A 2,000-year history peers at you through the eyes of the seated Buddha statues tracing the walls of the rock caves of Dambulla. 

 

It is an easy enough climb up a 600-foot hillock that brings one to this ancient Buddhist site, an isolated massif located in the Central Province of Sri Lanka, 148 km north-east of Colombo. Our well-informed guide cum cautious driver, Rohan Perera, an elderly Sinhalese who spoke excellent English, handed me a sarong to cover my shorts and upon entering this cave monastery, one realised one was treading on sacred ground. 

 

Located in the centre of the cultural triangle of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Kandy, Dambulla is the largest and best-preserved cave-temple complex in Sri Lanka. With its five sanctuaries cut into the cliff and vivid Buddhist murals dating from the Anuradhapura era (377 BC to 1017 AD) up to the Kandyan era (1469-1815) and spanning 2,100 square metres, it has drawn pilgrims for over two millennia, and increasing numbers of tourists today.



Dambulla is one of the eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka – six cultural and two natural – underscoring the island’s historicity as also its cultural, environmental and anthropological significance.



History, however, is captivatingly juxtaposed with the modern in this Indian Ocean island nation, which, with its bounteous nature, exotic native and colonial heritage, clean and safe cities, pristine beaches, excellent roadways, and friendly and hospitable people, is becoming an ever-popular travel destination.

 

In recent years, nightlife has picked up in Colombo with the emergence of a range of trendy nightclubs, bars, pubs and restaurants, even four casinos that are open round the clock. These entertainment quarters are further enlivened by street-side food and drink parlours.

 

Visitors usually begin their tour of the island from Colombo, a city replete with history, culture and politics. Among the interesting sights is the Gangaramaya Buddhist temple, the sprawling courtyard of which has several halls and shrines that display an impressive collection of Buddha statues, wood, jade and ivory carvings, curios, ola (dried palm) leaf manuscripts and even rare vintage cars.

 

Other sights are the white neo-classical Town Hall, one of Colombo’s most recognisable landmarks, the Dutch Wolvendaal Church, one of the oldest Protestant churches still in use in the country, the Old Dutch Hospital, the oldest building in the Colombo Fort area, the upscale neighbourhood of Cinnamon Gardens, and the newly developed Parliament area.



Known as the Emerald Isle of Asia and also the Land of Spices & Tea, this verdant land of 65,610 square kilometres has much to offer its tourists. The ruined cities of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Sigiriya extending from the 4th century BC to 12th century AD chronicle the spectacular grandeur of mighty kingdoms. Sri Lanka’s Buddhist architecture is visible in its cave temples, dagobas (stupas) and viharas (abodes, or monasteries).



The visitor can yet come across the ancient ambalamas, living spaces that are open-sided pavilions with overhanging roofs. There are also the walauwas, feudal manors with verandas and a central courtyard known as mada midula, or garden within a house. The walauwas of the coastal areas exhibit Portuguese and Dutch architectural influences. Sri Lanka’s contemporary architecture is largely inspired by Geoffrey Bawa, one of the most influential Asian architects of his generation. Bawa, who died in 2003 at the age of 83, drew on tradition to design houses and public buildings, as also luxurious hotels that set new benchmarks for resorts in Asia.

 

A Sri Lankan itinerary invariably includes a drive into the central highlands that rise from 3,000 to over 8,000 feet and harbour tea and rubber plantations, and fragrant spice gardens. They consequently teem with health resorts and spas, bringing hordes of tourists to the health trail. The highlands are crowned by the picturesque British colonial town of Nuwara Eliya, known also as Little England. It enjoys temperate climate through the year and its name means “city on the plain (tableland)” or “city of light”.

 

Eighty km away lies Kandy, surrounded by mountains with tea estates and biodiverse rainforests. The last capital of the Sri Lankan monarchs before it fell to the British in 1815, this idyllic town is most famous for its Temple of the Buddha Tooth Relic, located in the royal palace complex and celebrated with a 10-day festival called Esala Perahera held in July or August.

 

Visiting nature enthusiasts have several options, such as the Yala, Minneriya, Wilpattu, Udawalawe and Bundala national parks with their jungles, plains and lakes, and wildlife like elephants, leopards, sloth bears, wild boars, crocodiles, and endemic and migratory birds. The island’s waters are also visited regularly by the Blue, Byrde and Sperm whales and the Spinner dolphin.

 

Tourism is well developed in Sri Lanka and is the third largest export earner, after remittances, and textiles and garments. Growth in visitor numbers has been unprecedented over the last five years, averaging above 22 per cent year-on-year. Lonely Planet in 2013 ranked Sri Lanka the foremost destination for travellers, while Forbes in 2015 rated the island among the “top 10 coolest countries” to visit.

 

Yet the Tourism Ministry believes this sector needs to transform to make Sri Lanka competitive in the global travel market. It has thus drafted the Tourism Strategic Plan 2017-2020 that aims at expanding tourism sustainedly. Indicating that the true tourism potential has not been fully captured, the Ministry finds this a symptom of the insurgency by the now disbanded Tamil separatist outfit, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), from 1983 until 2009. The 26-year strife rendered large parts of the island unsafe to travel to, and threw infrastructure into disrepair.

 

While the British, Germans and French had been the traditional source markets for Sri Lanka, Indians nudged past them since 2009, once the country became safe to travel to. The Ramayana Trail is popular with middle aged and elderly Indian tourists, whereas most other Indian visitors plan their itineraries around culture, heritage, Buddhist history, wildlife, and Highland tea.

 

Sri Lanka’s maximum air links are with India, with 157 weekly flights, including 108 direct flights of SriLankan Airlines and the rest operated by four Indian airlines between Colombo and 14 Indian destinations.

 

Sri Lanka’s weak economy (its Rupee is equivalent to Rs162.2 to the US dollar in comparison with India’s Rs71.5) makes travel to it largely affordable, with even its classy luxury hotels having relatively budget prices. But ticket prices for entry into popular tourist sites and monuments can be daunting. 



Though Indian influence pervaded local arts and culture, architecture, religion, cuisine and astronomy, in part also through the as many as 17 invasions by Dravidians from South India since 230 BC, Sri Lanka developed a unique identity that distinguishes it from its neighbour.

 

There is much proximity – historical, physical and cultural - between the two neighbours and, unsurprisingly, Indians have traditionally been the highest number of tourists to the island. Of the 1.02 million tourists arriving there from January till May this year, 1,73,366 were from India.

 

It seems Sri Lanka will be opening its doors wider to Indian tourists, with a task force appointed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe deliberating on the issue of granting visa-free entry to visitors from India and China. Currently, the Sri Lankan visa, officially called Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), can be applied for online.

 

Recently, Sri Lanka’s tourist police have been instructed to learn international languages like Hindi, Mandarin and French as the tourism sector is anticipated to be the biggest forex earner for the country in a few years.

 

Sri Lankans are generous with their smiles and are keen to ensure a happy stay for their visitors. The simple Sinhalese greeting ayubowan (meaning long life) or Tamil salutation vanakkam (meaning respect) with folded hands can draw them out even further. It is a country from where one returns with lasting memories and lasting friendships.