Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is the perfect antidote to the hustle and bustle of its near neighbour, southern India. Life is more sedate, more civilised and much more of a refuge for those who want to escape for a while from the pressures of day to day life. This tropical island is characterised by tranquillity.

Marco Polo considered Sri Lanka the finest island of its size on Earth. Any visitor exploring the country's historical wealth and culture will agree that Sri Lanka remains "the pearl of the Orient". Whatever takes your fancy- Beaches? Wild Life Reserves? Culture? Ruins? You will not be disappointed. The ancient and inspiring architecture in the cities of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa will satisfy that inner archaeologist in you.

And then there are abundance of natural wealth for which Sri Lanka is rightly renowned. Head for the hill country to escape the heat of the plains, where the coast fades away to reveal gorgeous rolling hills often carpeted with tea plantations. The entire island is teeming with bird life and exotics like elephants and leopards are not uncommon. To top it all off, the people are friendly, the food is delicious and costs are low.

Weather

The dry season, December to March is the best for travelling - and is also the height of the tourist season in Sri Lanka. Many visitors prefer to go out of the main season and even in the wet season, May to September. The afternoon showers can be a welcome relief.

FACTS

Full country name: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Area: 66,000 sq km
Population: 19 million (annual growth 1.04%)
Capital city: Colombo (pop 2 million)
People: 74% Sinhalese, 18% Tamils, 7% Moor, 1% other
Language: Sinhala, Tamil, English
Religion: 69% Buddhist, 15% Hindu, 8% Muslim, 8% Christian
Time: GMT plus five hours 30 minutes
Electricity: 230-40V, 50 Hz
Weights & measures: Metric
Tourism: 400,000 visitors in 1994
Government: Democracy
GDP: US$48.1 billion
GDP per head: US$2,500
Annual growth: 4.7%
Inflation: 9.3% (June 2002)
Major industries: Processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, and other agricultural commodities; clothing, cement, petroleum refining, textiles, tobacco, rice, sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseed, spices, tea, rubber, coconuts; milk, eggs, hides, beef
Major trading partners: US, UK, Germany, Japan, Singapore, India, Iran, Taiwan, Belgium, Hong Kong, China, South Korea

Visas:

Visitors from the USA, most western European countries, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Israel, Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong do not require visas. Automatic entry for between 30 and 90 days is given on arrival.

WHEN TO GO

Climatically the driest and best seasons are from December to March on the west and south coasts and in the hill country, and from May to September on the east coast. December to March is also the time when most foreign tourists come, the majority of them escaping the European winter.

Out of season travel has its advantages - not only do the crowds go away but many airfares and accommodation prices go right down. Nor does it rain all the time. Reefs may protect a beach area and make swimming quite feasible at places like Hikkaduwa, which during the monsoon can be quite pleasant.

Religious festivals

July to August is the Sinhalese month of Esala which sees one of the most spectacular Asian religious festivals. The Esala Perahers is in honour of the Sacred Tooth - a sacred relic of the Tooth of the Lord Buddha. The Temple of the Tooth is in Kandy, the old royal capital. Despite many conflicting stories about its origins and legitimacy, it has become a nationally significant symbol of sovereignty.  Kept in a gold plated casket in an inner shrine, with sword-carrying guards to protect it, the Tooth draws streams of pilgrims who come to venerate the Tooth and to bring gifts of flowers to show their respect.  For ten days during the festival, thousands of dancers and drummers lead processions of decorated elephants through the streets. The festival culminates during the last six nights ending on the night of the full moon.  On your visit to Sri Lanka be sure to see this magnificent event and enjoy the exuberant celebrations.

Traditional arranged marriages are still strong in Sri Lanka but changes in the way of life are having effects as social networks shrink.  Western marketing methods are being used to advertise for prospective brides and bridegrooms, with the main criteria for a suitable match being religion, caste, educational qualifications, salary and complexion.  Women are still regarded as being in traditional roles - homemaking featuring strongly as an attribute.

Tangalla on the south coast is a real get-away-from-it-all resort of thatched cabanas set in a coconut grove on a small bay.  To enjoy the best of serious relaxing this is a must - in dramatic contrast to the lush green interior of the island. Enjoy luxuriating in the warm soft sea breezes with the sound of the surf allowing nothing to disturb your siesta.

Sigiriya is a defensive stronghold dating back to the fifth century when it was the home of a colourful playboy king who acceded to the throne by walling up his father in a royal palace.  Standing 600 feet above the surrounding plains on a rocky outcrop, the luxury apartments are adorned with frescoes of the king's wives and concubines. The remaining 18 frescoes of voluptuous women - out of a harem of 500 - are still attracting visitors who can distinguish the features of the various Asian nations from which they originated.

The decorations inside are surpassed by the views outside from the water gardens that rival Versailles in their size, symmetry and grandeur. Beyond the gardens lies the jungle with all its magnificent colours and artificial irrigation lakes stretching to the distant mountains, blue on the horizon.

Anuradhapura is one of the two ancient capitals of Sri Lanka.  For around 1400 years it was the centre of an influential Sinhalese civilisation spreading its influence form the River Tiber to the Yellow Sea. Only the stone ruins of the ancient temples remain today - with the jungle fast encroaching to swallow them up in the ever changing face of these remote parts. The abundant and colourful insect and bird life adds a special charm to the overgrown ruins and with a little imagination visitors can soon feel as if they are transported back through the centuries to the peaceful siestas of the monks during sleepy afternoons. 

Polonnaruwa, 60 miles south, is home to the Gal Vihara - one of the most magnificent collections of Buddha statuary in the world. Four images of Buddha are carved in a long granite hill, the largest being the Standing Buddha over seven metres high.  The most famous is the reclining Buddha with his eyes closed symbolising the abandonment of this world for Nirvana.

Nuwara Eliya is by contrast an English resort created when colonial power was seized from the Dutch in the 18th Century.   This is the capital of tea country. It is situated at over 6000 feet, with sprawling colonial bungalows in hedge-lined winding lanes and an 18-hole golf course in the middle of the town. Many visitors are surprised by the small Presbyterian chapels imported from Scotland for tea plantation managers that are in the dense shrubbery of the neat trimmed bushes on the slopes - along with gaudy Hindu shrines for Tamil workers from southern India. Other sights in Nuwara Eliya include a botanical garden, old fashioned hotels and guesthouses and a racetrack.  The former colonial past of this most English of retreats is exemplified by the Hill Club, founded in 1876 as a gentlemen's club and from which women were excluded until the 1920s when they were allowed into certain mixed areas of the Club - but only via a separate entrance reserved for their use. The Club boasts what is reputed to be the finest golf course in Asia.