Renowned the world over for its tropical beaches, seafood, and a quaint lifestyle, Sri Lanka has much more to offer to the curious and intrepid traveller. An island nation, located off the southern coast of India in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka is a country rich in history and finds its earliest mention in the epic, Ramayana.1) Anuradhapura: A historical and sacred city, Anuradhapura served as the capital of the ancient Sri Lankan kingdom for 1400 years. The archaeological remnants of that ancient kingdom is still present and protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The site features majestic Buddhist temples, ancient and awe inspiring ruins, and stupas. One of the biggest attractions is the Sri Maha Bodhi, known to have grown from a branch of the tree under which Buddha attained his enlightenment. Among other attractions, the numerous stupas, especially the imposing Ruwanweliseya, and carvings of Buddha’s meditation postures are not to be missed.
2) Polonnaruwa: The Polonnaruwa kingdom established its reign over the island nation from 11th to 13th century and the ancient ruins of that kingdom await you in all its magnificence. The central archaeological square of Polonnaruwa will behold the attention of every history, and architecture enthusiast. The place is a brimming with ancient artefacts, numerous tombs, and stupas. The unique architecture of the remains of temples, statues, and monasteries are a sight to behold. You can also admire the statue of king Parakramabahu, in impressively good state, who was responsible for most of the temples and stupas in Polonnaruwa.
3) Sigiriya: A truly stunning and humbling site, this place is home to the legendary rock fortress of King Kasyapa who ruled from and lived in a palace built inside. The palace boasted of hundreds of frescoes of women, of which a few still remain as a witness of their times. The rock fortress has an impressive moat that served a security feature for the kingdom. At the summit of the fortress, you can wonder at the ancient ruins of what were once gardens, courtyards, ponds and walkways for royal staff.
4) Galle: A perfect mix of tropical waters, clean beaches, and remnants of Sri Lanka’s colonial past. Galle fort, abutting the Indian Ocean, is a magnificent spot to soak in the Dutch and Portuguese influence on this island nation. This astoundingly beautiful fort, built in 1588 by the Portuguese was renovated and maintained by the Dutch in 17th century has beautiful art galleries inside that introduce you to its wondrous past.
6) Yapahuwa: This impressive and intriguing rock fortress, 300 feet in height, once played host to Buddha’s sacred tooth relic as well as served capital in the kingdom of Buvenekabahu. A destination similar to Sigiriya, Yapahuwa will delight you with its ancient Chinese artefacts.
Now, I am going to enjoy the us west coast tours from san francisco with my uncle family. After enjoying it I will free and and have a great interest in historical things after reading this article I am too excited to visit there as soon as possible. Any suggestion that you think make my visit memorable are much appreciable.