Beautiful Sri Lanka - Paradise on Earth (Places of Visit, Tourist Attractions & Historical Sites)

"Visit Sri Lanka" is an official promotional campaign put in motion by the government of Sri Lanka to improve and increase the tourism and related sectors in the years to come.

As a result of the efforts of this program Sri Lanka is now a top tourist location in the world.

Promotion and preservation of the tourist hot spots is conducted by the Ministry of Tourism along with the projects such as 'Visit Sri Lanka'.

What to expect when travelling in Sri Lanka...

Sri Lanka is endowed with many beautiful natural locations. The country is surrounded by a beautiful ocean and sandy beaches that extend for miles.

Within the country are countless natural forest reserves, which house thousands of different types of animals both endemic and not. A huge variety of flora and fauna in almost all parts of the country. Wildlife at it's richest!

Towards the middle of the country is the central hill lands. These hills give birth to countless rivers and waterfalls that enrich the soil and aid the cultivation of Sri Lanka. These rivers flow to all four corners of the land, making the land ever so greener and bountiful.

Then comes the 2500 plus years of history of Sri Lanka and the ancient ruins of the great cities and palaces where the kings and queens used to walk. Most of these structures were destroyed by enemy invasions but the ruins are still visible today and are breathtaking.

Finally there is the most amazing group of people you wouldn't find anywhere in the world. Humble and ever so ready help another. You will find Sri Lankans to be one of the most welcoming group of people.

Sri Lanka can proudly boast about some of the best beaches in the world.

• Hikkaduwa
• Unawatuna
• Arugam Bay
• Marble Beach, Trincomalee
• Nilaveli beach, Trincomalee
• Pasikudha
• Negambo beach
• Galle beach

Arugam Bay beach is world famous as a surfing hot spot. Hikkaduwa beach is an amazing scuba diving location with lots of corals and marine fish. Also Hikkaduwa and Unwatuna are the beach party locations and hosts some of the most famous beach parties such as 'Hikka Fest' and 'I Love Una'.

If you are visiting Sri Lanka for it's waterfalls, you would not be disappointed. During the rainy season the hill country forms some of the most beautiful waterfalls you have ever seen in your life.

These waterfalls are available throughout the year. But are more majestic during the rainy seasons between August through January.

Some of the most famous and beautiful waterfalls in Sri Lanka are as follows:

• Bambarakanda Falls (tallest in Sri Lanka)
• Diyaluma Falls
• Devon Falls
• Dunhinda Falls
• Gerandi Gini Falls
• Kirindi Falls
• Kurundu Oya Falls (Maturata Falls)
• Lakshapana Falls
• Mahakandura Falls
• Ramboda Falls

For a full list of all the waterfalls visit here: Angelfire

Sri Lanka is gifted with a large bio-diversity. There are so many different species of animals in the forests, oceans, rivers in their natural habitats. There are a million things you can do to enjoy the wildlife in Sri Lanka.

• Wildlife safaris
• Hiking
• Camping inside forests
• Diving
• Exploring rain forests
• Study endemic species

Every year thousands of tourists visit Sri Lanka to enjoy these wildlife and relax themselves.

Best Natural Forests/National Parks

• Sinharaja Natural Forest Reserve (wet zone, best bio-diversity)
• Yala National Park (best for elephant watching)
• Kumana National Park (bird watching)
• Wilpattu National Park (dry zone animals)
• Udawalawa National Park
• Wasgamuwa National Park
• Minneriya National Park

Whale & Dolphin Watching

• Mirissa, Galle (facilitated by the Sri Lankan Navy) Official Website

Tanks (Irrigation systems by ancient Kings)

• Parakrama Samudraya
• Minneriya Tank
• Basawakkulama Tank
• Nuwara Tank
• Tissa Tank

Hiking Spots

• Horton Plains and World's End
• Knuckles Mountain ridges
• Adam's Peak
• Sigiriya Rock Fortress

Sri Lanka has a rich and long history dating back to over 2500 years of time. Kings and Queens ruled Ceylon (ancient Sri Lanka) and then the Portuguese, Dutch and British.

The Kings built massive structures - palaces, tanks, Buddhist temples etc. Some of these were destroyed by the invading nations, but the rest still stand today. Walking among these ruins takes you to a time beyond your imagination.

These colossal structures were built by ancient kings of Sri Lanka and are as old as hundreds of years and still stand today. It is difficult to imagine the level of technology that was used in construction of these structures.

Some of the most famous historical cities are:

• Anuradhapura (city of ruins, house to countless temples, palaces, tanks, irrigation works, monasteries and massive structures)
• Polonnaruwa (ancient hub of paddy cultivation, has the best network of irrigation systems)
• Kandy (holds the sacred Temple of Tooth Relic)
• Dambulla
• Sigiriya
• Yapahuwa

There are literally countless amounts of places of historical and religious significance in Sri Lanka. There is not one spot in this land where there isn't a historical story related to it. So it is very difficult to list all the places. But this will list down the most important places in Sri Lanka that you must not miss in a tour.

• Temple of Tooth Relic, Kandy
• Ruwanweli Seya, Anuradhapura
• Jethawanaramaya, Anuradhapura
• Mirisaweitya temple, Anuradhapura
• Sath Mahal Prasadaya, Anuradhapura
• Gal Viharaya, Polonnaruwa
• Sri Maha Bodhi, Anuradhapura
• Sigiriya, Sigiriya