TOURISM STORIES

TOURISM STORIES

HOLY LAND SRI LANKA

AUTHOR:YAPRAK GÜRDAL

Would you like me to take you to a magical geography in this article? Then let’s teleport to Sri Lanka to meet beauties you can’t even imagine, to do plenty of activities, to smell history, to live wildlife...

Sri Lanka is an island country called the "Pearl of the Indian Ocean" due to its location. Marco Polo called it "undoubtedly the most beautiful island in the world for its size". In each of its 12 national parks, different wildlife can be observed; Yala National Park has a dense leopard population.

Minneriya National Park and Udawalawe National Park are home to Asian elephants, Mirissa on the south coast, Kalpitiya on the north-west coast and Trincomalee on the east coast are home to dolphins and whales. Kitulga is preferred for rafting and Arugam Bay for surfing. It is also a scuba diving paradise; scuba diving can be done in Nilaveli in the east, on Pigeon Island and coral reefs on the south coast or shipwrecks on the west, east and south coasts.

Ayurvedic therapy centres, year-round festivals, Buddhist temples and the Sigiriya cliffs, which are considered the 8th wonder of the world and on the UNESCO World Heritage list, also make the name of this place known in the world.

Sri Lanka was settled by Sinhalese from the Indo-Aryan race of Northern India in the 5th century BC and by Dravidian Tamils from Southern India in the 3rd century BC. Today, the island is neither India nor the Far East, but a completely unique identity and culture.

The country was colonised by Portugal in 1505, the Netherlands in 1638 and England in 1796. It declared its independence on 4 February 1948. Arab traders knew this place as Serendib. The word Serendipity (serendipity) comes from here. The name of the country was Ceylon between 1948-1972. Ceylon tea also takes its name from here.

The name of the country was changed to Sri Lanka in 1972, which means ’Holy Land’ in Sanskrit. There is a bloody civil war in the recent past of the country. In 1983, Tamil Tigers started uprisings against the government in the north and east of the island with the aim of establishing an independent Tamil state. After 26 years of conflict, the Sri Lanka Army defeated the Tamil Tigers in 2009 and the civil war ended. Sri Lanka is a very safe country to visit today.

Let’s talk about how to travel...

If you are coming here individually, it is not recommended to rent a car due to the road conditions (main roads are asphalt but the side roads are not asphalt) but you can consider renting a car with a driver. Also, like many travellers, you can take the bus on the intercity roads and get around the city by tuktuk.

I attended the B2B Luxury Connect Tourism fair organised by Druvi Gunssekara, founder of Boutiques in Sri Lanka, as a press invitee. After the fair, Resfeber Holidays organised the country promotion trip I attended. My friend Aleem Raheem, the owner of Resfeber Holidays, made our trip unforgettable with meticulousness and professionalism. If you are thinking of going to Sri Lanka, you can contact them with peace of mind.

Now let’s see where we can visit?

COLOMBO

Colombo, located in the west of Sri Lanka, is the capital and the most important commercial centre of the country. Colombo, which has a rich colonial heritage, has a calm and peaceful life as well as a vibrant nightlife. You can stay in colonial hotels such as Galle Face Hotel, Uga Residence and have a massage at Christell Luxury Wellness Villa.

CULTURE TRIANGLE

The places in Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle are Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya, Pidurangala, Kandy, Dambulla, Ritigala, Mihinthalaya.

Sigiriya, a gigantic rock on the UNESCO World Heritage list, is a place that visitors to Sri Lanka should not miss. Sri Lankans say that Sigiriya is the 8th wonder of the world. When I saw it with my own eyes, I understood very clearly why they say so. Sigiriya is definitely the 8th wonder of the world!

The region in which Sigiriya is located was a large forest, and after storms and landslides, it became a hill. When King Kashyapa I (477-495 AD) chose the region as his capital, he built his palace on this rock and built a lion-shaped gorge on one side of the rock. The name of the place comes from this structure; Sīnhāgiri, Lion Rock (similar to Sinhapura, the Lion City, the Sanskrit name of Singapore). After the death of the king, the capital was abandoned. The palace building was also used as a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century.

DAMBULLA ROYAL CAVE TEMPLE

Pidurangala Rock is a particularly spectacular place to watch the sunrise. Before King Kashyapa I built his palace on Sigiriya, he settled monks in the rock formation adjacent to Pidurangala. Here he built the Pidurangala Ancient Cave Monastery, a religious complex. Today, Pidurangala is visited by those who want to make another climb in addition to Sigiriya. The climb here takes 30 minutes for fast climbers.

AS FOR WILDLIFE...

In Hurulu Eco Park, you can see Sri Lankan elephants by travelling in safari vehicles in a lush forest. You have a very pleasant experience in the park, which is a complete elephant paradise. My suggestions for accommodation here are Sigiriya Hotel, Amaara Forest Hotel, Kaveri Ayurveda Resort, Aliya Resort & Spa, Heritance Kandalama.

EAST COAST

The east coast is mostly preferred for water sports. Karpaha Sands Kalkudah is an excellent hotel to stay here.

GAL OYA VALLEY NATIONAL PARK

Within the borders of Gal Oya Valley National Park, Sri Lanka’s largest artificial lake is located. Boat safaris can be made only in this lake in the country, many bird species and elephants bathing in the lake can be observed.

You can stay at Gal Oya Lodge in the region.

ELLA

Located in the mountainous region of Sri Lanka, Ella is a place that brings together the most special things of the country. Especially preferred by travellers who love activity and entertainment, Ella has lush green dense forests, rushing waterfalls, tea and rice fields that you cannot get enough of photographing, and countless hiking trails.

One of the most scenic and popular train journeys in the world takes place here. You want to look and look at the hills winking through the mists and Ella takes you away from you.

If you want to take a 6-7 hour train journey in Sri Lanka in a lush green nature, the most beautiful views on the railway network are seen between Kandy-Ella (or vice versa Ella-Kandy). The most exciting part of the train routes on this unique trip is the poses you see on social media, hanging from windows and doors. (Attention! Safety comes first!)

My suggestions for accommodation in the region will be 98 Acres Resort & Spa, The Mountain Heavens, Ekho Ella, Villa Perpetua.

YALA NATIONAL PARK

If you want to have the closest safari experience to Africa when you come to Sri Lanka, Yala National Park should be the place to come. Home to the Sri Lankan leopard, a recognised subspecies of the Indian leopard, Yala National Park has the densest leopard population in Asia.

The park is home to 32 mammal species, including bear, elephant, buffalo, wild boar, spotted deer, sambar and golden jackal, as well as mugger crocodile, estuarine crocodile, cobra, Russell’s viper.

If you want to have a camping experience next to the park, Ceylon Wild Safaris Luxury Tent is a very good choice. They offer safaris with 4x4 vehicles and also organise events such as chatting in front of the fire and eating by candlelight in the evenings in the camping area.

SOUTH COAST

The Lower South Region attracts those who prefer sea-sand-sun holidays, surfing and scuba diving enthusiasts. If you want to watch delicious sunsets and sleep by listening to the sounds of the ocean waves, you can stay in seafront hotels in Balapitiya and the Lower South Region, and if you wish, you can do different activities such as river tours and cinnamon experience.

As for my hotel recommendations in the region... Malabar Hill, Sundra by Mosvold, Yara Hotel, Owl and the Pussycat Hotel & Restaurant, The Frangipani Tree hotel of the Edwards Collection group, Villa Mayurana, a hotel of the Edwards Collection group, Garton’s Cape are good hotels in the region.

WILPATTU NATIONAL PARK

Wilpattu National Park is known as the Lake District of Sri Lanka. Located on the northwest coast of the country, near the ancient city of Anuradhapura, the park is the largest and oldest national park in Sri Lanka. In the park, you can safari among the dense trees without seeing the sky, and in the wetland area you can see about 48 shallow natural lakes known as Villus and 2 salt water lakes.

During the safari, you greet leopards, elephants, lazy bears, buffaloes, crocodiles, spotted deer, wild boars, pythons, and lorises during the night walk. When you come to Wilpattu National Park, you can stay at The Ibis Lodge Wilpattu.

KANDY

Kandy (Senkadagalapura), which harbours Sri Lanka’s vast tea plantations, was the capital of the Kingdom of Ceylon from 1592 until the occupation of the country by the British in 1815 and was the last capital of the Sinhala kings. For this reason, it is known as the Royal City. It is home to the Temple of the Tooth Relic (Temple of the Tooth Relic - Sri Dalada Maligawa), one of the most sacred places of Buddhism, on the UNESCO World Heritage list. For this reason, it is known as the Holy City. In Kandy, Grand Serendib Hotel in the city centre, Madulkelle Tea & Eco Lodge, Aarunya in the tea plantations are the preferred hotels.

Sri Lanka is a country that can be travelled safely. Life moves slowly here, and after a while you adapt to this flow. It deserves to be at the top of the travel lists with its naive, friendly and warm-blooded people, nature that penetrates you, wonderful seafood, spiritual and historical places. There are so many things you can experience here that you can be sure that no matter how long you stay, you will return without being able to do everything you want and you will want to come back again and again. Sri Lanka, which touched my heart in every second from the moment I first saw it until the moment I left, is among my favourite countries on my fluffy travel map.