Travel In Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka located in the southern tip of India has become increasingly popular as a travel destination. About twenty million people reside on this relatively small island that used to be called as Ceylon. People who come over to Sri Lanka can expect a great beach holiday where Hikkaduwa is well known for its beach-resorts and for its brooding turtles.
The country is proud of its warm sandy beaches with calm clear water which give way to majestic mountains and lush tea plantations rising out of the hill country. Some of the worlds engineering marvels like Sigiriya and the Anuradhapura ancient cities are all part of Sri Lanka.
Marco Polo himself called it “the finest island of its size in the world.”Fact File
Official Name : Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Government :Democracy Nationality : Sri Lankan Ethnic groups : Sinhalese 74%, Tamil 18%, Moor 7%, Burgher, Malay, and Vedda 1% Location : Sri Lanka is located off the southern tip of India. Continent : Asia Currency : Sri Lanka Rupee(LKR) ; 1 LKR = 0.4358 INR = 0.01001 USD = 0.008285 Euro (subject to change). Capital city : Colombo Population : 18,500,000 Languages : Sinhala, Tamil, with English widely-spoken Religion : Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam & Christianity Area : 25,322 square miles Famous for : Lush jungles, abundant wildlife, cool mountains and glorious beaches Major cities : Colombo, Kandy, Galle.

When to go
 The driest and best seasons are from December to March on the west and south coasts and in the hill country, and from May to September on the east coast
It does not rain all the time. Reefs protects beach area and make swimming quite awesome at places like Hikkaduwa, which during the monsoon can be quite pleasant.
Getting There
By Air : The only way to enter Sri Lanka is by flying. The Bandaranaike International Airport is the only international airport in the country located 35 km. north of Colombo and Srilankan Airways is the international airways in the country.
Colombo is the international gateway for direct flights from Europe, Asia, Australia and the Middle East.

Getting Around
By Road : There are no domestic passenger flights in Sri Lanka, which leaves buses and trains as the dominant modes of transport. Motorbike and self-drive car hire are becoming increasingly popular comfortable. It's common to rent a car with a driver for a day trip or a few days' tour of the island.
By Train : Train travel, while slower, is more comfortable.
The trains are the most cheapest traveling in Sri Lanka.  Pettah railway station  is the central railway station from there travelers can take their trains to different destinations. You can take trains to most of the important places in the island. Badulla, Colombo Fort, Kandy, Maradana, Matara, Polonnaruwa, Trincomalee and Vavunia are various cities connected by the railways.