Mini Guide to Sri Lanka
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Hello Everyone!
I recently went to Sri Lanka for a family holiday and a break after my year 12 studies. During this trip I was able to explore parts of Sri Lanka that I have not ever heard of or ever been to. This was really exciting for me as I got to reunite with my relatives while we were travelling around Sri Lanka. I will add short descriptions of the places I visited (including a historical and/or religious summary) with some pictures for you to get a real taste of Sri Lanka.
1) Matara Beach, Matara
Whether it is enjoying a nice walk along the beach or eating a delicious ice cream while sitting on the sand, Matara Beach offers a pristine and calm environment for people to relax in. There is a small Buddhist temple across the bridge on a mini island (seen on the picture). The soft, sea breeze on your skin accompanies you across the bridge. This temple has to be one of my favourite temples ever as it is so peaceful. Matara beach looks as if it is kindling its own symphony - calm and unspoiled - however it is not safe to swim there.
View from the temple
2) Tangalle Beach, Tangalle
After passing the beautiful views of Matara Beach you will find yourself near yet another beautiful and stunning beach - Tangalle Beach. Tangalle beach is situated on the South tip of Sri Lanka. This beach is world famous for its turquoise water and clean white sand that stretches out wide. Tangalla "Tangalle" was grieviously damaged by the tsunami in 2004, but it has been slowly rebuilding since then and attracting more and more tourists each year. The part of Tangalle beach that I visited is filled with many picturesque rocks, so it is also not safe to swim in. However, there are parts of Tangalle beach that is clear and perfect for a nice swim or dip in the ocean.
3) Ranminithenna Tele Cinema Village
Having never been to a film set I was intrigued at the opportunity to visit the Ranminithenna Tele Cinema Village on the way to Dabana. This film set portrays settings from different countries - whether it be London or Afghanistan and also from different social groups - poor or rich. This was not one of my favourite places to visit as there was so much walking involved haha! However, if you wanted to take your family out for a nice afternoon walk and explore the different settings then it is perfect for you! There is also great places to take good photos and trick your families that you went travelling around the world.
4)"Indigenous Sri Lankan Village" Dambana, Sri Lanka
The Indigenous people of Sri Lanka are called "Vedda".
What is their history?
According to the genesis chronicle of the Sinhala people, the Mahavamsa ("Great Chronicle"), written in the 5th century CE, the Pulindas believed to refer to Veddas are descended from Prince Vijaya (6th–5th century BCE), the founding father of the nation, through Kuveni, a woman of the indigenous Yakkha he married. The Mahavansa relates that following the repudiation of Kuveni by Vijaya, in favour of a Kshatriya-caste princess from Pandya, their two children, a boy and a girl, departed to the region of Sumanakuta (Adam's Peak in the Ratnapura District), where they multiplied, giving rise to the Veddas. Anthropologists such as the Seligmanns (The Veddas 1911) believed the Veddas to be identical with the Yakkha.- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vedda
The town of Dambana is where the Vedda people inhabit. Having never encountered the Vedda people I was really curious and interested to visit Dambana to find out more about their history and current lifestyles. This village has a museum where displays of the lifestyle and recordings from elderly Veddas are played and shown. This portrayal of their lives really engages the people as the displays are wax figures making it look very lively. After visiting the museum we got to visit some veddas and look at their handycrafts which they have made from animal parts or trees.
An elderly Vedda with an axe
Little hut
5) Trincomalee
Trincomalee, commonly known as "Trinco" is one of the major port cities in Sri Lanka. It also holds a high reputation within tourists for having serenity beaches and magnificent views. Trinco is situated in the Eastern Province and is 113 miles south of Jaffna. The main population in this city is Tamil people, therefore they are many Hindu Temples. Travelling to Trincomalee feels like escaping into another world filled with vibrant colours.
Trincomalee has some of the most picturesque and scenic beaches found in Sri Lanka, relatively unspoilt and clean. The area is famous for bathing and swimming, owing to the relative shallowness of the sea, allowing one to walk out over a hundred meters into the sea without the water reaching the chest. Whale watching is a common pastime in the seas off Trincomalee, and successful sightings are on the rise with the increase of tourism in the area.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trincomalee
1) Marble Beach
2) Nilaveli Beach
3) Hot wells, Kanniya
4) Koneswaram temple
6) The ancient city of Polonnaruwa
Polonnaruwa is the second most ancient city in Sri lanka. It was a kingdom ruled by King Vijayabahu l. The ancient city of Polonnaruwa has been declared as a World Heritage Centre due to the remains and importance of Sri Lankan history it carries. When going to Polonnaruwa there is a map of many remaining monuments that you can visit. Because of time constraints I was only able to goto a few of these historical monuments but they were all honestly so amazing!
Stone Buddha
7) Sigiriya
One of the world wonders lies here in the pearl shaped country Sri Lanka - an Ancient Rock Fortress called "Sigiriya". Once home to one of the Greatest and Bravest Kings "King Kasyapa" this rock is now a historical and archaeological significance to Sri Lanka. King Kasyapa selected this rock as his kingdom due to the protection it brings by being high and away from any enemies. He was also able to see from above if any attack is coming his way. King Kasyapa decorated the sides of the rock with colourful and vibrant frescoes, which can only be viewed with high security due to it being vandalised in the past. If you decide to be adventurous and climb up onto top of the Sigiriya (which I highly recommend) you will instantly flashback to the ancient times. The view from top of the rock is surreal and the pools in the garden complex is breathtaking.
8) On the way attractions
Manel Flower, Kandy
Tusker on the side of a road.
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