Tourist guide: a trip to Sri Lanka
The tourism industry of Sri Lanka is well developed. The island is famous for the tea plantations of Ceylon, the mountain slopes of Nuwara Eliya, Kandy’s religious and historical monuments. The length of the coastline of the island is 1340 km, the coast has everything for a good rest and a large selection of entertainment. The number of tourists in Sri Lanka is increasing annually, only in 2017 the country was visited by 10 thousand Ukrainians.
Climate of Sri Lanka
The island lies in the zone of the equatorial climate zone, characterized by high humidity and warm sunny weather. The average annual air temperature at coastal resorts is + 28 ° С – + 30 ° С, in the mountains – + 20 ° С – + 25 ° С. The water temperature near the coast is maintained up to + 30 ° С.
Monsoons, which bring storms and thunderstorms to the island, mainly affect seasonality. The best time for a holiday in the resorts of Nilaveli, Pasikuda, Uppuveli, Kalkud (north-east coast) is considered May-November, on Negombo, Bentota, Wadduwa (south-west coast) – the period from December to April.
Popular resorts of Sri Lanka
Hikkaduwa
Hikkaduwa is considered one of the best resorts for diving. Near the coast there are sunken ships, including the British “Earl of Shaftsbury”, located at a depth of 21 m, and a coral reef 300 m long. An interesting alternative to scuba diving is a boat trip with a transparent glass bottom.
In general, the coast of Hikkaduwa is divided into 3 parts:
– places for surfing, where big waves;
– bathing harbor, closed from the wind by reefs and rocks;
– areas for fishing with a large selection of boats.
The resort’s beaches are sandy. On the coastline there are hotels, restaurants, bars and plenty of entertainment for tourists.
Kogalla
In Kogalle rest for every taste: quiet for couples with children, dynamic – for young people, active for lovers of water entertainment and romantic – for lovers. The resort is worth a visit to the Museum of Folk Art and Culture. Here is an exposition of rare items collected from different parts of the island. All samples of the museum are divided into thematic sections: clothing, life, music, medicine, religion and others.
From Kogally, excursion tours are organized in Galle, where there is an old fort, several museums, the ancient Kalutary temple, a spice garden and a turtle farm.
Bentota
The tourist infrastructure is well developed in Bentota – entertainment centers, cafes and restaurants with terraces on the shore. This is a favorite place for newlyweds, as there are many beaches for a quiet secluded holiday.
The resort is a huge center of water entertainment. In “Kofi Marina” vacationers are offered riding on a scooter, water skiing, banana, canoeing and surfing.
In addition to a beach holiday, the resort is popular water safaris on the Bentota Ganges, where vacationers can enjoy the exotic flora and fauna of the island.
Kitchen
Due to the warm climate, many spices, vegetables and fruits of various varieties grow in Sri Lanka. There is little meat in the national cuisine, but seafood is very diverse. It is worth trying the jaffna-kul soup, which consists of tiger prawns, crabs, rice and chili. Rice is the main ingredient in Lankan cuisine. So, in lamprais rolls, grits are baked in a banana leaf along with meatballs, and in biryani, rice is mixed with chicken, eggs, fish, nuts and vegetables.
Locals pay special attention to tea drinks. It is on this island that world-famous Ceylon tea is grown. Leaves cultivated in Nuware Eliya, at an altitude of 2 thousand meters, are considered the best. Lankans make special technology drinks and turn simple tea drinking into a real ceremony.
Leisure
On the island, tourists are offered various kinds of outdoor activities. The most popular diving here. The underwater world in Sri Lanka is diverse: parrot fish, moray eels, napoleon fish, angel fish and even whales. In addition, there are many caves, rocks and sunken ships. A great time for scuba diving is spring and the period from August to December.
Popular in Sri Lanka and windsurfing. In winter, choose the southwest coast for surfing, and on the opposite shore it is better to “catch a wave” from May to September.
Other types of water activities include canoeing, bodysurfing, yachting, water skiing and scooter rides.
Also in Sri Lanka, tourists are offered an elephant safari. You can ride in Sigiriya, Dambulla and Pinnavel. An hour of such an exotic jungle tour will cost about $ 30.
