Travel Sri Lanka

Negombo.

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Negombo (Sinhala-Migamuwa) is a town of about 121,933,approximately 35km north of commercial capital Colombo, in Sri Lanka. It is located at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon,about 7km from the Bandaranaike International Airport. Negombo has a small port,and its economy is mainly based on tourism and its centuries-old fishing industry,though it also produces cinnamon,ceramics,and brass ware.

The name "Negombo" was first used by the Portuguese, a corruption of the Sinhala name "Migamuva". The town is situated by the shores of a lagoon of the same name, and was a trading port during the periods of Portuguese and Dutch colonization.

Negombo first flourished as a center for cinnamon production in Sri Lanka. The cinnamon industry in Negombo was initiated by the Portuguese, and subsequently attended to by the Moors (Muslims). After the Portuguese were defeated by the Dutch in 1640, the cinnamon business was kept as an key aspect of the regions economy. However, by the time the British took over in 1796, the industry was in decline. Another point of interest in Negombo is the Old Dutch Fort, which was built in 1672. It is situated near the shore and offers a glimpse into the colonization history of Negombo. However, the Fort is now in a state of disrepair.

Religion in Negombo.

Since the beginning of European Colonization, the township of Negombo has a majority of Roman Catholics along with Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims. Negombo has been given the name "Little Rome" due to the highly ornate Portuguese-era Roman Catholic churches such as St Marys church found within the township. The Katuwapitiya Church and the Grand Street Church are two biggest parishes in Negombo. "Agurukaramulla Pansala" is a famous Buddhist temple bringing Buddhists from all over Sri Lanka to Negombo every year. And also Abhayasekararamaya temple (Podipansala)is famous Buddhist temple now.

Tourism in Negombo.

Negombo is an ideal place for those who want quick access to and from the country's international airport. The 100 km long canal network running through the town is still used, and outrigger canoes and modern water-craft ply this route daily, for trade and tourist purposes. Remains of colonization include the Dutch fort built in 1672, as well as centuries-old Portuguese and Dutch houses, administrative buildings, and churches. Negombo is also home to the country's second-largest fish market, the Llelama, at the north end of the town's lagoon. There are daily fish auctions, which give tourists a chance to meet the area's fishermen and even organise fishing trips into the lagoon and the ocean beyond. Other nearby attractions open to visitors include Muthurajawela, which is part of a 6,000-hectare (14,826-acre) protected marshland, home to over 190 species of wildlife.

Negombo offers some of the better beaches on the west coast of Sri Lanka, and draws tourists who stop over for a day on their way to or from the airport. Several hotels ranging from luxury hotels to small hotels, guest houses and restaurants have in Negombo. Some quiet stretches of the beach are maintained by the tourist hotels, while others are always busy with fishermen and their equipment. Water-sports and diving are also popular among visitors, with a few well-preserved coral reefs and a 50-year-old shipwreck (Kudapaduwa) that serves as an artificial reef for many varieties of fish.

There are also local handicraft sales on the beaches and the shops near the town.

Negombo Lagoon.

Negombo Lagoon is a large estuarine lagoon in Gampaha District, south-west Sri Lanka.The Negombo Lagoon has an area of 35.02 square kilometres. It's situated some 20km north of Colombo and 15km from bandaranaike international airport.

The lagoon is fed by a number of small rivers and a canal. It is linked to the sea by a narrow channel to the north, near Negombo town. It is surrounded by a densely populated region containing rice paddies, coconut plantations and grassland. The land is used for fishing and agriculture. The lagoon has extensive mangrove swamps and attracts a wide variety of water birds including cormorants, herons, egrets, gulls, terns and other shorebirds.

Fishing in Negombo Lagoon.

The fishermen who are based at the Negombo lagoon relay mainly on their traditional knowledge of the seasons for their livelihood, using outrigger canoes carved out of tree trunks and nylon nets to bring in modest catches from September through till April. Their boats are made in two distinct forms, oruvas (a type of sailing canoe) and paruvas (a large, man-powered catamaran fitted with kurlon dividers). For generations the lagoon has provided the fishermen with a plentiful supply of crabs, shrimp and many of the native species of fish, but with the onset of global warming these sources of food have dwindled.

Famouse Tourists Attraction of Sri Lanka.

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Beaches and lagoons:

West Coast

Negombo (35 km north of Colombo)
Mount Lavinia (12 km south of Colombo)
Kalutara (42 km south of Colombo)

South Coast

Bentota (62 km south of Colombo)
Ambalangoda (Approx 85 km south of Colombo)
Hikkaduwa (98 km south of Colombo)
Unawatuna (140 km south-east of Colombo)
Weligama (143 km south-east of Colombo)
Mirissa
Matara (144 km south-east of Colombo)
Tangalle (195 km south-east of Colombo)

East Coast

Arugam Bay (315 km east of Colombo)

North Coast

Nilaveli & Uppuveli (280 km north-east of Colombo)
Trincomalee (257 km north-east of Colombo)

Historic or Archeological Sites

Anuradapura - Ancient Kingdom
Sigiriya - Ancient Kingdom & fortress
Polonnaruwa - Ancient Kingdom
Kandy - Ancient Kingdom with temple of tooth relic
Galle - Fortress
Dambulla - Rock cave temple
Maligawila - Ancient Monastery with largest statue of Lord Buddha in Sri Lanka
Yapahuwa - Fortress

National Parks

Yala National Park - Most visited, and second-largest in Sri Lanka
Udawalawe National Park - Famous for Elephant watching
Kumana National Park - Famous for Bird watching
Bundala National Park - Famous for Bird watching
Wasgamuwa National Park - One most attractive national park
Wilpattu National Park - Largest in Sri Lanka, famous for leopards
Minneriya National Park - Famous for Elephants
Horton Plains National Park - Only national park in hill country and famous for sambar
Mullaitive National Park - Proposed for Elephant watching

Elephants

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage
Udawalawe Elephant Transit Centre

Adventure Sports

White water rafting - Kithulgala
Surfing - Arugam Bay
Boating - Bentota, Bolgoda, Madhu ganga, Koggala
Trekking - Knuckles Mountain Range, Hortan plains, Sripada aka Adam's peak

Visitor attractions in Sri Lanka.

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Sri Lanka is home to eight world heritage sites. They are Galle, Kandy, Sigiriya, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruva, Dambulla cave temple, the Central Highlands, and Lion-King Sinharaja tropical rainforest.

The Central Highlands of Sri Lanka was inscribed on 31 July 2010, by the World Heritage Committee's 34th session in Brasília, as a new World Heritage Site. The site comprises the Peak Wilderness Protected Area, the Horton Plains National Park and the Knuckles Conservation Forest.

In addition to above mixed (culture and nature) sites the ancient cultural site of Seruwila Mangala Raja Maha Vihar at the village of Toppur, Koddiyar Pattu of Trincomalee District of Eastern Province of Sri Lanka was submitted to UNESCO by the government of Sri Lanka on 30 October 2006.

Sri Lanka's many beaches are often visited by tourists. The historical city of Colombo is considered as the "Commercial capital of Sri Lanka" which attracts many tourists from Asian region to visit for businesses. National parks in Sri Lanka are also popular visitor attractions. Tourists are also attracted to Sri Lanka by its natural beauty.

Tourism in Sri Lanka.

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Tourism is one of the main industries in Sri Lanka. Major tourist attractions are
focused around the island's famous beaches located in the southern and eastern parts
of the country, ancient heritage sites located in the interior of the country and lush
green resorts located in the mountainous regions of the country.A large majority of
tourists come from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany,
France, Maldives, Japan, the People's Republic of China, and India.

Sri Lanka.

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Sri Lanka officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the

southern coast of the Indian subcontinent in South Asia. Known until 1972 as Ceylon,

Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar, the Palk

Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the Maldives.

As a result of its location in the path of major sea routes, Sri Lanka is a strategic
naval link between West Asia and South East Asia. It was an important stop on the
ancient Silk Road. Sri Lanka has also been a center of the Buddhist religion and
culture from ancient times and is one of the few remaining abodes of Buddhism in
South Asia along with Ladakh, Bhutan and the Chittagong hill tracts. The Sinhalese
community forms the majority of the population; Tamils, who are concentrated in the
north and east of the island, form the largest ethnic minority. Other communities
include Moors, Burghers, Kaffirs, Malays and the aboriginal Vedda people.

Sri Lanka is a republic and a unitary state which is governed by a semi-presidential
system with its official seat of government in Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte, the capital.
The country is famous for the production and export of tea, coffee, coconuts, rubber
and cinnamon, the last of which is native to the country. The natural beauty of
Sri Lanka has led to the title The Pearl of the Indian Ocean. The island is laden with
lush tropical forests, white beaches and diverse landscapes with rich biodiversity.
The country lays claim to a long and colorful history of over three thousand years,
having one of the longest documented histories in the world. Sri Lanka's rich culture
can be attributed to the many different communities on the island.

Sri Lanka is a founding member state of SAARC and a member United Nations,
Commonwealth of Nations, G77 and Non-Aligned Movement. As of 2010, Sri Lanka

was one of the fastest growing economies of the world. Its stock exchange was Asia's best
performing stock market during 2009 and 2010.