The beautiful island of Sri Lanka is known as the pearl of the Indian ocean. Quite intriguing when you hear this, isn’t it? It actually does live up to the reputation. Here is why you need to witness it first hand:
The Places You Can Visit
Even though it seems nothing more than a small island on the map, when you actually land there, the possibilities and the pathways are endless. The first thing you need to know is that there are amazing guided tours Sri Lanka offered to every tourist. So, there is no chance you would be lost or misguided. A few examples would be:
Polonnaruwa
It is by definition, a very ancient city that used to be the country’s second capital city. With most of its space occupied by temples and statues to the Buddha, many Buddhist devotees flock here. The buildings in this place would look marvelous to the eyes of an architect as they are constructed with such skill under the previous kings of Sri Lanka.
Kandy
It is here that a sacred relic of the Buddha, his tooth relic to be exact, is kept. Thousands of people from all around the island gather here to get blessings and witness the sight of this beautiful temple. When the time is right for certain Buddhist ‘poojas’, the people will stop at no cost to be a part of it. You will even get people flying in from nearby countries like India and even the President of Sri Lanka participates in such events.
Nuwara Eliya
Here you will find tea plantations, mountains, bungalows and planters’ houses. This area is mostly populated by the upcountry Tamils of Sri Lanka. Nuwara Eliya is what you would call an eye candy of a place. The temperature in Nuwara Eliya is much lower than the rest of the island which is why it is the favorite holiday spot for people who live in hotter regions like Colombo. It has beautiful lakes and waterfalls such as the Gregory lake, a very popular spot for tourists due to the scenery and the jet skis and pony rides.
The Food And People
Sri Lankan food has all sorts of spices, perhaps even more than you have ever imagined. Sometimes, you might have to ask the restaurants or chefs to make it less spicy or they may do it without you asking due to the common knowledge of foreigners being unable to take the spice. They present you with out of this world food. Every ingredient seasoned so well. Make sure you ask your guide to take you to try each of these foods such as hoppers, kottu, string hoppers, coconut roti, milk rice, rice and curry, tea and much, much more.
Last but not least, Sri Lankan people are very kind and welcoming to outsiders as they are aware that they represent the whole nation. Take your guides for an example, they will make sure to take care of all your needs without any hesitation.