Sri Lanka is an island country in southeast Asia which has maritime borders with India to the northwest and the Maldives to the southwest. The country’s documented history spans years with evidence of prehistoric human settlements dating back to at least, years. From the beginning of British colonial rule, it was known as Ceylon until. After a -year long civil war which ended in, the diverse country is now opening up more and more for tourists. The goal of this series is to give you an introduction to the country and the neighboring Maldives. Starting with Sri Lanka’s tea regions, temples, and the rock fortress of Sigiriya in this post. Welcome to the Tropical Escape. Welcome from Sri Lanka. We are here in a tuk tuk right now on the way to the train station where we start our tour. Kandy is located right in the center of Sri Lanka at the Mahawell River. The river is an excellent location to do a boat excusion and spot a variety of birds But the most important sight in Kandy is the Temple of the Tooth! Kandy was the last capital of the ancient kings era of Sri Lanka. The Temple of the Tooth relic is one of the most sacred places of the worship in the Buddhist world.
Central Sri Lanka Things to do in Kandy Sigiriya Polonnaruwa Tropical Photo Gallery
It is located in the Royal Palace complex of the former kingdom of Kandy which houses the Relic of the Tooth of the Buddha. Sri Lanka’s beautiful tea region is located just around the corner. This is also where you can take the most scenic train ride in the country from Kandy to Ella. Make sure to visit also one of the tea factories to learn more about the popular Ceylon tea. But our next stop is located in north central Sri Lanka, close to the town of Dambulla. Here a column of rock nearly meters high was selected by King Kashyapa between and AD for his new capital. He built his palace on the top of this rock, decorated its sides with colorful frescos and surrounded it with beautiful tropical gardens with extensive water features. On a small plateau about half way up the side of this rock, he built a gateway in the form of an enormous lion. The name of the rock fortress is derived from the structure Sigiriya, The Lion Rock. The capital and Royal Palace were abandoned after the king’s death.
One of the best ways to get an idea of the scale of this site is to take a scenic flight around the rock. Totally recommendable. Next up, is the nearby Kaudulla National Park which is a great place to spot birds, but also big groups of elephants in the wild. Our last stop in the north central province of Sri Lanka is the ancient city of Polonnaruwa which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in. Polonnaruwa was the second capital of Sri Lanka after the destruction of Anuradhapura in. It comprises, besides the Brahmenic monuments built by the Cholas, the monumental ruins of the fabulous garden city created in the th century. In the next post from Sri Lanka, we’ll show you some of the most beautiful beaches, try the local food and say hi to leopards in the Yala National Park. So, make sure to comment and check out the related guide on my blog if you want to visit Sri Lanka as well. Thanks for reading.
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