Sri Lanka Holiday Tour Packages & Hotel Reservations| Serendivus Travel & Tours

Stay One Night Free – 5 Days 4 Nights Tour Sri Lanka

admin — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 01:45:38 +0000

Uncommon Hindu Attractions

admin — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 12:05:43 +0000

Posted from Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka.

Sita Amman Temple

Located on the outskirts of the Nuwara Eliya town, the Sita Amman Kovil is a quaint little temple with statues of Rama, Sita, Hanuman, Lakshmana and Sugriva. According to the Indian epic Ramayanaya, the area where Sita, Queen of King Rama of Ayodhya in India, who was abducted by King Ravana of Sri Lanka and was kept hidden in the area and she roamed the hill country of Sri Lanka.

Sri Baktha Hanuman Temple, Ramboda

According to the ancient stories, Ramboda is a area, where the forces of Rama’s gather to fight against King Ravana. This temple was built by the Chinmaya mission of Sri Lanka and dedicated to Hanuman. This temple houses for 16 feel height statue of Hanuman.

Matale Sri Muththumari Amman

Sri Muththumari Amman in Matale has done several miraculous deeds to her devout devotees. Several years ago a woman who lost her Thali during Ther festival got it back with the grace of Goddess Sri Muththumari Amman. It is very often said that “the creator of the Universe Brahma resides in the naval of Lord Vishnu.

Divurumpola – Welimada

Divurumpola means a ‘place of oath’. This is the place where Sita underwent the “Agni” test. She came unscathed and proved her innocence and purity.

Hanuma – Foot Print

Hanuma’s foot print at Sitha Amman Kovil. More details to be published.

Visit Yala, Don’t Invade

admin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 04:29:31 +0000

Please take few minutes to read the message in the embedded images below. Please forward it to people who can help spread the message to conserve Yala and its pride ” The Leopard”.

Image Courtesy : http://www.lakdasun.org

Sri Lanka welcomes 800,000th tourist

admin — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 04:45:53 +0000

Achieving another remarkable milestone in the country’s booming tourism industry, Sri Lanka Tourism welcomed the arrival of 800,000th tourist in year 2011 at the Bandaranaike International Airport today (19th Dec.) evening. This is the first time ever; the tourism industry has received number of arrivals exceeding 800,000 in any given year, making it a ground breaking figure in tourism records. Chairman of Sri Lanka Tourism-Dr.Nalaka Godahewa and Managing Director –Mr. Rumy Jauffeur with a group of representatives from travel and tourism Industry warmly welcomed the guest who arrived via UL 501 Sri Lankan Airlines flight from London.

Sri Lanka Tourism offered a special gift and a complimentary package to the tourist who arrived today to visit country’s well- known attractions. During year 2010, total number of tourist arrivals were recorded as 654,476 nos. as opposed to 800,000 in 2012 so far, which is a 33.1% annual growth. This year has seen a massive contribution to this total from India, Japan, Germany, U.K, France, Netherlands, Italy, and Middle Eastern countries. The month of November 2011 breaks another record being the month which received the highest number of tourists – 90,889 numbers in the history of Sri Lanka Tourism calender years.

Source : News.lk

Yet Again Sri Lanka Among The Top Destinations in 2012- Nationalgeographic

admin — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 06:30:29 +0000

National Geographic Traveler Magazine has named Sri Lanka among top 6 destinations for world travelers in 2012, focusing on island hill country, heritage sites, and pristine beaches.

Sri Lanka’s hill country features stunning scenery, tea plantations, and ancient Buddhist temples. Few places in the world can offer the traveler such a remarkable combination of stunning landscapes, pristine beaches, captivating cultural heritage and unique experiences within such a compact location. Within a mere area of65, 610 kilometers lie 8 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, 1,330 kilometers of coastline – much of it pristine beach – 15 national parks showcasing an abundance of wildlife, nearly 500,000 acres of lush tea estates, 250 acres of botanical gardens, 350 waterfalls, 25,000 water bodies, to a culture that extends back to over 2,500 years.

View Sri Lanka Photo Gallery

Sri Lanka Photo Collection – by Sri Lanka Tourist Board

admin — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 08:46:31 +0000

Below are a collection of photographs that were shared by Sri Lanka Tourism . Sri Lanka is undoubtedly one of the world’s best nature reserves and one of the most beautiful island in the world.

Top 8 Adventurous Things To Do In Sri Lanka

admin — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 17:11:03 +0000

Sri Lanka is an island that promises all kinds of adventures. This little nation of the magnificent vistas and awesome adventures has something for all the adventurers that go seeking their adrenalin fix to Sri Lanka. There’s everything from surfing to paragliding to o whale watching to hiking to be done while in Sri Lanka.

1. Surfing in Sri Lanka

Arugam-Bay-Surf-sri Lanka

Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, Sri Lanka is a surfer’s paradise you must visit. The most popular spot for surfing in Sri Lanka is Arugambay beach on the south east coast. Located at 314 kms from Colombo, Arugam bay is one of top 10 surf l spots in the world. This spot is popular with beginner and intermediate surfers, with sandy breaks that cushion one’s fall and reasonably sized pipes. For expert surfers, the west coast offers beaches with bigger and more formidable pipes. You can get surfing lessons here at reasonable prices as well. More information visit www.arugam.info

2. Scuba Diving & Deep Sea Diving in Sri Lanka

Photo credit : www.divesrilanka.com

Scuba Diving

You can obtain a 4-day scuba diving course from a Sri Lankan Professional Diving School by the beach. Beginner divers aren’t allowed to go too deep or range too far, but there are many wrecks around the coast that you can explore comfortably with a guide. Check out the lush Staghorn Coral Reef, Leather Coral Reef, Irrachchal Reef and watch out for the Northern Indian Ocean blue whales as you dive. Some diving sites in Sri Lanka are better than those found in Maldives.

Deep Sea Diving

The Sri Lankan coast is famed for its many buried ships. Several of these wrecks have been discovered, but many are still lost. This provides a great motivation for people to come here to go deep sea diving, in the hopes of locating the SS Norviken or the British Sergeant that are still missing.

Several wrecks are located fairly deep in the sea such as the SS Rangoon, H.M.S Hermes, The Earl Of Shaftsbury, H.M.S Conch, H.M.S Diomede and so on. The Great Basses & Little Basses Lighthouses off Kirinda and Yala have some Surat Silver Coin wrecks to explore as well.

3. Hiking & Trekking in Sri Lanka

There are many of opportunities awaiting in Sri Lanka for nature lovers.Hortain Plains, Adams Peak , Lipton Seat ,Knuckles mountain range and Corbett’s Gap are few of the most popular palces. To explore the nature beauty of the country you must defenitly go for a this kind of tour.

Knuckles Sunrise

4. White Water Rafting in Sri Lanka

Photo Credit :www.raftersretreat.com

Sri Lanka’s waters offer you fabulous White Water Rafting experiences, such as the Kelani River in Kitul gala, which has 5 major and 4 minor rapids. White Water Rafting tours can be arranged by several tour companies in Sri Lanka.

Make sure you rent the best possible equipment. Combine White Water Rafting with Canyoning and adventurous confidence jumps for more fun.

Not only the Water Rafting activities such as mountain-biking, cultural sites and sites of fruit orchards and lowland tea plantations can be experienced at the Kitulgala.

5. Jeep Safari in Sri Lanka

Photo Credit : www.flickr.com/photos/janesha_b

A long jeep safari through the many National Parks of Sri Lanka is an adventure by itself.

The Udawalawe National Park is famous for wild Elephants ( approximately 400 ) . Yala National Park ,Wasgomuwa National Park,Kumana National Park,Willpattu National Parka, Minnariya and Kaudulla are the best for wild life tours in Sri Lanka.

When you hire a Jeep Safari make sure you get the guidance of your tour company , other wise you will end up by paying a big amount to Safari People.

6. Mountain Biking in Sri Lanka

Mountain Biking in Sri Lanka – Photo Credit :www.teatrails.com

Sri Lanka is full of quiet back roads, highlands, misty tea plantations, dense jungles, national parks and so on, all of them strewn with lumpy and uneven roads. The country’s varied and diverse topography makes it ideal for the mountain bike adventurer. You can easily load your bike on a train to cross areas that you cannot bike your way through. A lot of the terrain is uphill, bumpy, rocky and definitely gravity-defying. It’s best to carry all the spare parts you need before you travel Sri Lanka by mountain bike.

7. Kite surfing & Windsurfing

Kite surfer-srilanka

Kitesurfing is all about getting on a surfboard and grabbing hold of a large kite for the added push. The lush and beautiful 1600km of Sri Lankan coastline is open for you to kitesurf, full of great wind conditions ideal for kitesurfing, such as Negombo, on the west coast. You can rent equipment from any water sports providers in Sri Lanka.Season is from the start of May to the end September.

Windsurfing

Most beginner windsurfer enthusiasts head to Bentota on the south-west coast to experience windsurfing. The tranquil waters here are best for beginners to train on, before heading to the ocean. North of Trincomalee on the west coast is where the Yala monsoon brings strong winds and rough seas. It’s best to hit the waters before the monsoon hits; the best times for windsurfing are between November and April for the west coast and from May to October for the west coast.

8. Blue Whales Waching in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka may be the only country you can see the world’s biggest land mammal, the elephant, and its largest marine mammal, the blue whale, in a single day. The whale-watching – already increasing by 20 per cent each year – will expand at an even greater rate here in Sri Lanka. View more info on Blue Whales Waching in Sri Lanka

Blue-whales-watching-in-srilanka

About the author:

Teena is a freelance writer working for gift for men Company that offers a large range of thrilling experiences like – skydiving, racing experiences, hot air ballooning, drifting and lot more all across Australia.

Uncommon Holiday Hideouts in Sri Lanka

admin — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 15:30:33 +0000

May be you have already been to Sri Lanka before but like everyone else most likely you too would have relied on Lonely Planet or a tour operator as your source to get to know the country. If this is how you visited Sri Lanka then as it happens often you certainly have missed the best the country has to offer because your visit was confined only to the most popular places and same old hotels.

But then there is an alternative to all of that if that is what you seek. Hidden gems ,Holiday Hideouts listed below in Sri Lanka are not just offering you a room for the night what they are offering you is a lifetime experience instead!

1. Governors Chalet – Nuwara Eliya

Governors Chalet-Nuwaraeliya

Governors Chalet – Nuwara Eliya arguably is one of the best locations you could stay in Nuwara Eliya . Specially recommend for honeymoon couples. The Chalets are just opposite of picturesque Lake Gregory, and you cannot expect best views in Nuwara Eliya than this. The service is also good and the food was very tasty here.

Photo Gallery

2.Melheim Resort – Beragala – Haputale

Melheim Resort– Beragala–Haputale

Haputale is one of the sceneric routs in Sri Lanka. Probably if you are going on long holiday (more than 7 days) you tour itinerary will include a stay in Haputale. Melhium Resort – Beragal is one of the unique places with good service. I personally recommend this place because I was there for my honeymoon.

Photo Gallery & More info http://www.lankaholidayresorts.lk/melheim-resort-beragala-haputale/

3. Fishing Huts – Maskeliya

This place is for adventure lovers, if you like trekking and spending a holiday in virgin rain forest this would be the ideal place. It is recommended for group travelers and without any children. You need to go by foot for some distance, and they have no electricity, chimney lanterns will light up your night. Forget to tell you that it’s situated in middle of a tea state in Maskeliya Sri lanka.

If hiking Adams peak is one of your plans, consider this option too, provided you cannot experience all it on one day.

If you want to book this place do it at your earliest because the place can accommodate 7 pax for one Chalet/Cabana. Also most of the local visitors book this place. But remember if you need to visit this place don’t expect high class facilities as a hotel or resort. It’s totally eco and adventure.

Fishing Huts – Maskeliya

View more information about Fishing Huts – Maskeliya

Photo Gallery : http://www.lankaholidayresorts.lk/fishing-hut-maskeliya/

4. The Ark – Mathugama

The Ark Villa in Matugama

The Ark is a newly built villa in Matugama Sri Lanka. If you are planning to stay Benthota in Sri Lanka try this place too. But this is in the jungle not in the beach. “The Ark’ is a contemporary style elevated estate villa nestled on a raised terrain of a 40 acre estate in Mathugama, where the rubber plantation stops and the jungle begins. It’s unique and elevated sitting allows a breathtaking view of the estate, the valley below and hills beyond, leaving you in lush green seclusion.”

Photo Gallery

We will add more locations to this post . If you know any best holiday hideouts in Sri Lanka please let us know by commenting below.

New Online Visa Regulation via ETA – Sri Lanka

admin — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 06:50:08 +0000

Sri Lanka has introduce the new Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) on September 30 in order to grant prior approval for visa online for foreign nationals instead of the ‘on arrival visa’ system.

The new Visa procedure requires tourists/ tourist agencies (acting as 3rd parties) to submit the Visa application for each applicant via the ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) to the Ministry of Emigration and Immigration.

Only tourists from Singapore and Maldives will continue to receive on-arrival visas as those are the only two countries that offer Sri Lankan tourists the same facility.

Therefore, it is mandatory that all passengers traveling after the 1st October, 2011 to submit their Visa application on-line by logging into www.eta.gov.lk

Applications should be forwarded only in English language and six methodologies have been introduced to facilitate forwarding of the applications i.e. applications can be forwarded by the applicant him/herself, by a third party on behalf of the applicant, through a registered agency, through Sri Lankan embassies or through the head office of the Department of Immigration and Emigration, and a foreigner who is unable to obtain prior approval by the above procedures, can visit Sri Lanka after obtaining prior approval by forwarding the application and making the relevant fee to the counter established in Sri Lankan access point which he/she has landed in.

There will be no charge for passenger arrivals to Sri Lanka from the 1st October to 31st December – however, they are required to submit their application via the ETA and obtain the necessary ETA approval notice promptly.
All passenger arrivals to Sri Lanka after the 1st of January, 2012 are required to make a payment of US$ 50 per person following the same ETA process. The Visa issued will be a Double-Entry Tourists Visa applicable for 30 days from the date of arrival to Sri Lanka.

UPDATE:

Sri Lanka tourist board unofficially announced that the visa processing fee from US$50 will be cahanged to US$10 for SAARC nationals and US$20 for non SAARC nationals. In addition there will not be visa processing charge for upto48 hours for those in transit in Colombo.Children under 12 years old also will not be charged any visa processing fee.

Lanka Challenge – Discover Sri Lanka in Another Way

admin — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 03:34:15 +0000

Lanka Challenge is a new way to discover Sri Lanka for travelers who love to experience their journey in Sri Lanka in a different way. Lots of Fun, more remote, scenic and challenging roads covering nearly 1400Km in 12 Days in a Tuk tuk .

This year Lanka Challenge 2011 will be starting form 19th August to 30th August 2011. The Lanka Challenge is supported by the Sri Lankan Ministry of Tourism & the Sri Lankan Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB). It’s certainly a wonderful way to getting to know the country, people and culture.

Lanka Challenge Trailer

3 Wheels | Trailer from Niceonesteve on Vimeo.

Click Lanka Challenge for more information.