{"id":2272,"date":"2017-04-20T17:22:16","date_gmt":"2017-04-20T07:22:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.com.au\/blog\/?p=2272"},"modified":"2019-01-10T13:51:25","modified_gmt":"2019-01-10T02:51:25","slug":"top-six-reasons-discover-sri-lanka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/top-six-reasons-discover-sri-lanka\/","title":{"rendered":"Top six reasons to discover Sri Lanka"},"content":{"rendered":"

Known as the \u2018pearl of the Indian Ocean\u2019 Sri Lanka is one of Asia\u2019s best-kept secrets. Think golden beaches, rolling green tea plantations, enormous elephants, a fascinating heritage, and sincere smiles \u2013 that is Sri Lanka. There are an array of travel experiences that will help you to really get among it and discover Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n

Marco Polo declared Sri Lanka the \u2018most beautiful island in the world\u2019. We tend to agree with him! Following are our top six reasons why Sri Lanka should be the next destination on your holiday list. Check out our range of Sri Lanka tours<\/a> to get you on your way!<\/p>\n

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1. CULTURAL HERITAGE<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Sri Lanka is home to eight remarkable UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is a small island with a huge volume of history and heritage. The following are a selection of the must-see heritage sites that will really help you on your journey to discover Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n

\u2018Lion Rock\u2019 is usually one of the first ports of calls for visitors to Sri Lanka. This rock fortress and palace was constructed by King Kasyapa at the end of the 5th Century. The palace sits high atop the flat rock (4,202 steps up to be precise!) with views as far as the eye can see. The landscaped gardens at the base are some of the worlds\u2019 oldest.<\/p>\n

The sacred cities of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa hold well-preserved archaeological wonders of ancient palaces, monasteries and monuments. Respectively, they were the centres for Buddhism and politics in ancient times. Anuradhapura is also the location of the 2,000-year-old Bo Tree, grown from a sapling of the Bodhi tree under which the lord Buddha attained enlightenment.<\/p>\n

Kandy is blissfully surrounded by tea plantations and is Sri Lanka’s cultural capital. It is also home to the Temple of the Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha, one of Sri Lanka’s holiest shrines.<\/p>\n

The Dambulla Cave temple has five caves and 157 statues of the Lord Buddha. The caves and temple date back to the 1st century BC. Inside are intricate paintings covering the ceiling and walls.<\/p>\n