Joanna James
Surely, you've heard about the beauty of Sri Lanka time and time again by travellers who've visited. It this little island on the Indian ocean has tickled your interest, then you must be wondering about where to start planning. Here are a few pointers.
Located in the northern hemisphere and quite close to the equator, Sri Lanka is a bit larger than the US state of Virginia and a little smaller than Ireland. The country has a history of more than a thousand years. The island received independence in 1948 where the name Ceylon was then changed to Sri Lanka. The currency used here is the Rupee while the native language is Sinhalese. Apart from this, Tamil and English are also spoken by many. The majority of the population are Buddhists.
Since the island lies close to the equator, the climate here is tropical which also makes it a perfect all-year-round destination. However, it doesn't mean that the weather is all sunshine and smiles all the time. 2 monsoons hit Sri Lanka, one being the northeast monsoon and the other is the southwest monsoon. The northeast monsoon is much lighter and occurs between October and November, during this period the sun is usually up in the southwest. The southwest monsoon occurs from April or May to September and comes on stronger with heavy downpours. But during this time the northeast is sunny.
Considering the weather happens as estimated, the best time to visit the north and east would be from April to September. If you are sticking to the west and the hill country, time your visit between December and March.
When it comes to festivals in Sri Lanka it so happens that the country is either at a total standstill or celebrating in full swing. No matter what it might be, if you are a culture vulture, you'll want to be right in the midst of it all, well if you are not, you need to know once again when not to visit. The local festivals begin with Sinhala and Tamil New Year. This festival is a family festival that is celebrated by those in all Tamil and Sinhala households. It happens during April; all businesses are closed and even the roads are empty. However, Sri Lanka luxury resorts will still be ready to welcome guests. Vesak Poya is the next major festival that comes up in May. This is more happening with decorated streets and colourful lights adorning every house and building. Kandy is the place to be if you happen to visit in July or August for the Esala Perahera.
The southern in lands are blessed with exotic wildlife in Sri Lanka which means that there are several national parks that the nature lover ought to visit when holidaying here. Yala, Minneriya, Horton Plains, Bundala, Kaudulla, Willpattu, Uda Walawe and Sinharaja Forest Reserve are the most sought-after nature sanctuaries on the island. Even hotels by chains like Uga Escapes are within easy reach from these attractions.
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