of Polonnaruwa, when trade and agriculture flourished under the patronage of the king, who was so adamant that no drop of water falling from the heavens was to be wasted, and each was to be used toward the development of the land; hence, irrigation systems that are far superior to those of the Anuradhapura Age were constructed during Parakramabahu's reign, systems which to this day supply the water necessary for paddy cultivation during the scorching dry season in the east of the country. The greatest of these systems, is the Parakrama Samudraya or the Sea of Parakrama. It is of such a width that it is impossible to stand upon one shore and view the other side, and it encircles the main city like a ribbon, being both a moat against intruders and the lifeline of the people in times of peace. The Kingdom of Polonnaruwa was completely self-sufficient during King Parakramabahu's reign.
With the exception of his immediate successor, Nissankamalla I, all other monarchs of Polonnaruwa were slightly weak-willed and rather prone to picking fights within their own court.[citation needed] They also went on to form more intimate matrimonial alliances with stronger South Indian kingdoms, until these matrimonial links superseded the local royal lineage and gave rise to the Kalinga invasion by King Kalinga Magha in 1214 and the eventual passing of power into the hands of a Pandyan King following the Arya Chakrawarthi invasion of Sri Lanka in 1284. The capital was then moved to Dambadeniya.

The city of Polonnaruwa was also called Jananathamangalam during the short Chola reign.

Present day:
Today the ancient city of Polonnaruwa remains one of the best planned archaeological relic sites in the country, standing testimony to the discipline and greatness of the Kingdom's first rulers. Its beauty was also used as a backdrop to filmed scenes for the Duran Duran music video Save a Prayer in 1982. The ancient city of Polonnaruwa has been declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO.
Near the ancient city, there is a small town with several hotels (especially for tourists) and some glossy shops, and places to fulfill day-to-day needs. There are government institutions in a newly built area called “new town,” about 6 km away from the town and the main road. The largest school in the district, Polonnaruwa Royal Central College is situated at new town.
Polonnaruwa is the second largest city in North Central Province, but it is known as one of the cleanest and more beautiful cities in the country. The green environment, amazing ancient constructions, Parakrama Samudraya (a huge lake built in 1200), and attractive tourist hotels and hospitable people, attract tourists.

Climate:
One recent scientific observation is that of its climate changes: historically, Polonnaruwa had a tropical climate most of the year, although it was occasionally chilly in December and January. But in recent years the rain and chilliness has been increased noticeably. Although this is surprising to some people, it is more enjoyable for tourists. However, there is a setback, as paddy field farmers can suffer when there is too much rain.

Beach Tours

Down South Beach Tour 1 (5 Days / 4 Night)

* Welcome on arrival at the airport and transfer to hotel in down south.

Day 2-4: Spend an entire day at beach (relaxing) over nights stay same hotel in down south.

Day 5 : Departure to Air port.

 

 

Down South Beach Tour 2 (7 Days / 6 Nights)

*(If you like you can add daycations  in kandy and Yala national park)

Day 1 : Welcome on arrival at the airport and transfer to hotel in down south.

Day 2-6 : Spend an entire day at beach (relaxing). For these days you can add above mention daycations  places if you like. over nights stay same hotel in down south.

Day 7 : Departure to Air port.

 

 

Down South Beach Tour 3 (10 Days / 9 Night)

*(If you like you can add daycations in kandy, Sinharaja forest and Yala national park)

Day 7 : Welcome on arrival at the airport and transfer to hotel in down south.

Day 2-9 : Spend an entire day at beach (relaxing). For these days you can add above mention daycations  places if you like. over nights stay same hotel in down south.

Day 10 : Departure to Air port.

 

 

Negambo Beach Tour 1 (5 Days / 4 Nights)

Day 1 : Welcome on arrival at the airport and transfer to hotel in Negambo hotel.

Day 2-4 : Spend an entire day at beach (relaxing) over nights stay same hotel in Negambo.

Day 5 : Departure to Air port.

 

 

Negambo Beach Tour 2 (7 Days / 6 Nights)

* (If you like you can add daycations in kandy and Colombo city tour)

Day 1 : Welcome on arrival at the airport and transfer to hotel in Negambo.

Day 2-6 : Spend an entire day at beach (relaxing). For these days you can add above mention daycations places if you like. over nights stay same hotel in Negambo.

Day 7 : Departure to Air port.

 

Negambo Beach Tour 3 (10 Days / 9 Nights)

* (If you like you can add daycations in kandy, sigirya and Wilpattu national park)

Day 1 : Welcome on arrival at the airport and transfer to hotel in Negambo.

Day 2-9 : Spend an entire day at beach (relaxing). For these days you can add above mention daycations places if you like. over nights stay same hotel in Negambo.

Day 10 : Departure to Air port.

 

 

Trincomalee / Nilaveli Beach Tour 1 (5 Days / 4 Nights)

* Trincomalee / Nilaveli Beach Tour 1

Day 1 : Welcome on arrival at the airport and transfer to hotel in Trincomalee.

Day 2-4 : Spend an entire day at beach (relaxing). over nights stay same hotel in Trincomalee.

Day 5 : Departure to Air port.

 

 

Trincomalee / Nilaveli Beach Tour 2 (7 Days / 6 Nights)

*(If you like you can add daycations in Sigiriya , Polonnaruwa and Trincomalee city tour)

Day 1 : Welcome on arrival at the airport and transfer to hotel in Trincomalee.

Day 2-6 : Spend an entire day at beach (relaxing). For these days you can add above mention daycations places if you like. over nights stay same hotel in Trincomalee.

Day 7 : Departure to Air port.

 

 

Arugambay / Pothuwila Beach Tour 1 (5 Days / 4 Nights)

*Arugambay / Pothuwila Beach Tour 1

Day 1 : Welcome on arrival at the airport and transfer to hotel in Arugambey.

Day 2-4 : Spend an entire day at beach (relaxing). over nights stay same hotel in Arugambey.

Day 5 : Departure to Air port.

 

 

Arugambay / Pothuwila Beach Tour 2 (7 Days / 6 Nights)

*Arugambay / Pothuwila Beach Tour 2

Day 1 : Welcome on arrival at the airport and transfer to hotel in Arugambey.

Day 2-6 : Spend an entire day at beach (relaxing). For these days you can add above mention daycations places if you like. over nights stay same hotel in Arugambey.

Day 7 : Departure to Air port.

 

 

Negumbo /Segiriya / trincomalee (6 Days / 5 Nights)

Day 1 : Morning – Leave for sigiriya visiting Negombo en route. Lunch at Sigiriya. Afternoon – sightseeing of the Ancient Sigiriya rock fortress Dinner and night at Habarana. .

Day 2 : TRINCOMALEE

Morning – leave for trincomalee –emereld beaches and world top rated beaches in east coast. Lunch at trincomalee. Dinner and night at trincomalee. .

Day 3 : VISIT, DIVING, SNORKELING AT PIGEON ISLAND CORAL REEF AND EVENING VISIT TO HOT WATER WELLS

Morning – leave for coral reef,. lunch at nilawelei beach or at same hotel. Afternoon – Proceed to hot water wells. Dinner and night at trincomalee.

Day 4 : WORLD WAR II WAR CEMETERY, VISIT TO  HISTORICAL BRITISH  NAVAL CANNONS GUN SITE AT NAVAL DOCKYARD, TRINCOMALEE HARBOR VISIT AND ROUND ISLAND VISIT.

Morning – sightseeing and visit to war cemetery. visit to naval base and museum for visit of British old gun site, boat tour and Lunch at sober island naval holiday resort. Afternoon – visit of flags taff and duch castle with sunset –. Dinner and night at trincomalee.

Day 5 : BACK TO COLOMBO AND SHOPPING

Day 6 : depart from country

WHAT IS AYURVEDA?

Ayurveda means "the science of life". Ayurveda represents a system of healing that has been perfected over more than five thousands years. It is South Asia's ancient health care system based on herbs and diet. Ayurveda sees health and disease in holistic terms. It links the microcosm of the individual with the cosmos. It takes into account the relationship between energy and matter. This system of healing believes in treatment of not just the part affected by disease but the individual as a whole. It emphasizes on the harmony of mind, spirit and body to cure diseases. Moreover, the stress is on prevention rather than cure.

Sri Lanka

Adam's Bridge Boat Tours : Medawachchiya-Talaimannar Highway, Talaimannar

Adam's Bridge, which separates the Gulf of Mannar from the Palk Strait, is a string of sand islands, that once connected Talaimannar to Rameswaram Island in India.

The town of Mannar is quickly becoming a reputable tourist destination, thanks to a range of beautiful sites and attractions in the area. Adam's Bridge is one of them. Not too far from Mannar town, at the end of the Medawachchiya-Talaimannar Highway in Talaimannar, you'll find a small Sri Lankan navy complex near the Old Pier and the Talaimannar lighthouse. It is from here that the Sri Lankan Navy operate public boat tours to Adam's Bridge. If the weather conditions are ok and the sea is not too rough, the navy operates the service from 8am to 4pm, every day.

The morning time is the best to take the tour, before the sun is too hot, and while the sea is calmer - we took the boat trip around 9.30 am and by the time we were out to sea, it was getting hot and steamy. We boarded our small boat with just two of us, and two navy personnel, who were polite and more than accommodating. We were given all that we needed, a dry, safe place to keep our valuables, life jackets plus a paper carry-bag with food (peanuts and chocolate), drinks (milk packet and bottled water) and tour brochure.


As the boat took us south towards the sandy islands, we watched as Rameswaram Island (India), drew closer, and I realised just how close the two nations are. Less than 50 kilometres separates India from Sri Lanka. The boat took us around a few of the islands, including one that is especially designated for birds like gulls and terns, of which there were hundreds! All together the tour takes you about 15 kilometres out to sea and usually takes about three hours, including a stopover on one of the islands where you bathe in the crystal clear waters, providing there are no stingers at the time. After an hour or so in the boat, and a stroll around the island in the hot sun, a swim in the sea is just what you need!

There's no development on the islands, except for one small, wooden hut. The landscape is simply breathtaking. Small waves breaking on the white sands, shallow ponds of salty water, and sand grasses with beautiful flowers. Though the boat broke down twice, we didn't have to wait long before another 'rescue' boat arrived to help get us going again.
For those seeking thrills, established tourist facilities or luxuries, this probably isn't the best tour for you. But for nature lovers and those in search of a unique experience in a largely undiscovered place, a tour to Adam's Bridge is perfect. For just Rs. 600 for a three hour tour to such a beautiful part of the country, we think it's great value.

Tips:

Don't forget to take your bathers, and good sun protection; with the heat, and the reflection from the water, you'll need both. It's worthwhile to contact the Navy at Talaimannar before planning your boat trip – tours are not provided in rough seas. Construction of the railway line to Talaimannar is near completion, which means that soon,people will once again be able to travel easily from Colombo to Talaimannar by train. There are also talks of the ferry service from Talaimannar to Rameswaram Island (India) resuming in the near future.

 

 

 

Tourist Attractions in Sri Lanka