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Sri Lanka,
formerly known as Ceylon, situated in the Indian Ocean and sharing
the same continental shelf as India, is a unique location, hills,
mountains and rivers that are virtually tailor made for adventure
sports activities, couple this with the reefs and wrecks of the
Indian Ocean and you have truly an adventure sports paradise.
You can choose one or more of the sports offered below :
· Scuba Adventure
· Cycle Adventure
· Rafting Adventure
· Trekking Adventure
· Rock Adventure
Sri
Lanka's so-called cultural triangle stands
on its point on Kandy, the last Singhalese capital. Within this area
are the great sites of ancient Lanka: at top left is Anuradhapura,
the first capital, where centuries of kings built ever-larger domed
monuments to Buddha. Nearby is Mihintale, a monastic city that grew
up around the cave that sheltered the first disciple of Buddhism,
Mahinda. The medieval capital, Polonnaruwa, is further south. It
contains complete buildings and colossal rock sculptures. In the
middle is Sigiriya, where a usurper built his royal palace on top of
a loaf-shaped rock. Any one of these four sites is enough to impress
even the most worldly traveller, taken together they are
overwhelming.
The
tropical beauty of East Coast, lying completely land-locked, it
forms a glassy lake surrounded by hills covered with the waving
foliage of coconut tress and palms of great variety. The white
bungalows with their re-tiled roofs, are dotted about along the
shore, and two or here men of war are usually resting at their ease
in this calm retreat.
The
West Coast, Arthur C.Clarke, one of Sri Lanka's most celebrated
residents, described it thus: "And always it is the same: the
slender palm trees leaning over the white sand, the warm sun
sparkling on the waves as they break on the inshore reef, the
outrigger fishing boats drawn up high on the beach. This alone is
real; the rest is but a dream from which I shall presently
awake."
The South
Coast, the road to the deep south plunges you into a region rich in
history and cultural interest, and there are several vast and
impressive nature reserves, including Yala, Bundala and Uda Walawe.
It all begins at Galle, which is believed to be the possible
location of the city of Tarshish, of Biblical fame, the source of a
thriving trade in "gold", silver, ivory, apes and
Peacocks.
The coolestspring is 29°C (84°F) and the hottest not more than 46°C
(115°F).
Hermann Hesse
beautifully described this area, " The wind had just swept
clean the whole valley, I saw deep blue and immense, the entire high
mountain system of Ceylon piled up in mighty walls, and in it's
midst the beautiful, ancient
and holy pyramid of Adam's Peak. Beside it at an infinite depth and
distance lay the flat blue sea, in between a thousand mountains,
broad valleys, narrow ravines, rivers and waterfalls, in countless
folds, the whole mountainous island on which the ancient legend
placed paradise."
The
mountainous region of Sri Lanka is most famous for its tea
plantations, the abundant rainfall combined with sunshine, cold
nights and mists offered the perfect climate for producing high
gown, aromatic treas.
15°C (altitude 1800m)
Traveling
eastwards through a landscape of thrilling waterfalls, the road
dives dizzily to Haputale, which was one of tea millionaire Thomas
Lipton's favourite haunts. Here, in the Benedictine monastery of
Addisham, you'll find a natural bird sanctuary with blue magpies,
paradise flycatchers, green barbets, brilliant orange plumaged mini-verts
hornbills, golden orioles and a host of other bird life. 
The house
resembles Leeds Castle in Kent, England, and was in fact built by
Kentish gentleman, who filled it with imported carpets, porcelain,
furniture and glassware. He even had an English chauffeur for this
Daimler. Today it is run as a monastery, which produces homemade
jams and jellies from wild guavas and fruit cordials for sale (open
9am-12 noon and 3-5pm). Though in no way a full commercial
guesthouse, Addisham can accommodate up to 12 people by prior
arrangements.To stand on a mountain, with the trees about you alive
with the twinkling lights of a galaxy of fireflies, and gaze on
villages thousands of feet below, is to experience the spirit of
this island. The visual spectacle is often paralleled by the
hauntingly sweet perfumes of the queen of the night or the large,
white, pendulous angels trumpets and all around the silver bell
sounds of tree frogs tinkle a mysterious melody.
Traveling
through the mountains of Sri Lanka is always a rewarding experience.
The high country combines with the monsoons to give the island at
least four distinct types of forest, each with its own peculiar
complement of plants and animals. There are wildlife sanctuaries in
each area and all are irresistible, and quite accessible. Sri
Lankans have always taken conservation seriously, perhaps due to
their Buddhist principles, with records of animal protection found
even in the ancient text of the mahavamsa
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