Fact File 

Golden beaches, green paddy fields, majestic mountains, tropical forests, ancient ruins, an amazing diversity of flora and fauna, near desert regions and a fascinating tapestry of culture, customs and religion - all of this in a packed of teardrop shaped bundle below the Indian subcontinent in the Indian Ocean.

Geography

Sri Lanka is shaped like a teardrop falling from the Southern end of India. Located just off the southern end of India in the northern Indian Ocean. It lies between 50 55’ and 90 55 North of the equator and between 790 42 and 810 52’ east of the Prime Meridian. The total area is 65,610 sq km, a size roughly the same as Ireland or Tasmania with a maximum length of 445 km and breadth of 225.3 km.

People

Sri Lanka is a nation of ever smiling people and the visitors find them adorable, hospitable and always willing to help. The life of the majority of Sri Lankans is influenced by the compassionate teachings of the Buddha. Even the roots of those Sri Lankans who follow other faiths would in all probability have been nurtured by those teachings, for that it was Buddhism that was the religion of all Sri Lank-ans before christianity and Islam were introduced to the Island in more recent times. That is what as nation of tolerable and hospitable people.

Climate

Sri Lanka is a typically tropical country with distinct dry and wet seasons. It gets two monsoon that is, the Yala season (May to August), when the south-west monsoon brings rain to the southern, western and central regions; and the Maha season (October to January), when the north-east monsoon brings rain to the north and east of the island. Temperatures in the low-lying coastal regions are high year round but they rapidly fall with altitude and in the hill country, where it feels like perpetual spring.

The highest temperatures are from March through June, while November to January is usually the coolest time of the year. Rainfall is heaviest in the south, south west and central highlands; the northern and north-central regions are very dry. The best time to visit the west, south coast and hill country is between December and March. May to September is best on the east coast.

Language

There are three official languages in Sri Lanka-Sinhala, Tamil and English. Broadly speaking, the first two are spoken by the corresponding ethnic groups. Sinhala is a language of Indo Aryan origin while Tamil is a Dravidian tongue. English is a link language and is widely spoken to varying degrees of proficiency at least in the main centers of the country. Place names and signboards on buses and trains are usually in all three languages.

Food

Rice and Curry - boiled rice with curried vegetable, fish and/or meat topped with Sri Lankan spices is the typical Sri Lankan main meal, a gourmet’s delight. It is served for both lunch and dinner and some do have it for breakfast too. Curries are usually made hot but can be mellowed to suit the pallet.The Portuguese, Dutch, Malays, Arabs and South Indians who visited the Island either as traders or voyagers have influenced Sri Lankan food to an extent.

Boiled or steamed rice with a variety of curries, salads, sambols, pappadam and chutney form the meal.

Flora & Fauna

Ebony, teak, silk wood and spectacular orchids are found in the dense south-western tropical rainforests. Hardy grasslands, rhododendrons and stunted forests predominate in the cool, damp highlands, and shrubs and grasslands survive in arid zones in the north. Animal life is profuse and includes the ubiquitous elephant, as well as leopards, deer, monkeys, sloth bears, wild boar, cobras, crocodiles, dugong and turtles. The island is an important seasonal home to migrating birds, including flamingoes, who flock to the lagoons, wetlands and bird sanctuaries for respite from the northern winter. The best time to see birds is between January and April.

Local Travel

Travel within Sri Lanka can be done cheaply by train. Air-conditioned Japanese cars are commonly available and not too costly. Being a small country almost any city can be reached by car within 6 hours from the airport. Travel by bus is very uncomfortable and not recommended.

Safety

Despite the bad press the country at times receives, terrorist activities are very rare in Colombo. The LTTE is not known to target tourists, and bombs have never gone off in any of the major tourist resorts. Overall Sri Lanka, which is free of muggers and drive by shootings is probably a lot safer than your home city.

Handicrafts

Objects carved in wood, made of brass and silver, decorated with lacquer, hand woven cloth and lace, beautiful reed mats, attractive batiks, pottery, masks, are among the handicraft items made by the traditional craftsmen of Sri Lanka. These are available in the government handicraft emporium called ‘Laksala’ in Colombo and its branches in major outstation cities and towns and in numerous privately owned handicraft shops.