beauty of sri lanka

Sri Lanka has 1,340 km of sea shore, and most of it is spectacular and full of contrasts. A serene, white sandy cove, next to a craggy promontory with thundering waves beating against the granite boulders. Few miles up or down the beach, perhaps a quaint fishing village, with rugged sea going "oru," a craft akin to an oversized canoe with a history going back to Inca times, drying on the beach. If you happen to be in the area of Ahangama, or Weligama, near Matara, the southernmost city in Sri Lanka, exactly 100 miles (161 km), from Colombo, you might be in for a unique sight - the stilt fishermen of Weligama -. Have your cameras ready and with a full roll of film, because you won't find this anywhere else in the world.

The Verdant Hill Country - Ramboda Falls

If you ever tasted a cup of good High Grown Ceylon Tea, preferably in the unblended form, you have tasted the BEST TEA there is. Of course, to experience that pleasure, you must go to the central hill country of Sri Lanka. And once you are there, take Route 5 from Maha Nuwara (Kandy) to Nuwara Eliya. This take you through some of the best scenery of the Hill Country. The road takes you by the shores of Mahaweli River from Peradeniya ( don't forget to visit the famous botanical gardens - remember "Bridge on the River Kwai?") to Gampola, long ago a capital of Sri Lanka. From Gampola it is a steep climb with many hairpin curves for some sixty kilometers, through spectacular scenery like this, until you get to Nuwara Eliya, the old British hill resort. To taste that heavenly cup of tea, on the way to Nuwara Eliya, look out for tea factories that advertise tea tasting. You won't forget that unique experience.

Pastoral Symphony

A clear cool morning in the valley, everywhere eyes can see, lush, green, vegetation, birds singing their heart out --- perhaps Tchaikovsky spent a night here before writing his famous symphony. In Sri Lanka we have a special branch of poetry, "pal kavi" (poems of a cottage), inspired by scenes like these. These poems keep the farmers, who spend the night at temporary huts like these to protect the crop from marauding animals, awake and entertained. It is not uncommon to hear "poetry contests" that sometimes run all night, between farmers in adjoining farms.
These huts have a bamboo frame, covered with woven coconut fronds. This allows for good air circulation to beat the mid day heat, yet provide ample protection from the monsoon rain that keep the vegetation lush and green. These huts also are used during the growing season, for resting between bouts of work, and serve as a convenient place to enjoy the meals brought to the field by the women folk of the village.

 

Sri Lanka is shaped like a giant teardrop falling from the southern tip of the vast Indian subcontinent. It is separated from India by the 50km wide Palk Strait, although there is a series of stepping-stone coral islets known as Adam's Bridge which almost form a land bridge between the two countries. The island is just 350km long and only 180km wide at its widest, and is about the same size as Ireland, West Virginia or Tasmania.

The southern half of the island is dominated by beautiful and rugged hill country. The entire northern half comprises a large plain extending from the edge of the hill country to the Jaffna peninsula. The highest mountain is the 2524m Mt Pidurutalagala near Nuwara Eliya and the longest river is the Mahaweli which courses from the centre and empties into the Indian Ocean at Trincomalee. The best beaches are on the south-western, southern and south-eastern coasts.

Ebony, teak, silkwood and spectacular orchids are found in the dense south-western tropical rainforests. Hardy grasslands, rhododendrons and stunted forests predominate in the cool, damp highlands, and shrubs and grasslands survive in arid zones in the north. Animal life is profuse and includes the ubiquitous elephant, as well as leopards, deer, monkeys, sloth bears, wild boar, cobras, crocodiles, dugong and turtles. The island is an important seasonal home to migrating birds, including flamingoes, who flock to the lagoons, wetlands and bird sanctuaries for respite from the northern winter. The best time to see birds is between January and April.

Sri Lanka is a typically tropical country with distinct dry and wet seasons but the picture is somewhat complicated by the fact that it is subject to two monsoons: the Yala season (May to August), when the south-west monsoon brings rain to the southern, western and central regions; and the Maha season (October to January), when the north-east monsoon brings rain to the north and east of the island. Temperatures in the low-lying coastal regions are high year round but they rapidly fall with altitude and in the hill country, where it feels like perpetual spring. The highest temperatures are from March through June while November to January is usually the coolest time of the year. Rainfall is heaviest in the south, south west and central highlands; the northern and north-central regions are very dry. The best time to visit the west, south coast and hill country is between December and March. May to September is best on the east coast.