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Sri Lanka Holidays
A tear-shaped island of enchanting tropical beaches, gleaming Buddhist temples, misty tea plantations and old colonial hill stations, this golden isle, positioned to the south-east of India and enveloped by the warm seas of the Indian Ocean, is a tapestry of unparalleled beauty and culture.
To the north of capital Colombo lies Sri Lanka’s famed cultural triangle, a collection of exquisite UNESCO World Heritage attractions that are amongst the finest in the subcontinent, ranging from the ancient cities of Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura and the towering rock fortress of Sigiriya, to the cave monastery at Dambulla and the religious sites of Aukana, Ritigala, Sasseruwa and Dimbulagala. To the north the city of Jaffna naturally lead east towards the towns and beaches of Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Passikudah which can also be visited.
In central Sri Lanka the beautiful lake-side town of Kandy, a significant cultural and religious centre, is home to both the famous Temple of the Tooth and the superb Peradeniya Botanical Gardens. The town is also the gateway to the tea plantations of the Central Highlands where rolling green hills, historic tea bungalows and charming accommodation can be reached by road or, more spectacularly, by train.
For wildlife enthusiasts, Sri Lanka has a number of exceptional national parks including Yala, with its high concentration of leopards, Uda Walawe and its elephants, picturesque Gal Oya, the UNESCO protected Sinharaja Forest Reserve and Sri Lanka’s oldest national park, little-visited Wilpattu. The southern coast with its pristine beaches and first-rate resorts centred on the 16th century port of Galle, also offers excellent whale and dolphin spotting whilst the idyllic palm-fringed islands of the Maldives are easily reached with numerous daily flights.
