September 2, 2024, 3:29 pm | Read time: 6 minutes
Sri Lanka is one of the most beautiful island states in the world. The country enchants travelers with its white dream beaches, ancient culture, and eventful history. Nine good reasons why you should definitely travel there.
Sri Lanka, the teardrop-shaped island in the Indian Ocean with its beautiful beaches and ancient culture, is becoming an increasingly popular travel destination. And there are many reasons for this.
1. Peace
From 1986 to 2009, i.e., for 26 years, civil war raged in Sri Lanka and made tourist travel through the country impossible. The north of the island has only been open again for just over a year. The traces of the 2004 tsunami, which devastated many parts of Sri Lanka’s coastline, were still visible ten years later. Today, the country has finally recovered, and peace reigns. You should take advantage of that!
2. Nature
Although Sri Lanka is no bigger than Croatia or Bavaria, the country offers breathtaking natural diversity: the white dream beaches in the east of the island, the misty mountains in the interior, the lush green tea plantations of the highlands, and the jungle stretching in every direction. Perhaps the most beautiful way to admire this diversity is to travel by train on the Main Line. This route is considered one of the most picturesque in the whole of Asia and leads from Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo, up into the highlands. The trains have the doors open during the journey so that you can let your legs dangle out (but be careful, of course!). But other, less touristy routes are also worthwhile. Many routes lead directly through the jungle or along the sea.
3. The cultural triangle
A visit to the so-called cultural triangle between Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, and Kandy is an absolute must on a tour of Sri Lanka. This is where the country’s greatest cultural treasures can be found. Until the early 19th century, Kandy’s advanced Buddhist culture was able to hold its own against the European colonial powers. As a result, the pre-Christian temples and towns are still wonderfully preserved today. The ideal starting point for exploring them is Dambulla, famous for its rock-cut caves. These are five different caves carved out of granite containing over a hundred huge Buddha statues. In Kandy, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth is a must. Buddhists believe that a tooth of the Buddha lies here. Another highlight in the cultural triangle is the lion rock Sigiriya. From here, you have a wonderful view of the green forests of Sri Lanka.
4. Sri Lanka’s religions and their festivals
Although Sri Lanka is primarily a Buddhist country, many Hindus, Muslims, and Christians also live here and have built magnificent places of worship on the island. Despite the long civil war, there are no conflicts between the churches. Instead, their peaceful coexistence leads to an abundance of colorful and beautiful festivals. Probably the most famous is Esala Perahera. It is celebrated for fifteen days in the old royal city of Kandy in the center of Sri Lanka. The tooth of Buddha is carried in a procession of 100 elephants and thousands of dancers, fire-eaters, and drummers around the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy. The elephants are decorated with colorful embroidered blankets and colorful lights. The dancers perform in sometimes frightening animal masks. The next Esala Perahera will take place from July 29 to August 7, 2017.
5. Ayurveda
Ayurveda is Sanskrit and means the knowledge of life. The millennia-old natural medicine is intended to maintain mental and physical health and heal illnesses. The aim of an Ayurveda treatment is to balance the various energies by strengthening the body’s defenses and freeing the organs and tissues from waste products and toxins. You can be treated in special Ayurveda resorts all over Sri Lanka. The oil massages are particularly famous in Europe, but a proper cure also includes meditation, indulging in delicious Sinhalese food, and the Ayurvedic teachings on spices. From a modest clinic in the mountains to a luxury Ayurveda stay on a dream beach, there is a cure for every budget in Sri Lanka.
6. The food in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka has one of the spiciest cuisines in the world. Vegetarian curries dominate the menu. People often eat three hot meals a day. Hoppers are a typical breakfast: this is a dough that is formed into a semicircle and fried. A fried egg is placed in the middle. Also ubiquitous are the small flatbreads called “roti,” made from flour and grated coconut, and the lentil flour chips “papadam.” There is also delicious seafood and tasty fish dishes to be discovered on the Sri Lankan coast. You should definitely try the popular Falooda drink: a delicious milkshake made from rose syrup, vanilla, sweet basil, and ice cream.
7. The variety
When Europeans settled all over the world, they did not leave Sri Lanka out. First, the Portuguese conquered the country’s coastal regions in the 16th century, while the Netherlands claimed Colombo. Two years later, the entire Portuguese region went to the Netherlands. More than 100 years later, in 1796, British rule began, and it was not until 1972 that Sri Lanka became independent – until then, the island was still called Ceylon. Through this eventful history, every culture has left its architectural and cultural traces in Sri Lanka, be it the Portuguese fortresses in the south or the British tea culture.
8. Sri Lanka’s tea
The wonderfully spicy and flavorful tea that grows in Sri Lanka is still called Ceylon tea today, after the name the British gave to the crown colony of Sri Lanka. So, if you want to wander through the beautiful tea plantations, you should definitely stop off at one of the factories that are open to visitors. Here, you will be introduced to fermentation and other tea production processes, and you can also sample different varieties. The tea tastes very intense and smells wonderful. If you want to bring home any souvenir from Sri Lanka, it should be Ceylon tea. Unlike their Indian neighbors, who always drink their tea mixed with milk and spices, Sri Lankans prefer their tea pure.
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9. Inexpensive living
Sri Lanka is still very inexpensive for many tourists! So you can spend a wonderful vacation on the island even without a large budget and afford both beautiful accommodation and delicious food.
The German original of this article was published in 2017.