Jaffna District, the northern most region of the Island of Sri Lanka , populated by Tamil speaking people. Jaffna is situated within ten degrees of latitude to the north of the equator. It is in close proximity to the sub-continent of India and separated from it by the Palk Strait and the Bay of Bengal . The peninsula is actually almost an island; only the narrow causeway known as Elephant Pass - for once elephants did wade across the shallow lagoon here connects Jaffna with the rest of Sri Lanka . Jaffna is low lying; much of it covered by shallow lagoons, and has a number of interesting islands dotted offshore. In all it covers 2560 square km (999 square miles).

Mullaitivu is a district in Northern Province , Sri Lanka . The area of the district is 1,580 km².

dry, barren island that lies at the eastern end of Adam's Bridge, a chain of shoals off the northwestern coast of Sri Lanka . Mannar Island has an area of about 50 square miles (130 square km). Fishing is economically important. The small port of Mannar is on the southeastern shore. Pop. (1990 est.) 132,000.

Of all the early cities and capitals that Lanka boasted, Anuradhapura was without doubt the finest and most renowned. At the time when many countries of the world, whose culture was at infancy, here was a classical city in which flourished the arts, the humanities, hydraulic technology and civilization and of course the Buddhism. This was no ephemeral civilization for it endured a glorious history, having served as the capital for 1,400 years before its fall due to South Indian invaders- the Chola.

The history of the area, which really changed the destination of the country, dates back to 400 BC with the advent of Prince Vijaya, the half-legendary founder of the Sinhalese race and his followers of 700 men from Eastern Indian city Kalinga, when he was banished. He landed in the North-western coast of Sri Lanka in the vicinity of Anuradhapura .

Proudly seated two dagaba at Mihinthalee ( Proud of the Ancient Sri Lanka )Mihinthale is the place Mahinda Maha Thero met king Devamnampiyatissa for the first time in 250 BC and asked the king the famous questions to decide whether he is intelligent enough to understand the preaching of the Buddha. Initially this was the Mahinda Thero's residence

Trincomalee is a natural deep-water harbor that attracted great sea farers like Marco Polo, Ptolemy and Sea Traders China and East Asia from the ancient times. The long and wide beaches offer surfing, scuba diving and fishing and whale watching. This sea town has the largest Dutch fortress of Sri Lanka has the oldest Hindu temple Tirukonesvaram Kovil in Sri Lanka .

Puttalam is a district situated near to the west coast of Sri Lanka . Its area is 2,976 km². Along with the Kurunegala District , it formulates the Wayamba (North Western) Province of Sri Lanka . The capitial town is Puttalam and borders the Kala Oya and Modara Gam Aru in the north, Anuradhapura District and Kurunegala District in the east, Ma Oya in the south and the Indian Ocean in the west. Puttalam is well known for its picturesque lagoon, a paradise for shallow sea fishing activities. More recently Prawn farming activities have also flourished in the area.

Our ancient sculptures in stone in the form of Buddha statues, sluices, guard stones, pillars and other such artifacts are over 2000 years old. Among the largest such standing Buddha statues is this famed Aukana Buddha statue lying amidst Raja Rata - the cradle of our ancient civilization. It is carved out of a rock boulder and lies close to the serene Kala Weva tank built by King Dhatusena of the 5th century AD.

The Aukana Buddha colossus in stone is also easily accessible through the Mahaweli System H, at Galnewa. This Aukana Buddha statue is 46-feet high, resting on a fine lotus stone pedestal. The symbolic gesture carved on the statue, called Mudra is in the form of Ashiva Mudra which signifies giving or blessing.

A few miles away from Galnewa via Magalweva in Mahaweli System H, lies a similar standing Buddha statue enclaved amidst a vast conclave of rock cave shelters and giant boulders in the folds of the jungle fastness. This Buddha statue is known by two names one is Ras Vehera and the other Sesuruwa.

Ras Vehera has its derivation that the patriarch Bo tree standing there had originated from a sapling that was brought from the Sri Maha Bodhiya in Anuradhapura . As when the Bo sapling was planted there, the rays (halo) of Lord Buddha illuminated around the place.

  Polonnaruwawas Sri Lanka's medieval capital between the 11th and the 13th centuries is located .....  Km east of Vil Uyana. This ancient city was enclosed within 03 concentric walls to protect against the South Indian Chola invaders, after chasing them off by the Sihalese King Vijayabahu the 1st in the 10th century AD. This ancient city contained royal palaces,

bathing ponds, monasteries and sacred architecture such as dagobas and image houses. Its grandeur was largely the creation of three Kings, the warrior King Vijayabahu the 1st, Parakramabahu a great tank builder and Nissanka Malla, although the last mentioned emptied the coffers in beautifying the city and to create a name that would remain in the History of Sri Lanka. Although some of these edifices are in ruins, they are fairly preserved to date.

The history testifies that Kasyapa 1, in the 7ear 477 AD, after slaying his father King Dhatusena ruled the country for 18 years making his fortress on this rock and finally committed suicide when his troops deserted him on the field of battle, when he encountered his half brother Moggallana. It is believed that Kasyapa built Sigiriya 'like another Alakamanda', the celestial abode of Kuvera, God of wealth, in accordance with the description of Alakamanda in classical literature. The rock of Sigiriya was inaccessible when Kasyapa started to build on it. A large labour force would have been used and also it taken 7 years to complete the work, before Kasyapa could occupy Sigiriya.

Yapahuwa was considered as strategically important point since the Polonnaruwa era. Prince Buwanekabahu, the son of great Parakramabahu who ruled in Dabadeniya, was stationed at Yapahuwa to protect the kingdom against enemy attacks.
When the Dabadeniya kingdom fall after the King Wijayabahu the 4th, The throne was taken by Prince Buwanekabahu, who ruled the kingdom from Yapahuwa. The sacred tooth Relic was brought from Dambadeniya to Yapahuwa and kept in the specially built palace. The ruins of this temple can be seen today and is considered one of the best archeologically valuable sites on the Island .

Situated in the western coast north of Colombo , Chilaw is calm and quite beach city relating to Portuguese and Dutch times and famous for perls with a large fishing community. Great Sea food, Pearls, Deep sea fishing, Portuguese times Churches, Munneswaram Kovil, The Lagoon, Beach, Fishing are main attractions. You can reach many nature and culture destinations in the center of the country easily from Chilaw.

Visiting the Dambulla Temple is coupled with the visit to the arboretum. Located north of Kandy and considered by most to be the center point of Sri Lanka, Dambulla is a town built around a vast isolated rock mass and a World Heritage City , declared by UNESCO. The name Dambulla derives from Damba - Rock and Ulla - fountain. One sees the incessant drip of water from the fountain within the main image house. The temple is composed of 5 caves, which have been converted into shrine rooms. The caves, at the base of a 150 meters high rock built by King Vattagamini Abhaya (Valagamba) took refuge in the 1st century BCE. He later turned the caves into a rock temple. Later kings made further improvements, including King Nissanka Malla who had the temple interior gilded, earning it the name of Ran Giri - Golden Rock.

Fourteen miles north of Minneriya lies Madirigiriya, the firmer Mandalagiri, a monastery dating from the second century. Granite columns which we now see are replacements, perhaps by Aggabodhi IV (AD 658-674), of earlier pillars of wood. Wood or stone, the pillars were the supports of a roof for the dagaba which stood in the middle. Hence the name vatadage - the house of the dagaba.

The city has five main divisions.

• Pullianthivu :Seat of many government department and offices, schools, banks religious places, General Hospital , Weber Stadium and Shops.Nowadays many NGO offices including ICRC, UN, UNICEF, WORLD VISION etc.are located also.

• Koddamunai : Schools, Banks , Sri Lanka Telecom regional office for East,Shops and many government offices are located. Two bridges called Perya Palam and Puthuppalam are connects Pulianthivu island with Koddaminai land mass.
• Kallady : Here there are many Government buildings and private industries, schools, hospitals and Eatern University Medical Faculty. Kallady Lady Manning bridge (the longest bridge in Sri Lanka ) connects Kallady and Arasay.

Twenty kilometers south of the Dambulla Temple ,  is the attractive Nalanda Gedige. The unusual image house was transferred to this spot near the town of Nalanda when the Bowatenne Tank, which is part of the Mahaweli Ganga Program, was initiated. The small building is designed like a Hindu temple with a mandapa, an entrance hall (originally roofed), a short passage to a bare cello, and an ambulatory round the holy center. There is no sign of Hindu gods, however, and the temple is said to have been used by Buddhists. This is one of the earliest buildings of stone constructed in Ceylon .

Kurunegala was Sri Lankas capital for half a century during the regain of King Buwanekabahu II (1293-1302) housed the Tooth relic in Dambadeniya Temple . Today It's an important city crossing many roads to different parts of the island. Situated by Ehtugala a Huge Black Rock of 325 m and Ancient Tank. The Ethugala Climb, Dambadeniya, Arankale Forest , Ridi Vihara, Old Railway Station are attractions. The beautiful royal citadels in Kurunagala you can visit are Panduwasnuwara, Dambadeniya, Yapahuwa that has remains fortresses, temples, shrines, monasteries and hermitages.

Matale is a town in the hill country of Sri Lanka , 142 kilometres (90 miles) from Colombo and 26 kilometres (17 miles) from Kandy . It is an area steeped in history and village living. The mayor of matale is Hilmy Careem, as of May, 2006.

The Matale administrative district also contains the historic Sigiriya rock castle, Aluwihare Temple and Dambulla Cave Temple . Surrounding the town are the Knuckles foothills called Wiltshire. It is a mainly agriculural area, where tea, rubber, vegetable and spice cultivation dominate.

The Aluvihare Temple , on the North side of the town, is the historic location where the Pali Canon was first written down completely in text on ola (palm) leaves. Situated near Aluvihare are numerous monastery caves, some of which exhibit fine frescoes.

The beach of Negombo is situated 37km from Colombo to north. It is a paradise for seafoods. There's much more in Negombo than just a sandy stretch of beach, where much history has been witnessed. During the period of time when Dutch were ruling the coastal areas of Sri Lanka , a fort, a canal and many a church was built and cinnamon cultivation took high priority. Remanents of these adorn the beach of Negombo along with fishing villages, which are sprinkled in the area.

Pinnawela orphanage is situated northwest of the town Kegalla, halfways between the present capitol Colombo and the ancient royal residence Kandy in the hills of central Sri Lanka . It was established 1975 by the Sri Lanka Wildlife department. This 24 acres large elephant orphanage is a also breeding pace for elephants, twenty elephants were born since 1984, and it has the

greatest herd of elephants in captivity in the world. The difference between the elephant orphanage in Pinnawala and Ath Athuru Sevena Transit Home at Uda Walawe is that at the Transit Home these baby elephants once cared for are released to the wilds when they reach a certain age.

Some thirteen miles east of Ampara is the ancient Buddhist shrine of Dighavapi hallowed by the visit of Lord Buddha.

According to the University history of Ceylon in the legendary accounts of the landing of Vijaya and his followers it has been recorded that the earliest arrivals founded settlements in places where water was available. One such settlement was at Dighavapi in the Gal Oya valley.

The Mahawamsa states that in the 3rd Century B.C., Uparaja supervised the construction of a wewa and that subsequently a prince holding the office of Uparaja resided at Dighavapi to superintend the cultivation and harvesting of crops in the eastern district. Thus since the days of Vijaya irrigation and food production were activities over which important members of the royal family exercised direct supervision.

The business area of Sri Lanka contains The World Trade Centre, the President's Residence and several colonial structures where you can observe the influence of the British Empire on the country's architecture.

If you're interested in learning more about the Island's cultural heritage, there are several Museums and Local art galleries in Colombo that tell Sri Lanka 's tales far better than anyone. The Colombo National Museum, Sri Lanka's finest museum, is a grand colonial building that houses many of the island's historical treasures, such as 4000 archaic palm leaf manuscripts, rock sculptures from ancient cities and royal weapons of Sri Lankan kings. The Natural History Museum and the Dutch Period Museum are also great places to visit if you want to get a complete look at Sri Lanka 's historical background.

Sri Lanka 's religious diversity can be seen immediately as you drive through Colombo , with its colourful mosques and hindu temples, opulent Buddhists temples, and grand Churches. Many of these religious places welcome tourists who are interested in exploring their places of worship.

If its shopping you're interested in, there are several local department stores that promise great bargains, Odel, House of Fashion and Dilly's are a few of the stores that you must visit while you're in Colombo. Precious stones and jewellery are also a must on your shopping list as Sri Lanka offers great prices on gems, silver and gold. And to buy souvenirs to remember your trip to paradise, Colombo has great hand-made leather products, brass-ware and local crafts that can be found at Paradise Road, Barefoot Gallery, Lakmedura and several other souvenir stores around Colombo.

Colombo is also known to really come alive after dark as Sri Lankan's love to party on any given night of the week. Onyx, H20, Tabu and Clancy's are just a few of the places where you can sip drinks and dance alongside Colombo 's young people.

Colombo is an exotic city filled with hidden treasures, it is also a great place to rub shoulders with Sri Lanka 's friendly people and to learn more about the island's religious and cultural heritage  

Hill climb of a different type to witness a spectacular sun rise or just for the thrill of the panoramic views of Sri Lanka or for pleasure . Not just a trail but a prilgimage to a summit secred to all of the world's major releigions. The most popular hill trail in Sri Lanka to 2200m above sea level. The season is between December and April when the summit is not misty and relatively dry. There are two popular starting points from the directions of Hatton or Ratnapura.

Easily recognisable from many areas of the western / southern parts of the country because of it's triangle shape summit as well as from the sea to the west. Secret to Christians Muslims as well as Hindus while to Buddhist it is one of the places where Buddha has visited and left a footprint. Today it has been covered by a boulder. The first climbs dates back to 1000AD by then king Vijayabahu I who had built resting places for travellers. Travellers like Ibn Batuta a Arab pilgrim (1304-1377), and Marco Polo (1254-1324) have recorded visiting the summit.

The sunrise is spectacular and the scenic beauty of the climb is superb. Most people climb to watch the sunrise from the summit and therefore start at late night. There are several resting places along the routes. Both routes are well lit and marked.

The Mount Lavinia Hotel  is a legacy of Sri Lanka 's Colonial Heritage. It stands as a monument to the forbidden love of a Governor General and a local mestizo dancer who cast a spell on his heart.

Time stands still in the corridors of this grand old building that whisper legends of love and adventure.

Step back in time to experience old Ceylon and enjoy grandeur and mystery, her intoxicating beaches and most of all the enchantment of her people at this premier heritage hotel, 12 kilometres from the Colombo city centre and 5 minutes from Ratmalana domestic airport. 

Nuwara Eliya, otherwise known as "Little England," is a quaint town located in Sri Lanka 's beautifully lush hill country. During the British Colonial Period, Nuwara Eliya was a favourite holiday retreat for the crème de la crème of British society on the island. They turned this town, with its ideal cool temperature and rich foliage, into a beautiful little town strongly reminiscent of England , from the architecture of

the houses to the flowers that still peep out of every corner. To this day, Sri Lanka 's "Little England" remains almost completely untouched and you feel like you've skipped continents as you enter its city limits.

Nuwara Eliya's tradition has remained unchanged as it is still known to be a retreat for the island's elite. During its 'season' in April, the little town comes alive as Sri Lanka 's high society flocks there for the horse and motor races, grand dances and exclusive golf tournaments.

Visiting one of the many tea factories perched high on the hills surrounding Nuwara Eliya is definitely a must. It is here that the best of Sri Lanka 's teas - the fragrant and delicately flavoured "high grown" - flourish.

Badulla ia city of Culture , Religion and Nature with different climatic areas in the district. The Mountainous city offers great adventures to climb namunukula mountain and visit to Muthiyangana ancient temple and see many water falls. The Trip to Badulla from colombo by train is one of the best experiences of a Sri Lanka Traveler.

This is Sri Lankas famous beach in the south east coast south of Baticaloa. This beautiful beach is a grate place for a sea lover. Arugam bay has several scuba diving locations attracting many tourists. The best times to visit are during April and October.

Once an important spice-trading center, the city's name is derived from the Kalu Ganga River (' Black River ' in native Sinhala). In the 11th Century, the town was temporarily made a capital on the orders of a South Indian Prince. The region was later planted with coconut trees, whose by-products are used for both internal and external trade. The location also boast fortifications dating back from the times when Portuguese, Dutch and British vied for control of the area .

The 38-meter long Kalutara Bridge was built at the mouth of the Kalu Ganga River and serves as a major link between the country's Western and Southern border. At the southern end of the bridge lies the 3 stories-high Kalutara Vihara, a Buddhist temple built in the 1960s which holds the distinction of being the only stupa in the world that is hollow.

With so many great hotels within walking distance of each other, you never have to eat at the same place twice. A short walk along the beach will take you through at least 5 beautiful hotels, and the seafood is fresh and delicious at every one of them. The night life is also quite lively during tourist season, and you will be able to meet many people from all over the world and swap stories of your travels.

Visiting the colourful and friendly local beach community will be a treat, you will find that a surprising number of the locals have picked up German and other languages from the tourists frequenting Bentota. So you might be able to get local tips on what to see and do in Bentota.

The beaches are also home to Sri Lanka 's famous Giant Sea Turtles and you can visit the nearby hatchery at Kosgoda. The hatchery has prepared protected beds of sand for the eggs, laid annually and large tanks to view the young before they are returned to the sea.

The South West is also well known for its Ayurvedic centres. The age-old eastern form of spa rejuvenation treatment, with the use of herbal medicine to de-stress, detox and relax the body. We will be happy to recommend hotels that focus on Ayurvedic treatments and programs.

HIKKADUWA

A key city in the South Coast of the island. Its biggest attraction is the 90-acre Portuguese Dutch Fort. The Galle Fort is a world heritage site.

Location: xxx miles (115 Km) south of the Colombo . Travel time from Colombo : Approx 3 - 3.5 hours. Weather: Sunny and pleasant.

Is Galle the 'Tarshish' of the Old Testament to which King Solomon sent his merchant vessels? Researchers believe that this city to dates back to ancient times. The strategic location of this city on an important sea route meant it was always abuzz with foreign traders who were busy doing business with the locals and other visiting merchants. The Portuguese made Galle their stronghold in 1589, the Dutch stormed the fortress in 1640. What you will see today is a massive Dutch fortification. Even today you will be able to see many old Dutch churches and graves. A walk around the ramparts is highly recommended!

Koggala is a calm and quite beach famous for it's unique stilt fisherman. The Koggala lagoon is an important birds and mangrove habitat. The Kataluwa temple has number of beautiful paintings and Martin Wickramasinha a Great Sinhala Writer Museum are places to visit.

Matale is a town in the hill country of Sri Lanka , 142 kilometres (90 miles) from Colombo and 26 kilometres (17 miles) from Kandy . It is an area steeped in history and village living. The mayor of matale is Hilmy Careem, as of May, 2006.

The Matale administrative district also contains the historic Sigiriya rock castle, Aluwihare Temple and Dambulla Cave Temple . Surrounding the town are the Knuckles foothills called Wiltshire. It is a mainly agriculural area, where tea, rubber, vegetable and spice cultivation dominate.

The Aluvihare Temple , on the North side of the town, is the historic location where the Pali Canon was first written down completely in text on ola (palm) leaves. Situated near Aluvihare are numerous monastery caves, some of which exhibit fine frescoes.

In the deep south of Sri Lanka you'll find Tangalle , located between the towns of Matara and Hambantota.

Known for its tranquility, deserted beaches and the unique ECO system, Tangalle attracts the more individual travelers to Sri Lanka .

One side of Tangalle bears a small hillock, with a bird's eye view of the surrounding bay up to the far horizon of the palm fringed beach and the shimmering sea. Tangalle boasts of clear soft sandy beach and surfing.

Sinharaja forest reserve is one of the least disturbed and biologically unique lowland rain forest in Sri lanka . This forest covers an extent of about 11187 hectares from east to west .The length of the forest is about 21km and width from North to South is about 3.7km.It was declared a Man and Biosphere Reserve (MAB) in 1978,as representative of tropical humid evergreen forest Eco system in Sri Lanka and has been recognized by UNESCO as part of it?s International Network of Biosphere reserves. It was declared a National wilderness area in 1988 and lately a world heritage site in 1989.It is situated in the southwest lowland wet zone of the country in the districts of Ratnapura, Galle and Matara. The average annual temperature of Sinharaja is 23.6 C. Annual rainfall is more than 2500mm.The rain fall is well distributed during two monsoons, May to July and October to December.

Throughout history, Sri Lanka has been known as a land of gems. King Solomon was said to have procured a great ruby for the queen of Sheba from Ceylon ( Sri Lanka 's former name). Marco Polo (1293 AD) wrote about the ruby that once graced the Ruwanweliseya Dagoba at Anuradhapura ..."a flawless ruby a span long and quite as thick as a man's fist".

Sri Lanka has produced three of the world's largest blue sapphires, including the 'Blue Bell' which adorns the British crown and the 'Star of India', displayed at the New York Museum of Natural History.

A visit to one of the museums or many gem workshops will give you the opportunity to see a variety of precious stone, such as rubies, sapphires, cat's eyes, alexandrites, aquamarines, tourmalines, spinels, topaz, garnets, amethyst, zircons etc. You could also visit one of the gem mines.
Temple in the sky

Haputale is a one of the unique places in Sri Lanka . You will be standing on a Mountain top being able to see Landscapes of North, South West and East. The South geo plane run towards distance sea and north runs to far Mountains of Nuwaraeliya and Ella. The eastern plane is one tea plantation that disappears into far sky and green valley of Buduruwagala Paddy fields and forest. The Climate is cool in this Tea City . The train trip to or from Haputale is one of best experiences you will make in Sri Lanka .

Ella is blessed with some of the most beautiful views, you could find in Sri Lanka .

Only 8 km from Bandarawela, this small town is used as a base for plenty of trekking expeditions to the surrounding countryside.
A taste of the breathtaking scenery of Ella could be had, if you just walk into the Garden of the Grand Ella Motel (Formerly Ella Rest House), where you seem to be standing at the edge of the world, and everything around you seems to disappear at your feet.
Another fine view is from the Ambiente Hotel, where the wide doorway, opens out to the mountains, creating a dramatic cinematic like experience, on entry.

Some of the places you could see in Ella are the Ella Gap, Ravana Ella Falls , Little Adam's Peak and Bambaragala Peak among the other many varied pleasant walks with stunning scenery.

An Indian qualified sculptor Padma Sri M. Muttiaiyah Stapathi is carving the statue on stone with the help of 10 assistants.

Ven. Amaramoli said when work commenced on the statue in 2003 the estimated cost was Rs. 25 million. They had already spent Rs. 11 million on the project and the estimated expenditure is likely to increase sharply.

As such they would expect more assistance from the public to complete this invaluable project. Those wishing to assist should contact Ven. Amaramoli Thera on 037-2252018.

Yala National Park is 309 km south of Colombo on the southeast of the island. It is well known for its biggest, extensive the area of 1,259 sq km, and for its best wildlife preservation in the country. Yala is one of the best parks in the world to observe and photograph leopards in the wild. With it considerable size, the terrain of the national park is varied from flat plains to rocky outcrops.

Situated 170 km southeast of Colombo , the Uda Walawe National Park covers area of approximately 30,821 hectares in the dry zone. This park lies within the Ratnapura and Monaragala districts and sitting in the middle of the park is the Uda Walawe Reservoir. This Park

comprises grasslands and thorn scrubs and many valuable species of trees especially teak. It is largely inhabited by elephants, spotted deer, sambhur, water buffaloes, mongoose, bandicoots, foxes, water monitor lizards, crocodiles, wild boars, Toque Monkeys, Grey Langur, leopards and 30 varieties of snakes.

Bird life includes Sri Lanka Jungle Fowl, Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Wooly-necked Stork, Black-headed Ibis, Black-shouldered Kite, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Crested Serpent Eagle, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Shikrs, Sirkeer Malkoha, and Blue-faced Malkoha.

The seven colossal figure sculpted in to a rock face are generally dated to the 9th or the 10th century. The central figure of the group is the Buddha, standing 51 feet (15.5m) and is the largest standing Buddha in Sri Lanka. Buduruwagala rock a stone Shrine situated above the Buduruwagala tank in a picturesque place below a mountain, in the Wellawaya in Uva province. The rock gives the visual impression of a massive elephant kneeling with bowed head, and of the folded trunk in the mouth. The Buddha statue is in the central and six other images are caved three on each side with symbol of lamp flame near the right foot.

Kataragama is one of the 16 principal places of Buddhist pilgrimage to be visited in Sri Lanka . According to the chronicle of Sri Lankan history the Mahawamsa , when the Bo-sapling or Pipil tree sapling under which Gotama >Buddha attained enlightenment in North India was brought to the city of Anuradhapura 2,300 years ago, the warriors or Kshatriyas from Kataragama were present on the occasion to pay homage and respect.

Tissamaharamaya is one of the oldest royal cities in the Country where King Kavantissa and His Son King Dutugamunu had their Capital Before Re-capturing Anuradhapura. The 3rd Century Built Tissa Wewa Tank attracts lots of water birds. The Tissa Viharaya, Massive Dagabas and Archeological Museum , Yala National Park are major attractions.

Presently there are three three electorates in the district: they are Mulkirigala, Beliatta, and Tissamaharamaya.

Towns include Hambantota where the salt production takes place and administrative head quarters is located, Tissa , Tangalle , Weeraketiya , Beliatta , Walasmulla , Middeniya , Katuwana , and Kirama .

As many people endured harsh climatic and soil conditions and lacked modern conveniences that their city brothers enjoy,those from Hambantota district were considered as equal to those coming from othe districts with similar dry zone fatures,e.g. Anuradhapura District . Being a southern district, those who progressed via education, business or politics from the district were considered as having a special motivation to succeed,hence hard working. Famous political family from the district is Rajapaksas. Present President Mahinda Rajapakse hails from the Hambantota District.

In the deep south of Sri Lanka you'll find Tangalle , located between the towns of Matara and Hambantota.

Known for its tranquility, deserted beaches and the unique ECO system, Tangalle attracts the more individual travelers to Sri Lanka .

One side of Tangalle bears a small hillock, with a bird's eye view of the surrounding bay up to the far horizon of the palm fringed beach and the shimmering sea. Tangalle boasts of clear soft sandy beach and surfing.

Southern most major town in Sri Lanka and the terminus of the coastal rail line has also been under the Portuguese and Dutch rule. The star shaped fort at Matara is an unusual and a unique structure. There are several beautiful and less crowded beaches along the coast between Galle and Matara and the closest to the town is at Polhena. Another attraction is a 25m high colourful Buddha statue built at Veherahena Temple .
The temple is about 2 kM from the town centre and about 1 Km inland from Pallimulla on the main road.

Matara fort built by the Dutch around 1640 is a fortification of a Portuguese garrison. The old Dutch church is an interesting and one of the oldest structures in the Fort. There are many other structures in the Dutch and the British era most of which have undergone many changes. The star fort built in a shape of a star has been built to provide additional protection to the main fort across the river. The moat now restored and a drawbridge added recently.

Early British era market at Nupe now serves, as a music-training centre is an interesting building with Kandyan roof tiles.

Koggala is a calm and quite beach famous for it's unique stilt fisherman. The Koggala lagoon is an important birds and mangrove habitat. The Kataluwa temple has number of beautiful paintings and Martin Wickramasinha a Great Sinhala Writer Museum are places to visit.

A key city in the South Coast of the island. Its biggest attraction is the 90-acre Portuguese Dutch Fort. The Galle Fort is a world heritage site.

Location: xxx miles (115 Km) south of the Colombo . Travel time from Colombo : Approx 3 - 3.5 hours. Weather: Sunny and pleasant.

Is Galle the 'Tarshish' of the Old Testament to which King Solomon sent his merchant vessels? Researchers believe that this city to dates back to ancient times. The strategic location of this city on an important sea route meant it was always abuzz with foreign traders who were busy doing business with the locals and other visiting merchants. The Portuguese made Galle their stronghold in 1589, the Dutch stormed the fortress in 1640. What you will see today is a massive Dutch fortification. Even today you will be able to see many old Dutch churches and graves. A walk around the ramparts is highly recommended!

HIKKADUWA