Holidays To Sri Lanka
Just across the Palk Strait from India lies the emerald isle of Sri Lanka. Whilst geographically close to India, Sri Lanka bears little resemblance to her neighbour. The main cultural influence is Buddhism, brought to the island by Mahinda, the son of the great Indian king Asoka, in the 3rd century BC. The archaeological sites at Anuradhapura, Sigiriya, Dambulla and Polonnaruwa are a record of a golden age of Buddhism covering 15 centuries. Today the most sacred site is the well known Temple of the Tooth at the former capital, Kandy, where the Buddha tooth relic currently resides. The colourful Esala Perehera festival takes place here as well each summer.
More recent influences have been from Europe, notably the Portuguese and the Dutch leaving their mark in Galle, and of course the British, who had full control of the island by 1815. Independence was granted in 1948.
Today Sri Lanka offers palm fringed beaches and cool green hills, dotted with plantations of tea and spices. The national parks make up ten percent of the island, and are home to many species of resident and migratory birds and smaller mammals, as well as herds of elephant and solitary leopards.
