Sri Lanka is an island state that is located in South Asia near the place where the Hindustan peninsula ends. The name of the country is translated from Sanskrit as “blessed land.” True, until 1972 this state was called differently-Ceylon. So this place on their maps was noted by Europeans who colonized the island at the beginning of the 16th century.
The population of the island is about 21.5 million people, the vast majority of which professes Buddhism. More than a million tourists visit the country annually. The best time to relax on Sri Lanka is from November to April, when a north-eastern wind prevails here, bringing warm and dry weather with it. From May to October, the island is under the rule of wet monsoons. During this period, tropical showers are almost continuous here, and the beach vacation is complicated by high waves.
What is noteworthy rest on Sri Lanka? Here you can look at the majestic Buddhist temples, ride an elephant, try real Ceylon tea, sunbathe on the beach, do diving, surfing or rafting. But today we will not talk about that. We have prepared for you 8 interesting attractions, which you should definitely look at the island of Sri Lanka.
1. The temple of Dalad Maligawa in Kandy
One of the four teeth of the Buddha, preserved after the cremation of his body, is stored here. This relic was on Ceylon in 371 and has since been carefully protected by representatives of the royal dynasty. The temple is located on the territory of the Royal Palace and is open to everyone who wants to worship the shrine. Of course, you will not see the tooth itself, because it is under reliable protection. It is taken out of the temple only once a year. During the colorful festival of Esal Perraher, which takes place in August.
In addition to the famous tooth, in the temple of Dalada Maligawa it is worth looking at the figure of the Buddha from the whole emerald, as well as at ancient manuscripts.
2. Royal Botanical Garden
The botanical garden is located 6 kilometers from the city of Kandy. Its area is more than 60 hectares. Here you can walk surrounded by exotic trees, flowers, palm groves and bamboo thickets. Huge pavilions with orchids and cacti, as well as the Japanese garden, deserve attention. Hundreds of bright tropical birds and funny monkeys live in the garden who are not afraid to approach tourists. In addition, in the Botanical Garden you can see plants planted by famous people, for example, the iron tree of Nicholas II, the ficus of the English king Edward VII and Yuri Gagarin.
3. Ancient tree Bo
During a visit to Sri Lanka, be sure to look at the most ancient in the world of a sacred tree, whose age is more than 23 centuries. According to Buddhist beliefs, the Bo tree grew out of the process taken from Fikus Budh Goya, under which the Gautama descended on Siddhartha, and he became a Buddha.
The Bo tree is located on the territory of the temple complex of Anuradhapur-Vikhara. It is surrounded by a fence of gold and is carefully protected. A huge number of pilgrims from all over the world come here, dreaming of getting a leaf that has fallen from the sacred tree.
4. Cave Temple Dambulla
The temple is located near the ancient Lankan capital. It was built, or rather cut down in the thickness of the rock in the 2nd century BC. A giant rocky array hangs over the temple complex, which gives an impression even on experienced travelers. At the foot of the cliff, guests are met by a huge statue of the Buddha, and a staircase of amazing wavy shape, strewn with flowers, leads to the temple.
The temple of Dambulla is rightfully considered one of the richest cult places, its luxury is amazing. More than 150 sculptures of the Buddha are stored here, more than half of which are covered with gold. One of the caves is famous for the fact that drops of water rise up its walls from the source and, gathering under the ceiling, break into the gold bowl standing below.
On the territory of the complex you should be very careful – thousands of monkeys feel here very freely and do not mind profiting the contents of your handbag or drag a camera.
5. Blofing nursery in Pinnvel
From time immemorial, elephants on Sri Lanka are considered sacred animals. You can see with your own eyes how these smart animals live in the state elephant nursery in Pinnvel. The most comfortable conditions for living elephants are created here. Tourists are shown both adult animals and small elephants, which can be fed, of course, for a fee and in a time strictly assigned for this. If you are lucky, you will see a bathing of elephants, during which they behave not like sedate giants, but as small children, spraying water and lying in mud. Since all the inhabitants of the nursery come here for a reason, but due to the injuries and other unfavorable circumstances, the money proceeded for tickets goes to the maintenance of animals.
6. Garden of spices
Connoisseurs of spicy aromas will certainly want to visit the spices garden located in the town of Matai, not far from Kandy. Here you can see how spicy plants grow, which we are used to seeing in the finished form in our kitchen.
During the tour, the garden employees will tell you how to use spices correctly, how to prepare medicinal and cosmetic drugs from them. There is a shop where you can buy your favorite spices, get a consultation with a specialist in Ayurveda and even visit a relaxing massage session using rare oils and herbs.
7. “Wounding hole”
A place with such a frightening name is located near the beach of Dickwell. This attraction of Sri Lanka is also called “Keith’s breathing.” The unusual natural phenomenon is caused by the fact that the ocean waves, falling into a deep break between the rocks, break out from there and rush up like a grandiose fountain, reaching a height of 30 meters. The action is accompanied by loud sounds resembling the voice of a giant whale. The only thing that should be taken into account is that the natural phenomenon can be observed only with a strong wind. On the way here you will see many picturesque villages and you can familiarize yourself with the life of the local population.
8. National Park “Plato Horton”
The reserve is located in the upper three of the largest Sri Lanka rivers, eight kilometers from Ochiya. In addition to the luxurious tropical nature and the diversity of the animal world, here you can see a landmark called “End of the World”. This is an absolutely vertical cliff with a height of more than 1300 meters, from the top of which an amazing view of the gorge and the riverbed opens. Experienced tourists recommend coming to the observation deck in the early morning, when a thick fog rises in the light of the first rays of the rising sun from the bottom of the gorge, creating the feeling that you are really on the very edge of the world.
What else is attractive to Sri Lanka for tourists? The birthplace of the best tea in the world and exquisite spices meets its guests with beautifully equipped hotels, beaches and delicious food. You can relax on Sri Lanka quite budget, since prices here are lower than in countries with similar climatic conditions. For example, a dish of newly caught seafood costs about $ 15 here, an exotic fruit salad – $ 2.5, and ice cream can be bought only for the dollar.
You can get to Sri Lanka using regular flights by Emirates, Turkish Airlines, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways and some others. The cost of tickets varies depending on the time of year, but it begins, as a rule, from 15 thousand rubles. Travel time with all transfers will be from 12 hours or more.
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