 Adam's Peak (Sri Pada)
A beautiful and fascinating place, this lofty peak has sparked the imagination fro centuries. It is variously known as Adam's Peak ( the place where Adam first set foot on earth after being cast out of heaven). Sri Pada ( 'scared Footprint' ), left by Buddha as the headed by towards paradise) or Samanalakande (Butterfly Mountain, where butterflies go to die). Some believe the huge 'footprint' on the top of the 2243m peak to be that of St Thomas, the early apostle of India, or even of Lord Shiva.
Whichever legend you care to believe, the fact remains that it has been a pilgrimage centre for over 1000 years. King Parakramabahu provided ambalamas (resting places) up the mountain to shelter the weary pilgrims.
Thousands of pilgrims of all faiths climb this mountain during the pilgrim season (December to May). Watching the sunrise from the summit is an unforgettable sight.
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Nuwara Eliya
In 1819, during the British colonial era, a few Britishers on a hunting expedition in the hill country spotted the site where the present day Nuwara Eliya town stands 1890 metres above sea level and decided to set up a health resort for their use. It was Sir Samuel Baker who later converted it to a holiday resort with a touch of an English village which earned it the name 'Little England' where the temperature sometimes drops down to 9°C.. The 18 hole golf course is very popular with the locals and the foreign tourists. Hakgala Botanical Gardens a few kilometres away is an added attraction.
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Ratnapura
Busy Ratnaoura (City of Gems), 100km from the southeast of Colombo, is the centre of a number of richly watered valleys between Adam's Peak and Sinharja Forest Reserve. The Climate here is wet and humid. he town as a famous daily gem market, the bazaar of the region's ancient wealth of gemstones. The rural scenery surroundings teh town is underappreciated - paddy fields cloak the valley floors while rubber trees and tea bushes grow on he hills. Many villagers keep the old Sinhalse traditions, such as leaving candles outside the fron door at dusk to prevent evil spirits from entering.
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Kandy
Kandy, the Hill Capital was the last bastion of the Sinhala kings and is a charming city offering a living record of a magnificent past. Centre of attraction in Kandy is the Dalada Maligawa, the temple housing the sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha. Kandy Lake enhances the charm of the City. Kandy is a romantic city any time of the year, but in August, this ancient capital becomes the venue of one of the most legendary festivals in Asia, the Festival of the August Moon when thousands of people from all parts of the country and from foreign countries throng to the Hill Capital to witness the magnificent spectacle. |
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| Horton Plains National Park
This is the island's last remaining mountain forest 3,160 hectares in extent located in a plateau high up on the hills at an elevation above 2000 metres. A vast expanse of grassland interspersed with little streamlets and craggy trees covers the centre of the plateau providing a pleasant walk of about 5 km. leading to an awe inspiring edge called the 'World's End'. It is a sheer drop of over 800 metres sloping down further away over mist covered treetops fading into the distant sea offering a breathtaking yet the most beautiful sight in the entire country. The jungle bordering the grassland abounds with wildlife. Among the animals that can be seen are the leopard, sambhur, barking deer, wild boar and monkeys. Horton Plains is a bird watcher's paradise.
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