A Tourist’s Paradise - Sri Lanka

One of the top performing industries in Sri Lanka is tourism. Most of the travelers visiting the country come from Great Britain, Australia, Canada, United States and India. To make the most of the trip, one has to see the top ten tourist spots in Sri Lanka.

Dambulla Cave Temple:

The Dambulla Cave Temple abreast Colombo and Kandy is the best preserved and best temple in the country. It is of stone and the caves are built inside a huge overhanging rock. Inside the caves, tourists can buy paintings and statues. The main attractions are the Cave of the Great Kings, the Cave of the Divine King and the Great New Monastery. 

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Polonnaruwa:

Polonnaruwa is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  A must see locations are the Lankatilaka Temple, the Royal Palace and the Thuparama. Retail shops, restaurants and hotels are fast growing in this small city. 

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Anuradhapura:

One of the traditional cities in the country, Anuradhapura is known for its best preserved ruins. The place is just 206 km away from Colombo. The popular spots here are the Brazen Palace, the Sacred Bo-Tree and therefore the Nuwara Lake.

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Sigiriya:

Sigiriya is of the most beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the country, located at the heart of the district of Matale. The attractions include the Gardens of Sigriya, the Sigriya Rock & the Mirror Wall.

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Sacred City of Kandy:

The Sacred City of Kandy is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Temple of the Tooth, the Royal Palace of Kandy and the Kandy Lake are the major tourist attractions.  

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Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage:

The Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is in Kegalle. In 2008, eighty four elephants lived here at this orphanage. It is open to public place daily. One can also watch the elephants bathing and eating and this is an enjoyable watch, especially with the kids.


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Hikkaduwa National Park:

The Hikkaduwa National Park is a wildlife altar at the southern part of the country. The abode is accepted for its cute apricot reefs. The abode  is home to some baptized breeds including sea worms, prawns and black tip beach shark.

Knuckles Mountain Range:

Knuckles Mountain Range begins at the northeast ancillary of Kandy. It is home to assorted flora and fauna. One can try their hands at hiking, bedrock aggressive and cycling.

Yala National Park:

The Yala National Park is close to Colombo. The Sri Lankan Elephant, the grizzled large squirrel and also the Indian Pangolin are the most famous sightings. Apart from these, Grey-headed Fish Eagle and Estuarine crocodiles are also popular.

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Kumana National Park:

The Kumana National Park is found in the eastern part of the country. The nearest city to the park is Hambantota. The park is home to different wildlife species like the Pacific Golden Plover, the Common Sandpiper and the Wild Boar. Other species at the park include the European Otter and the Fishing Cat.

Sri Lanka is a beautiful country with some breathtaking landscapes and attractions. And the best way to experience the beauty of the place is to opt for the different day trip destinations. 

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Author Bio: John Anderson is an ardent outdoor enthusiast who has a special interest in fishing adventures. He is from the land of the Down Under and has travelled almost all the wonderful places in the country and other part of the world in search of some great times and experiences. He is also a proficient author of several outdoor articles on travel with a bias towards boating and fishing.

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Mihintale Temple

mihintaleThe  sacred  mountain  of  Mihintale  lies  just  12  kilometres  away  from Anuradhapura and is the site where Buddhism was first introduced to Sri Lanka.    Mihintale  in  the  Pali  language  means  simply ‘Mahinda’s  Peak’, denoting  the  location  where  Ven.  Mahinda  first  met  King  Devanampiya Tissa  in  247  BCE  before  converting  him  and  his  followers  to  Buddhism.  Part of a mountain range 300 metres high, it is now a sacred site for pilgrims with many stupas and other places of religious and historical significance.

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The Jetavana stupa

This  colossal  Stupa  was  built  by  King  Mahasena  towards  the  end  of the  4th  century  and  is  considered  the  largest  Stupa  in  the  world.    It  was originally  about  160  meters  tall  and  an  estimated  93  million  bricks  were needed in its construction.  It is believed that a part of the Buddha’s belt is enshrined within this Stupa.  Surrounding it is a huge terrace capable of accommodating up to 30,000 devotees.  The Jetavana Stupa is an excellent example of ancient Sri Lankan engineering and construction.

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The Twin Ponds

These  were  large  bathing  tanks  that  catered  to  the  needs  of  the  monks and  staff  of  the  Abhayagiri  and  were  built  around  the  8th  century. Water was filtered several times before flowing into the ponds through a dragon-headed spout.  Other noteworthy features are the beautiful carvings around the ponds and the snake-shaped guard stones.

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The Samadhi Buddha Statue

The Samadhi Buddha Statue Made in the 4th century and about 1.75 meters high, the Samadhi Buddha

statue  is  one  of  the  best  examples  of  Sri  Lankan  sculpture. The  Statue shows  the  Buddha  sitting  cross-legged  in  a  meditating, or ‘Samadhi’ posture. Nehru,  the first Prime Minister  of  India,  derived  strength  from looking at a picture of this statue during his imprisonment by the British.

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The Abhayagiri

The Abhayagiri Monastery was built by King Vattagamini Abhaya in 88 BCE after regaining his throne.  He constructed it over a Jain monastery, fulfilling a vow made after being mocked by a Jain ascetic while fleeing for his life from South Indian invaders.  It was the largest monastery in Sri Lanka for over 600 years and at its peak, housed as many as 5,000 monks.

The Abhayagiri  Stupa was built by King Gajabahu I in the 2nd century CE, and  stands  72  meters  high  with  a  diameter  of  94  meters.    The  Chinese pilgrim Fa-Hien described the Stupa as being covered with gold and jewels when he visited it in 412 CE.  After falling into neglect and covered by the jungle, it was rediscovered by the British in 1828.         

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Ruvanvalisaya

Simply known also as the Great Stupa, the Ruvanvalisaya was constructed by Dutthagamani after he became king in 161 BCE.  This was his most ambitious project and it is said that one of the architects designed the dome to resemble a bubble of milk.  Sadly, the king did not live to see the completion of the stupa.When it was finally completed, it was one of the wonders of the ancient world, with a diameter of 90 metres at the base and a height of 91 metres. The compound of the stupa is surrounded by four walls with elephant figures made into them. It is believed that relics of the Buddha are enshrined within the stupa.
The Ruvanvalisaya was also designed with the teachings of the Buddha in mind.  Its dome signifies the vastness of the doctrine, the four facets above it represent the Four Noble Truths, the concentric rings indicate the Noble Eightfold Path, and the large crystal at the pinnacle represents the ultimate Buddhist goal of enlightenment.

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Anuradhapura

Anuradhapura

Located in the north-west of the island, Anuradhapura was the capital of Sri Lanka for 1,400 years.  It is slightly more than 200 kilometers from Colombo and a drive of around 6 hours.  Anuradhapura gained much greater prominence with the advent of Buddhism on the island, after which many significant buildings and monasteries were constructed.

The three greatest monasteries of Sri Lanka, the Mahavihara, the Abhayagiri and the Jethavana, were all located in Anuradhapura.  Visitors will see mainly the ruins of these monasteries and other structures associated with them.

All the other buildings have long since disappeared. Due to its vulnerability to attacks from South Indian raiders, Anuradhapura gradually lost its importance by the 9^th century, and the political seat of the island shifted south-east to Polonnaruwa.  It was abandoned by the 11^th Century and swallowed by the jungle, lost for almost a thousand years.  The City and its important ruins were rediscovered only in the early 19^th Century with the help of the British.

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