Lonely Planet Sri Lanka

355 Pages·2018·16.88 MB·English

by  Lonely Planet

P
D
F
Sri Lanka
PDF ebook
Edition 14th Edition
Release Date Jan 2018
Pages 352
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4 easy-to-use How to use this book
sections
Look for these symbols to quickly identify listings:
1 4
Sights Sleeping
r 5
Beaches Eating
2 6
PLAN YOUR TRIP Activities Drinking
C 3
Courses Entertainment
Your planning tool kit
T 7
Photos & suggestions to help Tours Shopping
you create the perfect trip.
z Festivals 8 Information
& Events & Transport
All reviews are ordered in our writers’ preference,
starting with their most preferred option. Additionally:
Eating and Sleeping reviews are ordered by price
range (budget, midrange, top end) and, within these
ranges, by writer preference.
ON THE ROAD
Your complete guide
Expert reviews, easy-to-use
maps & insider tips.
These symbols and abbreviations give vital
information for each listing:
Must-visit recommendation
Sustainable or green recommendation
No payment required
% Telephone number f Ferry
UNDERSTAND h Opening hours j Tram
p Parking d Train
Get more from your trip n Nonsmoking a pt apartments
Learn about the big picture, to a Air-conditioning d double rooms
make sense of what you see. i Internet access d m dorm beds
W Wi-fi access q quad rooms
s Swimming pool r rooms
v Vegetarian selection s single rooms
E English-language menu ste suites
c Family-friendly tr triple rooms
# Pet-friendly tw twin rooms
g Bus
SURVIVAL GUIDE
Your at-a-glance reference For symbols used on maps, see the Map Legend.
Vital practical information
for a smooth trip.
©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
Sri Lanka
Jaffna &
the North
p270
The The Ancient
West Cities
Coast p202
p87
The East
p243
Colombo The Hill
#_
p56 Country
p149
The South
p106
Anirban Mahapatra,
Ryan Ver Berkmoes, Bradley Mayhew, Iain Stewart
P LAN
ON THE ROAD
YOUR TRIP
Welcome to Sri Lanka . . . 4 COLOMBO . . . . . . . . . 56 THE SOUTH . . . . . . . 106
Sri Lanka Map . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Galle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Sri Lanka’s Top 20 . . . . . . .8 THE WEST COAST . . 87 Unawatuna & Around . . . 118
Need to Know . . . . . . . . . .18 North of Colombo . . . . .89 Thalpe & Koggala . . . . . . . 123
First Time Sri Lanka . . . 20 Negombo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Ahangama & Midigama . . 125
Waikkal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Weligama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
What’s New . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Negombo Mirissa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
If You Like… . . . . . . . . . . . 23 to Kalpitiya . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Matara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Month by Month . . . . . . . 26 Kalpitiya Peninsula . . . . . . 95 Dondra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Itineraries . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Wilpattu Talalla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
National Park . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Dikwella . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Eat & Drink Like a Local 34
South of Colombo . . . . .97 Hiriketiya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Beaches & Activities . . . 39 Bentota, Aluthgama
Goyambokka . . . . . . . . . . . 136
National Parks & Induruwa . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Tangalla & Around . . . . . . 137
& Safaris . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 Hikkaduwa & Around . . . . 101
Travel with Children . . . . . 51
Regions at a Glance . . . . 53
BONCHAN / SHUTTERSTOCK © EFESENKO /SHUTTERSTOCK ©
EGG HOPPER P36
TRPHOTOS / SHUTTERSTOCK ©
POLONNARUWA P215 ISURUMUNIYA VIHARA
P234, ANURADHAPURA
Contents
UNDERSTAND
Bundala Polonnaruwa . . . . . . . . . . . 215 Sri Lanka
National Park . . . . . . . . . . 140 Giritale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .294
Tissamaharama . . . . . . . . 141 Minneriya & Kaudulla History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Kirinda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 National Parks . . . . . . . . . 226
Environmental
Yala National Park . . . . . . 145 Ritigala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Kataragama . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 Anuradhapura . . . . . . . . . . 228
The People of
Mihintale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Sri Lanka . . . . . . . . . . . . .312
THE Yapahuwa
HILL COUNTRY . . . . 149 Rock Fortress . . . . . . . . . . 240 Sri Lankan Tea . . . . . . . .316
Panduwasnuwara . . . . . . .241
Colombo to Kandy . . . . . . 151
Ridi Vihara . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241 SURVIVAL
Kandy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Kurunegala . . . . . . . . . . . . 242 GUIDE
Around Kandy . . . . . . . . . . 163
Knuckles Range . . . . . . . . 167
THE EAST . . . . . . . . . 243
Kitulgala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169 Directory A–Z . . . . . . . .320
Adam’s Peak Monaragala . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Transport . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
(Sri Pada) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 Yudaganawa . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Kandy to Maligawila . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246 Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Nuwara Eliya . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Arugam Bay . . . . . . . . . . . .246 Language . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
Nuwara Eliya . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Pottuvil & Around . . . . . . . 251
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Horton Plains National
Arugam Bay
Park & World’s End . . . . . 181 to Panama . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253 Map Legend . . . . . . . . . . 350
Belihul Oya . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Panama to Okanda . . . . . 253
Haputale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Ampara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Bandarawela . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Batticaloa . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Ella . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Kalkudah
Around Ella . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 & Passekudah . . . . . . . . . . 260
Wellawaya . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193 Trincomalee . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Uda Walawe Uppuveli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
National Park . . . . . . . . . . 195
Nilaveli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Sinharaja
Forest Reserve . . . . . . . . . 197
SPECIAL
JAFFNA &
Ratnapura . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
THE NORTH . . . . . . . 270 FEATURES
Jaffna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272 Eat & Drink
THE Like a Local . . . . . . . . . . . 34
ANCIENT CITIES . . . 202 Jaffna Peninsula . . . . . . . . 280
Jaffna’s Islands . . . . . . . . . 285 Beaches & Activities . . . 39
Matale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Kilinochchi & Around . . . . 288 National Parks
Nalanda Gedige . . . . . . . . 204
Vavuniya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .288 & Safaris . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Dambulla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Mannar Island Historic Sri Lanka . . . . . 78
Sigiriya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
& Around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Habarana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214 Galle Town Walk:
The Historic Fort . . . . . .112
Ancient Cities . . . . . . . . 219
©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
4
Welcome to
Sri Lanka
Endless beaches, timeless ruins,
welcoming people, oodles of elephants,
rolling surf, cheap prices, fun trains,
famous tea and flavourful food make Sri
Lanka irresistible.
The Undiscovered Country Rainforests & Beaches
You might say Sri Lanka has been hiding When you’re ready to escape the tropical
in plain sight. Countless scores of travellers climate of the coast and lowlands, head for
have passed overhead on their way to some- the hills, with their temperate, achingly
place else, but years of uncertainty kept Sri green charms. Verdant tea plantations and
Lanka off many itineraries. rainforested peaks beckon walkers, trekkers
Now, however, all that has changed. and those who just want to see them from
The country is moving forward quickly as a spectacular train ride. And then there are
more and more people discover its myriad the beaches. Dazzlingly white and often un-
charms. Lying between the more trod- trodden, they ring the island so that no mat-
den parts of India and Southeast Asia, Sri ter where you go, you’ll be near a sandy gem.
Lanka’s history, culture and natural beauty Should you beat the inevitable languor, you
are undeniably alluring. It’s the place you can surf and dive world-class sites without
haven’t been to yet, that you should. world-class crowds. And you’re always just a
short hop from something utterly new.
So Much in So Little
It’s So Easy
Few places have as many Unesco World Herit-
age Sites (eight) packed into such a small area. Distances are short: see the sacred home
Sri Lanka’s 2000-plus years of culture can be of the world’s oldest living human-planted
discovered at ancient sites where legend ary tree in the morning (Anuradhapura) and
temples boast beautiful details even as they stand awestruck by the sight of hundreds of
shelter in caves or perch on prominent peaks. elephants gathering in the afternoon (Min-
More recent are evocative colonial fortresses, neriya). Discover a favourite beach, meditate
from Galle to Trincomalee. in a 2000-year-old temple, exchange smiles
Across the island, that thing that goes while strolling a mellow village, marvel at
bump in the night might be an elephant birds and wildflowers, try to keep count of
heading to a favourite waterhole. Safari the little dishes that come with your rice
tours of Sri Lanka’s pleasantly relaxed and curry. Wander past colonial gems in
national parks encounter leopards, water Colombo, then hit some epic surf. Sri Lanka
buffaloes, all manner of birds and a passel is spectacular, affordable and still often un-
of primates. crowded. Now is the best time to discover it.
5
KUZINA / SHUTTERSTOCK ©
Why I Love Sri Lanka
By Ryan Ver Berkmoes, Writer
My fascination with Sri Lanka began when I read Paul Theroux’s The Great Railway Bazaar
as a child. His wonderment at the island’s endless contradictions stayed with me. In 2004 I
was in the west and south in the weeks after the tsunami. I was struck by the stories of the
survivors. In the years since, I have been endlessly amazed by the ability of Sri Lankans to
overcome disaster, war and other challenges. And I am slack-jawed at how one small island-
nation can embody so much beauty and wonder. It seems so much bigger than it is.
For more about our writers, see p352
Above: Traditional fishing, Galle (p107)
m
k
e050#025miles 82°E ELEVATION 2000m1500m1000m500m250m0 Nilavelie undiscoveredaches (p267) SigiriyaA stunning rocksurrounded by gardens (p209) PolonnaruwaThousand-year-old buildingsand monuments (p215)
me
Prib
81°E JaffnaMyriad sights, Tamil culture,remote islands (p272) B A Y O FB E N G A LMullaittivu#\ KokkilaiLagoon Nilaveli#\ Trincomalee#\ Foul PointMutur#\ayUllackalieO333333333333333333LagoonnSomawathiyaaYChaitiyaNational ParkEDA#÷ATirikonamadu333333333333333UpparNature#÷LagoonReserveMinneriyaFlood Plains- Giritale#\National ParkSanctuarya#÷#÷3333333333333#\SigiriyaPolonnaruwa#\
Point#\Pedro JaffnaLagoon#\Pooneryn Kilinochchi#\ UTURUPALATAu Mankulam#\ Vavuniya33#\ 3333#\Medawachchiya 33#\Mihintale#^AnuradhapuraUTURUMPALAT 333Habaran
#^Jaffna IranaitivSouth 33WilpattuNational3Park#÷ 3
ri Lanka 80°E Karaitivu PalkStraitVelanaiNainativu Neduntivu PalkBay IranaitivuNDIANorth#\ameswaram Talaimannar#õ#\ MannarIsland Gulf ofMannar3AnuradhapuraAmazing cultural andreligious heritage (p228) 3PortugalBay 3#\Kalpitiya 3Puttalam#\
S IR N N
9° 8°
#\
Horton PlainsWild and windsweptmoorlands (p181) EllaCatch a train throughtea country (p188)333333Akkaraipattu#] 3HaputaleExcellent base to exploretea plantations (p184)3Pottuvil#\ Panama#\333Okanda Arugam Bay333Surfing paradise (p246) 33da Walawe National ParkBuffalo, crocodiles andelephants (p195) Bundala National ParkOne of Sri Lanka’s finestbirding destinations (p140)
atticaloa#^ 3333333333para#\ 333333333#\KumanaNationalPark333333333#÷ 333333333333333333333U
B m a
333333333333Dambulla#\ WAYAMBA333333333333PALATANEGENAHIRAWasgomuwaPALATANationalPark#÷#\PadeniyaMaduru OyaMADHYAMANational ParkPALATA#÷Maha Oya3333333333333Knuckles#\aRangeyKurunegala#^O(1863m)#\MaRMatalehaPeakadMWildernessu3333Polgahawela33r33333Sanctuaryu#\#÷AOKandy#^ya #–3333333Gal Oya333333333Nationala-ElaPark#]Pidurutalagala#÷#\Gampaha(Mt Pedro)UVABadullaKitulgala(2524m)R#^PALATA#\#\Nuwara Eliya333333333333333333333333333333#\Avissawella#_Kotalawala#\EllaTotapola#\Horton PlainsMonaragal#\#\(2357m)#–Adam's PeakNational ParkRBandarawela(Sri Pada)#\#÷RR(2243m)BASNAHIRAHaputaleKirigalpotta#\33333333333333PALATA33(2395m)#\WellawayaBelihul#\Oya#^RatnapuraPelmadulla#\Yala StrictSABARAGAMUWA333333333333333Nature33Uda Walawe333ReservePALATANational Park#÷#÷SinharajaBeruwela#\taragamaKaForestAluthgama#\#\ReserveBentota#\#÷Embilipitiya#\3333333333333333333333333333333#\InduruwaDeniyaya#\Tissamaharama#\ DAKUNUKirinda#\Angunakolapelessa#÷PALATA#\KottawaHikkaduwa3Bundala3#\ConservationAkuressaNational Park#\Forest#÷Tangalla#^Galle#\#\WeligamaUnawatuna#\Tangalla#\Matara#\33Great beaches ofMirissaall stripes (p137)
KandyThe cultural capitalof the island (p151) I N D I A NO C E A N Negombo#]ColomboColonial charms andJascinating shopping (p56) COLOMBOMt Lavinia Adam’s Peak A beautiful andhistoric walk (p170) BeruwelaA centre for Ayurvedicrejuvenation (p100) GalleUnmissably historic fortand splendid food (p107) MirissaSee blue whales ona boat excursion (p127)
f
N N
7° 6°
©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
88
Sri Lanka’s
Top 20
Stunning Beaches Travelling by Train
1 There are long, golden-specked ones, there 2 Sometimes there’s no way to get a seat
are dainty ones with soft white sand, there on the slow but oh-so-popular train to
are wind- and wave-battered ones, and ones Ella (p188; pictured right), but with a prime
without a footstep for miles. Some have a standing-room-only spot looking out at a rolling
slowly, slowly vibe and some have a lively party carpet of tea, who cares? Outside, the colourful
vibe, but whichever you choose, the beaches silk saris of Tamil tea pickers stand out in the
of Sri Lanka really are every bit as gorgeous sea of green; inside, you may get a shy welcome
as you’ve heard. In a land where beaches are via a smile. At stations, vendors hustle treats,
simply countless, consider the beaches of Tan- including some amazing corn and chilli fritters
galla (p137; pictured below), each with its own sold wrapped in somebody’s old homework
personality, and each beguiling in its own way, paper. Munching one of these while the scenery
yet all easily visited in a day. creaks past? Sublime.
1
FILIP FUXA / SHUTTERSTOCK ©