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Formerly known as Ceylon , the tropical island of Sri Lanka has known Portuguese, Dutch and English colonisation, and today still displays a fascinating blend of local and old colonial cultures in a landscape of upland tea plantations, jungle and a coastline of palm-fringed beaches. A short distance from Colombo, the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage will introduce you to baby elephants who will later become valuable working animals.
To discover the history of Sri Lanka, visit Anuradhapura, the 4th century BC cradle of Buddhism, here, a Bo tree grows, said to have been grown ... [more] |
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Resorts in the Maldives woo tourist with promises of 'the last paradise on earth'. If your idea of paradise is a pristine, tranquil tropical island with swaying palm trees, pure white beaches and brilliant turquoise lagoons, then the Maldives won't disappoint.
Lying off the southern tip of India, the slender chain of coral islands known as the Maldives are strewn like a magical necklace across the shimmering azure waters of the Indian Ocean.
None of the islands are over 4 metres above sea level and less than 1% of the whole country is land! Some islands are no more t ... [more] |
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Mauritius is the most accessible island in the Indian Ocean.A tropical paradise akin to Maui or Martinique but more budget-traveller friendly.
Though nestled up alongside Africa, it's actually more influenced by its British and French ties and predominantly Indian workforce.
Once home to the ill-fated dodo and uninhabited until the 16th century when it was colonised by the Dutch, Mauritius today is a thriving cosmopolitan polyglot, a true melting pot of cultures where a diversity of races blend into one that is unspoilt by mass tourism.
Driving across this specta ... [more] |
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The seductive Seychelles offer unspoilt beauty in a natural setting where 86 islands cover just over 100 square miles of land, carpeted by rich vegetation and dominated by towering granite mountains. These tiny island hideaways with their coral sand beaches and takamaka-shaded lagoons, offer an irresistible invitation to the simple, castaway, lifestyle. Winding lanes meander through swaying coconut groves, crystal clear waters lap the shore where by night, you enjoy intimate candlelit dinners beneath the stars. Truly, when you visit the Seychelles you are a guest in a Rouss ... [more] |
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