COLOMBO, 4 February 2004 — It is a land of smiling people and traditional hospitality. Visitors to Sri Lanka are received in a friendly and cordial manner.
For many centuries, the island has captivated such visitors as Ibn Batuta, Omar Pasha and, more recently, Prof. Arthur C. Clark who has chosen to live in Sri Lanka. Travelers from ancient mariners and merchants to modern astronauts and business people have been seduced by the tantalizing beauty of the colors and costumes of an island which, according to Mark Twain, is “all harmonious, all in perfect taste.”
Arab traders who visited the island built several mosques on the island. The first mosque, Abrar, stands as a monument to their influence in Beruwela, a Muslim town 40 kilometers from Colombo.
Today’s Sri Lanka invites visitors to enjoy the nation’s glittering culture and its rich natural beauty.
Sri Lanka’s archaeological treasures of palaces and pagodas bear witness to an ancient civilization which sprang from many sources. The result is a land with a mercurial mix of races and religions, arts and crafts, festivals and costumes that enchant visitors by their exquisite variety.
Sri Lanka’s tropical location in the Indian Ocean gives it pleasant weather throughout the year with sunshine and rain. The landscape is verdant — lush lowlands, cascading waterfalls, blue seas, sandy beaches, abundant wildlife, a mix of flowers and fruits, coconut groves, spice gardens and tea estates.
Ringing the island are miles of uncluttered white sandy beaches where sun-seekers and fun-seekers are caressed by gentle ocean breezes. Rising amid spectacular waterfalls to mist-shrouded peaks is the central hill region, home to world famous “Pure Ceylon Tea” and the legendary gem mines that produce sapphires, rubies and other gems.
As you travel from lowlands to highlands, a panorama of people at work or play lies before your eyes. Roads share space with carts, bicycles, bullocks and even elephants. The roadside is vibrant with life and the landscape presents a palette of changing colors. Pause at wayside markets, handicraft shops or batik factories or stop to watch craftsmen at work, gems being mined, tea being picked, elephants being bathed in rivers or fishermen on stilts.
Colombo, the capital and main entry point, is a metropolis of big business and small bazaars with Kandy, the last royal citadel, the cultural center where popular cultural pageants are held in July every year. Nuwara Eliya, one of Asia’s most scenic hill stations, has year round pleasant “English spring” weather. The western coast from Negombo, north of the Colombo International Airport, to Tangalle, in the south, contains a string of beach resorts and quaint fishing villages. At the extreme south of the island is Yala and in the heart of the island is the Wilpattu national parks. There are sanctuaries for wild elephants, leopards, bears, deer and all imaginable flora and fauna. Hotels and resorts cater for all visitors, offering five-star luxury, moderate budget accommodation and furnished apartments.
Sri Lankans know no word for “goodbye”. Thus when the time comes to leave their shores, they will not say farewell but invite guests to return again and again.