Luxury Hotels Sri Lanka Holidays

The heavy warm air, rich green foliage, multi-coloured Buddhist flags, and a kaleidoscopic display of saris, fruits, jewellery and spices inspired Marco Polo to describe Sri Lanka as the most beautiful island in the world. For a small island, it offers a truly amazing variety of attractions: archaeological sites and well-preserved national parks inhabited by elephants, leopards, monkeys, crocodiles and rare bird life; vast tea and spice plantations and sacred Buddhist shrines.

In the misty highlands, the picturesque lakeside town of Kandy is home to the legendary Temple of the Tooth, while other attractions within this vast cultural triangle include the Sigiriya Rock Fortress with its extraordinary rock paintings. Elephants – symbols of the island – can be found working in the countryside and gathering en masse by the temples at festival time. Do pay a visit to one of the elephant sanctuaries which act as both conservation and educational centres on the island.

There’s hardly a month goes by without some kind of religious celebration - every full moon day or ‘Poya’ is special in the Buddhist calendar because the Buddha was born, attained Enlightenment and died all on a full moon day. Consequently, shops and banks are closed and alcohol cannot be served in public places but hotels do make special arrangements for their guests.

Helicopter transfers from the airport now make access to popular Sri Lankan destinations even easier.

Bentota
A Sri Lankan coastal city famous for golden beaches, Bentota is situated on the southern coastal tip of the Galle District of the Southern Province. The town is a popular tourist attraction. It is especially famous among the foreign tourists. The name comes from a mythical story which dates back to kings time saying a demon called Bem ruled this river ( tota = river bank. Bentota hosts a handful of world proclaimed hotels. It is the hosting land for the famous Sri Lankan Jeweler Aida. Bentota also delivers an ancient art of healing called Ayurveda. Bentota is also famous for its production in Toddy. An alcoholic beverage made out of cocunut nectar. The city's population is estimated to be between 25,000-50,000. Bentota was heavily damaged by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami which devastated the Sri Lankan coastal belt on the morning of the December 26th

Buttala

Columbo
Colombo is the largest city and former administrative capital of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, the present administrative capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is a busy and vibrant city with a mixture of modern life and colonial buildings and ruins and a city population of 647,100 at the 2001 Census. The Colombo Metropolitan Region, defined by the districts of Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara, has an estimated population of 5,648,000 as of 2006, and is covering an area of 3,694.20 km².

Dambulla
The city of Dambulla is situated in the Central Province of Sri Lanka, situated 148 km north-east of Colombo and 72 km north of Kandy. Major attractions of the city include the largest and best preserved cave temple complex of Sri Lanka, and the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, famous for being built in just 167 days. The city also boasts to have the largest rose quartz mountain range in South Asia, and the Iron wood forest, or Namal Uyana. Ibbankatuwa prehistoric burial site near Dhambulla cave temple complexes is the latest archaeological site of significant historical importance found in Dambulla, which is located within 3 kilometers of the cave temples providing evidence on presence of indigenous civilisations long before the arrival of Indian influence on the Island nation.

Galle
Galle, is a town situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, 119 km from Colombo. Galle was known as Gimhathiththa (although Ibn Batuta in the 14th century refers to it as Qali) before the arrival of the Portuguese in the 16th century, when it was the main port on the island. Galle reached the height of its development in the 18th century, before the arrival of the British, who developed the harbor at Colombo. The major river is Gin River (Gin Ganga) which starts from Gongala Kanda and passing villages such as Neluwa, Nagoda, Baddegama, Thelikada, Wakwella and kisses the sea at Ginthota. In Wakwella over the river there is Wakwella Bridge which is the longest bridge in Sri Lanka

Hikkaduwa
Hikkaduwa is a small town on the south coast of Sri Lanka. It is located in the Southern Province, about 20 km north-west of Galle. Hikkaduwa is famous for its beach and corals. It was affected by the tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Villages affected were Telwatta, Paraliya (Queen of the Sea rail disaster), Dodanduwa, Kahawa, Rathgama. The place is on the way from Colombo to Galle on the famous Galle road. It is primarily a tourist destination, and serves as a great beach with options to surf, snorkel and enjoy the sun. The town is arranged around the one main road which runs from Galle to Colombo. This road is extremely well trafficked and pedestrians and tourists are advised to exercise caution when crossing.

Kandy
Kandy, is the English name for the city of Maha Nuvara (Senkadagalapura) in the centre of Sri Lanka. It is the capital of the Central Province and Kandy District. It lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy Valley which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka. Kandy is of both an administrative and religious city. It is the capital of the Central Province (which encompasses the districts of Kandy, Matale and Nuwara Eliya) and also of the administrative district of Kandy

Negombo
Negombo, is a town of about 65,000, approximately 37 km north of Colombo, in Sri Lanka. It is located at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon, about 7 km from the Bandaranaike International Airport. Negombo has a small port, and its economy is mainly based on tourism and its centuries-old fishing industry. though it also produces ceramics and brass ware.

Nuwara Eliya
Nuwara Eliya, is a town in Sri Lanka. It is located at an altitude of 1,868 m (6,128 ft) in the central highlands, and is overlooked by Pidurutalagala, the highest mountain in Sri Lanka. Due to the high altitude, Nuwara Eliya has a much cooler climate than the lowlands of Sri Lanka, with a mean annual temperature of 16 °C. But the temperature changes and sometimes it can be like 3°C. In the winter months it is quite cold at night, and there can even be frost. although it rapidly warms up as the tropical sun climbs higher during the day.

Polonaruwa
The second most ancient of Sri Lanka's kingdoms, Polonnaruwa was first declared the capital city by King Vijayabahu I, who defeated the Chola invaders in 1070 CE to reunite the country once more under a local leader. While Vijayabahu's victory and shifting of Kingdoms to the more strategic Polonnaruwa is considered significant, the real Polonnaruwa Hero of the history books is actually his grandson, Parakramabahu I. The city Polonnaruwa was also called as Jananathamangalam during the short Chola reign. It was his reign that is considered the Golden Age of Polonnaruwa, when trade and agriculture flourished under the patronage of the King, who was adamant that no drop of water falling from the heavens was to be wasted, and each be used toward the development of the land; hence, irrigation systems far superior to those of the Anuradhapura Age were constructed during Parakramabahu's reign, systems which to this day supply the water necessary for paddy cultivation during the scorching dry season in the east of the country.

RUK Area
The RUK Area (Rekawa, Ussangoda & Kalametiya) is located between Tangalle and Ambalantota in the deep south of Sri Lanka, a 5½ hour drive from Colombo. The drive is through picturesque coastal areas with much touristic significance. From the Colombo International Airport it is a drive of 6 hours or less than an hour by chartered helicopter (arranged with advanced notice).

Sigiriya
Sigiriya (Lion's rock) is an ancient rock fortress and castle/palace ruin situated in the central Matale District of Sri Lanka, surrounded by the remains of an extensive network of gardens, reservoirs, and other structures. It is a popular tourist destination, also known for its ancient paintings (frescos), very similar to those in the Ajanta Caves of India. The Sigiraya was built during the reign of King Kassapa I (AD 477 – 495), and it is one of the seven World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka.

Tangalle
Tangalle, is a town on the southern coast of Sri Lanka located in the Hambantota District. It has a mild climate, in comparison to the rest of the district, and beautiful sandy beaches. The name of the town means "projected rock" in Sinhala and this refers to the rocks which form the coastline in the town area, as opposed to the sandy beach of the surrounding areas. Tangalle is a regionally important fishing port and a center of tourism. In the city center there is an old Dutch fort which is used as a prison today. The town also serves as a starting point for visits to the rock temple of Mulkirigala.

Taprobane Island
Taprobane Island is a historic luxury hotel located on a rocky island close to Weligama, Sri Lanka. The hotel is named after the old greek word for Sri Lanka. The island was previously owned by the Count de Maunay who, exiled from France, fell in love with Weligama Bay. It was he who had the villa built on this tiny island. It can house ten guests in five double rooms; there are six staff in residence.

Weligama Bay

Yala National Park
Yala National Park is a national park in Sri Lanka. The reserve covers 979 km², although only the original 141 km² are open to the public. Much of the reserve is parkland, but it also contains jungle, beaches, freshwater lakes and rivers and scrubland. The latter zone is punctuated with enormous rocky outcrops. The range of habitats give rise to a good range of wildlife. Yala has the world's highest concentration of Leopards, although seeing this largely nocturnal carnivore still requires some luck. There are good numbers of Asian Elephants, Crocodile, Wild Boar, Water Buffalo and Grey langurs amongst other large animals