Welcome to the most beautiful country in the world according to the illustrious explorer Marco Polo: Sri Lanka. This small pearl of the Indian Ocean offers a land of the most splendid and intact which transports its visitor towards unknown countries filled with beauty, benevolence and wonders.

The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a small island in the Indian Ocean, separated from India by the Palk Strait. With an area of 66.000km², this republic, member of the Commonwealth, shelters landscapes of an extraordinary beauty. The country takes its name from the ancient Ceylon which, in 1972, took again the name of Lanka meaning resplendent island, and made it precede by the sacred letter Sri. A name which corresponds perfectly to this luxuriant place bordered of paradisiac beaches as well as beautiful lagoons and constituted largely of green tropical forests. A landscape at first sight located between land and sea but that would forget the mountain, also very present in the south of the island. Among the mountainous massif is the Pidurutalagala, the island's highest point at 2,524 metres. Not far behind rises Sri Pada which has an imprint at its summit what makes it a sacred place for Sri Lankans who attribute this characteristic to Adam, Buddha, Saint-Thomas, or Shiva.

This little corner of paradise was for a long time a place of covetousness and thus knew several invasions by the Arabs first then the Portuguese, the Dutch and the English. Occupations which today have left beautiful vestiges (such as the Dutch fort in Colombo the capital, or the very British style houses of Nuwara Eliya), which it is enriching to discover.

These colonial testimonies are not the only witnesses of the island's past, which also includes several archaeological sites including Sigiriya (or Simhagîri, Lion's Rock), Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. The island is also dotted with historic cities such as the beautiful Kandy (and its temple of the tooth of Buddha three hundred years old) or ancient cities of which the most important is Anuradhapura. Built around Sri Maha Bodhi, one of the eight holy places of Buddhism, the city is full of museums and palaces that you can visit.

During your stay in Sri Lanka
you will enjoy a tropical climate. The weather is quite dry and sunny but quickly becomes very rainy during the monsoon. So we have to watch the calendar! The Yala season covers heavy downpours in the south, west and centre of the island in May and August while the equally rainy Maha season extends from October to January and affects the north and east. If you want to go around the island between January and April, where the temperatures are optimal and guarantee you nearly 30° both in the air and in the water!

Sri Lanka is also known and especially for its Asian elephants which are no longer very numerous in the world. The animal holds a special place in Sri Lankan culture which always represents it carrying the world on its back. Some 3,500 to 4,000 wild elephants are found in the island's nature reserves. Some wealthy individuals also have their own pachyderms, which makes it possible to make sometimes unusual encounters in villages in particular. However, to be sure not to miss them, it is better to go to Uda Walawe, a national reserve where more than 500 elephants live. Sri Lankans are known for their extraordinary hospitality. Always in a good mood, with a smile on their faces, they will share their way of life with passion. Sri Lanka has almost 20 million inhabitants with a strong Buddhist majority. You will also find Hindus, Christians and Muslims. A religious diversity that will see you discover different traditions and rites within the population itself.

Sri Lanka has many natural, cultural and historical assets and, as soon as you set foot on its land, you can understand why it is called a resplendent island. Its beauty is matched only by the kindness of its people, always ready to share a moment over a cup of tea or to play the role of guides to help you discover all the riches of their land. A magical and bewitching journey where you feel like you're growing up.

If Sri Lankans are very open it is still better to wear decent clothes on all occasions. Religion must be respected. So to enter a place of worship you must take off your shoes and avoid taking pictures in front of Buddha statues as a sign of respect.

Art and culture in Sri Lanka
Sri Lankans are very welcoming and enjoy celebrating with their visitors who have disembarked from their flight to Sri Lanka. Thus many events take place throughout the summer allowing to discover the customs of this population so smiling and jovial.