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Royal and sacred cities, cliff top citadels, colonial strongholds, temple caves and virgin forests - with no fewer than seven World Heritage Sires declared and listed by UNESCO, Sri Lanka is one of Asia's richest treasure troves of both natural and man-made wonders. Six of these marvels span some 2,500 years of history - from the sacred city of Anuradhapura and the archaeological sites at Polonnaruwa to the cave temples of Dambulla, the rock palace in the sky - Sigiriya and the magnificent temples and palaces of the former royal capital of Kandy. The Dutch fortification at Galle has the added distinction of being a living World Heritage Site.
But the seventh jewel in Sri Lanka's heritage crown owes nothing to man and everything to nature: the Sinharaja Forest Reserve, a biodiversity hotspot, with its own unique eco-system consisting of protected birds, flora and fauna.
Spiritually inspiring, year after year, visitors from around the world make their personal pilgrimages to the seven World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka - it is indeed a world of ancient wonders.
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The Sacred City of Anuradhapura - 5 BC - the most extensive of the Sri Lankan ancient cities. The city was said to be a model of planning - there were hostels and hospitals and a water supply was assured by the construction of reservoirs. By the middle of the third century BC the fame of the island's first capital had spread to the distant lands of the Mediterranean. Anuradhapura was to continue as the national capital for over 1300 years up to the 10th Century AD when repeated innovations by Indians and a struggle for royal succession resulted in the capital being withdrawn to Polonnaruwa. It still remains home to the sacred bo tree, the oldest historically authenticated tree in the world which was brought to Sri Lanka over 2000 years ago by the sister of Mahinda who introduced the Budda's teachings to the country. Today the monuments of Anuradhapura's heyday survive for you to visit surrounded by the solemn umbrage of trees and an ancient parkland - it is essential viewing!
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The Medieval Capital of Polonnaruwa - lO AD - 140Km north-east of Kandy in the Hill Country and 104Km south east of Anuradhapura is Polonnaruwa. The second seat of rule and a medieval capital: 11-12th Century. The city in its day was fortified with three concentric walls, beautified with parks and gardens and sanctified by many a shrine and sacred place. The majestic King's Council chamber, the rock cut Lotus Bath, the statue of Parakrama Bahu (one of the great kings of Sri Lanka), the rock-cut sculptures of Gal Vihare (Temple) and the Sea of Parakrama (a vast man-made reservoir) are really memorable sights. |
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The Cave Temples of Dambula - 1 BC - 12 miles from Sigiriya is Dambulla which is an archaeological treasure. It is a famous cave temple, 500 feet high and dating back to the 1st century BC when King Valagam Bahu, driven out of Anuradhapura, took refuge here. When he regained his throne he converted the caves into a magnificent rock temple. Later kings made further improvements to the temple, including gilding of the interior, earning the name Ran Giri (Golden Rock). With its series of spectacular caves and a painted area of cover 20,000 sq.ft. of Buddhist murals Dambulla is an amazing place - Both Dambulla and Sigiriya can be viewed on the same day. |
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he Sigiriya Rock Fortress - 5 AD - Sigiriya is a fascinating rock fortress which was the stronghold of a fifth century king who sought refuge. It is one of Sri Lanka's major attractions. Approach the rock through the beautiful water gardens before making the 200 meter ascent to the three acre summit . Before reaching the royal palace at the summit the visitor passes a gallery of heavenly maidens painted upon the rock face and a wall of graffiti where visitors of 1000 years ago felt compelled to inscribe their impressions of the maidens in the gallery. The visitor then passes through two enormous lion paws, the remains of a gigantic brick lion before making the final approach to the summit where magnificent views of the surrounding jungle await. |
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The Royal City of Kandy - 15 AD - Only 115km away from the bustle of Colombo lies the lush town of Kandy. The focus of this town is its picturesque lake set amid rolling green hills with the town itself displaying a delightful mix of old shops selling crafts and batik and antique and gemstone specialists.Adjacent to the lake is the magnificent golden roofed temple, Dalada Maligawa Temple, which houses Sri Lanka's most important Buddist relic - the sacred tooth of Budda. The temple has a constant flow of worshippers and visitors in awe of the spectacular golden architecture and energetic Kandyan drummers who signal the start and finish of the daily pujas. |
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The Dutch Fortification at Galle - 17 AD - 115km south of Colombo the port of Galle is Sri Lanka's fourth largest town and has scarcely altered since Dutch occupation in the 1600's. Visitors can enjoy a pleasant evening stroll along the circuit of the imposing fort walls after spending a day diving, exploring interesting wreck dives around Galle. |
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The Sinharaja Forest Reserve - Sinharaja is a great location for general wildlife enthusiasts and a must for bird watchers. Sinharaga, which translates as 'Lion King', covers an area of nearly 19,000 hectares close to the gem-mining town of Ratnapura, and consists of natural rain forest as well as introduced species, such as teak and mahogany.
This forest is considered to be one of the best birding sites in Sri Lanka with 22 out of Sri Lanka's 26 endemic birds having been sighted here, and large mixed flocks providing an unusual spectacle. Even the less experienced birder would hope to see 10-15 endemics during their stay, highlights include the red-faced malkoha, Sri Lanka frogmouth, spot-winged thrush and malabar trogon. It is not just birds that attract the visitors, over 60% of the country's endemic tree species are found here, along with an impressive list of butterfly, insect, amphibian and reptile species.
Due to the dense forest mammal life can be more difficult to spot, of the 40 species listed as being in the forest there is a good chance of seeing giant squirrels, mongoose, purple-faced langur, wild boar and barking deer.
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