For centuries, its sublime landscapes, spices and precious stones have attracted sailors and adventurers. Today, as in the past, Ceylon continues to seduce its guests. A garden paradise in which to combine cultural discovery and relaxation.

"We can safely say that this island has been a magical place since the day it emerged from the sea", writes Nicolas Bouvier in his travel chronicles. During a stay on this emerald hanging around India?s neck, you will be bewitched by its tropical beauty, "the most beautiful island in the world" according to Marco Polo. For it would seem that the gods have bent down over this pearl of the Indian Ocean and remained there. The Krishna flute that flies from the Hindu temples and the many Buddhist festivals - every full moon day is a public holiday because Buddha was born, became enlightened and died on that day - are reminders of the religiousness of the Sri Lankans.

Sri Lanka. Preparing a float depicting the life of Buddha for a perahera.
Sri Lanka. Preparing a float depicting the life of Buddha for a perahera.

Inevitably, you will come across one of these colourful displays or a peraheraA grand parade of elephants accompanied by dancers and musicians.

The sea on the horizon

Sri Lanka. Around an hour and a half south of Colombo, the magnificent sandy beaches of Bentota are among the most beautiful in the country.
Sri Lanka. Around an hour and a half south of Colombo, the magnificent sandy beaches of Bentota are among the most beautiful in the country.

With some 1,000 km of beaches, Sri Lanka is a seaside destination of choice. The coconut palms are tilted on the golden sand and pose languidly to resist the onslaught of the monsoon winds, which blow from the north-east from November to January and from the south-west from May to July. So you can find somewhere to put your towel all year round. In this bountiful natural environment, which the locals revere, there are almost 3,000 different species of flora.
"The whole effort is to stop nature; gardeners don't plant, they uproot," Francis de Croisset so rightly wrote in his Féerie cinghalaise.

A legacy of tradition

Sri Lanka. Sigiriya. On the steep slopes and summit of a 180-metre-high red stone rock, the "Lion Rock", which dominates the jungle on all sides, are the ruins of the citadel that the parricidal king Kassyapa (477-495) made his capital. A series of galleries and staircases leading into the mouth of a colossal lion built of brick and plaster provide access to the site. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is the most visited archaeological site in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka. Sigiriya. On the steep slopes and summit of a 180-metre-high red stone rock, the "Lion Rock", which dominates the jungle on all sides, are the ruins of the citadel that the parricidal king Kassyapa (477-495) made his capital. A series of galleries and staircases leading into the mouth of a colossal lion built of brick and plaster provide access to the site. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is the most visited archaeological site in Sri Lanka.

The ancient royal cities in the centre of the island bear witness to the importance of a 2,500-year-old civilisation. Sigiriya and its citadel perched on a rock 370 m high are home to frescoes that are unique in the world: the portraits of the Damsels.

Sri Lanka. Sigiriya. To reach the royal citadel, you had to pass between the paws of an enormous stone lion, of which only the claws remain today.
Sri Lanka. Sigiriya. To reach the royal citadel, you had to pass between the paws of an enormous stone lion, of which only the claws remain today.
Sri Lanka. Sigiriya. Richly adorned and depicted with their upper bodies bare, the "Demoiselles" appear to float in space. It is assumed that the young women of the harem served as models for the artists.
Sri Lanka. Sigiriya. Richly adorned and depicted with their upper bodies bare, the "Demoiselles" appear to float in space. It is assumed that the young women of the harem served as models for the artists.
Sri Lanka. Sigiriya. Painted on the walls of a rock shelter, here are more "Demoiselles" wearing elaborate hairstyles.
Sri Lanka. Sigiriya. Painted on the walls of a rock shelter, here are more "Demoiselles" wearing elaborate hairstyles.

And don't forget Polonnaruwa, where the giant statues of Buddha rest.

Sri Lanka. Reclining Buddha of Gal Vihara in the parinirvana position, sculpture 14 m long, 11th-12th century.
Sri Lanka. Reclining Buddha of Gal Vihara in the parinirvana position. Sculpture, 14 m long, 11th-12th century.

A feeling of being out of time. A return to silence and nature offered by the excellent Ulagalla resort on the outskirts of the holy city of Anurâdhapura, famous for its sacred ficus and immense reliquaries revered by Buddhists the world over.

Sri Lanka. Anuradhapura - Sri Maha Bodi. A shoot from the tree under which Buddha received enlightenment was brought from India in the 3rd century BC by Sanghamitta. It was planted here, giving rise to the tree that stands before you. This Bo tree (or Bodhi tree), the most sacred of all, is considered to be the oldest in the world. Hundreds of pilgrims visit it every day.
Sri Lanka. Anuradhapura - Sri Maha Bodi. A shoot from the tree under which Buddha received enlightenment was brought from India in the 3rd century BC by Sanghamitta. It was planted here, giving rise to the tree that stands before you. This Bo tree (or Bodhi tree), the most sacred of all, is considered to be the oldest in the world. Hundreds of pilgrims visit it every day.
Sri Lanka. Ulagalla resort. Set in around twenty hectares of organically farmed land, this eco-resort offers nineteen chalets and one suite that blend into the surrounding nature.
Sri Lanka. Ulagalla resort. Set in around twenty hectares of organically farmed land, this eco-resort offers nineteen chalets and one suite that blend into the surrounding nature.
Sri Lanka. Ulagalla resort. In the early morning mist.
Sri Lanka. Ulagalla resort. In the early morning mist.

At the Ulagalla spa, young therapists in saris invite you to try out the virtues of Ayurvedic massages and enjoy a bath of lotus flowers, jasmine and water lilies.
Ayubowan: Long life!

Text and Photos: Brigitte Postel

For more information
www.srilanka.travel

by Travel Universe
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