|
This exotic, tropical island has much
to attract the visitor. There are wonderful beaches all
around the coast, fascinating Buddhist ancient sites, scenic
highlands in the centre of the island and a large number of
wildlife sanctuaries. Sri Lanka also offers a wide range of
accommodation including stylish luxury hotels, colonial
properties, villas and home stays.
Some areas (particularly the Eastern and Southern coasts)
were badly damaged by the 2004 tsunami. The Sri Lankan
people are working fast to repair and rebuild the hotels. We
have included all the hotels that we hope will be fully
functional again by the start of the 2005/6 season. However,
for up-to-date information please contact us
COLOMBO AND AIRPORT AREA Colombo is the busy capital city of
Sri Lanka. Just north of Colombo (about one hour) is Sri
Lanka’s international airport with good connections to the
rest of the world and direct flights from London. Colombo is
good for shopping and eating out and has some excellent
hotels. The beach area around the airport is ideal for a
night or two on arrival or before departure.
|
WEATHER CHART : COLOMBO |
| MAX °C |
30 |
30 |
31 |
31 |
30 |
30 |
29 |
29 |
29 |
29 |
29 |
30 |
| MIN °C |
23 |
24 |
25 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
25 |
25 |
24 |
| RAIN mm |
80 |
60 |
110 |
250 |
330 |
190 |
120 |
90 |
150 |
350 |
300 |
150 |
| |
JAN |
FEB |
MAR |
APR |
MAY |
JUNE |
JULY |
AUG |
SEPT |
OCT |
NOV |
DEC |
THE SOUTH AND WEST COASTS are the famous beach areas of
Sri Lanka and there is a wide choice of excellent
accommodation. The West Coast is the more developed as it is
closer to the airport. The South Coast is closer to National
Parks, eg Yala West (Ruhuna), which has one of the world’s
densest populations of leopards. The old town of Galle, with
its Dutch Fort, is historically interesting.
THE NORTH AND EAST COASTS have been less developed than
the south and west. The hotels along these coasts are busy
renovating and refurbishing in readiness for a renewed
interest after the tsunami. If you are interested in
visiting this area please speak to us and we can check with
our associates and give you the latest advice. The high
season on this coast is April to September – the complete
opposite to the west coast, which is October to March. This
means that it is always high season on one of Sri Lanka’s
coasts.
THE ANCIENT SITES are in the dry central area of Sri
Lanka. It was here that the early kings created their cities
and the area offers places of ancient Sri Lankan interest
from the oldest site at Anuradhapura to the more recent
(10th century) medieval capital at Polonnaruwa. The rock
fortress at Sigiriya is extremely impressive and the Cave
Temples at Dambulla are inspiring.
The hill country of central Sri Lanka offers a totally
different experience with its green vistas and cool,
comfortable climate. This is where the old capital of Ceylon
(Kandy) was situated and where the British created huge tea
plantations. Places that may be visited while in this scenic
area include the elephant orphanage. Nuwara Eliya is the
highest town in Sri Lanka and has many colonial buildings.
There is easy access to Horton Plains (where you can walk to
World’s End – a drop of 700m) and Adam’s Peak. Ratnapura is
the gem centre and base for the tropical rainforest of
Sinharaja (a World Heritage Site) and the Udawalawe National
Park.
|
