What to See in Sri Lanka

Colombo is the capital of Sri Lanka. Now it is a major seaport. In the north of Colombo is the business center of the city – Fort – with the main banks of the country, as well as numerous shops and restaurants. In addition, here you can see the buildings of colonial architecture. Near the coast there is an interesting square-park of Galle Face Green, where you can play cricket and just walk. Not far away is Central Park Victoria and the fashionable area “Cinnamon Gardens” with a huge park and expensive mansions. There are many shopping areas and churchesin the old quarters of Colombo. “Old City” Colombo called Pettah. Here you can visit the Buddhist monasteries of Vaijyaramara, Gotami Vihara, Dipaddutaramaya, the Hindu monasteries of Kochchikade, Kottahena, Pettah, Bambalappitiya, the mosques of Dawatagaha, Afar Jumma and the Christian churches of St. Peter, St. Lucia, St. Andrew. In the evenings, the local Dehiwala Zoo hosts an elephant show that will amaze not only children, but also adults. Check top-medical-schools.org for travel information in Sri Lanka.

On the banks of the Mahaweli River, 116 km northeast of Colombo, the previous capital of Ceylon, the city of Kandy , is located. The city remained in this status until 1815. Nestled among the hills, Kandy very picturesque. In its central part there is an artificial lake, in the center of which rises an island with the Royal Summer Palace. On the shore of the same lake is the main attraction of the city – the temple of the “Sacred tooth of the Buddha” (Dalada Maligawa). Inside it, in the stupa of the Buddha, decorated with gold and precious stones, this sacred relic is kept. Every day the temple and the space around it is full of believers, and in July-August every year a festive procession begins from here in honor of the tooth of the Buddha Kandy Yesala Perahera. At the Kandy Museum collected a variety of historical exhibits. The city also has a Ceylon Tea Museum, which exhibits antiques related to the production and consumption of tea – a manual tea roller, the first dryer, the oldest bag of Ceylon tea in its original packaging, which is more than 56 years old, as well as a photograph of the world’s largest tea bush.

Near Kandy, in Peradeniya, there is a Botanical Garden, which was created in the 14th century. The garden, one of the largest in Asia, covers an area of 60 hectares and is divided into several zones. For hours you can walk along the palm alleys, the Japanese park; a “drunk” alley, all the trees on which look like tipsy people who cannot stand up straight; “alley of celebrities”, where there are trees planted by Nicholas II, Chekhov, Gagarin. The garden contains many interesting trees, including those that are completely unusual for our eyes. Particularly impressive are the trees that stand out for their size: the Elephant’s Legs tree with 3-kilogram fruits and Benjamin’s ficus, whose crown covers an area of ​​almost two and a half thousand square meters. No less unusual are the smallest inhabitants of the garden – indoor plants. The highlight of the garden is a collection of 100 species of unique decorative orchids. A narrow suspension bridge is thrown across the Mahaweli River, which flows through the garden. More around Kandy is worth a visit to the city of Pinnawala, where the elephant orphanage is located. Young individuals left without parents come here. In the nursery, elephants receive a little education, after which some of them are sent to zoos around the world, others are trained to work in Ceylon. The youngest elephants are about 4 months old.

Anuradhapura is located in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka. It is the oldest city in the country and also a sacred place. It was built in the 4th century BC, and from 380 BC. was the capital of the island. Every year, thousands of believers make a pilgrimage to the holy places, of which there are eight in the city: the Lankarma temple, where the sacred Bo tree is located, whose age is more than 2000 years, and seven Buddhist stupas. In the vicinity of the city there is a place Mihintale, where the conversion of Sri Lanka to Buddhism took place, and a 13-meter statue of Aukan Buddha.

A very popular place among tourists is called Sigiriya, 65 km south of Anuradhapura.. To the top of the Lion Rock, where in the 5th century AD. a royal palace was built, a long staircase leads, at the bottom at the foot it is stone with two huge lion paws on the sides, a little higher – hanging, and at the top – iron. In ancient times, there were no stairs, and they climbed to the top along steps carved into the rock. Now only small fragments of the walls and eleven frescoes remain from the palace. At the foot of the cliff there are “Water gardens” – artificial reservoirs. Dambulla rock is located 12 km from Sigiriya.. It is notable for its caves, which contain Buddha statues and temples. This place is considered the largest collection of Buddha statues in the world. One of the caves is notable for the fact that water flows along its walls, and the uniqueness lies in the fact that it flows upwards and falls from the ceiling into a golden bowl. In the town of Polonnaruwa, where the ancient capital of the Sinhalese kingdom was once located, the Vatadage temple remained. In front of its four entrances are semicircular slabs of “moonstones” and 4 Buddha statues. The city also has 3 rock carved Buddha statues.

The sacred mountain Adams Peak (2243 m) is interesting. It is believed that Adam himself left prints of his feet on its top. Between December and April, pilgrims climb this peak. Close to Kandy in the city of Peradeniya there is a Botanical Garden, spread over 67 hectares of land. More than 45 thousand species of plants are collected here. The Palm Alleys are very interesting, and among the tropical vegetation, divided into several zones, be sure to visit the orchid zone.

The elephant orphanage is located in Pinnawell. It was created in 1975. From here, well-groomed elephants are sent to zoos around the world.

Not far from the city of Galle is a farm where turtles are raised. Eggs found on the coast are brought here, and the turtles hatched from them are later released into the sea.

In Matale, you can visit the Spice Garden, where they grow spicy cinnamon, cardamom and pepper. Ratnapura city- a well-known center for the extraction and processing of precious stones. In almost every city in Sri Lanka, you will find many workshops working with precious stones, where local craftsmen will tell you a lot of interesting things. Near the mountain resort of Nuwara Eliya, admire the many waterfalls.