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Sri
Lanka
This tear-drop shaped island at the tip of India
has lent itself to lyrical descriptions over the centuries. A
historical major trading point for Europeans, Arabs, Chinese and of
course Indians, this island combines the splendour of all
these influences with breath-taking natural beauty. Arab
traders called the island Serenbid, the word that produced the word
serendipity.
Area : 65610 square km
Population : 21,513,990
Capital : Colombo
Cities : Galle, Kandy
Language : Sinhala (official language),
Tamil, English
Major Religions : Buddhism ; Muslim,
Hindu, Christianity
Currency : Rupee
GNI per Capita : USD 4500 per
annum
Internet Domain : .lk
Phone Code : 94
Hotel : The Galle Face Hotel, Colombo ; Casa
Colombo ; The Galle Fort Hotel, Galle ; The Fortress, Galle ;
Lighthouse Hotel, Galle ; Amangalla, Galle ; Ceylon Tea
Trails, Castlereagh Lake : Wallawa Hotel (near airport) ; The River
House, Balapatiya ; Amanwella Resorts ; Tintagel,
Colombo
Restaurants : Coco Veranda,
Colombo
Shopping : Stringhopper & Conscience,
Colombo ; Kemara/Euphorium/Saskia Fernando Gallery-all in
Colombo
Attractions : Galle with it's cheap food and
housing has long been a haven for hippies and sun seekers, but
still bears some scars from the devastating 2004 tsunami ; Would
anybody care for a cup of tea? ; Sigirya, natural rock fortress ;
The beaches of Trincomalee
Airport : Bandaranaike International Airport,
35 kms north of Colombo |