Arugam Bay , known locally as "Arugam Kudah", is situated on the Indian Ocean in the dry zone of Sri Lanka's southeast coast, and a historic settlement of the ancient Batticaloa Territory (Mattakallappu Desam). The bay is located 117 kilometres (73 mi) south of Batticaloa, 320 kilometres (200 mi) due east of Colombo, and approximately 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) south of the market town of Pottuvil. The main settlement in the area, known locally as Ullae, is predominantly Muslim, however there is a significant Sri Lankan Tamil and Sinhala population to the south of the village, as well as a number of international expatriates, largely from Europe and Australia. While traditionally fishing has dominated the local economy, tourism has grown rapidly in the area in recent years. Arugam Kudah's literal Tamil translation is "Bay of Cynodon dactylon". Tourism in Arugam Bay is dominated by surf tourism, thanks to several quality breaks in the area, however tourists are also attracted by the local beaches, lagoons, historic temples and the nearby Kumana National Park.

Kallebokka viewpoint is one of the best viewpoints in Sri Lanka which gives 360-degree magnificent views of the Kandy, Matale and the beautiful Knuckles Mountain Range.  From the viewpoint, you can also see the Sembuwatta Lake, Huluganga valley, Hunnasgiriya, Makulussa Mountain, and Dumbara Mountain range. The viewpoint is in the highest peak of the Kallebokka estate which belongs to Sri Lanka State Plantation Corporation.

The estate is located between Kabaragala and Madolkele on the boundary of the Kandy and Matale District. Therefore, it can be accessed from both Matale and Kandy directions. However, the route from Matale to Kabaragala is better in terms of the scenic view. The last part of the road to the peak is a bit difficult and Bikes and 4WD are recommended.

Idalgashinna (Sinhala: ඉදල්ගස්හින්න, Tamil: இதல்கஸ்ஹின்ன) is a small village in the Badulla District, Uva Province, Sri Lanka. Situated at an elevation of about 1,615 metres (5,299 ft) above sea level, it is located in the Haputale-Namunukula mountain range.The area is home to the Idalgashinna Estate, with the closest large town being Haputale, about 9km south on the railway.Between the two locales lies the Thangamale Bird Sanctuary.Education in the area comes under the purview of the Welimada Divisional Secretariat, which administers the Idalgashinna Tamil Vidyalaya (Idalgashinna Tamil College), Beauvais Tamil Vidyalaya and the Ellethota Vidyalaya.
Idalgashinna was established as a tea estate in 1984, although the area had seen isolated periods of settlement prior to this.The Idalgashinna Pass is a prominent geological feature in the area; Idalgashinna was regarded as a key entrance to the upland country, with the Portuguese attempting to use the pass in their wars against the Kingdom of Kandy in the 16th century.

Idalgashinna Railway Station

Idalgashinna Railway Station is the 68th station on the Main Line, located between Haputale and Ohiya railway stations in Badulla District, Uva Province. It is located 8 km (5.0 mi) west of Haputale, at an elevation of 1,615 metres (5,299 ft) above sea level. The station was built after the track was extended in 1893, from the Nanu Oya railway station to Haputale.

The 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge main line between Haputale and Idalgashinna is regarded to have a notably scenic view due to the land falling away steeply both sides. The view on the northern side of the station extends beyond Boralanda and Welimada up to Udupussellawa and Hakgala, with the southern side encompassing Beragala down to the coast at Hambantota and the Udawalawa reservoir clearly visible.

It is serviced by the express trains such as Podi Menike, Udarata Menike and Night mail train, as well as all local trains running on the main line.

There are 14 tunnels between the Ohiya and Idalgashinna railway stations.

Mount Lavinia (Sinhala: ගල්කිස්ස, Tamil: கல்கிசை) is a suburb in Colombo, Sri Lanka located within the administrative boundaries of the Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia municipal limits.

The area is a mostly residential suburb, known as Colombo's beach retreat it is famed for its "Golden Mile" of beaches and has long been a hot spot for tourism and nightlife. It is one of the most liberal regions in Sri Lanka and plays host to the island's annual Gay Pride and Rainbow Kite Festival since 2005.

The area's name arose when the second Governor of Ceylon, Sir Thomas Maitland, acquired land at "Galkissa" (Mount Lavinia) and decided in 1806 to construct a personal residence there. Maitland fell in love with Lovina Aponsuwa, a local mestiço dancer, and continued a romantic affair with her until he was recalled to England in 1811. The Governor's mansion, which he named "Mount Lavinia House" is now the Mount Lavinia Hotel and the village that surrounded the building has subsequently developed into a bustling area, taking its name from the Governor's mistress, Lovina.

There are other explanations rooted in geography and the natural surroundings, when it comes to the origin of the name Mount Lavinia. The Sinhalese who lived on the coastal belt had named the promontory "Lihiniya Kanda" or "Lihiniyagala" meaning the hill of the sea gull or the rock of the sea gull.

Ella (Sinhala: ඇල්ල; Lit. "water fall"; Tamil: எல்ல) is a small town in the Badulla District of Uva Province, Sri Lanka governed by an Urban Council. It is approximately 200 kilometres (120 mi) east of Colombo and is situated at an elevation of 1,041 metres (3,415 ft) above sea level. The area has a rich bio-diversity, dense with numerous varieties of flora and fauna. Ella is surrounded by hills covered with cloud forests and tea plantations. The town has a cooler climate than surrounding lowlands, due to its elevation. The Ella Gap allows views across the southern plains of Sri Lanka.

Mirissa is one of the main beach destinations in southern Sri Lanka. The area has it all, beautiful Sri Lankan beaches, surf waves, whale watching, and great bars and restaurants. Mirissa is developing quickly over the last couple of years so it’s also getting more crowded. There are still enough spots where you can enjoy a fresh coconut from your hammock seeing the sunset. Spend about 2 – 4 days with these things to do in Mirissa.

Secret Beach, Mirissa

A small pristine secluded beach and somewhat harder to get to. Hence the name: Secret Beach. There are just one small bar and a local lady selling coconuts. Enjoy an incredible sunset from Secret Beach. Search on Google Maps for Secret Beach bar and ask a tuk-tuk driver to take you there. You will need to walk about 10 minutes down the road since this is too steep for the tuk-tuks.

Parrot Rock

In front of Mirissa Beach is a rock towering over the water, where you can climb up and see a bit of the Mirissa area. During high tide, you will be unable to reach the rock since even with low tide, it can already be a small challenge.

Bentota

With coconut palms swaying in the breeze, Bentota is a multi-tasking tourist town on the southern coast of Sri Lanka. One of Sri Lanka’s most popular beaches, Bentota is first an Indian Ocean beach resort where water activities, such as surfing, sailing and snorkeling, abound.

When it’s time for a change of pace, you can visit a sea turtle hatchery and conservation center, which monitors five of the seven species of sea turtles in the world. You can also take in a 17th century fortress, lush gardens and an old Buddhist temple that dates from medieval times.

Kaudulla National Park is a national park on the island of Sri Lanka located 197 kilometres (122 mi) away from the largest city, Colombo. It was designated a national park on April 1, 2002 becoming the 15th such area on the island. In the 2004–2005 season more than 10,000 people visited the National Park, generating an income of Rs.100,000 from entrance fees. Along with Minneriya and Girithale BirdLife International have identified Kaudulla as an Important Bird Area.

Historically Kaudulla was one of the 16 irrigation tanks built by King Mahasen.Following a period of abandonment it was reconstructed in 1959. It now attracts and supports a variety of plant and animal life, including large mammals, fish and reptiles.

Wilpattu National Park (Willu-pattu; Land of Lakes) is a park located on the island of Sri Lanka. The unique feature of this park is the existence of "Willus" (natural lakes) - natural, sand-rimmed water basins or depressions that fill with rainwater. Located on the northwest coast lowland dry zone of Sri Lanka. The park is located 30 km (19 mi) west Anuradhapura and 26 km (16 mi) north of Puttalam (approximately 180 km (110 mi) north of Colombo). The park is 1,317 km2 (508 sq mi) (131, 693 hectares) and ranges from 0–152 m (0–499 ft) above sea level. Nearly one hundred and six lakes (Willu) and tanks are found spread throughout Wilpattu. Wilpattu is the largest and one of the oldest National Parks in Sri Lanka. Wilpattu is among the top national parks world-renowned for its leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya) population. A remote camera survey was conducted in Wilpattu from July to October 2015 by the Wilderness and Wildlife Conservation Trust. A sample of forty nine individual leopards were photo-captured in the surveyed area and the core area density was between that of Yala National Park's Block I and Horton Plains National Park.[2]

From December 1988 to 16 March 2003, the park was closed due to security concerns surrounding the Sri Lankan Civil War, before being reopened to visitors sixteen years later. Visitor access is currently limited to approximately 25% of the park, the remainder of which is dense forest or scrub. Popular visiting periods spans between the months of February and October, although there are a number of private eco-tourism groups that conducts safaris year round.

The Ridi maha viharaya,an area believed to have been part of the royal capital of Kurunegala lies about 20 km off from Kurunegala town. The viharaya gets the name Ridee Vihara or the Silver temple cause of the silver ore found by King Dutugemunu. The legend reveals that at that time King lacked money to build Great Ruwanweli maha seya in Anuradhapura. So he could finish his masterpiece with the silver ore found.

The great chronicle Mahavansa and Thupawansa says that King Dutugemunu build the Ridee maha viharaya complex as a tribute in 2nd century. The caves of ridi viharaya contain remarkable frescoes and Dutch tiles outspread throughout the main cave. Ridi Viharaya of Ridigama is an important raja maha vihara in cultural triangle.

The Ridi maha viharaya,an area believed to have been part of the royal capital of Kurunegala lies about 20 km off from Kurunegala town. The viharaya gets the name Ridee Vihara or the Silver temple cause of the silver ore found by King Dutugemunu. The legend reveals that at that time King lacked money to build Great Ruwanweli maha seya in Anuradhapura. So he could finish his masterpiece with the silver ore found.

The great chronicle Mahavansa and Thupawansa says that King Dutugemunu build the Ridee maha viharaya complex as a tribute in 2nd century. The caves of ridi viharaya contain remarkable frescoes and Dutch tiles outspread throughout the main cave. Ridi Viharaya of Ridigama is an important raja maha vihara in cultural triangle.

 Kabaragala is a mountain situated in the Dolosbage mountain range in the central province of Sri Lanka. It is renowned as the highest mountain peak in this range. Kabaragala is approximately 1506 meters in height. It is very much similar to Horton plains due to its flat terrain at the top and the huge drop similar to the World’s End. The highest point is at the right of the terrain.

Nainathivu or Nainatheevu (Tamil: நயினாதீவு), (also known as Nagadipa or Nagadeepa (Sinhala: නාගදීපය)) is a small but notable island off the coast of Jaffna Peninsula in the Sri Lankan Tamil dominated Northern Province, Sri Lanka. The name of the island alludes to its aboriginal inhabitants, the Nayanair or Nāka people. It is home to the ancient Hindu shrine of Sri Nagapooshani Amman, one of the 64 Shakti Peethas, and the Buddhist shrine Naga Vihare. Historians note the island is mentioned in the ancient Tamil Sangam literature of nearby Tamil Nadu (such as Manimekalai) and ancient Buddhist legends of Sri Lanka (such as Mahavamsa). Ptolemy, a Greek cartographer, describes the Tamil territory including islands around the Jaffna peninsula as Nagadibois in the first century CE.
Nāka Tivu / Nāka Nadu was the name of the whole Jaffna peninsula in some historical documents. There are number of Buddhist myths associated with the interactions of people of this historical place with Buddha. The two Tamil Buddhist epics of Kundalakesi and Manimekalai describe the islet of Manipallavam of Nāka Tivu/Nadu which is identified with this islet of the Jaffna peninsula. Manimekalai describes the ancient island of Manipallavam from where merchants came to obtain gems and conch shells. The Tamil language inscription of the Nainativu temple by Parâkramabâhu I of the 12th century CE states that foreign merchants must land at Kayts before entering the island, and for other ports. The Hindu temple was destroyed by the Portuguese in 1620 CE. It was restored and re-established in 1788. A portion of the inscription slab is built into the wall of the present restored temple. Nainativu temple was attacked and burnt in June 1958, and in March 1986. The Naga Deepa Buddhist Vihara was established in the 1940s by a resident monk with the help of local Tamils.

In the hot arid lands of Nallur, in Jaffna, rises the majestic Hindu temple for Skanda/ Murugan – the god of love, war and beauty. It has reigned over the land for centuries, attracting devotees from various walks of life. The temple itself embodies a kind of peace that can only be felt in the most divine of places.

DESIGN

Created in the ways of the ancient temple cities of Madura and Padaliputra in India; the town of Nallur too revolves around this temple.

• The cities had four entrances with temples at each gate.
• There were outer circles where the commoners resided and businesses flourished, inner circles where highly placed nobles resided.
• The walls of the temple then rose, resembling the towers (in this case kopurams) and palisades of a fort.
• Within these walls were the outer courtyard, the holy bathing well (theertha keni), the residences of the priests, the inner temple, and smaller shrines for lesser deities.
• The inner temple itself was large; and contained the inner courtyard, the central shrine or mulasthanam, shrines for other major gods and goddesses, the dance hall, the conference hall, and many other such elements.

While the original Nallur Kandaswamy Temple was on this same grand scale; the current temple is on a much smaller scale when considering area, whilst still being one of the largest and historically accurate temples still existing in Sri Lanka. The temple has four kopurams, a rarity nowadays; including a massive golden-ochre Rajakopuram standing approximately seven stories (22-25m) tall. Some of the kopurams were built within the last decade. The inner and outer circles usually function as normal roads; except during the temple’s elaborate festival. With beautiful sculptures and architecture created by architects brought in from India; the temple is a visual delight that is best seen directly.

Nilaveli (Tamil: நிலாவெளி, romanized: Nilāveḷi; Sinhala: නිල්වැල්ල, romanized: Nilvælla) is a coastal resort town and suburb of the Trincomalee District, Sri Lanka located 16 km northwest of the city of Trincomalee. A historically popular Tamil village and tourist destination of the district alongside the nearby Uppuveli, the numbers of visitors declined following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and Sri Lankan Civil War, but have risen again since 2010. Pigeon Island National Park, one of the two marine national parks of the region is situated 1 km off the coast of Nilaveli, its many species of vegetation, coral and reef fish contributing to Nilaveli's rich biodiversity.

Archaeological Remains and Features

Site Plan

Sigiriya is considered to be one of the most important urban planning sites of the first millennium, and the site plan is considered very elaborate and imaginative. The plan combined concepts of symmetry and asymmetry to intentionally interlock the man-made geometrical and natural forms of the surroundings. On the west side of the rock lies a park for the royals, laid out on a symmetrical plan; the park contains water-retaining structures, including sophisticated surface/subsurface hydraulic systems, some of which are working today. The south contains a man-made reservoir; these were extensively used from the previous capital of the dry zone of Sri Lanka. Five gates were placed at entrances. The more elaborate western gate is thought to have been reserved for the royals.

The Lion Gate and Climbing Stretch

In 1831 Major Jonathan Forbes of the 78th Highlanders of the British army, while returning on horseback from a trip to Pollonnuruwa, encountered the “bush covered summit of Sigiriya”.[6] Sigiriya came to the attention of antiquarians and, later, archaeologists. Archaeological work at Sigiriya began on a small scale in the 1890s. H.C.P. Bell was the first archaeologist to conduct extensive research on Sigiriya. The Cultural Triangle Project, launched by the Government of Sri Lanka, focused its attention on Sigiriya in 1982. Archaeological work began on the entire city for the first time under this project. There was a sculpted lion’s head above the legs and paws flanking the entrance, but the head collapsed years ago. Sigiriya consists of an ancient citadel built by King Kashyapa during the 5th century. The Sigiriya site contains the ruins of an upper palace located on the flat top of the rock, a mid-level terrace that includes the Lion Gate and the mirror wall with its frescoes, the lower palaces located behind the lavish lower gardens, and moats and ramparts which protected the citadel. The site was both a palace and a fortress. The upper palace on the top of the rock includes cisterns cut into the rock.

Artwork

John Still in 1907 wrote, “The whole face of the hill appears to have been a gigantic picture gallery… the largest picture in the world perhaps”. The paintings would have covered most of the western face of the rock, an area 140 meters long and 40 meters high. There are references in the graffiti to 500 ladies in these paintings. However, most have been lost forever. More frescoes, different from those on the rock face, can be seen elsewhere, for example on the ceiling of the location called the “Cobra Hood Cave”. Although the frescoes are classified as in the Anuradhapura period, the painting style is considered unique; the line and style of application of the paintings differing from Anuradhapura paintings. The lines are painted in a form which enhances the sense of volume of the figures. The paint has been applied in sweeping strokes, using more pressure on one side, giving the effect of a deeper colour tone towards the edge. Other paintings of the Anuradhapura period contain similar approaches to painting, but do not have the sketchy lines of the Sigiriya style, having a distinct artists’ boundary line. The true identity of the ladies in these paintings still have not been confirmed. There are various ideas about their identity. Some believe that they are the ladies of the kings while others think that they are women taking part in religious observances. These pictures have a close resemblance to paintings seen in the Ajanta Caves in India. Subjects of the Sigiriya frescoes paintings These damsels have high foreheads shaping their faces with enticing doe eyes, a rose coloured blush on their cheeks and lips as lotus buds look down from the gallery where they reside. These lovely maidens wear blouses of the gossamer veil, the texture of which is silken cobwebs woven in the wind, seven layers of this diaphanous material is like evening dew on the grass and similar to running water.

Pidurangala is a massive rock formation located a few kilometres north of Sigiriya in Sri Lanka. It has an interesting history closely related to that of the Sigiriya Rock Fortress. Being less grand and far more difficult to climb it is often overlooked by tourists.Like Sigiriya, Pidurangala was formed by volcanic activity. Whilst Pidurangala appears larger than Sigiriya; its upper surface is steeply sloped and is of solid rock. For this reason it was not suitable for large-scale building activity. The rocky outcrops that surround the central rock gives one an indication of what the area around Sigiriya may have looked like prior to its clearing and preparation as a royal citadel.

The Pidurangala area has been occupied on and off for over two thousand five hundred years by monks who lived in the caves around the site. It really came into prominence when King Kasyapa (477- 495 AD), who built Sigiriya, moved monks living around Sigiriya Rock to a newly refurbished and enlarged temple and monastery here at Pidurangala.

 There are many places in Sri Lanka called 'Lokanthaya' which have beautiful mountain peaks and Navgala or Hulangala mountain peak is a tourist destination with such a doomsday. The ancients also referred to this hill as "Navgala" with two peaks that look like a sailboat from a distance.
Hulangala is located in the southern part of the Knuckles Range in the Salagama Estate in the Kurunegala District. Although the top of the Hulangala hill is located on the border of the Kurunegala district, the lower part of the slope belongs to the Matale district. Therefore, it is possible to reach this beautiful place from Kurunegala or Matale.

 Dolukanda Mountain lies in the Kurunegala District of the North Western Province. There are two routes to Dolukanda. One is to take the Dambulla Road from the Muththettugala Junction to the Wellawa Ganewatta Road and proceed to the Dolukanda Temple. Then you can start the Dolukanda climb from the temple.