What makes Sri Lanka a hidden gem?

Any traveller looks for just three things on a trip: A naturally beautiful country, friendly people and excellent food. A traveller visiting Sri Lanka gets to experience all these and so much more – there is picturesque beauty as far as the eye can reach, history and tradition at so many different places, a good climate and umpteen stunning beaches.

Get your Sri Lanka visa for a longish holiday in this island country. Make sure your Sri Lanka tour package covers places that showcases the unique:

1. Fantastic topography: You will be left amazed by the diverse topography of Sri Lanka. From beaches that change in appearance from pristine white sandy ones to rocky alcoves, and from various lagoons and dense jungles to swanky but flat city areas, Sri Lanka offers much to see and experience. Then there are misty mountains, lush tea plantations, waterfalls and large swathes of green meadows. Sri Lanka balances the countryside and its city character exceedingly well.
   
   
             
2. Rich history: Sri Lanka is replete with anecdotes and relics from its rich historical past. It shows remnants of its connection to the Indian epic, Ramayana, as well as many examples of its ancient architectural prowess. There are scores of old temples in reasonably good condition to visit, apart from the Cultural Triangle, an area housing six World Heritage Sites. You can look at frescoes, murals, old palaces, stunning stone work and filigree as well as dome-shaped dagobas. Then there are signs of its colonial past, with a Dutch fort and an old township at Galle.
   
   
3. Adventure sports: Since the country is an island, it has an ample coastline that offers tremendous opportunities for wind surfing, water skiing, banana boating and snorkelling, among many others. Plus, there are over 100 rivers, in which you can sail and go kayaking. All adventure sports are safe and tested by trained professionals. You and your family can have a whale of a time trying different adventure sports here. If you choose to stay on land, you can go trekking, biking and hiking.
   
   
4. Flora and fauna: The country’s beauty can be attributed in a large part to its astonishing variety of flora and fauna. Sri Lankans are proud to preserve this aspect of their country, and justly so – the world’s first wildlife sanctuary was set up in Sri Lanka in the 3^rd Century! Today, the country boasts of excellent jungle corridors, parks, zoos and reserves. You can book a jungle safari or make your way through a wonderful ornithological tour.
   
   
5. Warm people: Sri Lankans are some of the nicest, most gracious people in the world. They take hospitality quite seriously, and they pride themselves on taking care of tourists to the best of their ability. Even your local tour guide might invite you into his home – do not decline the invitation to visit the home of a local, or it is perceived as an insult. When you visit a Sri Lankan home, carry a gift for the host and hostess and eat the way the locals do.

Many images, many backgrounds – that’s life as a traveller

It is said that education is not earned simply by sitting at a desk and taking notes – it needs reiteration with a world view. But how can one get a world view if one does not step out of the places he is familiar with?

Travelling to other cities and countries is the answer. Just a single trip out of town is enough to broaden one’s horizons. Travelling frequently, using different modes of transport, eating whatever food is available and interacting with the locals teaches many lessons in empathy and enhances our understanding of the world. But if you want to cut down on travel time, flying to your destination and experiencing it on foot or using local transport is the best way to go.

We recommend checking the domestic flight offers available during your desired travel period so that you get the best deals on air tickets. Once your tickets are booked, you can sit back and contemplate the many benefits of travel, chief among which are:

• A change of scenery always helps. You may have the best life back home, but there are times when you just want to pack your bags and leave for unknown shores. Work stress,, several family responsibilities, mounting job pressures…all of these combine to make you feel ill and stagnant. Travelling is the best way to step off the treadmill of life for a while, mainly to get a change of location to improve your mood.
  
  
• It challenges your limits. Your holiday may not always follow a predictable curve. You might lose your bags, the place you are staying at may face a natural disaster, you might fall ill, you might wish you had never left home…there are challenges galore when you travel. Facing them and trumping these obstacles gives a sense of achievement, of having ‘grown up’ enough to surmount a problem. This is a good motivational tool.
  
  
• It introduces you to different cultures. Staying in one place for long, meeting the same people at work and in the neighbourhood, and watching the same TV serials every day can give you a myopic world view. It is time to expand your horizons by seeing new places, experiencing a way of life in an unfamiliar terrain, eating new food and learning other communities’ customs. These experiences help put our own lives in perspective, making us realise many truths about our own existence.
  
  
• Travel also pampers you. You need not always travel rough or hold your purse strings tightly booking a luxurious vacation simply to unwind and have others wait on you is a blissful experience. You can book yourself into a five star hotel, cheat on your diet with the choicest food, sleep all day, and have drinks by the pool. Then when night comes, you can either dance away at a pub or curl up on the bed with a romantic comedy film. 

An English sojourn and mind-broadening travels

Indians have a curious affinity for England – there is still an uneasy bond forged over the British ruling the Indians, and many Indians becoming prosperous early settlers in England over the last century. A shared ethos, transport system and justice structure combine to make Indians curious about present-day England.

An English sojourn is a delightful experience that every serious traveller must check off his bucket list. Apart from being beautiful, quaint and contemporary all at once, it offers superlative entertainment of the cerebral variety. England is steeped in tradition but has a forward looking outlook towards commerce and infrastructure – so while you can go see a fictional address of a fictional detective preserved for posterity (at Baker Street, where Sherlock Holmes was supposed to have lived) you also find the best in tube and road transport services here.

Book your UK visa from India and get the best flight tickets for a lengthy cross-country holiday across England. Your UK visa is your gateway to the most amazing holiday you will have this year. If you are looking for some pointers on what you can expect from your UK trip, allow us to expound on:

The best museums and art galleries - England truly believes in the refinement of the senses through visual art, and hence, there are several prominent art galleries, museums and pop-up art installations to see all year. The best part is, many of these are free to view and open to all at many spots. You can also find the best libraries and general reading rooms in this country – the British are huge proponents of learning!

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

William Morris Gallery

The best food joints. The food cultures of the world truly unite in London where the most celebrated chefs from around the world have set up restaurants, hotels and cafes. So if you can eat Pad Thai noodles on a street corner, you can walk into a posh Indian restaurant at the next. However, be sure to sample the most famous English fish and chips (which is normally a takeaway meal) on your trip.

Source : www.timeout.com

The best shopping experiences. Every Englishman knows where to go when he wishes to shop – there are places to head to for clothes, knick knacks, shoes, accessories, and even electronics. You can spend a day at such exclusive shopping establishments as Harrods and Sears, while also buying a bouquet of peonies on the waterfront.

Source : www.visitlondon.com

                               

The best outdoors. The English moors have often been immortalized in several books and films on the country, because these brooding, vast open spaces have been the sporting and walking grounds of the British over the ages. You can find a wide variety of parks, zoos, jogging tracks, outdoor swimming areas etc. all over the country, so bear this element in mind when you’re bored of your hotel room during your trip. You can get tickets to Wimbledon if you’re buying a UK visa for July this year.

The best accommodation options. England offers a variety of stay options for the traveller. Besides, most streets bear maps of the immediate vicinity, while the cabbies are trained to take customers to their desired location in the least possible time. So there is hardly a question of you losing your way.