derms gather in an awesome
spectacle. (p213)
Kumana National Park
Leopards, elephants and birds
galore at this park that’s much
less crowded than its popular
neighbour, Yala. (p213)
Pottuvil Lagoon safaris can
bring you titillatingly close to
elephants, monitor lizards and
crocodiles. (p237)
Shopping
Being a lush country, it’s
not surprising that some
of Sri Lanka’s best goods
are what it grows. Tea is an
obvious purchase; all man-
ner of spices another. In
addition there are various
handicrafts and a growing
range of designer items.
Colombo Of course the capital
has good shopping. What’s
surprising is just how good it
is. Stylish designer boutiques,
galleries and markets galore sell
just about anything you might
want, with plenty of surprises on
offer. (p80)
Negombo Charming and ram-
shackle Negombo has a busy
town centre full of shopping Sri
Lankans, and a beachfront lined
with tourist souvenir shops.
(p86)
Galle With a surfeit of classy
little galleries, independent
designer boutiques and quirky
bric-a-brac shops, Galle is a
fascinating place for shoppers to
explore. (p114)
Hill Country At tea planta-
tions and factories you can buy
excellent teas – many hard to
find elsewhere – at good prices.
(p142)
Ayurveda
Ayurveda is an ancient
system of medicine and
therapies designed to
heal and rejuvenate. It’s
widely used in Sri Lanka
for a range of ailments and
draws many visitors each
year; some stay in clinics
and spas for weeks.
Spa Ceylon (p69) and
Siddhalepa Ayurveda (p70)
Rejuvenate in luxury and enjoy
a full range of treatments in
Colombo; the capital’s market
district of Pettah also has
Ayurveda shops.
Sanctuary Spa A hard day
swimming in the energetic surf
of Unawatuna can be followed
by long sessions getting your
inner balance restored. (p116)
Ayurveda Pavilions In Ne-
gombo, Pavilions offers rooms
that include spa treatments.
(p90)Barberyn Reef Ayurveda
Resort A complete health resort
in Beruwela, offerings include
yoga and meditation. (p96)
Heritance Ayurveda Maha
Gedara A west coast retreat
where the quality of the resort
matches the quality of the treat-
ments. (p96)Heritage Sites
Unesco has recognised
eight World Heritage Sites
in Sri Lanka, an impressive
number for a small island.Galle Fort The Dutch fort forms
Sri Lanka’s most beautiful urban
environment: stroll the walls at
sunset. (p105)
Kandy The Royal City and tem-
ples are the heart of Sri Lankan
culture. (p144)
Sinharaja Forest Reserve One
of the last remaining slabs of
dense montane rainforest in Sri
Lanka is a birdwatcher’s dream.
(p189)Dambulla The cave temples and
their extraordinary paintings are
works of art. (p197)Sigiriya The rock monastery
which, yes, many people still
think was a fort or temple; on
a clear day you can see forever
from the top. (p200)
Polonnaruwa A vast range
of surviving structures of the
medieval capital. (p206)Anuradhapura The sacred and
the secular come together in a
sprawling precinct that spans
centuries of history. (p215)
Central Highlands The forests
and peaks of Sri Pada Peak Wil-
derness (p163), Horton Plains
(p173) and Knuckles Range
(p161) house outstanding
biodiversity.Colonial
Architecture
The Dutch, the Portuguese
and the British all liter-
ally left their marks on Sri
Lanka. Their legacies are
today’s atmospheric sights.
Colombo The Dutch-built Old
Dutch Hospital is just one of
many colonial beauties you can
enjoy in the capital. The National
Museum is in an old British
compound. (p56)
Galle Fort Take a sunset walk
along the perimeter of Galle’s
Dutch-built fort walls and you
can almost feel history seep
out of the ground around you.
(p105)
Nuwara Eliya Stay in one of the
grand old hotels of Sri Lanka’s
favourite colonial hill station,
and the days of the Raj seem
to come flickering back to life.
(p166)Jaffna Nineteenth-century
homes and Portuguese-era
churches, though damaged
in the war, pepper the city’s
suburbs. (p262)