Monday, October 22, 2012

Trip 2 Sinharaja World Heritage Rain Forest, Sri Lanka

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Trip 2 Sinharaja World Heritage Rain Forest, Sri Lanka

Singharaja World Heritage Rain forest is largely undisturbed most famous rainforest in Sri Lanka. This important forest is also a Man and Biosphere Forest reserve. It is home to a large number of endemic species.

The Sinharaja region has long featured in the legends and lore of the people of Sri Lanka. Its name, literally meaning lion (sinha) king (raja), perhaps refers to the original ‘king-sized or royal forest of the Sinhalese’, a people of the legendary ‘lion-race’ of Sri Lanka (Hoffmann, 1979), or to the home of a legendary lion of Sri Lanka.

Perfect and Ideal Beach Holidays in Sri Lanka Just For You


Perfect and Ideal Beach Holidays in Sri Lanka Just For You

For people who work hard and always busy, you need to have some vacation. Going to other countries is the best way to have a holiday vacation with your love ones. Sri Lanka, for this matter, is the best destination for you and your family to relax and enjoy. You will have the time of your life when you go to the beaches and other tourist spots such as cultural or eco-tourist destinations in Sri Lanka. Also, you will see the spectacular sceneries and world-class hotels in Sri Lanka. There are many places to go and to explore. Here are more things you will enjoy, when you have a beach holiday in Sri Lanka.

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Cultural Triangle, Mountain tea plantations, Golden beaches

The trips starts from Buddhism Golden Triangle and it covered central highlands and finished all the way southern Indian ocean coastline.
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Thursday, October 11, 2012

5 Tips for a Great Sri Lankan Surf Holiday

 

 

1. Avoid the Crowds and still get Great Surf


It is said that the best time for surfers to go to Sri Lanka is from April through to October. This is true in many ways. Ocean swells are consistent 4-7 feet and wind conditions are ideal. However, during this time, surfers from many nations flock to Arugam Bay on the East Coast of the island and also called the surf Mecca of Sri Lanka. If you do not count to those who love the hassle of surfing with 70 plus people in the water, then you might want to consider the south and south western coastline of Sri Lanka which has plenty of secret and undiscovered surf spots on offer that work during its peak and off season alike.

2. Come to Sri Lanka in the Off Season


Apparently the Off-Season for surfing in Sri Lanka is somewhat between November and April, which I think is a myth or even a lie. During this period swells hit the island from the south west and of course are not as consistent as the swells coming from the south east during the peak season, but if you want to catch cool and fun 3-5 feet waves with off shore winds almost every day and some bigger swells every now and then - this is the time to go. A big wave spot was also discovered by some Australians on southern tip of the island which has world class potential. If it's flat there is plenty of other cool and beautiful things to do. Make sure you go further south than Mirissa and Hikkaduwa, as these places can get crowded during the off season as well. Mirissa and Hikkaduwa are great places to have a fun night out.

3. Cheap Ways to Get Around in Sri Lanka


Many of you might be on a budget just not wanting to spend much money on transport. Thus hiring a car for a few weeks or even months might be out of question. Another option would be to stay in one of the more crowded surf spots like Mirissa or Hikkaduwa where there is plenty of accommodation close to the surfing beaches. Further south of Matara you can find good accommodation also right on the beach. Hardly anyone knows about it and you might get some epic waves to yourself. Some of the slightly more expensive places have surf guides who know the area very well .They conduct surf checks every morning which are included in the price.

4. What to Bring to Sri Lanka


In terms of the quiver I would say your standard board will do. Perhaps take a slightly bigger board in case you travel south-east-east during the big swell season. Waves breaking on sand are powerful but still easy to get into. I have surfed some reef spots which can get challenging but the drop is definitely makeable with your standard board. Also prepare a first aid kit containing disinfectants, band aids and perhaps antibiotics. I can also strongly recommend bringing some decent mosquito repellent. Although you can buy some good stuff here, you might get something more effective in your country. Also make sure you bring plenty of Vitamin C against infections. I have seen some nasty infected mossy bites and Vitamin C is definitely a great remedy. You might also take some general vitamin supplements plus calcium and magnesium. Sri Lankan food is actually quite versatile in fruit and vegetables but for some, this still seems to cause some deficiencies, especially when surfing a lot.

5. Do not Get Ripped Off in Sri Lanka


It can feel strange sometimes travelling in a foreign country where you have no clue about general travel, food and accommodation prices. And as Sri Lanka is still considered a third world country along with the majority of people living on the minimum of existence, you might face yourself paying tourist prices rather than local prices. My suggestion is to make some Sri Lankan friends who you can trust. They can help you get the local deals for food or transport. Taxis from the airport to Colombo train station should not cost you more than Rs. 2000- 3000. The train is an experience not to miss out on and is only ridiculous 230 Rs. to most destinations. Buses or Taxis are usually quite pricey, I would say about 80-100$ for a 3-4 hour ride but you might be a good negotiator! Foods in supermarkets are fairly expensive, especially imported stuff, so buy your fruit and veg at the weekly markets or the little shops on the street sides. Perhaps also ask some locals about local grocery prices.

Traditional Colombo




For the average Sri Lankan, a trip to Colombo wouldn’t take in many of the places described in Cosmopolitan Co­lo­mbo, in the preceding column – they would be either too expensive or too Westernised. For a more down-to-earth ex­perience, there is no better place to start than in a kade (shop or eatery) – there’s an excellent kade on Sri Sambuddhatva Jayanthi Mawatha, with its delicious Sri Lankan food cooked in traditional clay pots. Pittu (rice flour and grated coconut steamed in cylindrical sections) is a specialty that is de­licious with kiri hodi (mildly spi­ced coconut milk gra­vy used to make curries).
Afterwards, you could head for the Dehiwela Zoo and its hordes of families and their offspring, balloon vendors spo­r­ting colo­urful s­a­mples wrapped around their heads, and hawkers of every kind of snack imaginable. The entrance fee is minimal and the atmos­phere is festive as families become tourists for the day.
You could also head over to Pettah, the trad­ing centre of the city. Traditional businessmen gather here to ply their wares or in search of a good deal. The mudalali (shopkeeper), in­variably sporting a stereotypical bushy mou­stache and pot belly, is a common sight here. He oversees trading so that his profit for the day is high. Whatever it is that you want to get your hands on, you will find it at a good price here, in Pettah.
The traders have strong links with India, so this is often the place where stores from across the island acquire their stock. Buy from Pettah then, and if your bartering is up to scratch you can cut out the middleman and get a great bargain. Indian sweets sold on the small side streets are both plentiful and delicious – and they will give you a boost of sugar to keep you shop­ping, should you start to run low on en­ergy! For items such as sarees, shalwars, In­dian clothing, gold and other decorative ite­ms, Pettah has the best range. Read More...

Cosmopolitan Colombo




The st­o­ry of Colombo is ve­ry much a tale of two cities. There is the Co­lombo of fast cars, glittering cas­inos, gourmet food and five-star hotels. Al­on­gside is the Colombo of small ka­des (sho­ps or eateries ow­ned by the same fa­mily for generations), romantic st­rolls, tradi­tional food and heaving buses.
But for the visitor, Col­om­bo provides an op­portunity to discover two very different worlds… in one city.

Diya China to build Five Star hotel in Sri Lanka

Diya Investment and Management Group of China is to build a 300 room five star hotel in Sri Lanka. The company is also looking at acquiring a four or Five Star hotel which is now in operation in a bid to fast track their operations in Sri Lanka.

Zhang Zhi Li, Chairman of the Group with President,   FCCISL, Kumara Mallimarachchi, Secretary General FCCISL, Nalin Atigalle and other members in Colombo. Picture by Saliya Rupaisnghe




Zhang Zhi Li, Chairman of the Group, China speaking to Daily News Business said that he is now in Sri Lanka on a fact finding mission and he is bullish about Sri Lanka.“The country after the war and with political stability is turning to be an investment paradise and I am keen to do large scale business in the island,” he said. The Chairman has also visited the Kalpitiya Integrated Tourism Development Zone during his visit. He said that he operates one of the largest Travel Agencies in China and he is also keen to promote Sri Lanka as a destination for Chinese Tourists. “We see great potential in promoting Sri Lanka to Chinese religious and leisure sectors,” he said.
Zhi Li said he is also looking at investing in large scale real estate development projects. “What I am looking at is to build a large town ship development project which would offer over 300 housing units,” he said.
He said with the rising energy costs, ‘Green Energy’ would be in demand and he is looking at making inroads in this area as well. “I am looking at setting us a factory to build solar panels in Sri Lanka for both the local and international market,” he said.
The other industry Diva Investment and Management Group is in the garbage recycling sector. “We will also explore the possibility of generating electricity from garbage,” he said.
Zhi Li thanked the Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCISL) for initiating this investment opportunity in Sri Lanka.