Tourism in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is home to eight world heritage sites: Galle, Kandy, Sigiriya, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruva,Dambulla cave temple, the Central Highlands, and Lion-King Sinharaja tropical rain forest.
The Central Highlands of Sri Lanka was inscribed on 31 July 2010, by the World Heritage Committee's 34th session in BrasÃlia, as a new World Heritage Site. The site comprises the Peak Wilderness Protected Area, the Horton Plains National Park and the Knuckles Conservation Forest.
In addition to above mixed (culture and nature) sites the ancient cultural site of Seruwila Mangala Raja Maha Vihar at the village of Toppur, Koddiyar Pattu of Trincomalee District of Eastern Province of Sri Lanka was submitted to UNESCO by the government of Sri Lanka on 30 October 2006.
Sri Lanka's many beaches are often visited by tourists. The historical city of Colombo is considered as the "Commercial capital of Sri Lanka" which attracts many tourists from Asian region to visit for businesses. National parks in Sri Lanka are also popular visitor attractions. Tourists are also attracted to Sri Lanka by its natural beauty.
List of famous tourist attractions
Beaches and lagoons
Beach at Arugam Bay
West Coast
Negombo (35 km north of Colombo)
Mount Lavinia (12 km south of Colombo)
Kalutara (42 km south of Colombo)
South Coast
Bentota (62 km south of Colombo)
Ambalangoda (Approx 85 km south of Colombo)
Hikkaduwa (98 km south of Colombo)
Unawatuna (140 km south-east of Colombo)
Weligama (143 km south-east of Colombo)
Mirissa
Matara (km south-east of Colombo)
Tangalle (195 km south-east of Colombo)
East Coast
Arugam Bay (315 km east of Colombo)
North Coast
Nilaveli & Uppuveli (280 km north-east of Colombo)
Trincomalee (257 km north-east of Colombo)
Historic or Archeological Sites
Kandy, a World Heritage Site
Anuradapura - Ancient Kingdom
Sigiriya - Ancient Kingdom & fortress
Polonnaruwa - Ancient Kingdom
Kandy - Ancient Kingdom with temple of tooth relic
Galle - Fortress
Dambulla - Rock cave temple
Maligawila - Ancient Monastery with largest statue of Lord Buddha in Sri Lanka
Yapahuwa - Fortress
National Parks
Leopards at Yala National Park
List of national parks of Sri Lanka
Yala National Park - Most visited, and second-largest in Sri Lanka
Udawalawe National Park - Famous for Elephant watching
Kumana National Park - Famous for Bird watching
Bundala National Park - Famous for Bird watching
Wasgamuwa National Park - One most attractive national park
Wilpattu National Park - Largest in Sri Lanka, famous for leopards
Minneriya National Park - Famous for Elephants
Horton Plains National Park - Only national park in hill country and famous for sambar
Mullaitive National Park - Proposed for Elephant watching
Elephants
Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage
Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage
Udawalawe Elephant Transit Centre
Adventure Sports
White water rafting - Kithulgala
Surfing - Arugam Bay
Boating - Bentota, Bolgoda, Madhu ganga, Koggala
Trekking - Knuckles Mountain Range, Hortan plains, Sripada aka Adam's peak
Precious stone mining
Gems of Sri Lanka
Ratnapura where the city of famous Sri pada mountain located is the center of precious stone mining
The precious stones such as rubies and sapphires frequently found in Ratnapura and 90% of the rocks of the island are of Precambrian age, 560 million to 2,400 million years ago. The gems form in sedimentary residual gem deposits, eluvial deposits, metamorphic deposits, skarn and calcium-rich rocks. Other gems are of magmatic origin.
The blue sapphires from Sri Lanka are known as Ceylon Sapphire. Ceylon Sapphires are reportedly unique in colour, clarity and lustre compared to the blue sapphires from other countries, also Marco Polo wrote that the island had the best sapphires, topazes, amethysts, and other gems in the world.
The tourists are interested in precious stones also can visit Adam's Peak, Sinharaja Forest Reserve,Udawalawe National Park and Kitulgala (place of "The Bridge on the River Kwai" was filmed).
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Tourism is one of the main industries in Sri Lanka. Major tourist attractions are focused around the island's famous beaches located in the southern and eastern parts of the country, ancient heritage sites located in the interior of the country and lush green resorts located in the mountainous regions of the country. A large majority of tourists come from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Maldives, Japan, the People's Republic of China, India & Middle East.
Visitor attractions
Dambulla
Visitor attractions
Dambulla
Sri Lanka is home to eight world heritage sites: Galle, Kandy, Sigiriya, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruva,Dambulla cave temple, the Central Highlands, and Lion-King Sinharaja tropical rain forest.
The Central Highlands of Sri Lanka was inscribed on 31 July 2010, by the World Heritage Committee's 34th session in BrasÃlia, as a new World Heritage Site. The site comprises the Peak Wilderness Protected Area, the Horton Plains National Park and the Knuckles Conservation Forest.
In addition to above mixed (culture and nature) sites the ancient cultural site of Seruwila Mangala Raja Maha Vihar at the village of Toppur, Koddiyar Pattu of Trincomalee District of Eastern Province of Sri Lanka was submitted to UNESCO by the government of Sri Lanka on 30 October 2006.
Sri Lanka's many beaches are often visited by tourists. The historical city of Colombo is considered as the "Commercial capital of Sri Lanka" which attracts many tourists from Asian region to visit for businesses. National parks in Sri Lanka are also popular visitor attractions. Tourists are also attracted to Sri Lanka by its natural beauty.
List of famous tourist attractions
Beaches and lagoons
Beach at Arugam Bay
West Coast
Negombo (35 km north of Colombo)
Mount Lavinia (12 km south of Colombo)
Kalutara (42 km south of Colombo)
South Coast
Bentota (62 km south of Colombo)
Ambalangoda (Approx 85 km south of Colombo)
Hikkaduwa (98 km south of Colombo)
Unawatuna (140 km south-east of Colombo)
Weligama (143 km south-east of Colombo)
Mirissa
Matara (km south-east of Colombo)
Tangalle (195 km south-east of Colombo)
East Coast
Arugam Bay (315 km east of Colombo)
North Coast
Nilaveli & Uppuveli (280 km north-east of Colombo)
Trincomalee (257 km north-east of Colombo)
Historic or Archeological Sites
Kandy, a World Heritage Site
Anuradapura - Ancient Kingdom
Sigiriya - Ancient Kingdom & fortress
Polonnaruwa - Ancient Kingdom
Kandy - Ancient Kingdom with temple of tooth relic
Galle - Fortress
Dambulla - Rock cave temple
Maligawila - Ancient Monastery with largest statue of Lord Buddha in Sri Lanka
Yapahuwa - Fortress
National Parks
Leopards at Yala National Park
List of national parks of Sri Lanka
Yala National Park - Most visited, and second-largest in Sri Lanka
Udawalawe National Park - Famous for Elephant watching
Kumana National Park - Famous for Bird watching
Bundala National Park - Famous for Bird watching
Wasgamuwa National Park - One most attractive national park
Wilpattu National Park - Largest in Sri Lanka, famous for leopards
Minneriya National Park - Famous for Elephants
Horton Plains National Park - Only national park in hill country and famous for sambar
Mullaitive National Park - Proposed for Elephant watching
Elephants
Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage
Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage
Udawalawe Elephant Transit Centre
Adventure Sports
White water rafting - Kithulgala
Surfing - Arugam Bay
Boating - Bentota, Bolgoda, Madhu ganga, Koggala
Trekking - Knuckles Mountain Range, Hortan plains, Sripada aka Adam's peak
Precious stone mining
Gems of Sri Lanka
Ratnapura where the city of famous Sri pada mountain located is the center of precious stone mining
The precious stones such as rubies and sapphires frequently found in Ratnapura and 90% of the rocks of the island are of Precambrian age, 560 million to 2,400 million years ago. The gems form in sedimentary residual gem deposits, eluvial deposits, metamorphic deposits, skarn and calcium-rich rocks. Other gems are of magmatic origin.
The blue sapphires from Sri Lanka are known as Ceylon Sapphire. Ceylon Sapphires are reportedly unique in colour, clarity and lustre compared to the blue sapphires from other countries, also Marco Polo wrote that the island had the best sapphires, topazes, amethysts, and other gems in the world.
The tourists are interested in precious stones also can visit Adam's Peak, Sinharaja Forest Reserve,Udawalawe National Park and Kitulgala (place of "The Bridge on the River Kwai" was filmed).
