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Places to Visit in Negombo, Sri Lanka, Asia

Places to Visit in Negombo, Sri Lanka, Asia

Negombo is the 4^th largest city of Sri Lanka located in Western Province at the coordinates 7°12′40″ N 79°50′19″ E. It is the administrative centre of Negombo Division situated about 36 kms away from the national capital Colombo. The Postal Code of Negombo is 11500.

Economy of Negombo:

Negombo is one of the industrial hubs of the country well known for its ancient fishing industry and houses numerous royal hotels, departmental stores, big super markets, comfort pubs and restaurants.

Geography and Climate of Negombo:

Negombo is placed at an altitude of 2 meters and the total area of Negombo is around 60 sq. km. Negombo experiences a tropical monsoon climate.

Etymology and history of Negombo:

Portuguese was first used the name “Negombo”. Portuguese rulers constructed a fort in Negombo during the colonial period and later Dutch conquered Negombo from Portuguese in the year 1646. Dutch Empire built a fort in 1672 and even today remains good in condition.

Landmarks in Negombo:

Harischandra National College
Sebastian’s Church
Dutch Fort
Negombo Lagoon

Connectivity to Negombo:

The Bus Terminal Complex at Negombo is considered as one of the best bus terminals of the country and the buses to major cities like Colombo, Kandy, Kurunegala, Kegalle, Balangoda and Chilaw are accessible with good frequency from here.

Negombo is served by three railway stations situated in Negombo downtown, Kattuwa and Kurana. Negombo Central Railway Station is located 1 km away from the city.

The nearest airport to Negombo is Bandaranaike International Airport, Colombo located at a distance of 9 kms.

Culture and Food in Negombo:

Negombo is a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic city is home to Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus and Christians. Sinhalese are higher in majority in Negombo. The worship places of different religions include Kali Amman Temple, Negombo Grand Jumma Masjid, St. Sebastian’s Church and Agurukaramulla Raja Maha Viharaya.

Negombo is a city with full of clothes, shoes, handicrafts and ornaments shops. Also houses plenty of different food corners with Sri Lankan, Indian and Western cuisine. Sea Joy is one of the famous food corner offers delicious food at different prices. The Peacock is the bar located in the centre of the city.

Must see in Negombo:

Dutch Fort:

Dutch Fort is the must see place in Negombo, constructed during Dutch colonial period in Sri Lanka in the year 1672.

Lellama:

Lellama is country’s 2^nd largest fish market located towards the north side of the town.

Negombo Beach:

Negombo Beach is the prime attraction of Negombo visited by more than lakhs of tourists every year for its stunning beauty.

Muthurajawela Marshland:

Muthurajawela Marshland covers an area of 6,000-hectares.

St. Sebastian’s Church:

St. Sebastian’s Church is the beautifully constructed worship place located in Negombo. The outer structure of the church is really great treat for the eyes of tourists.

Other tourist attractions near Negombo are:

Mora Wala
Beach Park
Agurukaramulla Raja Maha Viharaya
Katuwapitiya Church
Sea Street Church
Grand Street Church
Ganapathi Temple
Muththumari Amman Temple
Negombo Grand Jumma Masjid
Karumari Amman Temple

Ideal time to visit Negombo:

November to March is the ideal time to holiday Negombo.

Accommodation Options in Negombo:

Well facilitated famous hotels in Negombo City are as follows:

Dions Guest House
Star Beach Hotel
Lachlan Hotel & Suites
Marine Tourist Guest House
Silal Fernando Homestay
Windmill Hotel
Suriya Arana
Hostel Negombo Beach
Blue Horizon Guest House
Villa Flywing Guesthouse
Dorset Guest House
Sha Residence

Beautiful Tourist Places to Visit in Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka, Asia

Beautiful Tourist Places to Visit in Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka, Asia

Nuwara Eliya is a city situated in Nuwara Eliya District in Central Province of Sri Lanka, about 167 kms away from the national capital Colombo is the administrative headquarters of Nuwara Eliya District and is considered as one of the major tea production centres of Sri Lanka. The tallest mountain of Sri Lanka Pidurutalagala is located in the vicinity of Nuwara Eliya city. The postal Code of Nuwara Eliya is 22200.

Geography and Climate of Nuwara Eliya:

Nuwara Eliya is placed between 6°58′0″ N latitude and 80°46′0″ E longitude and is positioned at an elevation of 1,868 meters. Nuwara Eliya City covers an area of 13 sq. km. and features a subtropical highland climate.

Etymology and history of Nuwara Eliya:

The literal meaning of Nuwara Eliya in local language is “city of light” or “city on the plain” was founded in the year 1846 by Samuel Baker and houses numerous colonial period buildings.

Landmarks in Nuwara Eliya:

Queen’s Cottage
General’s House
Grand Hotel
Hill Club

How to reach Nuwara Eliya?

Nuwara Eliya is served by Gregory’s Lake Airport located 2.5 km away from the centre of the city and the Nanuoya Railway Station is placed 8 km away from the heart of Nuwara Eliya City.

There are regular buses plying between Nuwara Eliya and Nanu Oya and Tourists can board buses at Nuwara Eliya City Bus Stand. Three wheelers or tuk tuks are better options to travel within the city.

Culture and Shopping in Nuwara Eliya:

The locals of Nuwara Eliya speak Sinhala and Tamil and few speak English also. There are several cultural programs and competitions arranged during Sinhalese and Tamil New Year in April month in Nuwara Eliya. It is hard to find accommodation during this time. Motor racing and horse racing events are the prime attractions of Sinhalese and Tamil New Year festival.

To fulfill the requirement of foreign and local tourists there are numerous food corners located in Nuwara Eliya. The Hill Club is the most important dinner center and this is more than 100 years old hotel, offers varieties of food with various specialties. Other food corners include St. Andrews Hotel and Indian Cafe.

Tourist Attractions in Nuwara Eliya:

Victoria Park:

Victoria Park is located in the vicinity of Nuwara Eliya Post Office was named as Victoria Park in the year 1897 to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee.

Hakgala Botanical Garden:

Hakgala Botanical Garden is the 2^nd biggest garden of Sri Lanka located in Nuwara Eliya houses more than 10,000 species of flora. November is the best time to visit this beautiful park.

Seetha Amman Temple:

Seetha Amman Temple is a Hindu worship place situated in Seetha Eliya Village near Nuwara Eliya is 1 km away from Hakgala Botanical Garden and the temple is devoted to Goddess Seetha, consort of Lord Rama.

Other tourist attractions near Nuwara Eliya are:

Horton Plains National Park
Hanuman Mandir
Holy Trinity Church
Golf Course

Best time to visit Nuwara Eliya:

From April to December is the best time to travel Nuwara Eliya to visit Horton Plains National Park and Victoria Park.

Accommodation Options in Nuwara Eliya:

The best mid range and luxury hotels located in and around Nuwara Eliya are as follows:

Galway Forest Lodge
Craigbank
The Tea Factory Hotel
King Fern Cottage
Spring Acre
Langdale by Amaya
The Rock Hotel
Grand Hotel
Hill Club
MountView Cottage
Midky Hotel
Tea Bush Hotel
The Trevene Hotel
Hotel Anish Park

Tourist Places to Visit in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, Sri Lanka, Asia

Tourist Places to Visit in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, Sri Lanka, Asia

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia is one of the suburbs of Colombo City in Western Province of Sri Lanka, situated in the vicinity of Colombo city centre. Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia is a blend of two urban suburbs Dehiwala and Mount Lavinia and hosts Asia’s one of the largest zoological park Sri Lanka’s National Zoological Garden.

Dehiwala:

Dehiwala is a rapidly developing suburb in industrialization, real estate and shopping sector houses numerous holiday resorts and guest houses because of its proximity with Mount Lavinia Beach.

Mount Lavinia:

Mount Lavinia is a residential suburb known for its Golden Mile Beach is the home to Saint Thomas’ College, one of the famous colleges of Sri Lanka.

Geography of Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia:

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia is located on Colombo-Galle Road and is placed between 6°50′23″ N latitude and 79°52′33″ E longitude.

Landmarks in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia:

Bellanwila Rajamaha Viharaya
Sri Vishnu Kovil
Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia
Alethea International, Dehiwala

Connectivity to Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia:

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia is served by Ratmalana Airport and Bandaranaike International Airport, Colombo (41 kms away).

One can board buses at Mt. Lavinia Bus Stand or Dehiwala Bus Stand of Colombo City or other nearby towns.

Dehiwala Railway Station is located 2 kms away from the midpoint of the suburb. To move within the suburb and to reach airport and railway station, Taxis and Autos are the best options.

Culture and Food in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia:

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia houses higher majority of Sinhalese (158,070), followed by 22,737 Sri Lankan Tamils, 2,060 Indian Tamils, 20,357 Sri Lankan Moors, 6,563 Burgher and Malay as per the recent census data. Rainbow Kite Festival is one of the famous celebrations in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia. Other festivals celebrated by the natives of suburb include Tamil Thai Pongal Day, Maha Sivarathri Day, National Day and Sinhala and Tamil New Year Day.

Food habits of the locals of Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia suburb are similar to other suburbs of Colombo. The popular food items among the natives include hopper, kiribath, roast chicken, kochchi miris, and maalu miris. Also Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia is home to several Indian, Chinese and Western food corners along with Sri Lankan.

Must see in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia:

The Governor’s House:

The governor’s house is an ancient place located near famous Mount Lavinia Beach was constructed by Sir Thomas Maitland between 1805 and1811 and underwent many renovations and was President’s House, a hotel and a military hospital. In 1947, it was converted into a luxury hotel and is still good in condition.

Bellanwila Rajamaha Viharaya:

Bellanwila Rajamaha Viharaya also called as Bellanwila Temple is very famous temple attracts devotees from all around Colombo.

Sri Vishnu Kovil:

Sri Vishnu Kovil is a Hindus sacred place dedicated to Lord Vishnu.

Other tourist attractions near Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia include:

Thomas’ College
The Natural History Museum
The National Museum of Colombo
The Dutch Period Museum
Colombo Zoological Garden

Ideal time to visit Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia:

The months of winter season are the best time to visit Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia.

Accommodation Options in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia:

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia suburb houses plenty of well facilitated resorts and guest houses. The hotels and resorts in and around Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia are as follows:

Mount Lavinia Hotel
Ranveli Beach Resort
Berjaya Hotel Colombo
Beverly Hills Hotels (Pvt) Ltd
Palm Beach
Mount Breeze Hotel
Rivi Ras Hotel
Haus Chandra Hotel
Hotel Sapphire
Garden Guest House
Hotel Clarion
Hotel Galadari
The Havelock Place Bungalow
Park Street Hotel
Ceylon Continental

Places to Visit in Minneriya National Park, Sri Lanka, Asia

Places to Visit in Minneriya National Park, Sri Lanka, Asia

Minneriya National Park is situated in North Central Province of Sri Lanka geographically positioned 7°58′44″ N 80°50′56″ E, is located about 203 kms from Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka and about 117 kms from Kandy City. It was recognized as a wildlife sanctuary in the year 1938 and was declared as a national park in 1997.

The water tank is located near the park is named as Minneriya Tank was constructed during 3^rd century AD by King Mahasen. Minneriya National Park is famous for its large population of Sri Lankan Elephants and is considered as one of the seventy Important Bird Areas (IBAs) of Sri Lanka.

Geography of Minneriya National Park:

Minneriya National Park is spread over an area of 8,889.4 hectares and is located between 7°58′44″ N latitude and 80°50′56″ E longitude. The lowest temperature in the park is 20.6 °C and highest is 34.5 °C.

Flora of Minneriya National Park:

Minneriya National Park is home to varieties of trees and plants and the most common flora species include Manilkara hexandra, Neem, Azadirachta indica, Sacred fig Bauhinia racemosa and Terminalia arjuna.

The dominant plant species found in Minneriya Park include Vitex altissima, and Drypetes sepiaria and Chloroxylon swietenia.

Ceylon Date Palm, Panicum maximum and Bambusa bambos are the different grass species seen in Minneriya National Park.

Fauna of Minneriya National Park:

Minneriya National Park houses 160 species of birds, 24 species of animals, 25 species of reptiles, 26 species of fish, 75 species of butterfplaced and 9 species of amphibians.

Sri Lankan elephants are the prime attractions of the park and most of the tourists visit park during the dry season to glimpse group of animals. This park is also home to 2 Sri Lankan endemic monkeys Purple-faced Langur and Toque Macaque. Other animals found in the park include Sri Lankan Sambar Deer, Sri Lankan Leopard and Sri Lankan Sloth Bear.

The Minneriya reservoir is home to diverse water birds namely Lesser Adjutant, Ruddy Turnstone, and Grey Heron. The endemic species birds found in the park include Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot, Black-crested Bulbul and Sri Lanka Junglefowl.

The reptiles in Minneriya National Park are Painted-lip Lizard, Lankascincus fallax, Indian python and Saltwater Crocodile. The park is an important habitat for Fejervarya pulla and Polypedates cruciger amphibians.

How to reach Minneriya National Park?

The nearest city to Minneriya National Park is Polonnaruwa situated 16 kms away. There are several tourist vehicles to reach the park. The closest major bus stand is Polonnaruwa Bus Stand (18 kms).

The nearest railway station and airport to Minneriya National Park include Hingurakgoda Railway Station and Hingurakgoda Airport, (Polonnaruwa) placed about 10 kms and 14 kms away respectively.

To eat and drink:

The few shops located near the park offers some packet food and mineral water bottles and one can reach the hotels and restaurants of Polonnaruwa City (16 km away) for better food.

The list of other tourist attractions near Minneriya National Park is as follows:

Royal Palace
Lankatilaka Temple
Thuparama
Sandakada Pahana
Statue at Gal Vihariya
Medirigiriya Vatadage
Polonnaruwa Vatadage
Statue of King Parakramabahu

Best time to visit Minneriya National Park:

The months between June and September are the ideal time to travel Minneriya National Park to come across rich flora and fauna.

Accommodation options near Minneriya National Park:

There are few cottages and hotels are located near Minneriya National Park, so one can find the hotels of Polonnaruwa City (16 km) for better accommodation. The list of best hotels near Minneriya National Park is as follows: