Fascinating City
Kandy
Nestled in a hilly inland area, only 115 km from Colombo, Kandy is
Sri Lanka's second biggest and considered as a capital of the hill
country. It was also a capital of Sinhalese kingdom that fell to
British in 1815. The Kandy's town and its countryside are fully
lush and green. In the town center there are several old shops,
antique and gem specialists, and bustling market. The focus of
Kandy is its lake, with the Temple of Tooth, that lies on its
north side. The city directly stands on the north and west of the
lake, with a clock tower that is always catching your attention.
Not far from the lake, train station, market, and various bus
stands are in walking distance.
Ratnapura
Also known as the City of Gems, Ratnapura is 100 km south-east of
Colombo and is famous for gems. The Gem Museum on the
Pothgulvihara Mawatha, Getangama is a good display of gems as well
as information on mining and polishing. Apart from gems, the
scenery around the city is pretty; in fact, the place gives you
the best position to view the Adam's Peak since here you see it
from below whereas at Hatton you see it from the same level.
Anuradhapura
The city, 250 km north of Colombo, is Sri Lanka's first capital
and is the most important and extensive Sri Lanka ancient city. It
was a capital of Sinhalese kingdom for over 1,000 year since 380
BC. Most remnants of Sinhala civilization can still be seen in the
city, mostly lying to the west and north of the modern town of the
city. They are such as the Sacred Bo-Tree, the same kind of tree
under which the Lord of Buddha achieved the enlightenment, and the
Thuprama Dagoba, the oldest of many temples in the city which is
believed to enshrine the collar-bone of the Lord Buddha, show the
flourish of the Buddhism during Sinhalese kingdom; the remains of
immense tank that was used in the ancient city's irrigation
system; and the leftover of the lake on the southeast f
Anuradhapura which is dated back to the 11th to 12th century is
still in a good state of repair.
Important
Note:
Owing to the prevailing civil unrest in the North and the East of
the island tourists who intend visiting those areas are advised to
check with the Defense Authorities before proceeding. |
