Sri Lanka

Travel Guide Sri Lanka

Get involved in animal protection and nature conservation in Sri Lanka, in the midst of untouched nature. Sri Lanka is located in the Indian Ocean and can be seen as a true summer paradise due to its tropic climate, the unique nature and plenty of exotic plants and animals. Sri Lanka is surely the perfect place to experience an unforgettable adventure.

Our trips to Sri Lanka:

Volunteering Sri Lanka – Elephant Conservation

Highlights in Sri Lanka

The ancient city of Anuradhapura is Sri Lanka’s cultural and religious center and most important historical heritage. The 2000 year-old Maha Bodhi tree and its well documented life-history is one of the most popular sightseeing-spots in Anuradhapura. Moreover you can see hundreds of old monasteries and stupas which emphasizes Anuradhapura’s significance as a historical center of power.
Bundala National Park appears to be a secret place as the crowds mainly focus on Yala National Park. Not only the beautiful nature spots will take your breath away but also the diversity of wild animals such as crocodiles, elephants and plenty of bird species – truly a dreamland to every ornithologist!
The 2243 m high Adam's Peak is not Sri Lanka’s highest mountain, but truly the most famous one. For many Buddhists as well as for many Muslims it is the most important place of pilgrimage in Sri Lanka. Buddhists consider Adam’s peak as Buddha’s footprint, many Muslims as Adam’s footprint. Nowadays there are many foreign tourists who join the pilgrims on their way to the summit to be rewarded by an overwhelming view.
Kandy is Sri Lanka's cultural capital. In one of many temples there is the holy tooth-relic, which is believed to be Buddha's tooth. For many Singhalese people this is the holiest place of pilgrimage on the island. Besides the relic tourist can explore plenty of interesting museums, beautiful lakes and botanic gardens.

Geography of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is an insular state which is located in the Indian Ocean, around 237 km east of the south peak of the Indian subcontinent. The population of Sri Lanka counts 20.3 Mio. citizens. The capital is Colombo, de jure it is Sri Jayewardenepura. The shortest distance between Sri Lanka and India is only 54.8 km, this part is also known as Palk Strait. The whole area of Sri Lanka is 445 km from North to South and 225 km from East to West.

Geomorphology/Geology

Sri Lanka can be divided into three territorial zones: The central highlands with their famous tea growing areas and mountains up to 2500 m, the fertile lowland zone and the coastal zone which is lined with fishing villages and palm-beaches. Sri Lanka's highest mountain is called Pidurutalagala which is 2524 m above sea level.

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Travel Tips and Trivia for Sri Lanka

Most cities in Sri Lanka are connected by railway lines which are run by the national railway society Sri Lanka Railways. Currently there are governmental initiatives to develop a highspeed-railway-network.
The national Sri Lanka Transport Board coordinates the bus system on the island.
The marine traffic system has got a length of 430 km. The biggest ports are located in Colombo, Trincomalee and Galle. Additionally there is an inland port in Kankesanturai.
In Sri Lanka there are twelve airports. Bandaranaike International Airport is Sri Lanka’s only international airport. It is located in Katunayake, 35 km East of Colombo. Sri Lankan Airlines is the national airline.
- January 14/15: Thai Pongal (Harvest Festival)
- February 4: National Holiday
- March 20: Spring equinox
- April 13: Sinhala and Tamil New Year
- May 1: Labour Day
- June 21: Summer Solstice
- September 22: Autumn equinox
- December 21: Winter Solstice
- December 24: Christmas Eve
- December 25: Christmas Day
Flexible holidays: Duruthu Poya, Unduvap Poya, Navam Poya, Mahasivarathri, Medin Poya, Holi festival, Bak Poya, Good Friday, Easter, Vesakh Poya, Poson Poya, Eid-al-Fitr (Festival of Breaking the Fast), Esala Poya, Raksha Bandhan, Nikini Poya, Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Eid-al-Adha (Festival of the Sacrifice), Binara Poya, Navaratri, Dussehra, Vap Poya, Il Poya, Diwali, Milad un Nabi (Birthday of Mohammed)
- Do not underestimate the distances in Sri Lanka, even though they might seem short on the map. To get from point A to point B in Sri Lanka, you usually need hours or even days.
- When you travel in the highlands, we recommend taking the train. It may be slow, but the reward is a breathtaking view.
- Make sure that you check the common prices for food and other goods before you buy something. Otherwise it might happen that you are going to pay the double or even threefold price.
- You should buy a local SIM-card. 3G-mobile-networks are well established in Sri Lanka.
- Do not hesitate to try local food. Sri Lanka’s kitchen is famous for its rice- and curry-dishes.
- If you see wild elephants, you should keep distance to them and not disturb.

Climate in Sri Lanka

The climate in Sri Lanka is tropical with different quantities of precipitation (depending on the monsoon-season). Temperatures vary from 16°C in Nuwara Eliya in the central highlands to 32°C in Trincomalee on the north coast. The average temperature in the country is between 28°C and 30°C. The coldest month is January, the hottest one is May.

Flora and Fauna in Sri Lanka

Due to large numbers of endemic plants and animals Sri Lanka is considered as a “hot-spot of biodiversity”. According to the different rainfall areas the vegetation changes from West to East: In the West tropic vegetation can be found in areas with high quantity of precipitation, in the northern and eastern part of the island there is mainly xerophytic vegetation (plants which are adapted to extreme aridity).
Coco, rice, sugar cane, tea plants, indigo, tobacco, coffee, cinchona and plenty of herbs (cinnamon, chili, curcuma) are the most important cultivated plants in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka's fauna is full of exotic species monitor lizards, crocodiles and giant snakes like the black-tailed python. People who are into bird-watching will be fascinated by wild-living crows, colourful parrots, cormorants and other exotic birds. Furthermore there are different primates, spotted deers and wild boars. In Sri Lanka there is one of the last places where highly endangered Asian Elephants and Sri-Lanka-Leopards can be observed in the wild.
In contrast to those cats, crocodiles, numerous parrots, peacocks and kingfishers as well as several species of monkeys and in particular many langurs can be seen in the whole country. The tropical rainforests of the southern region are home to Indian elephants and also different species of snakes.

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Social Geography of Sri Lanka

The major part of Sri Lanka's population is Singhalese. According to the last census in 2012 74.9% of the people is Singhalese. The biggest ethnic minority is called Tamils (15.4%), which can be divided into Sri-Lanka-Tamils and Indian Tamils. The local Sri-Lanka-Tamils represent 11.2% of the population. They live mainly in the northern and eastern provinces. The Indian Tamils (4.2%) are descendants of Tamils who migrated from India to Sri Lanka during the time of British colonialism in order to work as plantation workers. Nowadays they live in the central highlands, in the tea growing areas. 9.2% of Sri Lanka’s people are Moors, a Tamil-speaking Muslim community whose people are descendants of Arabic traders. The indigenous people are called Vedda who are highly endangered due to assimilation towards Singhalese people.