10 places to visit in Sri Lanka before you die

Sri Lanka has always been a great place for travelling , compiled with rivers  waterfalls , lakes forests , tropical beaches …etc  Although the country is relatively small in size, it has the highest biodiversity density in Asia, but when considering the tourism destinations in Sri Lanka few names pops up all the time but many awesome places remain out of the radar .and one of the saddest things for me is that  even Sri Lankans are not been overly whelmed by the beauty of this country  only few Sri Lankans are annually exploring the country for new places 

#10 Namunukula Mountain

                                                       

Namunukula is a mountain at Badulla district of Sri Lanka and closed to Monaragala District.  Main peak of Namunukula is hight about 6600Ft. Namunukula willl become lovers mountain of students of University Of Uva Wellassa Sri Lanka. Namunukula town is at between Badulla, Ella and Passara towns. Namunula is popular as good obeseravation point in up country, Main mountain of Sri Lanka and tea plantation. Namunukula Plantation is also very much popular and listed in CSE.

There are several accessing points to Namunukula mountaina. Those are from Badulla town, From Passara or Badalkumbura and Ella town. Most popular entrance and beautiful entrance is Ella entrance.-Lakdasun-

and climbing Namunukula is not a easy task first have to go through tea plantation site and then the pine tree forest which is really a amazing view , then forest will become more heavier and harder to climb through and when reaching back it's better to visit Black pool which is a natural pool made out of graphites,andt it's another long walk too ,  but in spite of that it's a must go place in Sri Lanka , 

 

#09 Sinharaja Forest Reserve

Located in south-west Sri Lanka, Sinharaja is the country's last viable area of primary tropical rainforest. More than 60% of the trees are endemic and many of them are considered rare. There is much endemic wildlife, especially birds, but the reserve is also home to over 50% of Sri Lanka's endemic species of mammals and butterflies, as well as many kinds of insects, reptiles and rare amphibians. There are many ways to reach there , from Mathgama , Rathnapura area or can also visit from Deniyaya 

For more valueable Information

visit : Eco Team

#8 Deer Park Girithale

It's one of the five star hotels in Sri Lanka , located near magnificent Girithale lake, unlike in many other hotels it's astonishing surroundings and calm quite atmosphere raised it among the top of the best hotels list ,and it'll be the perfect gateway from busy ordinary life , 

there few things that you must do if ever visiting here , 

1) Walk around the lake with watching Birds 

2) Safari Ride which is not mush expensive but guaranteed to be full of adventure .

3) Cycle rides.

4) Last but not least have to taste the aromatic Sri Lankan cuisine, many variety of foods to be selected from will be a great experience ,  

#7 The Ark 

The Ark is one of the modern looking hotels in Sri Lanka , and it's architecturally  a different hotel  than other typical ones.located in Mathugama , and certainly worth to added in the list , 

#6 Nagadeepa Lake, Mahiyanganaya

     Mahiyanganaya , Sri Lanka is one of the significant places to visit is Sri Lanka but yet it was under the radar of both local and foreign tourists , but that doesn't reduced a bit of the natural beauty of the place. As for me I went there for 3-4 days as accepting a invitation from a local friends who lives in mahiyanganaya,

The journey begins from colombo , and we catch a bus at about 10.00 pm and started to travel during the night time , whole bus ride took 5-6 hours but should say it's not a pleasant one , but in the early morning we reached the destination. And their hospitality is so amazing !!!

I'm not much intend to write much details about the journey but it's the Lake that mesmerized me through out the time I spent there , it's named “Naga deepa lake “ and the little mountain forest which near the lake is also an amazing work of nature .

Culture & Wild Life 

The whole village is so much depend on the lake and it's their main source of water for vegetation during the dry season,they mostly grow rice and corn , corn is arguably the main food in the whole village , their affinity to corn is astonishing, they know thousand and one things to do with corn , and we enjoyed some of the finest home made corn meals too , 

Because of the large surrounded forest and the lake , and also due to lack of human activity , wild animals live freely among the lake banks and near by forest , and both the wild animals and the villagers live side by side peacefully.

#5 Delft Island Jaffna 

This island is named as Delft in the Admiralty Chart unlike the other islands in the area which are named with their Tamil names. The island's area is 50 km² and it is roughly oval-shaped. Its length is 8 km and its maximum width about 6 km .It has it’s own Hospital and school , and also a mini culture sperated from the mainland , but what it’s most famous for is wild horses , during the colonial era Portuguese and Dutch introduced the breed and they are still hanging around in the wild . reaching there is not hard first from the Jaffna city have to go for Kurnikadduwan  bay  which is the port for both Deft and Nagadeepa temple boats ,then need to catch a boat for Delft  ,which is completely safe with life guards and journey will take about 25 to 30 minutes ,and on the island there are few places to go for , Old castle , inside lakes , and delft beach , 

But traveling facilities inside the island is very hard to come by main travelling medium is Bikes and lorries.delft beach has its own unique characteristics  but have to say it’s not for everyone !! because it contains high density of salts , so the waters are not taste as the sea water that we familiar with but instead it has a awful bitterness , and  this has caused it’s Density to be different from others ,So on the sea it’s literally floating , 

Hospitality of the village people are also noticeable , both the Tamil local civilians and Sinhalese  Naval officers are there to help at any time . and can ask for local house to prepare lunch it's not expensive at all and they will honestly prepare a grand lunch with nothing to spare !

#4 Galaboda falls

What is the most beautiful water fall in Sri Lanka ? 

when ever I asked this question from a sri lankan they obviously say falls like , “Dunhida”, “Diyaluma”, “Laxhapana” … “Bopath falls ( only the people from Rathnapura may be ) 

any way , and if I said what about “Galaboda falls ? .. then they'll just be mad at me ,

 but it’s the truth , perhaps only handful of Sri Lankans who already been there , but to me it’s one of the ahh moments in my entire life , as the structure of the fall  you can go through the heavy waters to reach the cave and it's indeed an awesome experience that one must have in Sri Lanka during their lifetime ! 

it’s located near Haton town in Talwakale, and going there is not easy too , had to walk nearly 12 kms to reach the legendary falls but it still one of my greatest memories here in Sri Lanka , may be due to is lack of popularity and hard to reach conditions , it's yet resurrected by the nature without any pollution, so as for the sake of the fall , I should not mention the ways of getting there also !

#3 Pasikuda & Arugambay 

When it come to beaches , Sri Lanka has it’s own unique ones to offer , sandy beaches like Kazrina,Delft, Unawatuna, Polhena, Mt livina , Pasikuda, Trinco, Nilaveli , Arugambay … and many more , In Sri Lanka“ if you looking for a good beach travel East “  it’s famous saying here in SL ( or may be I just made that up )
but nevertheless it’s  true in general , because Pasikuda, Arugambay are just  so beautiful with white sands aquamarine waves & eternal sunshinehere , so definitely a must visit place before you die ,

Pasikuda ,Batticaloa

Since the end of the civil war in 2009 and the completion of Tsunami rehabilitation projects, Pasikudah has become a popular tourist destination amongst locals and foreigners alike. This is because Pasikudah is known to have one of the longest stretches of shallow coastline in the world. In other words, people walk kilometers into the sea because the water is only a few inches deep and the current is relatively weak compared to the rest of Sri Lanka's coasts.

Arugam Bay


Lovely Arugam Bay (aru-gam-beh) is the east coast’s most traveller-friendly destination. It’s basically a single laid-back strip of beach accommodation, following Siyabalanduwa District which is a place with very low population and vast natural beauty 

#2 Horton Plains National Park

It's a shame that if I'm not added it to the list !!

Horton Plains National Park is a protected area in the central highlands of Sri Lanka and is covered by montane grassland and cloud forest. This plateau at an altitude of 2,100–2,300 metres (6,900–7,500 ft) is rich in biodiversity and many species found here are endemic to the region. This region was designated a national park in 1988. It is also a popular tourist destination and is situated 32 kilometres (20 mi) from Nuwara Eliya.

The Horton Plains are the headwaters of three major Sri Lankan rivers, the Mahaweli, Kelani, and Walawe. In Sinhala the plains are known as Maha Eliya Plains. Stone tools dating back to Balangoda culture have been found here. The plains' vegetation is grasslands interspersed with montane forest, and includes many endemic woody plants. Large herds of Sri Lankan Sambar Deer feature as typical mammals, and the park is also an Important Bird Area with many species not only endemic to Sri Lanka but restricted to the Horton Plains. Forest dieback is one of the major threats to the park and some studies suggest that it is caused by a natural phenomenon. The sheer precipice of World's End and Baker's Falls are among the tourist attractions of the park.

History

The original name of the area was Maha Eliya Thenna (මහ එළිය තැන්න - "great open plain"). But in the British period the plains were renamed after Sir Robert Wilmot-Horton, the British governor of Ceylon from 1831 to 1837, 

Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker had advised the British Government "to leave all Montane Forests above 5000 ft. undisturbed" and an administrative order to this effect had been issued in 1873 that prevented clearing and felling of forests in the region. Horton Plains was designated as a wildlife sanctuary on 5 December 1969, and because of its biodiversity value, was elevated to a national park on 18 March 1988. The Peak Wilderness Sanctuary which lies in west is contiguous with the park. The land area covered by Horton Plains is 3,160 hectares (12.2 sq mi). Horton Plains contains the most extensive area of cloud forest still existing in Sri Lanka.

Bakers Fall

Baker's Falls is a famous waterfall in Sri Lanka. It is situated in Horton Plains National Park on a tributary of the Belihul Oya. The height of the Baker's waterfalls is 20 metres (66 ft). The falls were named after Sir Samuel Baker, who was a famous explorer. Many Rhododendron and Fern 

Plantation 

The vegetation of the park is classified into two distinctive groups, 2,000 hectares (7.7 sq mi) of wet patana (Sinhalese for "montane grasslands") and 1,160 hectares (4.5 sq mi) of subtropical montane evergreen forests.Nearly 750 species of plants belonging to 20 families have been recorded from the park. The forest canopy reaches the height of 20 metres (66 ft).

Frequent fire and grazing characterises Plagioclimax communities of the grassland flora.  Waterlogged swamps or slow moving streams are found in low lying areas,  

Tree trunks and branches are ornamented with many species of ferns, Old man's beard (Usnea barbata) hanging from branches adds to the beauty of the forests. About 16 of the orchid species being endemic. Other notable plants include shrubs. rost and soil erosion.bushes can be seen around the waterfall.

 

#1 Sigiriya

And for the final destination ... it's Sigirya a must visit place . I've been here for 6 times and still didn't had enough of it.

Sigiriya (Lion Rock, Sinhalese - සීගිරිය, pronounced see-gee-REE-yah) is located in the central Matale District of the Central Province, Sri Lanka in an area dominated by a massive column of rock nearly 200 meters high. According to the ancient Sri Lankan chronicle the Culavamsa the site was selected by King Kasyapa (477 – 495 AD) for his new capital. He built his palace on the top of this rock and decorated its sides with colourful frescoes. On a small plateau about halfway up the side of this rock he built a gateway in the form of an enormous lion. The name of this place is derived from this structure —Sīhāgiri, the Lion Rock. The capital and the royal palace were abandoned after the king's death. It was used as a Buddhist monastery until 14th century.-ost Wikipedia-

Sigiriya today is a UNESCO listed World Heritage Site. It is one of the best preserved examples of ancient urban planning. It is the most visited historic site in Sri Lanka.

The Mirror Wall

The Mirror Wall and spiral stairs leading to the frescoes

Originally this wall was so well polished that the king could see himself whilst he walked alongside it. Made of a kind of porcelain, the wall is now partially covered with verses scribbled by visitors to the rock. Well preserved, the mirror wall has verses dating from the 8th century. People of all types wrote on the wall, on varying subjects such as love, irony, and experiences of all sorts. Further writing on the mirror wall has now been banned.