Sri Lanka: An Island Paradise

Explore the Pearl of the Indian Ocean

The teardrop-shaped island of Sri Lanka lies off the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent. The legendary explorer Marco Polo who visited the Sri Lanka in the 13th century was captivated by its natural beauty and hospitable people and regarded as ‘the finest island of its size in the world’. Popularly referred to as the ‘Emerald Isle’ over the years, Sri Lanka, an island rich in history has been referred to by many names including ‘Serendib’ by the Arab traders, ‘Taprobana’ by the Greeks in the 4th century and ‘Ceylon’ during the period of British rule.

With a tropical climate, surrounded by golden sandy beaches and turquoise waters, this island paradise is a year-round destination for holidaymakers seeking sun, sand and sea. The oceans are abundant with life, and amazing coral reefs. The deeper waters are home to marine giants such as the Blue Whale, the largest animal to have ever lived.

Sri Lanka boasts a rich natural heritage, with amazing wildlife and biodiversity and incredibly for an island of its size can boast of iconic megafaunas such as leopards, elephants and sloth bears. The island is also regarded as a biodiversity hotspot and teams with endemic birds, reptiles, amphibians as well as plant species found nowhere else on earth. With numerous man-made lakes and rivers running through its interior, lush tropical rainforests, mangroves and coastal lagoons, misty highlands laden with waterfalls and dry zone scrub jungles, Sri Lanka comprise a wide range of picturesque landscapes and natural habitats which can be compared to that of a much larger continent.