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ASIA INFORMATION
Sri Lanka Holidays And Its British Appeal   by Pankaj Mohan
 

Sri Lanka could be described as one of the most beautiful islands around the world. It is situated just off the southern Indian fringe at about 600 miles north of the equator in the Indian Ocean. There is strong evidence that human civilization has existed in this tiny island nation for over 2000 years now. The island's teeming natural beauties, a great legacy of its historic events, and a well-admired ability to host the outside world have always been applauded by travelers. Those who love examining ancient worlds, the serenity of nature and going through the excitement of life will always want to be part of Sri Lanka holidays. Travel companies selling hot deals, including those to Sri Lanka in the name of last minute holidays, could be found trading from all major countries across the globe.
Boy Standing on Seashore Galle, Sri Lanka
Until gaining its independence in 1948, Sri Lanka had remained part of the British Empire for roughly about 150 years. The island’s control was gained by the British East India Company during the late 18th century and it was fully commissioned as a British colony in the year 1802. It never got integrated with the neighboring British India however, and was finally declared independent soon after the end of Second World War. Native Sri Lankans had already been exposed to the influences of modern education and western living style before being granted complete independence. One could still witness imprints of that British era, while traveling across Sri Lanka’s terrain in the modern days. It makes the Sri Lanka Holidays even more attractive therefore, especially for those hailing from the UK.

The British hierarchy in Sri Lanka had begun growing tea, coffee, sugar, rubber and cinnamon from the very beginning of their stay and brought many Tamil workers from India to help speed up the whole exercise. They did not only construct modern schools, colleges and roads, but were also the chief architect of a unified Sri Lanka. There were three separate kingdoms existent across this island before the British finally arrived. The highlight of an ancient Sri Lanka apart from its British heritage includes the 5th century rock fortress at Sigiriya, the fascinating ruins of the ancient capitals of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, the royal legacy of Kandy, the cave temples at Dambulla and many more similar tourism destinations.

It takes only about nine and half hours to fly down to Colombo from London. Several types of Sri Lanka holidays are there to choose from, if one desired spending their last minute holidays in this fascinating land. The region carries one of the best sea beaches and resorts found anywhere in the world, and its hospitality is well admired by travelers from across the globe. There is a rich variety of flora and fauna, water falls and adventure activities available for those who might desire to have some exciting moments. Of course, buying up last minute holidays to Sri Lanka is the best way for getting unwound from one's hectic daily schedules. And it takes only a few mouse clicks to book them.

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About the Author:

Pankaj Mohan is a freelance writer who often writes on behalf of Mercury-Direct.co.uk. Kindly visit this site to know more about various traveling packages, including those in the group of Sri Lanka holidays and last minute holidays, apart from many others. 
 

FEATURED HOTELS IN COLOMBO, SRI LANKA
View the full list of Colombo Hotels
Airport Garden Hotel, Colombo, Sri Lanka  **
Just five minutes away from the airport, amidst a garden of green palms that let you know you're in a tropical paradise, lies the Taj Airport Garden, the home for busy business persons. Overlooking the Negombo Lagoon, this first-class hotel offers comfortable accommodations for a relaxing holiday or business trip. It is ideally situated for visitors to the area and has a welcoming atmosphere with friendly and hospitable service. The hotel has excellent facilities as well as comfortable guest rooms and public areas. All of the guest rooms are comfortable and nicely equipped to give a feeling of relaxed luxury. The hotel features a variety of facilities and services that are sure to meet the needs of both business and leisure travellers. This property was built in 1986 renovated in 2001.
Galle Face Hotel, Colombo, Sri Lanka  ***1/2
Located in Colombo, Sri Lanka, the Galle Face Hotel overlooks a kilometer-long manicured lawn called the Galle Face Green. This seaside hotel is positioned near tea plantations, wildlife sanctuaries and elephant safari sites. The hotel's arched façade leads to a gracious lobby decorated in colonial-style with natural-wood furnishings. Dining options include the sea spray restaurant, where gourmet seafood delicacies are served under the stars. The Verandah restaurant prepares buffet-style breakfasts and continental, American and Sri Lankan specialties. Haunting ethnic music plays in the wine lounge that retains an ample stock of fine wines. The 1864 restaurant affords fine-dining ambience and prepares artfully arranged gourmet cuisine. The Galle Face Hotel's air-conditioned guestrooms offer sea and Galle Face Green views.
Hilton Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka  ***1/2
The only hotel linked by a walkway to Colombo’s World Trade Center, the city-centre Hilton Colombo hotel overlooks the Indian Ocean. Enjoy the gym, sauna, outdoor pool and tennis and squash courts. Do business in the Executive Lounge and 24-hour business centre or unwind in any of 10 restaurants and bars.  Sip cocktails at the Poolside Bar, try Sri Lankan cuisine at the Curry Leaf or Szechuan dishes at the Emperor’s Wok at the Hilton Colombo hotel.  All Hilton Colombo hotel rooms, from Rooms to Suites, boast high-speed internet access. Opt for an Executive Room for Executive Lounge access.
Hilton Colombo Residence, Colombo, Sri Lanka
The Hilton Colombo Residence is a smart towering apartment complex situated in the capital's central business district, three kilometres from the harbour. This 33-floor hotel features 168 contemporary suites decorated in light tones with wooden floors. All suites have separate living and dining areas and modern kitchen facilities with washing machines. In-room amenities include air conditioning, satellite television, cd players, safes, hair dryers, and high-speed internet connections.  Dining options include a vibrant a la carte restaurant, a European-style café serving freshly baked breads and desserts and an Asian terrace bistro; round the clock room service is also offered. Guests can cool off in the outdoor swimming pool or relax on the terrace with a drink from the poolside bistro.
View the full list of Colombo Hotels
HOTELS IN AREAS SURROUNDING COLOMBO, SRI LANKA
View the full list of hotels in the area surrounding Colombo, Sri Lanka
Deer Park Hotel, Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka  ****
Deer Park Hotel in Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka is your window to the magnificent past of Sri Lanka's ancient civilizations and Unesco World Heritage sites. Let the cottages in Deer Park Hotel bring you right into the midst of nature. Set within peaceful jungle scenery and next door to the calm beauty of the Giritale Reservoir, this is the perfect place to rest after an eventful day of cultural adventure or ecological trekking. Known as the ancient hunting ground of Sri Lankan royalty, the jungle surrounding Deer Park Hotel itself oozes tranquility and is home to an abundance of flora and fauna. Individual cottages weave intimately around the forest, which echoes cultures past and present. All 77 cottages are comfortably furnished with double or twin beds, living area with day bed, dressing area, air-conditioning, ceiling fan and satellite TV.
Dickwella Village Resort, Dickwella Village, Sri Lanka  ***
The main building has been built on the reef in such a soft way that you can enjoy the breakfast facing the reef.  The big ocean terrace has seen the commotion of thousands of guests having dinner by candlelight, the music of the ocean, the fisherman at sea with their lights like a diamond chain, the Dondra lighthouse and an unforgettable sky were the stars astonish you.  The rooms are very large, all with hot and cold water, Air Conditioning, hair-dryer, fan, minibar, tea/coffeemaker, some rooms have television and the furniture in the superior rooms are antique.  All the rooms have a balcony or terrace facing the Indian Ocean with no further distance than 15 meters.  We have a pizzeria beside our salt water swimming-pool with Jacuzzi were you can enjoy your lunch in your bathing costume.  Our restaurants with Italian touch, change from inside to the ocean terrace or we have dinner around the pool.
Eden Resort and Spa, Beruwela, Sri Lanka  ****
The Eden Resort & Spa, a sprawling five-acre beachfront paradise located on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka, is known as the "Golden Mile" of Beruwela Beach. Couples can take a leisurely sunset walk six blocks along the beach to see the historic Beruwela Harbour and lighthouse, or take a day tour and group excursion to many of Sri Lanka's architectural and natural wonders, museums and fantastic botanical gardens. This contemporary-style hotel is unequaled in east-meets-west culture and style, featuring complimentary buffet-style breakfasts and on-site restaurants that serve everything from Asian fusion cuisine to classic continental meals. Guestrooms have modern Danish-style furnishings, hardwood floors, private balconies with sea views, air- conditioning, elegant four-poster beds with soft cream- colored draping, hypoallergenic bedding, extra towels and linens...
Golden Sun Resort, Kalutara, Sri Lanka  ***
A contemporary hotel with a fabulous view of the sea - Unwind and relax in 100 Air conditioned ultra-modern, beach front rooms and cabanas, and savour superbly prepared culinary delights which will have you craving for more - It is also the ideal venue to mix business with pleasure as the hotel is equipped with the most up-to-date facilities and Conference halls. For a magical holiday by the beach high on luxury, sun, and sand.
Heritance Ahungalle, Ahungalla, Sri Lanka  ****
The Heritance Ahungalla rises from the sea in the quaint fishing village of Ahungalla, Sri Lanka. This luxury property stands near the uniquely Dutch-influenced Ambagahapityia Welitara Buddhist temple. The Ariyapala Mask Museum, located 10 kilometers away in Ambalangoda, is famous for mask making and native dancing exhibitions. This hotel's main restaurant features an intimate, dramatically designed interior with an exotic batik-cloth dome, where the speciality is harvests from the sea. A fine-dining venue features timbered grillwork decor, and opens to reveal the pool and ocean by day. Energy pulsates at the hotel's discotheque and karaoke lounge. This property features a gracious, colonnaded indoor lap pool and an expansive infinity pool that appears to merge with the ocean. This property features 155 guestrooms with sophisticated, contemporary design that supports modern convenience while Sri Lankan accents provide reminders of the island's rich cultural traditions.
Hibiscus Beach Hotel, Kalutara, Sri Lanka  **1/2
Kalutara is where the tropical beaches of Sri Lanka’s west coast really begin. The capital, Colombo, lies about 80 minutes to the north, the pace of life begins to slow and the palm trees begin to sway to the breezes of the Indian Ocean. Hibiscus Beach has the most natural feel of any of Kalutara’s small collection of beach hotels. If the beach does not quite rival the vast sandy expanse of Bentota, the hotel’s own sandy area, strewn with palm trees, provides a surprisingly satisfying and private addition. Fifty standard rooms and six villas with terraces (five with jacuzzis, one with plunge pool) have all been refurbished in 2005. There is also a new family villa (sleeps six) with private balconies, an open-air bathroom and jacuzzi.
Lighthouse Hotel, - Galle, Sri Lanka  ****
Poised on a knoll overlooking a palm-bordered beach, the Lighthouse Hotel stands in the city of Galle along the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka. The Kottawa Forest Reserve is located 19 kilometers away.   This luxury resort offers on-site dining at the poolside Anchor Bar & Grill, the elegant Cinnamon Room and the Cardamom café. Culinary delights range from traditional beef burgers to tamarind glazed steak of yellow fin tuna and wok seared jumbo tiger prawns. Children's and vegetarian menus are available. The Adam & Eve dining experience offers three-course dinner service followed by a floral bath under the stars. This three-story, smoke-free resort features 63 air-conditioned guestrooms equipped with wireless internet access. Rooms reflect Sri Lankan design with polished hardwood floors, native-wood furniture and an interplay of teal, canary-yellow and cloud-white color schemes.
The Beach, Negombo, Sri Lanka  ****
The Beach rests along a picturesque stretch of private beach in Negombo, Sri Lanka. This resort is located en route to the cultural triangle and the hill country of Sri Lanka.   This resort, which was refurbished in 2005, integrates the architectural concept of natural simplicity with the appeal of modern design. Dining is offered at the Black Coral and the Sands restaurants that prepare international and Sri Lankan cuisine. Health and vegetarian menus are available upon request. Starlit dinners are served on the beach, and a poolside bar offers refreshments. This three-story resort offers 75 guestrooms and suites that extend onto private Indian Ocean-view balconies or terraces. Island-style décor features rich, natural-wood furniture, tiled floors and white fabric accents.
The Blue Water, Thalpitiya, Sri Lanka  ***1/2
The Blue Water, located 30 kilometers south of Colombo, Sri Lanka, is a spa resort fronted by the Indian Ocean and bordered by the coconut palms that grace picturesque Wadduwa Beach. Shops and pharmacies are positioned nearby. The hotel was designed by reputed Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa. This water-themed resort features ponds, streams, fountains and a waterway that winds through the lobby. The Admiral's Room restaurant prepares Italian, Mexican And Indian-themed buffets, and Sri Lankan gourmet dishes. The Seven Seas 24-hour coffee shop serves international fare.The palm-lined outdoor pool is one of the largest in the world and features a bar that serves poolside refreshments. This property offers 96 air-conditioned guestrooms that extend onto sea-view balconies or terraces.
FEATURED VACATION RENTAL IN SRI LANKA
KANDY
Self-catering accommodation in Kandy, Sri Lanka House On The Rock, Kandy, Sri Lanka
Fully furnished, holiday home in Kandy, with panoramic views. The house is only a 5 minutes drive from the centre of Kandy, up into the hills surrounding the town. The house is beautifully decorated and consists of a newly fitted kitchen to western style and large garden facing fantastic panoramic views over the Knuckles range and Mahaveli river. Its a bird watchers paradise and is ideal to use as a base to travel around Srilanka. Can sleep up to 9 people. Available for lets of up to six month.  Situated in a quiet and secluded location overlooking spectacular panoramic views and you can wake up to the sounds of birds. To the back of the house is a large garden facing views of the Knuckles mountain range and the Mahaveli river.  The garden has plenty of room for fun and games or just to relax and get a tan. You can witness beautiful sunrises and sunsets from the comfort of your room.
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