5 Things That You Didn't Know About Sri Lanka – A Look at the Island’s Past and Present

Sri Lanka is a nation that's based on agriculture. Rice is a staple source of food for many Sri Lankan and as such you'll find plenty of farmland when travelling through the island's countryside. Now, you might be wondering when exactly all this started here in Sri Lanka. Well, the island's agricultural heritage can be traced back all the way to prehistoric times!

If you peruse through the history books on ancient Sri Lanka, one thing that will keep popping up is the advanced irrigation systems that were developed to deal with drought. The legacy of this hydraulic civilization is apparent throughout the island, especially in areas like Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. The massive tanks that are prevalent throughout these regions were the basis of this society, providing precious water for farmlands throughout the year.

The Kandyan Kingdom was the last great kingdom to rise in Sri Lanka. If you're staying at one of the 4-star hotels Kandy has to offer, like the Earl's Regent Kandy, you'll find a myriad of landmarks and remnants around the location that call back to this illustrious period. One of the city's most enduring icons – and Sri Lanka's as well – is the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. Completed during the latter years of the Kandyan Kingdom, this celebrated temple contains the tooth of the Gautam Buddha – it is perhaps the most venerated and culturally important artefact found on the island!

Sri Lanka has a rich colonial history that spans back centuries to when the Portuguese first landed on the island's shores. In fact, one of the main reasons Kandy became the capital for the Sinhalese was the occupation of the coast by European powers. During the 1600s, the Dutch supplanted the Portuguese as the resident European power and also consolidated their rule over Sri Lanka's maritime provinces. Traces of Dutch influence can be seen at popular tourist destinations like the Galle Fort and the Dutch Hospital in Colombo. While both the Portuguese and the Dutch attempted to fully subjugate the island, it was the British who finally managed to do so in the early 19th century. Sri Lanka would remain a colony of the British until 1948 when the island was finally granted independence.

Once the British took control of Sri Lanka; they began converting the fertile highlands of Kandy into expansive tea estates. Ceylon tea – as it was called – became wildly popular back in Europe and more estates began opening up on the island. Nowadays, Sri Lankan tea is lauded for its flavour and freshness, often being regarded as one of the finest teas in the world! So, be sure to enjoy a cup yourself while you're here.