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| Tea fields in Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka - Photo: britannica.com |
That is Sri Lanka, an island nation with excellent tea quality that has just come to the tourist's mind in recent years.
For a long time, on the world tourism map, tourists from other countries almost did not know about Sri Lanka because of the civil war that lasted more than 25 years between the government army and the Tamil Tigers in northern Sri Lanka, and then the terrible tsunami that devastated the island nation in 2004.
But since the civil war ended in 2009, Sri Lanka's tourism industry has been on a strong rise, attracting more and more tourists from all over the world. It is believed that now is the time to explore this "Pearl of the Indian Ocean" before it becomes too famous in the tourist world!
Today, Sri Lanka has modern, friendly hotels, affordable prices and a wide range of excellent entertainment. Despite its small size, Sri Lanka is a country with a wide variety of attractions, from beautiful landscapes to cultural and historical identity.
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| Tea fields near Kandy, Sri Lanka - Photo: wordpress.com |
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| Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy - Photo: Wiki |
The friendliness of local people towards foreign tourists is considered a plus point of this island nation's tourism industry. Regardless of religious beliefs or origins, Sri Lankan people of Sinhalese ethnicity (accounting for 74% of the total population of 20 million), Tamil (accounting for 12.5%) or Muslim, they are always ready to help foreign tourists, enthusiastically taking pictures with visitors with the most sincere smiles...
That is why many tourists say they have been to Sri Lanka more than once.
In Sri Lanka's cities, Arab, Portuguese, Dutch and British colonizers have left their mark on the architecture. In Kandy, for example, the British presence is clearly felt while Galle exudes a Dutch feel...
As visitors leave the capital city of Colombo, they are often captivated by the rich and extremely diverse flora. Tall coconut trees line the ocean and the island is fringed by seemingly endless golden sand beaches.
According to many tourism experts, many beaches in Sri Lanka are among the most beautiful in Asia. And it would be a mistake not to visit the countless tea plantations that stretch up the mountain slopes, one of the places that provide tea with different shades of tea that is famous in the world.
Once a center of Buddhist culture, the cultural heritage of the monasteries and Buddhist relics that still retain their ancient appearance in the city of Anuradhapura always attracts Buddhist followers. 300 years BC, the first Buddhists from India to Sri Lanka brought with them a cutting of the Bodhi tree. Today, this tree still exists in Anuradhapura, and the Kataragama temple here is always crowded with visitors who come to admire the sacred Bodhi tree despite having to climb 1,840 steps.
Meanwhile, the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, the last capital of Sri Lanka, is said to house a tooth of the Buddha and is considered the holiest place in the Buddhist world and a pilgrimage site for Buddhists. Dambullan, another Buddhist holy site with temples located in five caves, is also a must-see for tourists. 150 murals and Buddha statues, including a 15m tall statue, will make visitors not regret their time here...
DAN THY (According toLa Presse)
