Beautiful, yet horrible. For much of the past 30 years, the island of Sri Lanka has lived in a similarly sour-sweet atmosphere. There is a smiling side to the place: a land of coconut-fringed beaches, jangled hills and a colourful culture. Which led to varying numbers of tourists eager to visit this beautiful land. While the other side has certainly been dark: suicide bombings, ethnic cleansings, tales of death squads and unmarked mass graves; most of all the relentless, apparently endless, horror of a big bad war in the north. The smiling nation is recovering, now Sri Lanka is attracting a fashionable crowd with its palm-lined beaches, rugged hill country, and mountaintop fortresses.
Tropical beach in Sri Lanka
Things to do in Sri Lanka.
A trip around the island is an adventure, starting from the primitive capital Colombo, to the old British hill station of Nuwara Eliya, where the hills are quilted to forever with tea plantations. Afterwards, head to the old capital Kandy, home to one of the most sacred sites in Buddhism, the Temple of the Tooth. Kandy was the highlight of the trip, a rich cultural scenic city.
The Temple of the Tooth
Become amazed by The Lion Rock fortress of Sigiriya, it is Sri Lanka’s main tourist attraction. Climb the cat’s-cradle of iron ladders and walkways that clings to the face of the 200-metre high granite massif. At the top, you can take in a magnificent view, the jungle vista that stretches to the horizon.
The Lion Rock Fortress
Additional gems to be seen.
While Sri Lanka’s coastline, one of the least spoiled in Asia, is rich with harbours, forts and villages. The Indian Ocean massages this coast of granite headlands and empty beaches. The World Heritage-listed Galle, Sri Lanka’s fourth largest city was a Portuguese fortress and now a town of 80,000 people. History is everywhere as you wander Galle’s battlements and alleys, evade or engage it’s strolling vendors and serendipitously bump into its famous cricket ground. Also on your accidental itinerary might be fortune tellers, mosques, archways to nowhere and elegant, hotels plus much time spent pouring over rubies, garnets, amethysts and sapphires in gem shops that glitter like Aladdin’s Cave.
The white lighthouse in Galle Fort
Sitting on the balcony, watching the ocean unload its freight of waves below the sun’s own tumbling garnet is truly awe-inspiring. One might recall Mark Twain’s comment when his ship reached Ceylon in the 1890s: “Dear me, it is beautiful.” It still is.
About the Author
Mahy Medhat
A storyteller with a wanderlust desire, who loves exploring the world with a penchant for culture and food. Mahy has been writing for numerous high-profile magazines and currently working on publishing her own book.
