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| Sri Lanka |
| The Indian Ocean's second
largest island, Sri Lanka is suspended like a giant teardrop just
50 miles off the southern tip of India. Once conquerors, spice-merchants
and jewel-hunters were its only visitors. Today it is the sun-lover
and peace-seeker who are lured by the exotic spell of this beautiful
island, where the curling surf and warm sapphire-blue waters of the
Tropics sweep ashore on nearly 1,000 miles of beaches fringed by serried
ranks of leaning palms. |
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But Sri Lanka's 'Resplendent Isle' is more than
just a magnet for beach-lovers. Into its 25,000 square miles it
compresses colours and contours spanning an incredible spectrum
of contrasts. Local history goes back over 25 centuries. Echoes
and enigmas from the past are everywhere - from legends of Solomon
and Sinbad and deeds of Greeks, Romans, Arabs and Phoenicians to
the more recent influences of Portuguese, Dutch and British regimes.
And perhaps most intriguing of all are Sri Lanka's stunning Buddhist
ruins and shrines. Anuradhapura, holiest of cities, with its colossal
dagaba temples, Polonnaruwa, setting of gigantic |
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ancient reservoirs. Sigiriya, the awesome 'Fortress
in the Sky'. Sri Lanka's vast canvas doesn't stop there. The lush
emerald green interior is another delightful dimension. As you progress
inland paddy fields and water-buffalo give way to working elephants,
mahogany and sandalwood. The temperatures of the Tropics dissolve
in a cool upland spring, over 6,000ft high, where cascading streams
plunge from mountain peaks. The bright saris of tea pickers hover
across tea estates that cover the landscape in a vast cool carpet
of green, location of charming old 'hill stations' like Nuwara Eliya.
The interior is also home to the vibrant lakeside |
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town of Kandy, once the last stronghold of Sinhala
kings - and of the Yala, Gal Oya, Bundala and other national parks
whose forests and plains are the haunt of elephant and leopard,
bear and monkey and prolific birdlife. It's surely no accident that
the word serendipity ('the happy ability to come upon good things
by chance') was coined from the island's old Arab name of Serendib.
Explore Sri Lanka for yourself and you'll quickly discover why.
Golden Days can tailor a Sri Lanka holiday to your needs, whether
on a stay-put, multi-centre or a tour basis - in combination with
other Asia destinations or just as a stopover. |
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| Sri Lanka -Worlds Within a World |
| The wonderfully varied
topography of Sri Lanka belies the island's relatively modest size.
Here, within an area smaller than Ireland, extends a land of extravagant
grandeur of scenery - from glorious beaches to dense jungles and lofty
mountains. Its enduring traditions and ancient monuments offer the
visitor a vibrant canvas brimming with colour and contrasts, and alive
with insights into a treasure chest of history, culture, cuisine and
charm that together ensure there's much to please the eye and stimulate
the imagination in equal measure. |
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SRI
LANKA'S GLORIOUS BEACHES The island coastline is renowned
for its countless sandy beaches along which cluster leaning groves
of coconut palms. Most of the major hotels are located in Sri Lanka's
south-west corner and here you will find some of the finest golden-sand
beaches, washed by the Arabian Sea surf.
SRI
LANKA'S JUNGLES & HIGHLANDS From the coast the land rises
gently at first past paddy fields and jungle, water buffalo and
elephants, then more steeply, to the cool massif of the centre,
over a mile high, with mountains and hills whose streams feed the
fertile lower lands - and where a seemingly endless carpet of tea
plantations dominates the landscape and cool nights can make a log-fire
a welcoming sight!
SRI
LANKA'S CULTURE & TRADITIONS In Sri Lanka a sense of
history - 2,500 years of it - is everywhere. No visit to the island
is complete without even a brief foray into the interior to experience
something of the island's epic past, both ancient and modern, religious
and secular. Highlights include the deserted ruins of historic former
capitals like Anuradhapura dating back to 500 BC, and its successor
Polonnaruwa, the great cave temples of Dambulla, and the awesome
5th century rock fortress of Sigiriya, rising 600ft above the jungle.
Last of the ancient capitals, the lakeside hill-town of Kandy, over
5,000 ft above sea level, is Sri Lanka's cultural and spiritual
centre, and setting of the sacred Buddhist shrine
Take a look at our carefuly put together tours and holiday ideas featuring the best Sri Lanka has to offer.
All our tours can be tailor made to your exact requirements |
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