Travel to Sri Lanka for an awesome vacation tour ?Sri Lank safaris and vacation tours … an incredible travel location that we will focus in this article. If you have children, Udawalawe is a more child-friendly safari because they get to see the animals close up, especially the elephants. When your only goal is to spot leopards, you will have to wait and be patient, which can get tedious and boring for children. And even if you do manage to spot leopards, they might be quite far away, so binoculars are a necessity. Can I visit both Yala and Udawalawe in one safari? Yes, you sure can!
Sri Lanka is proud of its natural bounty. For over 2,000 years, swathes of land have been preserved as sanctuaries by Sri Lankan royalty – Mihintale, the world’s first reserve, was created here in the third century BC. Now there are 100 areas of protected land in the country, and this is the pick of the bunch… Located in the south-east of Sri Lanka, Yala is a beautiful area of lowland dry scrub sitting on a long stretch of coastline, punctuated by rocky outcrops. It is the premier national park of Sri Lanka, and arguably one of the best for mammals in Asia. The top draw is the Sri Lankan leopard, a sub-species endemic to the country; in certain areas of the park, the average leopard density is as high as one cat to every square kilometre. During the fruiting of the palu trees in June and July, sloth bears are often observed. Other animals you might spot include sambar (a large deer), spotted deer, buffalo, wild pig, stripe-necked and ruddy mongooses, langur monkey, toque monkey, golden jackal and Indian palm civet. The combination of freshwater, marine, scrub and woodland areas ensures a high diversity of birds. Indeed, the park hosts 220 different types, and serious twitchers have recorded 100 species in a single day. Ardent birdwatchers should also visit Bundala National Park (an hour away) or the Palatupana Salt Pans (ten minutes away), especially for migrant shorebirds.
Four shrines of gods processions marched after the Maligawa procession firstly shrine of Natha then shrine of Vishnu, then, the shrine of god Kataragama which includes Kavadi dance that uses wooden contraptions studded with the peacock feather. People carry it to their shoulders and dance. The last one is the shrine of Pattni that is the only procession that women can participate in. First, five nights of the procession is known as the Devale Perahera. Drummers and tuskers take part without any ceremonial costume. Devale Peraheras is dedicated to the four shrines of gods and goddesses. Performers take gold armaments with them as a token of gods accompanied by music mainly composed of drumming and spearman with shield, flag bearers, and canopy bearers. The Kumbal Perahera begins on the sixth night and continues for five days, This Perahera supposed to be more magnificent than Devala Perahera. Kumble Perahera joins the awaiting Devale Peraheras and leads the procession, with the relic casket, which is a replica for the Tooth Relic is fixed inside the Ransivige fastened to the Maligawa Elephant. Read additional info Kandy Esala Perahera.
Getting a tattoo in a developing country is always an interesting experience. In Sri Lanka there are plenty of different tattoo studios to choose from. I was in Unawatuna in the south of the country and found a tattoo artist called Sajee in the nearby city of Galle. I visited the studio to meet Sajee and check out some of his work. The studio wasn’t spotless but it was fairly clean and the photos of his previous work filled me with confidence. A few hours later I had a tiger on my arm. You might call it risky but this was one of my best memories and one of the epic things to do in Sri Lanka that I definitely don’t regret!
One of Sri Lanka’s most iconic sights is the Nine Arch Bridge in the small mountain town of Ella. This viewpoint offers spectacular panoramas of the surrounding area, which is made up of verdant greenery and tea fields. Visitors can watch trains roll over the bridge as they make their way along the Demodara Loop. Constructed in the early days of the railway expansion in Sri Lanka, the bridge is particularly impressive because it is made of cement, stone and brick, without the use of any steel. Mihintale is a mountain near the town of Anuradhapura. Its summit has much spiritual significance to the Buddhist community. It’s believed that on this mountain top a Buddhist monk named Mahinda met King Devanampiyatissa and together this meeting introduced Buddhism to the country. Monk Mahinda impressed the King with the peacefulness of the Buddhist doctrine and his contented, serene nature. The King subsequently renounced war, and went on to spread peace throughout the nation. There are several impressive religious and historical structures on and around Mihintale Mountain. Hundreds of pilgrims visit the site each year.