Just 28 miles off the southernmost coast of India, lapped by the tranquil, turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean lies Sri Lanka, a teardrop shaped tropical paradise. For thousands of years Sri Lanka’s shores have attracted travellers and traders from all over the world. There were those who came seeking its gems and elephants, others who were lured by its spices and some who just travelled from far and wide to be enthralled by the abundant beauty of this resplendent island.

Over the centuries Sri Lanka has earned many endearing nick names. Greek and Roman soldiers who traded with the island called it Taprobane (garden of delights) while Arab Traders called it Serendip (the root of the word ‘serendipity’). The Portuguese and the Dutch who invaded the island in the 16th and 17th century called it Celiloa and Ceylaam respectively before it was taken over by the British in the 18th century and rechristened yet again as Ceylon.

In the last few decades,Sri Lanka has become one of the most sought after destinations in the Indian Ocean which has entranced its visitors with its treasure trove of myriad offerings.

Sun drenched beaches, exotic wildlife, enchanting tropical delights, salubrious tea hills, Victorian tea factories, quaint little towns, busy bazaars, daily fish markets, ancient temples and monuments, ruins of grandiose

palaces & monasteries and last but not the least, the warm people with their endearing smiles and hospitality all of which will anchor your hearts to this tropical paradise and leave you with ever lasting memories.

Perhaps the author J.G.J Hennesey best sums up this enchanting island in his book ‘The Green aisles’ when he writes;

“To me the beauty of Ceylon lies not so much in its blue seas and golden beaches, its jungles and its mountain peaks, as in its ancient atmosphere. There is no nation, from Egypt of the Pharaohs to modern Britain, in whose literature this island has not at some time been mentioned by one or other of its many names -- Lanka, Serendib, Taprobane, Cellao, Zellan, to recall a few. History lies buried in its sands, and ghosts of romance lurk among its bastioned rocks, for Lanka is very, very old”