Big Five and "The Gathering"

Giants live in Sri Lanka. The island's blue waters are home to the world's only resident population of blue whales, the world's largest mammal. Large groups of whales can be seen off Sri Lanka's south coast at Mirissa from December to April as they make their annual migration from the Bay of Bengal to the Arabian Sea. 

Also, sperm whales are frequently sighted near Dondra Head on the island's southern coast because it provides ample food. 

The Sri Lankan leopard, the island's top predator, is one of the world's largest leopard subspecies. Yala National Park is the best area on the earth to see leopards in the wild, with the largest density of these elusive creatures. Leopards are the smallest of all the big cats, yet they are the most widespread of all wild cats. They are remarkable hunters, stalking their prey to within meters before chasing them down with their muscular rear legs at speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour.

The country is also the best place in the world to see and photograph the Sloth Bear, the world's largest tropical bear.  The beautiful Sri Lankan elephant, the world's largest Asian elephant subspecies, clearly steals the show in this battle of the big five.

In the dry season in Sri Lanka, large elephants have less access to water. They travel from all over to drink from the Minneriya tank, by a king more than 1,700 years ago. This water supply keeps them coming back year after year. Not only will they find drinking water here, but when the water in the tank recedes, they will be able to graze on fresh, green grass shoots. A far more appetizing feast than arid scrubland! Tall plants and trees surround the tank, providing adequate shade for the elephants during the hot days. They begin to emerge as the sun sets, starting with one or two and increasing to 300 at peak times. They graze, drink, play, and even find and socialize with one another here. This is known as "The Gathering".

5 Historical sites to visit in Sri Lanka

 1. Sigiriya

King Kasyapa built Sigiriya, popularly known as "The Lion Rock," as a rock stronghold and palace towards the end of the 5th century. The name Lion's Rock comes from an entrance fashioned in the shape of a massive lion. The old rock fortress is one of Sri Lanka's most iconic and probably dramatic sites, according to UNESCO. 

The palace on top of this rock, which rises majestically out of the surrounding forest, is covered in brilliant paintings and is undoubtedly Sigiriya's most popular attraction. Sigiriya is known for having some of the world's oldest planted gardens, as well as a mirror wall with poetry dating back to the 8th century.

You can go to the top of Sigiriya Rock to see the ancient ruins, or climb the opposite Pidurangala Rock for the most spectacular views of Sigiriya Rock.

2. Dambulla Royal Cave Temple

Dambulla Royal Cave Temple (also known as The Golden Temple of Dambulla) is Sri Lanka's oldest, largest, and best-preserved cave temple complex, with five caves and 157 Buddha statues. 

The caves and the temple are thought to date from the first century BC. The temple's roof and walls are covered in beautiful and beautiful artwork that visitors can admire. 

In 1991, UNESCO listed the Dambulla Cave Temple as a World Heritage Site.

 

Its historical, archaeological, and artistic significance make it one of Sri Lanka's most important historical sites.

3. Anuradhapura - The First Capital City of Sri Lanka

With many old monasteries, palaces, and monuments, Anuradhapura is the cradle of ancient Sri Lankan culture. Massive stupas, historic ponds and lakes, and grand temples are among its many attractions. The city was established as Sri Lanka's first capital in 377 BC. According to historical sources, this ancient city is one of the world's significant archaeological sites and has the most unearthed Buddha relics. The holy Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, the sacred bo tree in the Mahamewna Gardens, is also located there. It is the southern branch of the ancient Sri Maha Bodhi in India, where Buddha obtained Enlightenment.

Anuradhapura became a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1982.

4. Ancient City of Polonnaruwa

Along with Anuradhapura and Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa forms part of Sri Lanka's Cultural Triangle. After the collapse of the Anuradhapura Kingdom in the first century, Polonnaruwa became the capital of Sri Lanka for three centuries.

The ruins contain Bhramanic structures from the Cholas civilization, as well as the garden city created by King Parakramabahu I in the 12th century. In 1982, Unesco designated this site as a World Heritage Site.

5. Sacred City of Kandy

The Sacred City of Kandy was Sri Lanka's last independent kingdom, founded towards the end of the 16th century. Kandy is widely regarded as Sri Lanka's cultural capital, and it is home to one of the country's holiest sites, the Temple of the Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha. The temple was built near Kandy's lake as part of the royal palace complex. If you visit the city in July or August, you can witness the Kandy Esala Perehera, the Sacred Tooth Temple's annual celebration.

Kandy has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988.

From one crisis to another

https://www.bbc.com/news/topics/cdmmjkw6krwt/sri-lanka-easter-bombings

On Easter Sunday 2019, several explosions occurred in Sri Lankan churches and hotels, killing more than 200 people and injuring hundreds more. Several of the explosions happened inside churches in three cities during Easter services.

The coordinated attacks are believed to be aimed mostly at Sri Lanka's minority Christian community, which makes up less than 10% of the country's total population.

A local militant group National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ) was responsible for the eight bombs that rocked the country, they were clearly acts of terror.  Even though an intelligence brief was issued ten days before the incident warning of a probable attack, the relevant authorities were unable to take adequate precautions to prevent it.

The bombs struck a serious hit to the island nation's tourism industry, which was one of the country's major economic generators. Sri Lanka offered several discount deals, waived payments on tourist visas for 48 countries, and simplified the visa process for travelers from specific countries in an attempt to attract them back.

Sri Lanka was only beginning to rebuild from the Easter Sunday attacks when the global pandemic broke out. Sri Lanka closed its borders to international travelers on March 19, 2020, and imposed a police curfew to control the spread of Covid-19, which lasted for many months. During this time a noteworthy initiative was driven to host the stranded tourists in the country, which showed the world the true Srilankan hospitality. 

Top travel destination in 2019 by Lonely Planet

SRI LANKA, formerly known as Ceylon, and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an island country in South Asia. Wikipedia  An oasis, a pearl that nestles in the Indian ocean. From the beautiful endless beaches, through the varied forests, and up to the central highlands, the country is filled with natural splendor. A history that runs back over two thousand years boasts its rich cultural heritage packed with 08 UNESCO world heritage sites (06 cultural sites and 2 natural sites) and the only country in the world where you can witness both the world's largest land mammal, the elephant and the marine mammal, the blue whale in a single day makes Sri Lanka one of the most sought out places to visit in the world.

With the end of the civil war that ravaged the country for 26years Sri Lanka's tourism industry quickly recovered, becoming one of the country's primary economic forces. From 2009 to 2019, the tourism industry experienced remarkable growth in increased visitor arrivals and foreign exchange revenues. The government increased its development in infrastructure in the form of hotels, roads, railways, bridges, ports, and a second international airport, all of which aided tourism growth. These improved infrastructures, increase in the number of tourist activities, and government initiatives helped Sri Lanka to be named as the top travel destination in 2019 by Lonely Planet.

Beginning of a new era - “So Sri Lanka”

https://srilanka.travel/travel-news&news=602&section=travel

Even though Sri Lanka has grown in popularity as a tourist destination during the last decade it lacked a compelling and unifying strategy of communicating its own character and experience.  strongly intertwined to the country's unique mix of culture, geography, and people. 

It was a clear and obvious sign that just a phrase could not properly represent everything that this unique country has to offer. The fact is that you simply have to be there to experience it.

"So Sri Lanka" represents the digital revolution. The modern traveler uses the internet to get ideas and plan their next life-changing trip. Through the smartphones of potential tourists, "So Sri Lanka" helps to create the distinctive feeling of our beautiful land like no other.