Marco Polo described it as the finest island of its size in the world. Successive waves of Indian, Arab and European traders and adventurers have come to its beautiful palm lined shores in search of rare spices, precious stones and mysterious elephants. Explorers, geographers and conquerers have described its shape as a tear drop falling from the tip of India or the shape of a pearl. The less romantic Dutch likened it to a leg of ham. Early Arab traders called the island Serendip, which gave rise to the English word "serendipity".
Marco Polo's bold claim still holds true. Modern day Sri Lanka (the name was changed from Ceylon officially in 1972) is full of amazing sites to see, from white sand (almost) unspoiled beaches, to jungles teaming with wildlife, like leopards and elephants, to an astounding 3000+ year history represented by incredible ruins, to rolling hills covered with one of Sri Lanka's most important exports: tea. There are gorgeous landscapes where you can take long hikes. There is a mountain where religious pilgrims climb thousands of feet to a soaring temple where there is an indentation in a rock that Buddhists believe is the Buddha's footprint (Muslims believe it's the footprint of Adam, Christians believe it's the footprint of St. Thomas, and others believe it's a dent in a rock).
We plan on seeing as much of this in the two weeks we will be here as possible. Starting in the capitol city of Colombo, we will then head down to the south to what we hope to be pristine beaches, famous for their amazing surfing, stilt fishermen and clear blue water. Then, taking what many have called "the most beautiful train ride in the world", we will go up to Tea Country, exploring the highlands. Then it's up to the Cultural Triangle, where we will explore ancient cities dating back 3,000 years; all protected as Unesco World Heritage Sites.
As always, you are invited to come along on our Sri Lankan adventure, as we continue our search for the most exotic, colorful, tasty, friendly, and beautiful places in the world.
