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| Sri Lanka Travel Guide for backpackers |
| This small island is big on beauty and attractions, from beautiful beaches where palm trees wave in the breeze, to fascinating architecture dating back eons, to the tea plantations in the plains of the rolling hills. It does have its problems though, with crime and unrest making some areas dangerous and heavily mined, but these are being addressed and Sri Lanka is a lot safer today than it has been in the past. |
| Search all cities in Sri Lanka |
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Colombo – Somewhat less than tranquil, Colombo is a crazy jumble of snarled traffic, noisy and congested pavements, power failures, and general breakdown of services and just about everything else, but smiling through it all with a beguiling nonchalance.
Anuradhapura – With a royal heritage of Sinhalese monarchy ruling from the city for a thousand years, Anuradhapura is filled with ancient ruins and holy sites.
Galle – The imposing presence of the Dutch is obvious in the massive Dutch Fort that covers an area of 89 acres in the port of Galle. It has withstood the onslaught of invaders and time since 1663, but today it offers peaceful shelter to museums, churches, and old Dutch houses.
Hikkaduwa – This beach resort offers snorkelling, scuba diving to check out the wrecks in the bay, and other such watery attractions. It also has restaurants, cafes and accommodation, a Buddhist temple, and a lake teeming with birdlife.
Kandy – Buddhism rules in Kandy, and the greatest attraction is the city is the Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Tooth), which houses a supremely sacred relic, the Tooth of Buddha. |
 DAILY BUDGET in SRI LANKA - Sri Lanka is another of those countries where a backpacker can walk tall, with a full belly, and check out a few sights, and spend only about US$20 a day. If staying in basic double room and using bus travel does not appeal, then look at adding an extra $10 for cool comfort in a rest house. Alternatively, just go the whole hog and splash out US$100 a day, for a luxury trip. |
December to March on the south and west of Sri Lanka is when the weather behaves itself, and the east coast gets a break from May to September, but it is also when tourists flock into the country. So, if you don’t mind being caught in the odd downpour then catch the cheaper accommodation and airfares in the off-season.
The Kandy Esala Perahera held in July/August is an extravagant spectacle, ten days of processions with dancers, drummers, torchbearers and fabulously decorated elephants. In January, Buddha’s visit to Sri Lanka is celebrated in Colombo. |
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