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<< CITY |
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Cities of Sri Lanka |
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Colombo
Colombo is essen tially a colonial city, whose rise to pre-eminence did not start until the 19th century and the establishment of British power. Before that it was much less important town than Galle.
The Capital, Colombo offered two easy routes into the Kandyan highlands.
Kandy
The city of Kandy lies at an altitude of 488.6 meters (1629 feet) above sea level in the center of the island and surrounded by the ranges of mountains. It is still very much a focal point of Sri Lankan culture.
Kurunegala
Kurunegala is the royal capital for only half a century, starting with the reign of Buvanekabahu II (1293-1302) who was followed by Parakramabahu IV (1302-1326).
Negombo
Negombo is 6km north of the international airport. The Dutch had captured it from the Portuguese in 1644, and made it an important center.
Anuradhapura?
Several centuries before the Jesus Christ, while the Greek empire was at its zenith, many other regions were emerging from the stone age; Anurdhapura was already and advanced civilization.
Dambulla
Dambulla is sited on a gigantic rock which towers more than 160m above the surrounding land. The Rock is more the 1.5km around its base and summit is at 550km.
Polonnaruwa
olonnaruwa Sri Lanka?s medieval capital was established as the city of the land in 11th century A.D.
Polonnaruwa replaced Anuradhapura as the capital city of Sri Lanka, Because of the invasion of south India.
Seegiriya
The Vast flat-topped 200m high Lion Rock stands starkly above the surrounding countryside of the central forest with magnificent views over the Dry Zone and south to the the Central Highlands It was an exceptional natural site for a fortress, which were gets its name from the lions which were believed to occupy the caves.
Nuwara Eliya
Nuwara Eleya witch site in a little valley, is the \hights town in Sri Lanka and a major hill resort. In 1846, when Samuel Backer first visited the semi-enclosed valley, surounded by hills on the west and overlooked by Pidurutalagala, the island higst peak(2,524m, 8,281 ft),he singled it out as an ideal spot for a hill country retreate. 'The City of Light' was favoutite hill station of the British. Some feel its charm has faded,but it reatins some distinctive featurs. The main street is the usual concreat jungle of smll shops with the pink post office begin an obvice exception .
Galle
Galle is the most important town in the south and has sretained much of its colonial atmostphere. the Portuguese. Dutch and British used the naturel horbour as there main port until until 1875 when reconstruction of break waters adn the enlarged hourbor made Colombo the island's major port.
Trincomalee
Trincomalee is a natural deep-water harbor, on the north-east coast of Sri Lanka. On the east side of the town of Trincomalee, on a cliff known as Swami Rock stands one of the oldest Kovils (Hindu temple) in Sri Lanka. The present day Tirukonesvaram Kovil was rebuilt on the site of the Dakshana Kailayam (temple of 100 pillars) - that was destroyed by the Portugese in the 17th century.
Hikkaduwa
Hikkaduwa is the island's most developed beach resort. It has a range of accommodation, good restaurants and pleasant cafe-lined beaches. There's good snorkelling at an attractive and easily accessible coral sanctuary, scuba diving at a number of wrecks in the bay, tours by glass-bottomed boats and pretty good surfing.
Pinnawela
Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage is the home for about 60 elephants, out of which many are baby elephants found, abandoned or orphaned in the wild. They are being cared, fed and trained by the wild life authorities. The best time to visit is during the feeding times, when one will have the opportunity of seeing the baby elephants being bottle-fed.
Mount Lavinia
The Galle Rd continues south to Mt Lavinia, one of the most populer excursions just 13 km from Colombo. It takes its name from a courruption of the Sinhalese 'Lihiniya Kanda'. The beach north of Mt Lavinia has several resturent/bar shacks. The Bolgoda Lake alone hear, covers a length south for a few kilometers.
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