Sri Lanka has everything your dream holiday could ask for, cited by National Geographic as the second-best place in the world to visit. You can enjoy tropical beaches lined with coconut palm trees, and lush tea and coconut plantations. There are ancient temples, fortresses and monuments filled with history and artifacts. If you like some excitement, a safari can showcase Sri Lanka’s unique wildlife. Beautiful unspoilt forests and lakes mingle with colourful festivals and temples. The friendly people of Sri Lanka will welcome you to their island paradise.

The small size of Sri Lanka makes it possible to enjoy a wide variety of experiences including historical sites, safaris, canoe trips and treks in a short time. Rawana Travelswill design tours to suit your interests, time and budget. We can book your accommodation and drive you to your desired destinations in one package, ensuring you see the best of what our beautiful country has to offer.

Sri Lanka falls just to the South East of India and is 433km long from North to South and 244km wide from East to West. Referred to as “The Pearl of the Indian Ocean” the central hill country rises from the coastal plains which are dry and flat. Pidurutalagala near Nuwara Eliya is the highest point in Sri Lanka reaching 2524 m. Adam’s Peak is 2243 m and the most beautiful, boasting spectacular sunsets and sunrises. One of the features of our tropical paradise is the short twilights that feature rapid and beautiful sunsets.

Sri Lanka has a population of 21 million people with diverse religious affiliations including Buddhism 69%, Hindu 15%, Christian 8% , Muslim 7% and others 1% . The main languages are Sinhala 74% and Tamil 18%, and English is widely spoken.  Although the capital of Sri Lanka is Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, Colombo is the commercial, economic and cultural center with a population of about 1.2 million people.

December to March is the busiest season. The water is calm and clear so it’s the best time for snorkeling or diving. There is not much difference in temperature throughout the year, usually around 26-29 degrees Celsius, but July to September are slightly cooler and provide relief from the humidity.  This is a good time to see plants and bird life at its best. Sri Lanka is a great place to celebrate Christmas and New Year, but it is also very busy so be sure to book well in advance. 

Sri Lanka has a tropical climate with dry and wet seasons in different regions due to the elevation of the center of the country. The low-lying coastal regions have a temperature of around 25-29 degrees with humidity around 80%. The water maintains a temperature of about 27 degrees so is ideal for all water sports all year round. The Central Highlands are mainly cool and dry with a temperature of around 16-20 degrees making it ideal for trekking and cycling. The South West Monsoon is May/June and October/November, and the North East Monsoon is November/March.

Curries with fish, Dahl and vegetables with boiled rice is the staple food of Sri Lankan locals, red meat is not as common. Some curries maybe a little hot for the western pallet but milder curries can be made for tourists.  Mouthwatering curries and seafood and prawn dishes can be found throughout Sri Lanka and fresh food is always available at the places we recommend. Sri Lanka is blessed with a wide assortment of tropical fruits including watermelon, bananas, pineapples, mango and papaya.

Our wide assortment of tropical fruits is also used to make delicious juice drinks. Arrack is the local alcoholic favourite and is made from coconut sap. It tastes delicious mixed with tropical juice, coke or tonic. Wine can be found in tourist venues but is expensive. Lion Lager and Three Coins are our locally brewed beer which are quite enjoyable. Bottled water is available everywhere and local water is fine for cleaning teeth.

The first Sri Lankans arrived from India somewhere between 125,000 BC and 16,000BC. The ancestors of the Sinalese arrived from the North of India in about the 4th Century BC. Some Tamils settled in the North of Sri Lanka around the 3rd century BC, but most did not arrive until about the 10th Century AD. Tamils now make up about 18 percent of the population. Over time the Sinalese learned how to build reservoirs and irrigation to promote agriculture. As their skills and population increased, they gradually moved inland establishing the first capital of Anuradhapura. In about 380 BC Polonnaruwa became the new capital and many islanders converted to Buddhism around 250 BC.

From the 16th Century onwards Sri Lanka was successively invaded by the Portuguese, Dutch and British. Sri Lanka was called Ceylon until 1948, when it finally gained its independence. Throughout the 1970’s the Tamil’s discontent to discrimination continued to grow which resulted in the emergence of an extremist group called the Tamil Tigers.