Nilaweli Beach

 

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Located on the East Coast of Sri Lanka, known the world over for its beautiful soft white sand beaches which slope gently into clear shallow seas, the vast Indian Ocean which washes on to the shores of this coastal resort holds a treasure chest of dreams just waiting to be opened.

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Here you could swim around the multi-hued reef protecting the island like so many layers of ribbon cake – turquoise, ochre, salmon pink, smoky grey, sandstone and cobalt blue – and revel in an underwater world of colourful translucence, feasting your eyes on shoals of jewel-hued fish darting among the surrounding coral and rocks.

Here, in close proximity to the vast Indian Ocean and its many secret treasures, is the Nilaveli Beach Hotel, located 275 km. east of Colombo and a short drive away from the town ofTrincomalee, renowned for its natural harbour, known to be one of the finest in the world. 

In 1775 a teenage midshipman named Horatio Nelson arrived in Trincomalee aboard the HMS “Seahorse”. Later, as admiral of the British Navy, he remembered it as “the finest harbour in the world” – tribute indeed from such a man.

A number of shipwrecks including the aircraft carrier HMS “Hermes” which went down during World War II into 30 fathoms of water, and its sister ship the HMS “Empire” which came to its rescue only to suffer the same fate, lie submerged beneath the waters.

The HMS “Hermes” was rediscovered only in the 1970s, its hulk, teeming with marine life. The HMS “Empire” has not yet been found – who knows, you just might be the one to make this momentous discovery!

The Nilaveli Beach on the East Coast is “the other side of the island”, one that remains pristine, pure and very private even today – it is undoubtedly the best in Sri Lanka and one of the premier beaches in Asia

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Sinharajaya

Sinharajaya

The Forest Of Sri Lanka-Sinharajaya

Sinharaja forest reserve is one of the least disturbed and biologically unique lowland rain forest in Sri lanka. This forest covers an extent of about 11187 hectares from east to west .The length of the forest is about 21km and width from North to South is about 3.7km.It was declared a Man and Biosphere Reserve (MAB) in 1978,as representative of tropical humid evergreen forest Eco system in Sri Lanka and has been recognized by UNESCO as part of it�s International Network of Biosphere reserves. It was declared a National wilderness area in 1988 and lately a world heritage site in 1989.It is situated in the southwest lowland wet zone of the country in the districts of Ratnapura, Galle and Matara. The average annual temperature of Sinharaja is 23.6 C. Annual rainfall is more than 2500mm.The rain fall is well distributed during two monsoons, May to July and October to December.

Flora of Sinharaja

The vegetation of Sinharaja may be described either as a tropical lowland rain forest or tropical wet evergreen forest.some striking characteristics of the forest are the loftiness of the dominant trees, the straightness of their bole, the abundance of regeneration and the diversity of species. Average height of the trees varies between 35m � 40m.some individuals rise even upto 50m.The vegetation of Sinharaja is that of humid wet evergreen forest type with a high degree of endemism. In fact some families such as Dipterocarpaceae show an endemism more than 90%. The untapped genetic potential of Sinharaja flora is enormous.

Out of the 211 woody trees and lianas so far identified within the reserve 139 (66%) are endemic. Similarly, high levels of endemism are perhaps true for the lower plants like ferns, epiphyts as well.out of 25 general endemic to Sri Lanka 13 are represent in Sinharaja. The Total vegetation density, including trees, shrubs, herbs and seedlings has been estimated to be around 240,000 individuals per hectare, of which 95% comprise individuals of the ground layer bellow 1m in height.The density of trees, lianas above 30 cm girth at breast height, ranges between 600 - 700 individuals per hectare while the number of merchantable individuals of trees of girth grater than 150cm ranges between 45-55 individuals per hectare.

Fauna of Sinharaja

Studies on the fauna of Sinharaja have revealed that there is a high degree of endemism among the butterflies, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals are greater than 50%. There have been reports of sightings of a few animals in the eastern Secter.The most common deer species is the Sambhur The Monk deer and Barking deer are also found within the reserve. Leopards are very seldom sighted, but their frequent presence has been confirmed by tracks and other signs. Badger Mongoose and the Golden Palm Civet have been occasionally sighted. The most commonly seen primate is the Purple - faced Leaf Monkey.Although the elephants said to be common in the past, there have not been reports of sightings during the last 15 years.

Out of the Birds recorded in the western sector of the reserve, 72% were resident non-endemic and 13% migrants. One of the most interesting and colorful spectacles to be found in the in the Sinharaja is the presence of mixed species of foraging bird flocks, a phenomenon commonly found in rain forests total of 100 such flocks were systematically observed, and studies have revealed that some flocks contained 48 species including 12 endemic species. The rare endemic birds to be seen in Sinharaja are the Red-faced Malkoha, the Sri Lanka Blue Magpie, the Ashy-headed Barbbler, and the White - headed Starling and the Green � billed Coucal the rarest of Sri Lankan birds. The Agamids are the best represented group of reptiles, the most common being the Green Garden Lizard. Of Special significance are the sightings of Calotes Liolepis an arboreal species, the rearest of all agamids found in the island .The only Tortoise recorded in the reserve is the Hard - shelled Terrapin, while of the species of skinks, the spotted skink can be seen often. Among the snakes The Green Pit Viper and Hump-nosed Viper are commonly found in this forest and are endemic to Sri Lanka.

The amphibians are fairly well represented in the reserve and nine endemic species have been identified. The endemic Torrent toad and the common house toad. In most streams and marshes, the Wrinkled frog and The Sri Lankan Reed frog is also found in Sinharaja. Ramanella palmata a rare endemic species is the only microhylid recorded so far while the yellow-banded Caecilian is the only apodan recorded.

Ambuluwawa-Kandy

Ambuluwawa




Ambuluwawa peak situated in the center of Gampola Kingdom established by the great Sinhala King Buvanekabahu IV. (1341-1357 AD) was hitherto not put into any use. Height of the peak trom the mean sea level is 365 feet and from the Gampola town is 1965 feet Mayura Sandesa, the messenger poem written in the 14th Century describes this enchanting rock and the surroundings thus:
When the planets and stars disappear trom the sky and when the nectar appears in or drops from flowers on tree tops and when the sun spreads its rays as it rises over the mountain of the east, you may set off trom Ambuluwakada happily

Lankathilaka Viharaya, Kandy

Lankathilaka Viharaya, Kandy was constructed in the 14th century AD by King Parakrambahu. It was revived later by Vijayabahu IV. Lankathilaka Viharaya, Kandy was made in the conventional Sinhalese way. Lankathilaka Viharaya is one of the popular tourist destinations in Kandy which is worth visiting. 

Lankathilaka Viharaya, Kandy is a dramatic building made out of clay brick. At one time it was a five-storied building. Lankathilaka Viharaya in Kandy was decorated with flowers, creepers, birds, animals and statues of gods. At the entrance of the building there are two huge pillars. Presently the pillars have broken down and reduced to a height of 58 ft. Initially, the height of these pillars was almost twice the existing one. 

In the shrine rooms of the Lankathilaka Viharaya, Kandy there is an intricate designing of stonework and also of wood for the four gods who are guarding the building. The outer walls of Lankathilaka Viharaya in Kandy are adorned with sculpture which is very delicate in nature. The sculpture portrays diverse buildings of the Polonnaruwa period. There is a pillared "mandapaya" rite in front of the structure. It consists of 40 festooned pillars made purely out of stone. 

The passage of the Lankathilaka Viharaya, Kandy, which is similar to the passage of a cathedral, faces a statue of a standing Buddha. The statue of the standing Buddha is presently headless. Previously it was 41 ft. in height. 

Lankathilaka Viharaya, Kandy has an exclusive architectural design. It is very much different from the other buildings of its era. As a result it attracts a number of tourists from different corners of the world.

Polonnaruwa -Stone Temple

Gal Vihara

Polonnaruwa is a city in the north of Sri Lanka. Since 1982 the archeological park has been recognized as UNESCO world cultural heritage. Residuals of huge stupas, temples with numerous Buddha statues and the whole garden, park and palace estates make this sight one of the main attractions for everyone.

Sri Paada Kanda is Sri Lanka’s holiest mountain and is claimed by most of the country’s religions as the site where Buddha came to earth. Every good Buddhist is expected to make a pilgrimage to its peak at least once in their life. It is a stiff climb.

It is a 2,243 metres (7,359 ft) tall conical mountain located in central Sri Lanka. It is well-known for the Sri Pada "sacred footprint", a 1.8 m rock formation near the summit, in Buddhist tradition held to be the footprint of Lord Buddha.

Although the central highlands of Sri Lanka rise to over 2500 metres, there are few distinct peaks. The one exception to this is Adams Peak, which rises like a mini-Matterhorn out of the surrounding tree-clad slopes. You can drive pretty close to the summit but it is still a steep climb to the top. The peak has been a site of pilgrimage for over a thousand years and there is now a well maintained set of over 4500 steps that take you to the top.

The climb is traditionally done in the dark to allow the pilgrim to witness the sunrise from the peak and to return again before the heat of the day. The path is well-lit by ugly strip lights which ascend in the darkness blending confusingly with the stars, so at times it looks like the path goes on for ever up into the heavens. In fact climbing in the dark is best as you can’t see how much further you have to go.

The mountain is located in the southern reaches of the Central Highlands, in the Ratnapura district of the Sabaragamuwa Province - lying about 20 km northeast of the city of Ratnapura. The surrounding region is largely comprised of forested hills, with no mountain of comparable size nearby.

Access to the mountain is generally provided by a bus that travels between Sri Pada and the nearby town of Maskeliya, to the northeast. The summit of the mountain, however, may only be reached on foot.

The mountain can only be scaled from December to May. During other months it is hard to climb the mountain due to very heavy rain, extreme wind, and thick mist. It is almost impossible to hike there through lesser known jungle tracks because of flooding rivers and animals.