Destination Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is the vacationhotspot equidistant from the straits of Malacca in the Far East and Hormuz straits in the Near East. Marco Polothe 13th century Italian explorer, adventurer and travel chronicler described Sri Lanka with exquisite Venetian precession. ‘Seilan’ he called it was “for its size, better circumstanced than any island in the world”.
It is one air hop of less than four hours from the Airline hubs of Dubai, Singapore and Bangkok. Colombo the international airport is less than an hour from the Maldivian archipelago and is at the southerly tip of India making Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai easy skips. Marco polo described the treasures he found in the island.
“You must know that Rubies are found in this Island and in no other country in the world but this. They find there also Sapphires and Topazes and Amethysts, and many other stones of price.”
You will find them today cut and polished and in the form of imaginative design jewelry in Colombo’s elegant shopping malls. Sri Lanka is a repository of natural and man made marvels. It has eight world heritage sites, including an ancient palace and fortress built in the sky by a pleasure-loving king, the best preserved Dutch fortress town attesting to its colonial encounters with Portugal,Holland and Britain, magnificent rain forests with rare flora and fauna that entice nature lovers, environmental activists, wild life enthusiasts, bird watchers , butterfly collectors and those who seek beautiful beaches with soft golden sand where whispering breeze will make you convinced that you have come to an island that will stay etched in your mind forever.
CULTURE & HERITAGE
(9 Nights - 10 Days)
WILDLIFE SAFARI & NATURE
(9 Nights - 10 Days)
ADVENTURE & SPORTS
(8 Nights - 9 Days)
CULINERY & LOCAL LIFE
(7 Nights - 8 Days)
Sigiriya or Sinhagiri is an ancient rock fortress located in the northern Matale District near the town of Dambulla in the Central Province, Sri Lanka. The name refers to a site of historical and archaeological significance that is dominated by a massive column of rock nearly 200 metres (660 ft) high. According to the ancient Sri Lankan chronicle the Culavamsa, this site was selected by King Kasyapa (477 – 495 CE) for his new capital. He built his palace on the top of this rock and decorated its sides with colourful frescoes. On a small plateau about halfway up the side of this rock he built a gateway in the form of an enormous lion. The name of this place is derived from this structure —Sīhāgiri, the Lion Rock. The capital and the royal palace was abandoned after the king's death. It was used as a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century
Kandy is a major city in Sri Lanka located in the Central Province. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is both an administrative and religious city and is also the capital of the Central Province. Kandy is the home of The Temple of the Tooth Relic (Sri Dalada Maligawa), one of the most sacred places of worship in the Buddhist world. It was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1988.
Galle is a major city in Sri Lanka, situated on the southwestern tip, 119 km from Colombo. Galle is the administrative capital of Southern Province, Sri Lanka and is the district capital of Galle District.
Galle was known as Gimhathiththa[1](although Ibn Batuta in the 14th century refers to it as Qali[2]) before the arrival of the Portuguese in the 16th century, when it was the main port on the island. Galle reached the height of its development in the 18th century, during the Dutch colonial period. Galle is the best example of a fortified city built by the Portuguese in South and Southeast Asia, showing the interaction between Portuguese architectural styles and native traditions. The city was extensively fortified by the Dutch during the 17th century from 1649 onwards. The Galle fort is a world heritage site and is the largest remaining fortress in Asia built by European occupiers.