"Sri Lanka has a bit of everything". So said the famous author Sir Arthur C.

Clarke. And indeed it is true that while being small, this place has a bit of
everything you can't usually see in one place.
What you do in Sri Lanka is limited by your imagination. Whale watching, white water
rafting, kayaking, hot air ballooning and wildlife safaris are just a few of the adventure acts
you may chance upon. For those wildlife enthusiasts, encounters with elephants, monkeys,
exotic birds, deer and leopards make the place an ideal holiday spot. Magnificent colonial
era Dutch architecture, ancient temples and beaches portray Sri Lanka a class apart. More
than six hundred miles of white sand coastline stretches itself to the delight of tourists along
with year round summer like weather conditions.
A land of legends, Sri Lanka, the erstwhile Ceylon, is aptly named the Pearl of the Indian
Ocean. An intertwined history of cultures, events and myths, the country can mesmerize
you merely by the extent of the tales of its past. Ranging from Buddha leaving his footprint
on Adam's Peak (Sri Pada) on his visit to the island en route to paradise, Adam embedding
his footprint as he took a last look at Eden, to the tale of Lord Rama crossing the gulf to
save his wife Sita, legends are very much a part of Sri Lanka.
The reality has been pointed out as the original inhabitants of the land being the Veddahs
(Wanniyala-aetto) - hunter gatherers who subsisted the island's natural bounty. Though
unclear about their origins, anthropologists have generally concluded that Sri Lanka's
original inhabitants were people of the late Stone age and may have been at the land from
16000, BC.
The first Sinhalese arrived in the fifth or sixth century BC. Traders and fisher folk from the
southern India visiting the country also settled here. The process has bestowed on Lanka,
an intermingling of cultures that facilitated a harmonious multicultural society.
As a result of the multi-religious background, Sri Lanka is renowned for its many religious
festivals. Sri Lanka offers at least one festival each month as Buddhists, Hindus, Christians
and Muslims celebrate both religious and national occasions. Apart from the festivals
themselves, Sri Lanka can offer travellers the sights belying its rich heritage, such as the
Temple of the Tooth, situated in the central city of Kandy, included in the UNESCO World
Heritage List. It houses a tooth that came from the mouth of Lord Buddha, and is as a result
considered one of Sri Lanka's most holy shrines. Kandy is also home to the Pinawela
Elephant Orphanage, a national sanctuary for about 70 semi-tame elephants, allowed to
roam freely around the orphanage, with bathing and feeding times being highlights for
tourists. Other cities popular with tourists include Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa.

AYUBOWAN (May you have a long life)

Gentleness of the land and its people is the first thing one notices about Sri Lanka. The
natives greet you in the traditional way Ayubowan, which means May you have a long
life and is accompanied by pressing the palms together in prayer mode. It is used for
welcome, goodbye, respect, devotion or loyalty to suit the occasion. Leisurely life, with time
moving at an entirely different level, rivers that flow unhurried and a coastline with waves
that gently fondle the sands.
Dagobas (Stupas) with white domes looking up to the skies tranquil the land with a magical

touch. People would be seen going to temples with flowers. Smiling People, as they are
known throughout the world, Sri Lankans enjoy a lifestyle thats humble, entertaining,
artistic and reaching out to someone with the celebrated Sri Lankan hospitality that has, for
centuries held a name for itself.
The lifestyle of the people of the island nation depend largely on the class of society to
which they belong. Monks are early birds who can be found chanting and meditating in the
wee hours of the morning. Devotees flock to the temples in the morning hours as well.
There are others who walk down the Galle face Green, promenade which stretches for half
kilometre along the coast in the heart of financial and business district of Colombo or visit
the health clubs. Tea pickers hurry to the leaves in their colourful attires. Office crowd and
other executives chauffeured to their offices, farmers to their land and shop keepers of
various types hurrying to their stalls are regular morning scenes in this country.
The most important aspect of the country that has made it an ideal destination for travellers
around world is its varied heritage that shifts in accordance to the geography of the land.

THE ANCIENT CITIES

In one of the driest parts of the country, lie the ancient cities, the heart of the original Sri
Lankan civilization. Called the Rajarata the land of kings during the golden age of
Sinhalese civilization, the two ancient cities are Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa.