Sri Lanka Beaches

The Island of Sri Lanka with a population of only 20 million people seems like one big tropical zoo. Elephants roam free , water buffalo's are in the fields and monkeys swing from limb to limb up over your head and there is mile after mile of white sand beaches.

Nilaveli Beach in the Tamil north is the most beautiful beach on earth and well worth the extra effort it takes to get there. You can snorkel in crystal clear waters or just lay in a hammock under coconut palms. The Nilaveli Beach Hotel is a great destination that will not disappoint you. The Nilaveli Beach Hotel is really a collection of recently remodeled bungalow units each with its own private terrace.

The Seaside village of Galle is in the process of having a new international airport built and all the absolutely gorgeous beaches around Galle will soon be available to everyone. This area was decimated by the tsunami in 2004 but the area is quickly coming back and now has some really nice guest houses and small hotels.

Be sure that you check out and possibly stay at the Galle Fort Hotel run by Australians and the building was at one time the home of a gem merchant. It really is one of the better places to stay in Galle and we loved it.

If your ever going to take that one dream vacation then you could not possibly pick a more beautiful spot than the beaches of Sri Lanka. And if you have the time visit the interior of Sri Lanka also. The people of Sri Lanka are 70 percent Buddhist and there are many beautiful Buddhist temples you can visit.

And if your up for a bit of adventure ride the Sri Lanka Railways and you will have unique experiences that will last you a life time and you will see parts of Sri Lanka that you would not get to see any other way.

If you like traditional southeast Asian foods then you will love the foods of Sri Lanka. Try the prawns and rice but be careful of the curry that can go from mild to wild. And the cuisine of Sri Lanka usually consists of rice every day. You will find a lot of spicy curries being served for lunch and dinner. And I really enjoyed the rice flour cakes which are called sweets in Sri Lanka.

Every year around the 13th of April the people of Sri Lanka celebrate the Sinhala and Tamil New Year Festival and if you can at all schedule your vacation to be in Sri Lanka during this time. It is a Buddhist Festival consisting of parties , dancing and even the elephants wear costumes as you can see in the photo.

In case your wondering where in the world is Sri Lanka I'll tell you. Its a Island Nation located about 19 miles off the coast of India.

The country of Sri Lanka is famous for the growing and export of coconuts , cinnamon , coffee , and rubber. But the beaches of Sri Lanka are quickly becoming famous and if you look at the slide show of photos of Sri Lanka beaches above I think you will quickly understand why the white sand beaches of Sri Lanka are quickly becoming famous.

You'll want to be sure to take a digital camera and a camcorder with you but be sure to ask permission before you take pictures or video of religious sites. If you have the time in your vacation you can take a train ride from the southern part of Sri Lanka to the northern part and feel as if you have stepped back in time. The sites you will see on the train ride are well worth the extra time it will take. The old Tea Plantations are some of the more interesting things you will see but as I said above the country is like one big zoo and its nothing to see elephants roaming around and water buffalo's are every where.

Colorful tropical birds and monkeys fill the trees and I could spend the rest of my life wandering around the back country of Sri Lanka. Hire a local guide for the best experience but shop around and ask the local police for local guides they would recommend.

Settlements of early humans go back thousands of years at Sigiriya Rock Fortress. Most people agree that the first inhabitants of Sri Lanka came from India and cinnamon was exported from Sri Lanka to Egypt thousands of years ago. If you have the time be sure to take the time to visit the Sigiriya Rock Fortress. If your interested in history this is where it began.

I hope you have enjoyed my Hub Page on Sri Lanka and that you will post your comments below. Thank you for taking the time to read about Sri Lanka and I hope you enjoyed the Sri Lanka beach photos.