For Cultural Tourists
Many Cultural Sites, particularly in the Cultural Triangle are all within easy reach of many hotels located in Dambulla, Habarana, Sigiriya, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. Tour Operators provide transport to and from these tourist sites, and has a well experienced guide. For the free and independent tourist, excursions can be obtained from hotels and these are also accompanied by an experienced guide. The attractions within these sites are well marked and can easily be understood by a traveler.
Beach Resorts
West Coast Beach Resorts
The West Coast stretches from Negombo, 35kms north of Colombo, to Mt. Lavinia a southern suburb of Colombo. Mt. Lavinia and Negombo are the best-developed beach resorts in this region. Isolated hotels have sprung up in most places along the western coastal stretch.
Mt. Lavinia
Eleven kilometers south of Colombo along the road to Galle (known as Galle Road) is the beach resort of Mt. Lavinia. The sea is safe for bathing and is a popular bathing spot with clean sandy beaches. The name Lavinia is derived from local legend of a secret love affair between a British Governor and a local damsel who used to meet at the holiday house of the Governor that stood on the spot where the Mt. Lavinia Hotel is now located.
Negombo
The major beach resort on the West Coast it lies just 10 minutes north of the International Airport, the wide sandy beaches and the safe sea attract thousands of visitors to Negombo, a traditional fishing town. Several hotels ranging from luxury hotels to small motels and restaurants have come up along the coastal stretch. The fish market is worth visiting where busy trading of a variety of fish including prawns, crabs and seer takes place in the mornings when the fishing crafts return to the shore with their catch.
South Coast Beach Resorts
The southern coastal belt is the most popular among the tourists and is frequented by the European tourists. The main beach resorts are at Beruwala, Bentota and Hikkaduwa having several beach hotels with their exclusive beachfronts. Another spectacular stretch of beach in the south is Unawatuna, which lies a few kilometers south of Galle.
Beruwala
An hour's drive from Colombo along the south coast will take the visitor to Beruwala that marks the beginning of the South Coast Beach Resort. Several luxury resorts provide comfortable accommodation and meals. Beruwala is considered to be the first Muslim settlement in the Island established by the Arab traders as far back as the 8th century. There is a famous Muslim mosque at the beachhead close to which is a lighthouse one of several erected along the Sri Lankan coastline.
Bentota
Four kilometers to the south of Beruwala is the Bentota National Tourist Resort, a unique place where the river and sea meet. It is a planned resort with four-star class hotels, a Railway Station, Post Office, Bank, Shopping Arcade, a Tourist Information Centre, and an abundance of water based recreational activities, such as windsurfing, water skiing and jet skiing.
Hikkaduwa
Hikkaduwa (99 km. from Colombo) is the place for underwater delights and has a dedicated marine sanctuary abundant with rare corals and tropical fish. The underwater world of colourful corals and beautiful shoals of fish can be explored either by snorkeling or taking a ride in a glass bottom boat. Hikkaduwa is also a god location for surfing and Australian surfers have a strong affinity to surf at Hikkaduwa.
Galle the southern capital (116 km. from Colombo) was the seaport of Sri Lanka before the Colombo Port was developed. Its main attraction is the Fort that has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The Fort was built by the Portuguese in 1619 and subsequently expanded and developed by the Dutch and the British the one time colonial masters of the Island. What now remains is mostly the work of the Dutch and the British.
Unawatuna
Four kilometers south of Galle is Unawatuna (120 km. from Colombo), a beautiful stretch of beach in the south safe for bathing.
The town of Kudawella (189 km. from Colombo) is famous for its blowhole, which is a rare geological formation on the rocky beach throwing huge columns of water high up into the air with a loud noise like a natural spout. This noise has given the village its name Hoommane. Huge ocean waves breaking on the rocks are thrown up through an opening in the rock causing this wonderful sight that should not be missed by anyone going along the southern coastal road. This site is known to be one of the biggest blowholes in the world.
East Coast Beach Resorts
The Eastern beaches stretch for over 300 kilometers along which tourist resorts have developed in Nilaveli, 16 km. from Trincomalee to Kalkudah, 32 km. north of Batticaloa. It is one of the best stretches of beach in Sri Lanka.
Trincomalee
Horatio Nelson, the British admiral of the 18th century had on arriving at the Trincomalee harbour described it as the finest natural harbours in the world. It is a beautiful harbour worthy of that description and had been in use as a port from the days of the early Sinhala kings. The old Portuguese/Dutch Fort reminiscent of the colonial rule of the Island has the year 1676 inscribed above its entrance by the Dutch. The British colonists subsequently named it Ford Frederick. Trincomalee is well known for its spectacular views from the tall cliffs protecting the harbor, and is centrally located between the beaches at Nilaveli and, Kalkudah and Passikudah.
Nilaveli
Nilaveli is a prime beach resort in the East Coast, with a number of luxury hotels situated just a few kilometers north of the port of Trincomalee. It is ideally suited for sun bathing, sea bathing and diving. A few meters off shore, a small rocky island is good for snorkeling. Nilaveli was the venue for the 1985 International FunBoard Championship.
Kalkudah & Passikudah
These are very fine beaches in the East Coast. Kalkudah Bay is a 2 km. long wide stretch of beach well protected from the monsoon by the off shore reef. Passikudah Bay is another wide beach 4 km. long just north of Kalkudah. The combined area of Passikudah and Kalkudah was declared a National Holiday Resort in 1973. This is an ideal stretch for bathing, windsurfing and water skiing.
For Eco-tourists
Sri Lanka sets the perfect backdrop for the nature lover, offering a variety of large mammals, insects, reptiles and birds found among the island's scenic beauty. Hotels offer a variety of small excursions such as Bird Watching, Butterfly watching or in some hotels, even elephant safaris (a safari while riding on the back of an elephant). Sri Lanka is situated on winter migration routes, and many birds from Europe and Asia make the wetlands, lakes and marshes of Sri Lanka, their home. During this migratory season Sri Lanka hosts a total of more than 500 species of bird, truly a bird watcher's paradise. Only a few years ago a new species of owl was discovered in the dense forests of Sri Lanka, displaying Sri Lanka' great bio-diversity. The trackers that lead these tours are also the best in the business and you won't miss out on anything. For the tourist who wants to experience more than what hotels have to offer, you can ask for specialised tours such as bird watching tour packages.
For tourists interested in seeing larger animals Sri Lanka's national parks are ideal. Close to 13% of Sri Lanka's land area is demarcated as a national parks or nature reserves. Independent Safari Tour companies have many jeeps for hire near all the major National Parks, and information on these tours are available at the information desk at your hotel. Each jeep has a tracker and a driver and is very cheap to hire. For nature lovers who want to rough it out, camp facilities are available at all the major national parks upon permission. The national parks are easily accessible by road bar a few reserves in the North and the East. The two biggest National parks are Yala (Ruhunu) National Park on the South East Coast and Wilpattu on the West Coast. The variable climate in different parts of the country ensures that one national park is different from another in both flora and fauna. In Yala the terrain varies from flat plains alternating with rocky outcrops. The vegetation ranges from open parkland to dense jungle. Water holes, small lakes, lagoons and streams provide water for the animals and birds. Yala is known to have elephant herds, and the elusive leopards. Wilpattu is famous for its leopard population and its dense scrub like vegetation.
A few hotels promote and practice eco-tourism, and they also offer recreational activities such as bird watching, nature trekking, canoeing, camping and visits to villages in a way manner that does not harm the environment, nor the people living in the vicinity of the hotel. These hotels are situated in areas of exceptional beauty and they are allowed to because they don't damage the environment. Therefore a large number of these hotels have located themselves close to National Parks. Some hotels have been created to emulate traditional lifestyles, and offer the tourist a window into Sri Lankan lifestyle.
Recently there has been collaboration between members of the industry to create a model Eco-lodge to establish standards through a demonstration model in developing a specialised tourism product.
For Adventure Tourists
This is one of the fastest growing segments of Sri Lankan Tourism. With a large number of tourists looking for unique experiences, Sri Lanka is fast establishing itself as an adventure destination. Many companies and resorts offer a complete adventure sports-oriented holiday package for travelers. The mountainous region of Sri Lanka offer excellent locations for rappelling and abseiling, while the gushing rivers are excellent for white-water rafting and kayaking. Para gliding, out-door camping and trekking are some of the other activities which most tour operators and adventure sports companies offer travelers. Nature trekking is a favorite activity, and some combine this with bird watching expeditions. Trekking is an exciting way of discovering the beauty of flora and fauna, ancient cities and small villages that's found beyond the nation's highways. For those who want a less exhausting trek the rolling plains of the Central Province are ideal. For the more adventurous, if a hotel room does not exciting, you can settle for special camping sites near waterfronts and jungle settings.
The Sri Lankan coast is also a hive of adventure activities. Some hotels have the unique geographical position of being on the beach but close to a river. This means that the hotels offer water-based activities in the calm and safety of a river but also the challenge and the excitement of the open sea. Adventure activities offered on the coast include, water-skiing, jet skiing, wave runners, banana boating. There are plenty of activities to keep you occupied when you are not sunbathing or exploring a seaside town. If the coast overwhelms you, hire a mountain bike and test a section of the new 240 km long National Cycle Path from Wadduwa on the west coast to Koggala on the south coast. This new service is very enjoyable, and you can see Sri Lanka from a new perspective and not just as a passing blur from inside a vehicle. This course takes you away from the main highways through areas of scenic beauty and you will also get the chance to meet many local Sri Lankans, identifiable with their ever-present mile and out-going personality.
Sri Lanka also offers specialised tours for the adventure seeker including deep-sea fishing tours, diving tours and trekking tours. The advantage of such a tour is that you spend anywhere from 7 to 14 days dedicating your holiday catching barracuda and tuna from these tropical waters, to diving on shipwrecks in clear waters. To make sure that you are not "bored" with doing the same activities for your whole holiday, there will also be small excursions to cultural sites and national parks to show the multi-faceted attractions of Sri Lanka.
For Health tourists
Ayuverdic treatments and massages are available at major resorts and hotels. Ayuverda is now recognized as an alternative medicine form in the west, however the lack of fresh herbs required for the medication and treatment has prevented it from becoming a frequently used form of treatment in western countries. Sri Lanka has an endless supply of these fresh herbs, and several hotels have included Ayuverdic Treatment Centres in their hotels with dedicated Ayuverdic doctors. These therapists are well trained and have perfected this art over a long period of time, so you are assured of a relaxing time after a long day of tours. Treatments include the herbal facial treatment called Vakthra Vimardana, nasal treatment, herbal baths, oil body massages, medicated team baths, oil head massages and foot massages. Ayuverdic treatments have many health benefits and are known to detoxify the body, attain mental and physical relaxation, develop greater body immunity and relieve stress and promote healthy living. If this sounds appealing, you should choose a specialised Ayuverda tour. This tour package provided by many local Tour Operators offers a weeklong program of the above treatments, and it also prescribes the consumption of special food during the program along with simple exercises to be done morning and evening for body toning and meditation periods to purify the mind. Tours like this is guaranteed to leave you refreshed and revitalized and also teach you practices that will keep you healthy even after you leave the shores of Sri Lanka.
For Sports Tourists
Golfing in Sri Lanka has many nostalgic links to the British colonial era. During this time, wealthy English planters and governors spent their evenings at clubhouses, playing golf in an effort to recreate the English lifestyle in Sri Lanka (a good example is the town of Nuwara Eliya). Today, club members, tourists and traveling executives lured by the quiet atmosphere and the scenic beauty of these golf links.
There are three excellent golf courses in Sri Lanka, from the nostalgic to the modern. The first one is the Royal Colombo Golf Club, which is the island's oldest, established in 1879, measuring 5,770 yards in length and featuring several water hazards. It has hosted a number of local and regional championship events in the past. Situated in the suburbs of Colombo, it is easily accessible from the main hotels and the business district. It was one of the first 25 golf courses that celebrated over a hundred years of existence in the whole world.
The Nuwara Eliya Golf Club encompasses full of scenic beauty and is an 18-hole golf course that lies at the base of the tallest mountain in Sri Lanka, Mount Pidurutalagala, 1890 ft above sea level. Laid out in Nuwara Eliya in 1889, the course is acknowledged to be one of Asia's best, bounded by forest cover and gifted with a stunning view. The course itself is stunningly beautiful and challenging with fir-lined fairways, bunkers (especially that surround 9th hole), and a river on 6th hole that make this course unique.
The latest addition to Sri Lanka's golfing assets is the Victoria International Golf Club, opened in January 1999, situated on the shore of the Victoria Reservoir, 20 km away from Kandy. Designed by Donald Steel & Company, it is another enjoyable course in the island. The challenging Tee-shots and narrow coconut-trees lined fairways are really golfers' obstacles. The 3rd and 5th holes are beautifully overlooking the sweeping panorama of the reservoir. It is recommended to get a caddy, as the greens are hard to read. Caddies are courteous and mannered and getting one of them is really contributing to the enjoyment of the game.
Three more new Golf courses will be added to this list of courses in Sri Lanka shortly, offering tourists with a larger number of courses, conditions and challenges to choose from.
For City Tourists
Colombo is a very tourist-oriented city, the streets are easily navigated and if you have any queries, people will not hesitate to help you. Many of Colombo's attractions are close proximity to each other. Colombo, being the biggest city in Sri Lanka, offers a lot of services such as restaurants, hospitals and banks. The Fort district is the central business district of this city where most of the new office towers and also a number 'Five Star' international chain hotels are situated. This is an excellent centralised location to start exploring Colombo. Colombo is divided in 15 smaller districts, Pettah; the historical commercial district of the capital is now a vibrant street bazaar, which is the best place in Colombo to get a bargain. Many traders from jewelry to saris to handbags can be seen bargaining with customers to sell their wares. The National Museum in Colombo has a very large collection of exhibits of the historical and cultural past of Sri Lanka, the most beautiful of which are the jeweled throne, crown and sceptre of the Kandyan Kings. Set in the grounds of the old British Governor's house in Colombo it offers a view into Sri Lanka's romantic past. Colombo's bus service is very efficient and cheap, but probably the most exciting mode of transport is by hiring a three-wheeler, as this will make your tour of Colombo very easy. As night settles in on Colombo, many Bars, Nightclubs and Casinos replace shops to become the main attractions.
Colombo and many other towns and cities offer both Sri Lankan and foreign cuisine. If you want to experiment with traditional Sri Lankan food, the best place to go is to the restaurants that are situated in many parts of Colombo, which offer the best Sri Lankan at a very cheap price. Specialty foreign cuisine restaurants are also available in many parts of Colombo and its suburbs, though a foreign meal will cost a bit more than a Sri Lankan meal. If a trendier restaurant is your liking Hotel restaurants are the best, where world-class chefs create Indian, Chinese, Japanese and German cuisine. Expect restaurants in hotels to be much pricier than city restaurants.
For Business Tourists
Sri Lanka has seen a steady rise in the number of "MICE" (Meetings, Incentive travel, Convention, and Exhibition) tourists. These tourists arrive in Sri Lanka with the intention of attending or hosting such events. Colombo has a lot to offer to these tourists in terms of Infrastructure. The most renowned is the BMICH (Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall), and it is within easy access from any point in the city. The BMICH is actually a large complex and consists of four Blocks. The first block is the main Assembly hall itself; the second block consists of 90 office rooms for the use of the visitors and hosts, Block three has the main committee rooms and block 4 is the residential and secretariat, with deluxe rooms for distinguished visitors. The Complex offers services like Conference facilities, Telephone Services, Dining Facilities, Press lobby, Library, Bank and post office among others.
Colombo also offers a host of large convention and exhibition infrastructure one of the biggest being the Sri Lanka Exhibition and Convention Centre (SLECC), which is situated, in close proximity to the business centre in Colombo and the leading hotels. It is the most recent addition to Sri Lanka's convention centres. This multi-purpose air-conditioned exhibition and convention centre has a totally column-free layout and good floor loading providing easy assembly, installation and dismantling of any type of machinery, sensitive equipment. Conference rooms and facilities can also be obtained at major hotel resorts throughout the country; this offers the traveller the balance between a relaxing break and the modern up-to-date facilities required for business. For more information regarding MICE tourism contact the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau.
For business travelers, meetings and conferences are not everything. The City of Colombo provides many opportunities to relax. Take a few hours off from your busy schedule and go on a shopping spree or tee-off at the beautiful Royal Colombo Golf Club. International and local rent-a-car services are available and Limousine services can be organised from hotels.
Travelers to Sri Lanka will also have the luxury of traveling on a national airline that gives preferential treatment to MICE tourists. Sri Lankan Airlines will make your journey to and from Sri Lanka very comfortable, and conserve your energy for the important meetings and conferences. Some of the facilities provided include Discounted tickets, quick baggage clearance, so contact Sri Lankan Airlines to make your travel arrangements.
