Often dubbed the Pearl of the Indian Ocean, the verdant island of Sri Lanka could be more correctly described as the Emerald of the Indian Ocean.
It's not hard to see why travellers book cheap flights to Sri Lanka. The tiny tropical island has palm-fringed, soft sand beaches, stunning rainforest mountains and waterfalls, a rich colonial history and an inspiring cultural heritage. With elephant-led parades, tea plantations, mangrove-lined lagoons, colourful markets and graceful, friendly people, this beautiful island offers a rich holiday experience way off the well-worn tourist trail.
Galle, with its heritage-protected Dutch Fort and preserved colonial style, is great town to explore. Its history dates back well before the Portuguese, Dutch and, later, English arrived, when the port was used by Persians, Arabs, Greeks, Romans, Malays and Indians.
Sri Lanka's south coast is the most popular tourist destination, with plenty of resorts and guesthouses. On the south-west coast, there are fantastic beaches around Hikkaduwa, Unawatuna, Bentota and Mirissa. Some of the must-visit beaches on the eastern coast are Trincomalee, Nilaveli and Arugam Bay.
Now that the 30-year conflict between the Tamils and the Sinhalese has ended, Sri Lanka is looking forward to a peaceful future.
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Sri Lanka's tropical climate means high humidity, tempered by sea breezes along the coast and an average temperature of about 27 degrees Celsius. The coolest month is January, when it becomes particularly cold in the highlands. May is the hottest month.
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Peak Season:
The best time to take cheap flights to Sri Lanka is between the rainy seasons. The driest time on the south-west coast and in the hills is between November and April. The best conditions on the east coast are between May and September. For climbing Adam's Peak, the high season is December to the beginning April (the mountain is obscured by clouds between May and October). April through October is the peak season for surfers.
Off season:
Monsoon season is between May and July and December and January.
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Expo Aviation flies from Colombo to Jaffna. Sri Lankan Airlines' domestic arm, Sri Lankan Air Taxi, flies from Colombo to destinations such as Kandy, Galle and Trincomalee.
If you have plenty of time, train travel can be an interesting, if slow and unreliable, way to get around the island. Old-style sleeper trains are available on some longer routes.
Bus services are run by the Ceylon Transport Board (CTB) and private companies.
Traditional three-wheel tuk-tuks (also known as bajajs or auto-rickshaws) are fun for short trips.
Independent travellers can rent motorbikes and cars or you can hire a car and driver with invaluable local knowledge.
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- Pinnewela Elephant Orphanage, about 85km from Colombo, was established by the Sri Lankan Government in 1975 and is today home to about 75 elephants that were either lost or abandoned by their mothers.
- Nuwara Eliya, the tea capital, is the main hill resort. Located about 2000m above sea level, it's the place for English-style bungalows and afternoon tea. Sri Lankans head up to Nuwara Eliya during March and May, to escape the heat.
- Stilt fishermen around Weligama, in the south of the island, are a sight to behold. Precariously perched on a pole up to 50 metres out to sea, the fishermen masterfully cast a line with the one arm, while holding on with their feet and other arm.
- Horton Plains National Park, spanning 3,160 hectares, is in the highlands and includes Sri Lanka’s second and third-highest mountains, Kirigalpotta and Thotupola. Leopards, sambhur and wild boar roam freely though the park.
- Central Kandy, the last capital of the ancient kings of Ceylon, is a sacred city and home to the Temple of the Tooth Relic. Every July/August, during Esala Perahera, one of the inner caskets covering the tooth relic is paraded through the city in a festive procession accompanied by drummers, colourfully dressed dancers, flag bearers and brightly-decorated elephants.
- Sri Lanka is home to many endangered turtle species, including the Green, Olive Ridley, Leatherback, Loggerhead and Hawkesbill marine turtles. Conservation efforts include paying local fishermen to protect nesting sites, especially at some of the most well-known sites at Kosgoda and Rekawa.
- Ratnapura, literally the city of gems, is the centre of Sri Lanka’s gem industry. Since antiquity, the mineral-rich soil has been yielding some of the world's finest gemstones, including the ruby, sapphire, topaz, amethyst, aquamarine, tourmaline, garnet and cat’s eye. Sri Lanka's unique blue sapphire is known as the Ceylon sapphire. The National Museum in Ratnapura has a stunning collection of gems.
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Bandaranaike International Airport(CMB) (website: www.airport.lk) Sri Lanka's only international airport is in Katunayaka, 35km north of Colombo.
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On arrival at Bandaranaike International, Australians and New Zealanders are granted a tourist visa, valid for 30 days.
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Passports should be valid for at least six months after your date of return to Australia or New Zealand.
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