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Major Cities 

Major Cities

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  COLOMBO

  Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, has a long history as a port on ancient east-west trade routes, ruled successively by the Portuguese, Dutch and British. That heritage is reflected in its its architecture, mixing colonial buildings with high-rises and shopping malls. The imposing Colombo National Museum, dedicated to Sri Lankan history, borders sprawling Viharamahadevi Park and its giant Buddha.

  The vibrant, jam-packed Pettah bazaar district's thousands of vendors offer everything from spices and tea to textiles and jewelry. Galle Face Green is an oceanside promenade popular for picnicking and strolling. The city's diverse religious landmarks range from the ornate, red-and-white-striped Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque and the historic Dutch Reformed Wolvendaal Church to the Buddhist Gangaramaya Temple complex. International matches of cricket, Sri Lanka's national passion, are played at Premadasa Stadium. The city is also a major hopping-off point for beaches in the island nation's south....

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  KANDY

  Kandy is a large city in central Sri Lanka. It's set on a plateau surrounded by mountains, which are home to tea plantations and biodiverse rainforest. The city's heart is scenic Kandy Lake (Bogambara Lake), which is popular for strolling. Kandy is famed for sacred Buddhist sites, including the Temple of the Tooth (Sri Dalada Maligawa) shrine, celebrated with the grand Esala Perahera annual procession.

  In the nearby Peradeniya suburb, the Royal Botanic Gardens is known for its orchid collection and massive palm trees. The Ceylon Tea Museum, in a former tea factory, has a library and exhibits that explore Sri Lanka's history as a major exporter of the beverage. Kandy is also a gateway to the Knuckles Mountains, a popular destination for hiking and camping.

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  HIKKADUWA

  Hikkaduwa is a seaside resort town in southwestern Sri Lanka. It’s known for its strong surf and beaches, including palm-dotted Hikkaduwa Beach, lined with restaurants and bars. The shallow waters opposite Hikkaduwa Beach shelter the Hikkaduwa National Park, which is a coral sanctuary and home to marine turtles and exotic fish. Inland, Gangarama Maha Vihara is a Buddhist temple decorated with hand-painted murals.

  Nearby, Hikkaduwa Lake supports wildlife like monitor lizards and birds. To the north, on a small island just off the coast, is the revered temple of Seenigama Vihara. Nearby is the Hikkaduwa Turtle Farm and Hatchery, a sanctuary for several endangered turtle species, including hawksbills and leatherbacks. In the village of Telwatta, the Tsunami Photo Museum exhibits photos and salvaged items from the 2004 tsunami, which devastated this coastal area. Northeast is the Moonstone Mine, where mine shafts and a factory illustrate the process of mining the gemstone.

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  ANURADHAPURA

  Anuradhapura is a major city in Sri Lanka. It is the capital city of North Central Province, Sri Lanka and the capital of Anuradhapura District. Anuradhapura is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, famous for its well-preserved ruins of an ancient Sri Lankan civilization. It was the third capital of the Kingdom of Rajarata, following the kingdoms of Tambapanni and Upatissa Nuwara.

  The city, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was the centre of Theravada Buddhism for many centuries. The city lies 205 km north of the current capital Colombo in the North Central Province, on the banks of the historic Malvathu Oya. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and one of the eight World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka. It is believed that from the fourth century BC until the beginning of the 11th century AD it was the capital of the Sinhalese.During this period it remained one of the most stable and durable centres of political power and urban life in South Asia. The ancient city, considered sacred to the Buddhist world, is today surrounded by monasteries covering an area of over sixteen square miles.

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  NUWARA ELIYA

  Nuwara Eliya is a city in the tea country hills of central Sri Lanka. The naturally landscaped Hakgala Botanical Gardens displays roses and tree ferns, and shelters monkeys and blue magpies. Nearby Seetha Amman Temple, a colorful Hindu shrine, is decorated with religious figures. Densely forested Galway's Land National Park is a sanctuary for endemic and migratory bird species, including bulbuls and flycatchers.

  Nearby Gregory Lake, a reservoir created in the 1800s, offers boating and horseback riding. To the north is Pidurutalagala, Sri Lanka’s tallest peak, ringed by a forest reserve. The surrounding countryside is dotted with waterfalls, including the multiple cascades of St. Clair’s Falls. To the southwest, a trail climbs pyramid-shaped Adam’s Peak, a pilgrimage place for several religions. South of Nuwara Eliya, Horton Plains National Park occupies a high-altitude plateau and is home to sambar deer and leopards. The park ends at the sheer precipice of World’s End, which offers views of the lowlands.

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  NEGOMBO

  Negombo is a city on the west coast of Sri Lanka, north of the capital, Colombo. Near the waterfront, the remains of the 17th-century Dutch Fort now house a prison. Negombo Lagoon, lined with fishermen’s huts, feeds into the Dutch-era Hamilton Canal. The canal leads south to Colombo. Neoclassical St. Mary’s Church, completed in the 1920s, features a ceiling decorated with vivid religious paintings.

  Angurukaramulla Temple is known for its large Buddha statue, colorful murals and entrance shaped like a dragon's mouth. Just north of the city, Negombo Beach is lined with coconut trees and mangroves. It offers opportunities for diving, with coral reefs and a 20th-century shipwreck offshore. Local fishermen sell their catches directly on the beach and at the fish market nearby. Southeast of the city, Henarathgoda Botanical Gardens is filled with rubber trees and tropical plants from around the world.

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  TRINCOMALEE

  Trincomalee also known as Gokanna, is the administrative headquarters of the Trincomalee District and major resort port city of Eastern Province, Sri Lanka. Located on the east coast of the island overlooking the Trincomalee Harbour, 113 miles south of Jaffna and 69 miles north of Batticaloa.

  Trincomalee has been one of the main centres of Sri Lankan Tamil language speaking culture on the island for over two millennia. With a population of 99,135, the city is built on a peninsula of the same name, which divides its inner and outer harbours. People from Trincomalee are known as Trincomalians and the local authority is Trincomalee Urban Council. Trincomalee city is home to the famous Koneswaram temple alluded to in its historic Tamil name Thirukonamalai and is home to other historical monuments such as the Bhadrakali Amman Temple, Trincomalee, the Trincomalee Hindu Cultural Hall and, opened in 1897, the Trincomalee Hindu College. Trincomalee is also the site of the Trincomalee railway station and an ancient ferry service to Jaffna and the south side of the harbour at Muttur.

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  RATNAPURA

  Ratnapura is a major city in Sri Lanka. It is the capital city of Sabaragamuwa Province, as well as the Ratnapura District, and is a traditional centre for the Sri Lankan gem trade. It is located on the Kalu Ganga in south-central Sri Lanka, some 101 km southeast of the country's capital, Colombo.

  Ratnapura is also spelled as Rathnapura. The name 'Ratnapura' is a Sanskrit word meaning "city of gems", from the Sanskrit words pura and ratna. Over 2000 years ago, when the first Buddhist monks arrived here from the north eastern provinces of India namely Bodh-Gaya, Varanasi and Pataliputra, they not only brought with them the Buddhist religion, but since their teachings were mainly in Sanskrit and Pali they also influenced the local language. While candy produced from the jaggery palm is traditionally known in this region as ratnapura, it is more likely that the candy was named for the locale rather than vice versa. It is the centre of a long-established industry of precious stone mining including rubies, sapphires, and other gems. Apart from gem mining, the city is known for the production of rice and fruit. Large plantations of tea and rubber surround the city.