Discover-SriLanka

DISCOVER - SRI LANKA: PROLOGUE

IN PRAISE OF MY BEAUTIFUL ISLAND,

INFORMATION, PHOTOGRAPHS AND VIDEO.

THE 13th CENTURY VENETIAN TRAVELER MARCO POLO DESCRIBED THE ISLAND AS 'THE JADE PENDANT IN THE INDIAN OCEAN'. THE ABUNDANCE OF GEMSTONES, SPICES, RAIN FORESTS AND WILDLIFE; THE MAGNIFICENT BEACHES, ANCIENT RUINS AND A WRITTEN HISTORY OF OVER 2500 YEARS MAKE THIS ISLAND A TOURISTS' PARADISE.

THE RUINED CITIES OF ANURADHAPURA AND POLONNARUWA ILLUSTRATE THE GLORY OF THE ANCIENT KINGDOMS. THE GIGANTIC STUPAS AND BUDDHA STATUES ARE AMONG THE BIGGEST MAN MADE STRUCTURES OF THE WORLD. THE MASSIVE RESERVOIRS, BUILT BY ANCIENT KINGS TO IRRIGATE THOUSANDS OF ACRES OF LAND, ARE MARVELS OF HYDRO ENGINEERING. THERE ARE EIGHT UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN SRI LANKA

THE ISLAND WAS KNOWN TO THE GREEKS AS 'TAPROBANE' AND TO THE ARABS AS 'SERENDIB'. EARLY MERCHANTS VISITED THE ISLAND IN SEARCH OF GEMSTONES AND SPICES, MAINLY CINNAMON AND PEPPER. COFFEE AND TEA PLANTATIONS WERE STARTED BY THE BRITISH COLONIAL RULERS. CEYLON TEA IS FAMOUS THE WORLD OVER.

TOURISM INDUSTRY IS A MAJOR MONEY SPINNER FOR THIS BEAUTIFUL ISLAND. THE VAST EXPANSE OF BEACHES, RAIN FORESTS AND NATIONAL PARKS WITH HERDS OF WILD ELEPHANTS, THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS WITH LITHE WATER FALLS, BRING IN THE TOURISTS. THE ISLAND IS DOTTED WITH HUNDREDS OF HOTELS TO ACCOMMODATE THE TRAVELER. AN ISLAND OF 25,000 SQ; MILES HAS 103 RIVERS AND 25000 RESERVOIRS, MOSTLY MAN MADE. WITH VARYING CLIMATIC CONDITIONS THIS IS TRULY A 'SMALL MIRACLE'.

" THE ISLAND OF SRI LANKA IS A SMALL UNIVERSE, IT CONTAINS AS MANY VARIATIONS OF CULTURE, SCENERY AND CLIMATE AS SOME COUNTRIES A DOZEN TIMES ITS SIZE........I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS ANY COUNTRY WHICH SCORES SO HIGHLY IN ALL DEPARTMENTS - WHICH HAVE SO MANY ADVANTAGES AND SO FEW DISADVANTAGES. LOVELY BEACHES, BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPES, IMPRESSIVE RUINS, A VIBRANT CULTURE AND CHARMING PEOPLE- NO WONDER SRI LANKA IS A SMALL MIRACLE ".***** Arthur C. Clark *****

18 May, 2013

SRI LANKA - ORCHIDS

Pics taken on another visit to the Peradeniya Botanical gardens.

Picks by : Nelsonlanka

Sony DSC H7

09 May, 2013

SRI LANKA - DISCOVER - SRI LANKA [ 150,000 PAGE VIEWS ]

Thank you very much to all the readers of Discover - Sri Lanka for 150,000 Page Views. I hope I know something about Photography and writing captions and descriptions for the photographs. Thank you Gerrit, Netty, Hans and Hanneke of Belgium, Ashan of Little Adventures, Mohan, Druvi and Dimitri and Channa for your wonderful photographs.

07 May, 2013

SRI LANKA - BAMBARAKANDA FALLS

The Bambarakanda Falls is the highest waterfall in Sri Lanka, formed by the Kuda Oya, it has a height of 863 feet [ 263 m ] and adorns the mountains of Kalupahana in the Badulla District.

Pics by courtesy : Ashan

Little Adventures

02 May, 2013

SRI LANKA - CLASSIC CARS

Another sturdy model of the 1950's - Rover from England

Pics by : Nelsonlanka

Sony DSC H7

27 April, 2013

SRI LANKA - TURTLES

Turtles normally live in shallow marine habitats, there are several turtle conservation projects and hatcheries on the Southern coastal areas of Sri Lanka. The eggs collected by the villagers in these areas are bought by the hatcheries to be hatched in protected shelters and the hatched young are released to the sea.

Pics by : Ashan

Little Adventures

22 April, 2013

SRI LANKA - CHAMELEON

With the ability to change color, this chameleon sheds its green and crimson and turns pale brown, a perfect camouflage on the trunk of the coconut palm

Pics by : Nelsonlanka

Sony DSc H7

19 April, 2013

SRI LANKA - MAHIYANGANA VALLEY

A fertile valley irrigated by the waters of the Randenigala reservoir, Mahiyangana is an important agricultural success story where farmers have grown corn in addition to rice.

Pics by : Nelsonlanka

Sony DSC H7

11 April, 2013

SRI LANKA - CLASSIC CARS

Austin Healy Sprite, a beauty of yesteryear.

Pics by : Nelsonlanka

Sony DSC H7

SRI LANKA - CANNONBALL TREE

Native to South America, the Cannonball tree has spread all over the world due to its beauty. This massive tree bears fruit resembling rusted cannon balls and the pretty thick petaled large flowers have a sweet fragrance.

Flowers