Kurunegala , is the capital of the Wayamba Province, Sri Lanka and the Kurunegala District. A transport hub, it has a railway station, and several main roads linking important parts of the country. Kurunegala is situated about 94 ;km from Colombo, and 42 ;km from Kandy. Ethagala a rock reaching 316 meters, towers over the town, which is located at an altitude of 116 meters above sea level. The shape of Ethagala resembles an Elephant.Kurunegala has been named after the Elephant rock. "Kurune" means Tusker or an Elephant with protruding teeth and Gala in Sinhala means rock. Kurunai means Tusker or an Elephant and Gal in Tamil means rock or hill. Kurunegala's old name was Hasthishaila-pura, which can be translated as The city of the Elephant rock in Sanskrit. In some ancient literature the word Athugal-pura is also employed to describe the city of Kurunegala.Nearby are three archeological cities - Parakramapura with remains of a moated palace and monasteries from the 12th century, Dambadeniya , and Yapahuwa .

Kurunegala enjoys a pleasant location overlooked by huge rocky outcrops some of which have been given names of the animals they resemble Elephant rock, Tortoise rock etc. According to folklore legend, long time back the city had experienced a severe drought. To exacerbate matters for the humans, animals had threatened the city's storage capabilities by consuming huge amounts of water. Fortunately for the humans, a witch had volunteered to alleviate the problem, transforming some of the animals magically into stone figures.

Kurunegala had a citadel in the thirteenth century. It's ascendancy as an ancient capital of Sri Lanka, began with a series of events that took place during the late 12th century at Yapahuwa. The sacred tooth relic which was in the Yapahuwa Kingdom was taken away by a warlord Arya Chackrawarthi to the Pandyan country during the rule of Buwaneka Bahu I from 1272 to 1284. The tooth relic was brought back by King Parakrama Bahu III who ruled from Kurunegala between 1287 to 1293. Over the next half a century Kurunegala was the capital and the governing centre for three other kings of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka Buddhist pilgrimage tours

Being a religious country, Sri Lanka has a lot many religious places, which attracts tourists from all over the world. Buddhism is the mostly followed religion in Sri Lanka, so most of the pilgrim attractions in Sri Lanka are related to Buddhism.

The major attractions include Temple of Tooth that houses the Sacred tooth relic of Lord Buddha ,Sri Pada Peak (Adam's Peak), Dambulla golden temple and Anuradhapura. These religious places are the perfect spots to get some solace and courage and to face the challenges of life.

The Temple of the Tooth Relic houses the sacred Tooth Relic of "Lord Buddha" and is one of the most significant building in Kandy. The temple is a place of regard for the Buddhists worldwide. The temple is known as 'Dalada Maligawa' among locals.

Adam's Peak is one of the ancient and sacred pilgrim destinations of Sri Lanka. It is considered sacred by Muslims, Christians and Buddhists as well. The peak is 2,243 meters high.

Golden Temple, Dambulla is a sacred pilgrimage site, a cave monastery with five sanctuaries. It is one of the largest and best-preserved cave temples in Sri Lanka. The temple complex has ancient Buddhist mural paintings of 15th and 16th century and 157 wonderful statues.

Anuradhapura: Buddhism came to Sri Lanka some 236 years after the death of Buddha and at that point of time, Anuradhapura was the capital of the country. The ruler during this period was Devanam Piya Tissa, a contemporary of the great India king Ashoka who spread Buddhism to many countries. With the introduction of Buddhism, the city grew in importance and the great building era began. This era saw the construction of a number of huge monastery complexes and some of the tallest buildings of the ancient world.

Sri Lanka agro tours

In recent times there has been a substantial increase in the concept of Agro tourism, the world over, with Sri Lanka being no exception to same.

Sri Lanka's complex paddy cultivation systems, developed over the course of 2500 years and more, huge ancient irrigational tanks and many tea and rubber plantations are just some examples of its diverse agricultural developments which ensures its ability to cater to a niche market of agro tourists.

We can arrange diverse experiences ranging from milking cattle on a dairy farm, having a go at plucking tea leaves using the traditional ‘bag-on-the-head' method, rubber tapping under expert guidance, or even working in the many picturesque paddy fields of Sri Lanka!

Sri Lanka Bird Watching Tours

Sri Lanka has recorded more than 468 species of birds. There are a total of 339 varieties of birds found in Sri Lanka and a further 129 species of migrant birds. A total of 26 species of the birds found are native birds. The seasonal migrant birds those shuttle between the North and South Pole often use the island as the point of relaxation due to its strategic location. A bird watcher could expect to observe much as 230 species at any given time.

Kumana Bird Sanctuary

Kumana a National Park, situated to the northeast of the Yala National Park, is a habitat for local birds and migratory aquatic birds including flamingoes, ibis, herons, pheasants particularly impressive in the man grove swamps. Herds of elephants can also be spotted although leopards and bears are more elusive.

Sinharaja man and biosphere reserve

A world heritage site since 1988 this is arguably the most important site in Sri Lanka and is internationally important for its biodiversity. The reserve encompasses some of the few remaining sizeable tracts of undisturbed primary lowland rainforest. Much of the birding, however, is done in areas that were once subject to selective logging.

Bellanwila-Attidiya Bird Sanctuary

The santuary is a precious residual fragment of the once extensive marshlands around Colombo. It is of major importance as a wildlife refuge as well as a flood retention area for Colombo. Although its surroundings are far from salubrious, it is rich in species and well worth a visit.

Kandalama Sanctuary

There is 55 acre forest with a variety of trees, some 100 years or more in age, around the Kandalama tank including medicinal plants and a rich and varied bird life. Kandalama offers one of the best bird watching opportunities in the north central province. The diversity in habitat and the tank provides the visitors the opportunity to observe more than 145 species, which is almost one third of total number of bird life in Sri Lanka. This population consists of the arboreal, terrestrial and aquatic birds. One can also observe many waders and raptors too.

Udawattekale Sanctuary

Located in Kandy, which is a tract of rainforest rich in species that has enjoyed protection from historical times

Victoria Park

Setting in Nuwaraeliya, it is an ornamental park in the heart of town that has gained a reputation for birds.

Hakgala Botanical Gardens

The most favorable place for bird watching, Hakgala Botanical Gardens are the important fragment of elfin forest situated above the Hakgala Botanical Gardens.

Kalametiya

Kalametiya is a wetland with two brackish lagoons, mangrove swamps and open areas with pockets of scrub jungle. It is a very important site for migrant shorebirds.

Bundala National Park

This small coastal sanctuary is ideal to bask in quiet solitude. Watch huge crocodiles along the brackish marshes, take a dip in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, and see large flocks of water birds and migrants! A Paradise for birders!

Dambana Veddah Village

The Aboriginal People still exist! And their culture is indeed unique to the world. The natives are quite friendly. So you can meet the Chief, get to know them, and even join them on a mock hunt.

Gal Oya National Park

The placid waters of Gal Oya Lake, where human settlements are rare, are surrounded by a thick forest inhabited by every type of animal in Sri Lanka.

Sinharaja Rain forest

Its rare trees and plants make it a UNESCO World Heritage Site! A naturalist's dream, with exciting trails through the rainforest teeming with rare birds, butterflies, insects, and mammals, and indigenous fish in its gurgling mountain streams.

Wasgamuwa National Park

The lush forests by the Mahaweli River offer a classic range of wildlife – elephants, leopards, bears, deer, sambhur…

Udawalawe National Park

An elephant-lover’s dream! The grasslands around the Udawalawe Lake are the range for huge numbers of these magnificent beasts.

Wilpattu National Park

The thick untouched jungles offer a unique tranquility and one-ness with nature. By the picturesque ‘villus’ (waterholes), catch a glimpse of a leopard sunning itself on a bough, or a lone elephant crashing through trees!

Sri Lanka Camping

We believe that the best way to experience nature is right in the heart of it! The concept of fully movable camping means that we can offer exactly that, taking our guests to locations of Sri Lanka that are simply inaccessible to the usual hotel crowd.

All our campsites are in prime locations, either selected by our own experienced product development team or sites belonging to the Wildlife and Forest Department of Sri Lanka . We offer a huge variety of ‘tried and tested' locations in which we operate camping programmes on a regular basis, however we are also always open to requests, proving just how ‘movable' our ‘movable camping programmes' really are! Our attention to detail with special features such as a uniquely dramatic lighting of the campfire, illuminating oil or copra torches, make-shift outdoor restaurant and a global cuisine certain to tantalize your taste-buds, its fair to say that your camping tour will be an experience never to be forgotten!

We offer various different standards of camping experiences, including Participatory camping, Luxury camping, and Super-Luxury camping in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka Cultural Tours

Sri Lanka contains an astonishing seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites within its compact shores - the same number as heritage-packed Egypt. Six cultural sites are testament to a civilization with over 2,000 years of recorded history, while a seventh natural site boasts some of the highest biodiversity found outside the Amazon basin.

From colossal ancient monuments and serene rock carvings in sprawling ruined cities, to a 5th century AD king's palace in the clouds, the World Heritage Sites showcase the island's rich history and contribution to civilization. The largest and most dramatic of these are located in the so-called Cultural Triangle, the area formed by linking the ancient capitals of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Kandy. It's a living heritage, where the visitor will see Buddhist monks and reverent devotees and hear the hypnotic murmur of religious invocations - all of which bring the crumbling brick temples, granite statues and towering dagobas of Sri Lanka's ancient cities to life.

Through the heritage sites the visitor can re-live some of the seminal episodes in the island's past - the introduction of Buddhism, which inspired kings to undertake astounding feats of engineering; the complex palace intrigues; the repeated invasions and conquests; and ultimately, the capitulation to the European colonial powers.

Experiencing Sri Lanka's heritage sites takes you on a spiritual journey that will uplift and amaze, inspire and refresh. The island's compact dimensions mean that it is possible to combine a visit to several of these marvels in the Cultural Triangle during even the briefest of visits.

Sri Lanka Yoga Holidays

Yoga dates back to the Vedic period in India at least 5,000 years ago which was a significant period of cultural and spiritual development. The word `Yoga’ is derived from the Sanskrit root ‘yuj’ which means to merge or unite. Yoga is based on the concept that the body and breath are intimately connected with the mind. By controlling breathing and holding the body in steady postures, known in yogic terms as ‘Asanas’, stagnant energy centres open up, contributing to better physical health, mental peace and well-being. Yoga has been practiced for thousands of years in South Asia as a beneficial complement to Ayurvedic medicine and healing. Ayurveda and Yoga come from the same philosophical background and examines the mind– body relationship from the perspective of maintenance of health and the treatment of disease. Today, people are turning to yoga for many reasons from stress management to maintaining optimum levels of health and well-being.

Special InterestsSri Lanka Ayurveda Holidays

Ayurveda derived from two sanskrit words - Ayur (life) and Veda (knowledge) is a form of indigenous medical treatment known to Sri Lanka and India for over 3000 years. Modern day C21st. ayurvedic treatment or alternative medicine based on natural healing has two aims: to preserve health - wellbeing and cure a body afflicted by disease or stress.

Ayurvedic practice is different to western medicine using pharmaceutical medicines with side effects. Westerners visiting Sri Lanka use gentle alternative medicine nature treatments at ayurveda health resorts designed for foreign tourists to restore their general well being.

The basic concept of ayurveda and ayurvedic medical treatment is just as animal and plant life has to live in harmony with the Laws of Nature to remain healthy and balanced so too do human beings despite industrialization.

Ayurveda is a gentle method of maintaining health in a person by treating the root causes of illness in both mind and body. Ayurveda and ayurvedic treatments return patients to health by using the inherent principles of nature. Regain your well being in the tranquil relaxing environment of a choice of luxurious ayurveda resorts in the paradise tropical island of Sri Lanka with its all year round summer weather.

Welcome to Holiday Lanka Tours

Holiday Lanka Tours - The Home of great value Sri Lanka travel packages, Sri Lanka tours, vacations and holidays in Sri Lanka.

Through this website we invite you to take a glimpse of Sri Lanka, which is not only the lustrous Pearl of the Indian Ocean, but one of the most exciting locations for your next tour, vacation. You will be enticed by the rich diversity of sights and sensations that this little island has to offer. Step into the island and discover.

This is your one stop travel shop to find and book the best travel packages Sri Lanka has to offer. Choose a Tour Package or create one of your own and leave the rest to us. Contact us now and get one step closer to your dream Sri Lanka Tour today.

Our goal is to provide a unique, unforgettable travel experience that reflects the traveller’s true desires and interests and perform this service with professionalism, creativity and knowledge. We want our clients to experience the real Sri Lanka, rather than see it.