SRI LANKA HAS MORE THAN 3,550 YEARS OF CONTINUOUS WRITTEN HISTORY BY MEANS OF THE MAHAWANSHA, AND WAS ALSO MENTIONED IN SEVERAL ANCIENT INDIAN TEXTS.
IN THE ANCIENT EPIC RAMAYANA, THE ISLAND WHICH WAS REFERRED TO AS LANKA, WAS THE ISLAND FORTRESS OF FOR THE KING RAVANA. THIS KING KIDNAPED THE WIFE OF LORD RAMA WHO IS AN INCARNATION OF THE HINDU GOD, VISHNU. LEGEND HAS IT THAT HANUMAN THE MONKEY GOD FLEW OVER TO LANKA AND DESTROYED THE CAPITAL BY SETTING IT ON FIRE, WHILE LORD RAMA , HIS BROTHER LAXMANA, AND HIS REMAINING TROOPS LATER CROSSED OVER FROM THE MAINLAND BY BUILDING A LAND BRIDGE ACROSS THE SEA USING STONES.
SRI LANKA IS ONE OF THE FEW PLACES IN THE WORLD WHERE IT CAN OFFER A TRAVELLER SUCH A REMARKABLE COMBINATION OF STUNNING LANDSCAPES, PRISTINE BEACHES, CAPTIVATING CULTURAL HERITAGE AND UNIQUE EXPERIENCES WITHIN SUCH A COMPACT LOCATION. WITHIN A MERE AREA OF 65,610 KILOMETRES LIE 8 UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES, 1,330 KILOMETRES OF COASTLINE – MUCH OF IT PRISTINE BEACH – 15 NATIONAL PARKS SHOWCASING AN ABUNDANCE OF WILDLIFE, NEARLY 500,000 ACRES OF LUSH TEA ESTATES, 250 ACRES OF BOTANICAL GARDENS, 350 WATERFALLS, 25,000 WATER BODIES, TO A CULTURE THAT EXTENDS BACK TO OVER 2,500 YEARS.
THE FOLLOWING ARE INTERESTING ATTRACTIONS AND THINGS TO DO IN SRI LANKA: –