srilanka tourist spots: Beachs

Beachs

Beruwala
Located at 58 km south of Colombo, Beruwala takes an hour's drive from Colombo to reach. Beruwela marks the beginning of 130 km stretch of South Coast beach resort. It is located close to the famous tourist spot of Bentota. Beruwela is the first Muslim settlement in Sri Lanka, established by the Arab traders in 8th century AD. There is a famous Muslim mosque at the beachhead close to which is a lighthouse. Beruwela has excellent water sport facilities. Beruwela offers good bathing facilities round-the-year

Galle

Galle-located 116 km to the south of Colombo on the southwest corner of the island-was founded in the 16th century by the Portuguese. It is the best example of a fortified city built by Europeans in South and South-East Asia, showing the interaction between European architectural styles and South Asian traditions. Galle has been declared a World Heritage City by the UNESCO

Hikkaduwa

Located 98 km south of Colombo, Hikkaduwa is one of the most popular beach resorts of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka's only marine sanctuary is located here. It is an ideal place for nature lovers with its abundant corals and tropical fishes. Hikkaduwa has something to offer to everyone-coral for snorkellers, waves for surfers and white pristine beaches for those who want to relax and enjoy Sun and sand.

Kalkudah

Kalkudah & Passekudah are two very fine beaches in the East Coast. Kalkudah Bay, a 2 km long wide stretch of beach-located 32 km north of Batticaloa-is well protected from the monsoon by an off shore reef. Passekudah Bay is another wide beach 4 km long, just south of Kalkudah. The two beaches form an ideal stretch for bathing, windsurfing and water skiing. The combined area of Passekudah and Kalkudah was declared a National Holiday Resort in 1973.

Nilaveli

Nilaveli-situated at a distance of 271 km from Colombo-is a prime beach resort on the East coast. The beach has ample water sports facilities including fishing and sea angling. Nilaveli is ideally suited for sun bathing and diving. A few metres from the coast is a small rocky island good for snorkeling

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A Tradition of Welcome
The palms clasped together and a gentle bow of the head accompanies the "Ayubowan", Sri Lanka's gentle gesture of welcome and respect. It is the age-old greeting of our people, and the chances are you will be greeted this way, wherever you happen to travel throughout the island.
What may strike you most about Sri Lanka is its amazing diversity of scenery. It is possible to pass the brilliant green paddy fields, sun-bronzed beaches, ruined cities, small lively villages, near desert regions, sanctuaries for wildlife in tropical jungles, and the hill country tea plantations, within hours of each other.
The history of Sri Lanka stretches back over 2500 years, its very beginnings are lost in myth and legend, and the arrival of Prince Vijaya an exile from North India with his entourage of seven hundred followers. However, the earliest recorded civilization dates back to 380 BC, when Anuradhapura (206 km from Colombo) was established as the first capital city. Following the advent of Buddhism in the 3rd Century BC, a civilization rich in Indo-Aryan culture took root. It produced the great cities with their dagobas which compare, and even exceed in size, the pyramids of Egypt, palaces and pleasure gardens, a rich art and architecture and the gigantic irrigation works, many of which are still in use today.
With invasions from neighbouring South India, the base of power shifted to Polonnaruwa (101 km South East of Anuradhapura) and other cities such as Dambadeniya, Kurunegala, Kotte and Kandy. In the 16 the Century the island had its first recorded encounter with the traders and colonizers of the West, with the arrival of the Portuguese in 1505. What followed was a period of nearly five hundred years during which the island came under the control and influence of the Portuguese, Dutch and British.
When the Portuguese and Dutch ruled over the maritime regions for a rough 150 years each, the British established complete control over the island with the fall of the Kandyan Kingdom in 1815. They too ruled for 150 years before the country regained independence in 1948.
The impact of many cultures over the centuries, from South Indian to the Moorish and that of the western colonisers, have resulted in the country's culture being enriched by a rich diversity, much of which is in evidence today.
The island's economy, has traditionally been based on agriculture, with rice as the main food crop. Spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg and pepper have been age old exports, as were gems and even peacocks and elephants. With western commercial influence, rice gave way to cash crops, until the British made tea the base of the economy.
The new thrust in the economy is on export-led industry. Agriculture is now being revived. Non-traditional exports such as garments, seafood, foliage, cut flowers and tropical fish and value added agro-industries have in recent years contributed to the economic advance of Sri Lanka.
The people of Sri Lanka are of diverse races and faiths. The majority are Sinhalese who are Buddhists, while among the minorities the Tamils, mainly Hindus are the largest, followed by the Moors who follow Islam, and a sharply declining number of Burghers, descended from the Portuguese and Dutch, who are Christians. There is also a considerable population of Christians among the Sinhalese and Tamils.
The country was the first in South Asia to move away from a State-centred economic structure and embrace a private-sector led market oriented economy. The opportunities are many for foreign investment, with almost all exchange controls relaxed and many incentives given for foreign investment. Free Trade Zones, repatriation of profit, widespread education, a sophisticated middle class and a newly emerging capital market, have made Sri Lanka most attractive to foreign investors in the past decade.
Although well on the road to modernisation, the country and its people still cherish most of their traditional values and take pride in their rich culture. An aspect which continues to attract visitors from abroad, as much as the beauty and diversity of scenery, and the warmth and friendship of the people.