Sigiriya Rock Fortress and City
Sigiriya or Lion Rock is an astonishing feat of engineering and construction. The most striking portion of Sigiriya, a terracotta and grey core of rock set in the cultural heart of Sri Lanka, rises a sheer 200 metres above a forested plain, its flattened summit sloping gently. A series of moats, ramparts and water gardens are the remnants of an ancient city. It spread out on two sides of the rock, with the remains of a pair of giant stone lion’s paws still guarding the staircase that leads to the summit, once occupied by a royal palace.
Temple of the Tooth, Kandy
Located in Kandy, long a center of the Buddhist faith, the stunning 17th-century Temple of the Tooth (Sri Dalada Maligawa) is believed to house the left upper canine tooth of the Lord Buddha himself. This precious relic attracts white-clad pilgrims, bearing lotus blossoms and frangipani, every day.
Horton Plains National Park
Horton Plains is a beautiful, silent, strange world with some excellent hikes in the shadows of Sri Lanka’s second- and third-highest mountains, Kirigalpotta (2395m) and Totapola (2357m). The ‘plains’ form an undulating plateau over 2000m high, covered by wild grasslands and interspersed with patches of thick forest, rocky outcrops, filigree waterfalls and misty lakes. The surprising diversity of the landscape is matched by the wide variety of wildlife (although many of the larger animals are very elusive).
YALA National Park
Yala combines a strict nature reserve with a national park. Divided into 5 blocks, the park has a protected area of nearly 130,000 hectares of land consisting of light forests, scrubs, grasslands, tanks and lagoons. Two blocks are currently opened to the public. Yala is home to 44 varieties of mammal and 215 bird species
Official Website : http://www.yalasrilanka.lk
Sri Pada or Adam’s Peak
The most famous physical feature of Ceylon is Adam’s Peak, which is situated in the Ratnapura district. It is on the edge of the central massif but its surrounding group of mountains called the Wilderness of the Peak, is so extensive in comparison to the bulk of the other mountain groups that it appears to form a nucleus of its own, separate from the others. It is 2,243 meters high and, though it is the fifth highest peak in the land, its position in relation to the topography is so dominant that it stands out above all others.
Official Website : http://sripada.org/index.htm
Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage
Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage is located in the village Pinnawala in the district of Kegalle at a distance of 90km from Colombo. Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage can be reached via the A1 Colombo – Kandy main road. A turn off at the 82 km post at Kegalle leads you to the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. The closest railway station is at Rambukkana 2km away from the village of Pinnawala. There are more than 100 elephants can be seen in this orphanage.
Sinharaja Rain Forest
Sinharaja Rain Forest the viable remnant of Sri Lanka’s tropical lowland rainforest spanning an area of 18900 acres is located within Sabaragamuwa and Southern provinces of the south-west lowland wet zone of Sri Lanka. Sinharaja is bounded by rivers on three sides. To the east of Sinharaja is an ancient footpath near Beverley Tea Estate and by the Denuwa Kanda. The total area of the Sinharaja Forest Reserve is 18,900 acres or 7,648 hectares. It ranges in altitude from 300m to 1,170m.
Colombo National Museum
The Colombo Museum as it was called at the beginning was established on 1st January 1877. It founder was Sir William Henry Gregory, the British Governor of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) at the time. The construction was completed in 1876 and the Museum commenced it functions in the following year. The Authorities of the museum took various steps to display the cultural and natural heritage of the country.
Official Website: http://www.museum.gov.lk
Dunhinda Falls
is a waterfall located about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from Badulla town in Sri Lanka.The Dunhinda Falls is one of Sri Lanka’s most beautiful waterfalls. The waterfall, which is 64 metres (210 ft) high gets its name from the smoky dew drops spray, which surrounds the area at the foot of the waterfall. The water fall is created by the river called Badulu Oya which goes through the Badulla town.To reach the water fall you have to walk more than 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) along a foot path.
The Ruwanwelisaya Stupa
The Ruwanwelisaya is a stupa in Sri Lanka, considered a marvel for its architectural qualities and sacred to many Buddhists all over the world. It was built by King Dutugemunu c. 140 B.C., who became lord of all Sri Lanka after a war in which the Chola King Elara, was defeated. The stupa is one of the world’s tallest monuments, standing at 103 m (338 ft) and with a circumference of 290 m (951 ft).
Kuttam Pokuna – The Twin Ponds
These two ponds belong to the Abayagiri aramic complex and the origins of these ponds are not known but it is thought to have been built during the reign of King Aggabodhi I (575-608). The smaller pond (the northern) one has been constructed first and the larger one at a later stage. They are connected through a pipeline at the bottom. The northern pond is 91 feet (28 meters) long and the other 132 feet (40 meters). Water to these ponds have been supplied through underground pipelines and the water is sent through several filtering chambers before it falls on the northern pond through a mouth of a dragon. The water from both ponds is drained from a small outlet in the smaller northern pond.
Galle Lighthouse
It is also known as Pointe de Galle Light and it is an onshore Lighthouse in Galle Sri Lanka. The light station is within the walls of the ancient Galle Fort, a UNESCO world heritage site and well known tourist attraction. The lighthouse is strategically located at the southern end of the promontory, built approximately 6 metres (20 ft) above the road level on the ramparts, at what is known as the Point Utrecht Bastion, giving it full view of any ships entering Galle Harbour.
The Polonnaruwa Vatadage
The Polonnaruwa Vatadage is an ancient structure dating back to the Kingdom of Polonnaruwa of Sri Lanka. It is believed to have been built during the reign of Parakramabahu I to hold the Relic of the tooth of the Buddha or during the reign of Nissanka Malla of Polonnaruwa to hold the alms bowl used by the Buddha. Both these venerated relics would have given the structure a great significance and importance at the time. Located within the ancient city of Polonnaruwa Sri Lanka.
The Nallur Kovil
The historic Kandaswamy Temple stands at Nallur 1 1/2km from Jaffna on the Point Pedro Road. The temple was built in the 15th century, by Sanpaha Perumal the adopted son of Bhuvanekababhu, the King of Kotte, who led an expedition to the North and brought Jaffna under the suzerainty of Kotte.