Sri Lanka’s varied landscape and a mercurial mix of opportunities make it a unique holiday destination for travelers to experience its culture, and the rich abundance of nature.

Sri Lanka’s archaeological treasures bear testimony to a civilization that spanned the golden age of Periclean Greece, the Roman Empire, Mayan citadels, and Napoleonic grandeur. The resultant legacy is a culture embellished by the more recent influences of Western colonizers, and Eastern traders, producing a mercurial mix of races and religions, arts and crafts, festivals and costumes.

To these man-made riches, add the God-given blessings of nature: azure seas, sandy beaches, verdant hills, cascading waterfalls, abundant wildlife, a riot of flowers and fruits, coconut groves, spice gardens, tea estates – and no wonder, the smiles of this paradise beckon the visitor to savour the kaleidoscopic experience ever so much longer, lest he awake, from what must surely be a wide-angle dream in Technicolor! Ringing the island’s miles of uncluttered white, sandy beaches, where sun-seekers and fun-lovers are caressed by gentle, ocean breezes. Rising amid spectacular waterfalls to mist-shrouded peaks is the central hill region home to the world famous “Pure Ceylon Tea” gardens, and the legendary gem mines that produce sapphires, rubies, and a dozen other gems.

As you travel from the lowland plains to the highlands a panorama of people at work or play unfolds. The roadside is vibrant with life, and the lush landscape presents a palette of changing colours. Pause, if you would, at wayside markets, handicraft shops or batik factories. Or stop to watch craftsmen at work, gems being mined, tea leaves being plucked, elephants bathing in rivers or fishermen on stilts.

Colombo, the main point of entry and the capital city, is a bustling metropolis of big businesses and small bazaars; while Kandy – the last royal citadel – is the cultural center and home to the legendary temple of the Sacred Toot Relic, and the spectacular festivals of the perahera. Galle, the ancient port of Tarshish, is a town within a medieval fortress; while Nuwara Eliya, in the salubrious up-country, nestles amidst picturesque tea gardens and dazzling waterfalls. In the “Rajarata”, or king’s domain, are the ancient cities of Anuradhpura, Polonnaruwa, Dambulla and Sigiriya.

The western coastline from Negombo, north of the airport, to Tangalle, in the south shelters a string of magnificent beach resorts and quaint fishing villages. There are also a host of national parks wild elephant, leopard, bear and a host of other fauna and flora.

Most hotels offer a culinary extravaganza to pamper guests with a variety of cuisine from the East and the West, as well as local dishes that reflect the eclectic tastes of seafarers, invaders, and traders that came ashore over the centuries.