Sri Lanka Attractions Colombo is the capital of Sri Lanka and is a metropolitan city with a population of nearly one million. Among the many places of interest in the City are the Fort, the Old Parliament House (presently the Presidential Secretariat), Buddhist temples, Old Churches, Hindu temples, Mosques, the National Museum, Independence Hall, and the Zoological Gardens. ‘Five Star’ international chain hotels and a large number of other hotels and guest houses provide comfortable accommodation to the visitors at affordable prices. Several specialty restaurants serving international cuisine, karaoke bars, and discotheques keep the visitors happy late into the night.

Sri Lanka Beaches The southern coastal belt is the most popular among the tourists and comes to life mainly from October through April when the monsoon moves north east and the sea becomes calm with blue skies. It is an ideal place to spend the Winter vacation fully made use of by the European tourists. The main beach resorts are at Beruwala, Bentota and Hikkaduwa having several beach hotels with their exclusive beachfronts. Another interesting stretch of beach in the south is Unawatuna. Unawatuna-Four kilometers south of Galle (120 km. from Colombo),is a beautiful stretch of beach in the south safe for bathing. The road leading south from Colombo passes through the Southern Beach Resorts winding its way through stretches of coconut land. When you are there you may spot men high in the air crossing from tree to tree on two ropes tied to the two trees like a tight roper. He is a ‘toddy tapper’ getting about his daily chores tapping the sap off the tender inflorescence of the coconut trees which is used to distill Sri Lankan Arrack and other alcoholic beverages. Unawatuna

Kandy, the Hill Capital was the last bastion of the Sinhala kings and is a charming city offering a living record of a magnificent past. Center of attraction in Kandy is the Dalada Maligawa, the temple housing the sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha. Kandy Lake enhances the charm of the City.Kandy is a romantic city any time of the year, but in August, this ancient capital becomes the venue of one of the most legendary festivals in Asia, the Festival of the August Moon when thousands of people from all parts of the country and from foreign countries crowd to the Hill Capital to witness the magnificent spectacle. Dalada Maligawa ANCIENT CITY- Kandy

Regional Differences Population and Religion: Like other nations in the South Asia region, Sri Lanka has a diverse population. Various communities profess four of the world's major religions: Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity. The major ethnic groups include not only the Sinhalese and the Sri Lankan Tamils, who compose 74 and 12.6 percent of the population, respectively, but also Indian Tamils (5.5 percent of the population) who view themselves as separate from the Sri Lankan Tamils, as well as "Moors" or Muslims (7.1 percent), "Burghers" and other people of mixed European and Sri Lankan descent (0.4 percent), Malays (0.4 percent), and tiny percentages of others including the aboriginal Veddahs, who are considered to be the island's original inhabitants.

Regional Differences(con’t) Sri Lanka is an island in the Indian Ocean, located to the south of Indian Subcontinent. Sprawling over the area of 65, 610 square kilometers, Sri Lanka with its tear-dropped shape is dominated by the astonishingly varied features of topography, making it one of the most scenic places in the world. Three zones can be divided by its distinguished elevation: the Central Highland, the plains, and the coastal belt. The Central Highland: the highest pinnacle is Pidurutalagala Mountain levitating at 2,524 meters; Sri Lankan people consider this mountain as the sacred site of pilgrimage. The Adam's Peak lying to the west, at the southern end of the plateau is better known for its spectacular scenery and sacred pilgrimage site with its elevation of 2224 meters. The Plains: Then the land descends from the Central Highlands to a series of flat plains between 30 and 200 meters above sea level, dominating the east and the north of the island. Extensive erosion in this area has worn down and deposited the rich soil good for agriculture. The Coastal Belt: A coastal belt surrounds the island, consisting of scenic sandy beaches and lagoons. Best beaches line along the southern coast, southwestern coast and eastern coast. In the northeast and the southwest, the coasts cut across the stratification of crystalline rocks, cliffs, bays, and offshore islands, creating one of the world's best natural harbors