Sri Lanka Sublime Scenery

Sri Lanka's legendary scenic beauty comes in kalaidoscopic variety. Lush tropocal lowlands rise to rugged, misty mountain chains covered in cloud forests or tea plantations. Steep peaks, deep chasms and high waterfalls add dramatic beauty. wild and dizzy gorges such as World's End, plunge 1000 metres to the plains below and the panoramas of Haputale and Ella stretch over the hills to a glimpse of the sea, far away. Hill country road and rail routes cross picturesque landscape, making travel here exhilarating and adventurous.

The highlands are the source of some of Sri Lanka's most renowned products. Tea covers around 200,000 hectares here and a visit to a tea plantation is part of the Sri Lanka experience. Many fragrant spices also grow in this region, especially around the hill capital, kandy. The south-western foot-hills around Ratnapura ('City of Gems"), Vield many precious jewels; visitors can see gems being recovered here,from pits and river-beds, in the age-old way.

Unique hill-country wilderness reserves will delight nature-lovers, Among them are the Sinharaja Rain Forest (a UNESCO WOrld Heritage site), the Knuckies Range and Horton Plains montane cloud forests and the Peak Wilderness.

The hill-resort of Nuwara Eliya,1890 metres above sea level is scenically set among high mountain ranges and prime tea plantations. Queen Anne and Georgian architecture, pretty flower-gardens and an 18-hole golf courses are reminders of its British colonial-period roots. The Hakgala Botanic Gardens specialize in fine collections of sub-tropical flora.