Top 10 places to visit in Sri Lanka
Kumana National Park
The reserve is inhabited by wild bears, leopards, crocodiles, elephants, deer, but most of all birds – there are representatives of 255 species. You can move around the territory by jeeps; safari organizers are on duty at the entrance. The cost of the walk is from $75 per person.
Nuwara Eliya
This city in the mountains, surrounded by picturesque tea plantations and golf courses, is called “Little England”. Once upon a time, the British who lived on the island loved to relax here, and the atmosphere of an elite resort has survived to this day. Even local residents differ from Sri Lankans from other regions: they behave with dignity, treat tourists calmly and do not try to extort money from them at any cost.
Dambulla cave temple
One of the most famous Buddhist temples in South Asia. It is located 350m above sea level and covers about 20 ha, consists of 5 large caves, the ceilings and walls of which are decorated with frescoes, and about 70 small ones. It houses the world’s largest collection of sculptural images of Buddha, some of which are more than XX centuries old.
Kennel Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage
Built in 1975 to rescue elephants found in the jungle and wounded adult elephants, since 1982 the animals have not only been kept here, but also bred. At the moment, the nursery is home to 93 elephants of different ages. The oldest female elephant named Kumari is 65 years old.
Kandy
The religious capital of Sri Lanka, a significant city for Buddhists around the world. Here are located the important monasteries of Asgiriya (XVII century) and Malwatte (XVI century), at a distance of 15-20min from Kandy there are several other religious centers famous for their frescoes.
Polonnaruwa
Medieval capital of Sri Lanka, founded in the XI century. Many of the relics found during the excavation are kept in the National Museum in Colombo, but some of the values were transferred to the local Archaeological Museum.
Yala National Park
Once there were hunting grounds for wealthy British colonists, and today it is a protected area of about 130,000ha. The highlight of the program is the population of unique endangered Ceylon leopards. In addition to them, elephants, deer, wild boars, buffaloes, crocodiles and wild birds live here.
Galle
The port city, whose fortifications are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, was built by Europeans, which affected its appearance.
The main attraction is the XVII century fort. Once upon a time, residential quarters with temples, administrative buildings, a prison and a lighthouse were hidden behind the fortress walls. Now on the streets, some of which have retained their Dutch names, you can find the National Maritime Museum, the Museum of the Dutch Period, the Dutch Church, the Meera Mosque, as well as many hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops housed in old buildings. At the southern end of the fort is Flag Rock, one of the most popular dawn spots.
Adam’s Peak
A Lankan proverb says: “Whoever was not at the peak of Adam is a fool. Who has been there twice is also a fool. ” The height of the mountain is 2243m, in order to meet the dawn at the top (it is for the sake of it that many travelers decide on this adventure), you will have to hit the road at night. The ascent takes 3-4 hours, depending on your physical fitness, you will walk up a staircase with a handrail, which is illuminated only in season. There are 5,000 steps to the observation deck. Good luck!
Sigiriya
On the top of a cliff that rises 170m above the surrounding plain, the residence of King Kassapa was built in the V century. Its gardens were home to some of the first fountains in the world, which are still in operation today.
