10 PLACES IN SRI LANKA YOU SHOULDN’T MISS OUT

Even though Sri Lanka is a small island in the Indian ocean is country rich with golden sandy beaches, beautiful hills, tea plantations, waterfalls, Elephants, Leopards & other wildlife, ancient monuments and sites, colonial architectures and of course very friendly people. When visiting Sri Lanka below are the places you shouldn’t miss out in your itinerary.

1. Hikkaduwa

Situated down south before the town of Galle, Hikkaduwa is a perfect place for a perfect beach and an affordable stay. The area has a lot of hotels and restaurants, water sports centers. Maybe not the quite beach you are looking for but of course the best to surf, Scooba dive or any watersports. The beach is famous since 70’s as one of the best beaches down south.

2. Ella

Located in the central covered with mountains, sleeping valleys, Tea plantations Ella is place to enjoy a quite holiday. The Nine Arch bridge is one of the most beautiful architectures. It is bet to take a train ride from Kandy to Ella to enjoy the most picturesque scenaries en-route. Lots of hotels restaurants and hostels according to your budget range. An early morning view from the Ella gap, will make the southern sea coast visible. Also, a perfect place if you are interested in hiking or trekking by climbing the Ella Rock you can get a magnificent view of the surroundings. Don’t forget to visit the area’s beautiful waterfalls as well.

3. Anuradhapura

Is an ancient sacred city dating back to the 3rd century BC. You can visit the ancient monuments and Stupas standing still for more than 2000 years. This is a holy site for the locals.

4. Colombo

Has been the commercial capitol of Sri Lanka for more than 2000 years. The Natural harbor made it popular with the ancient traders from Italy to China. Ruled over by Portuguese and British Colonists back in the day, Colombo is a busy city with malls and sky scrapers. A range of architectural styles can be found in the city. The Old Parliament building, Galle Face Green, Dutch church, independence square and the Town hall building are some of the iconic buildings.

5. Yala National Park

Is a wild life sanctuary about 150 miles from Colombo, it has the highest density of Leopards in the world so chances of spotting a Leopard are really high if you are visiting Yala. Elephants, Sloth bears and Crocodiles are easy to spot here. The park is divided into five blocks.

6. Mirissa

This might be the answer if you are looking for a tropical paradise. Coconut palms, beautiful sandy beach, rocking in a hammock getting some sun bathe it will not get any better than this. You can view the most stunning sun rises and sunsets too. During the day it will be just you and the beach, it comes to life at night as Mirissa is the largest fishing spot in the south not to mention one of the famous point to go Whale and dolphin watching through out the year.

7. Polonnaruwa

The second oldest kingdom in Sri Lanka, the 12th century ruins are some of the best preserved in the country. Being a UNESCO world heritage site, this is a must see during your trip.

8. Kandy

The second largest city in Sri Lanka is the gateway to the tropical highlands. The last capital of the ancient kingdoms Kandy is the home for the Sacred Temple of Tooth Relic one of the most sacred Buddhist temples in the world. An annual event of pageant takes place in July carrying the Tooth Relic around. If you happen to visit during July you will be lucky to witness this cultural event.

9. Galle

Situated down south Galle’s main attraction is the fortress built in the 17th century by the Dutch Colonists. The fort is not only an ancient pretty place it still holds the courts and businesses. A natural harbor, the countries oldest light house, a maritime museum and the St. Mary’s Cathedral are also attractions of the city.

10. Sigiriya

If you are a wannabe archeologist, this should be in your list. The ancient rock fortress was earlier a monastery and later turned into a royal residence dates back to the 3rd century BC. It oversees the jungles below. You will see ponds and garden on top of the rock with natural water systems. Being another UNESCO world heritage site, this is also called the 8th wonder of the world.