Ancient cultures, dazzling festivals, lush tea plantations and topographical diversity describe Sri Lanka, the teardrop shaped island suspended 30 miles off the southeast coast of India. Formerly Ceylon, the country is a study in contrasts and also is in conflict between the predominately Buddhist Sinhalese majority and largely Hindu Tamil minority. Some of Asia s most significant archeological sites have been unearthed, a cultural triangle encompassing three ancient capitals, once home to tens of thousands. Discover wall paintings of beautiful maidens, still smiling after 1,500 years in a sheltered grotto. Explore Asia s oldest surviving landscape gardens. And, marvel at the colossal images of Buddha. In Kandy, an exuberant festival, with rules of conduct dating back to 1318, venerates the treasured tooth relic said to belong to Buddha. This annual Esala Perahera spectacle assaults your senses with a barrage of color and sounds, flaming torches, drummers and dancers, costumed children and caparisoned elephants. Follow a botanist s dream from the formidable Horton Plains at 7,000 feet to the tropical Sinharaja Forest Reserve. This is a World Heritage Site where wandering under a cathedral of trees you find yourself in a living lab for many of Sri Lanka s endemic species. The magnificent south coast is distinctly different with its sandy terrain and nearby Yala National Wildlife Park, the last stop on your Sri Lankan odyssey, a true study in contrasts.

$21.97