Joanna James
Here are 5 of the best reasons to visit Sri Lanka and why it'll make the most perfect destination to do your photography tour – whether it's your first one or your 100th!
There's nothing more magnificent than the idea of starting your photography tour by capturing all the beauty of an ancient Fortress that's built on a rock. The Sigiriya Rock Fortress was built during the reign of King Kasyapa during the 14th century. The fortress is listed as one of the 7 world heritage sites on the island and is one of the most iconic destinations. From wall murals depicting paintings of the palace's concubines or celestial nymphs to long stretches of water gardens and ponds, there is so much to be captured through photography at Sigiriya. Walk around the gardens before making your way up the flight of stairs along the edge of the rock to reach the summit, where you'll be able to see the remains of the King's palace. Just before reaching the top, you'll come across giant lion paws carved from the rock. This signifies the entrance to the King's royal palace and still stands today. It's quite impressive, so capture everything you can if you want to preserve this memory!
Fancy some cool climate and greener pastures? Head down to Nuwara Eliya to photograph one of the most important things in Sri Lanka's export industry – tea! Nuwara Eliya is best known for being covered in large expanses of tea estates. This little town is also quite often referred to as "Little England", as some of the architecture resembles a miniature version of England. In keeping with this name, some properties such as Jetwing Hotels have structured their hotels to resemble a colonial era that stemmed from England. The Haggala Botanical Gardens is a colourful garden that you're sure to enjoy and will add a good range of colour to your photographs! If you want to take pictures of Sri Lanka's rugged rainforests and wildlife, hike up to World's End or through Horton's Plains.
The holy city of Kandy is the ideal place to learn experience and capture Sri Lanka's history, religion and culture. The sacred and most popular attraction in the city is the Sri Dalada Maligawa, which is more commonly referred to as the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. The temple is known for holding a relic of Buddha's tooth, and this relic is often paraded during a large scale religious parade known as a perahera, where dancers, acrobats, and decorated elephants walk through the streets in a massive celebration. Many hotels in Sri Lanka offer packages and tours to witness the beauty of this religious celebration.
Dambulla is located in close proximity to Sigiriya Rock Fortress and the Dambulla Cave Temple is the most popular attractions in the town. This temple is built inside a cave and requires a walk up the large paved stones before reaching the summit. As you'll be required to remove any footwear before entering the temple premises, it's best advised if you visit early morning, so you can take pictures without worrying about your burning feet on the heat rock! There are numerous statues of Buddha - which makes for a great photo session. One of the statues that are carved in to the rock is said to have been created more than 2,000 years ago.
You can't leave the beautiful island without photographing the best part about it – the diverse and exotic wildlife living here. The Yala and Minneriya National Parks are one of the most prominent places to visit if you want to photograph some beautiful wild animals in their natural habitat. If you want to capture some amazing shots of whales and dolphins, then head down to Mirissa and go on a whale watching cruise. Some of the commonly seen marine life include blue whales, bryde whales, spinner dolphins and many more!
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
