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An island country in the Indian Ocean off southeast India. Inhabited originally by the Vedda, the island was later invaded by the Singhalese (6th century b.c.) and the Tamil (11th and 12th centuries a.d.). The lucrative spice trade on the island was controlled successively by Arab, Portuguese, Dutch, and British traders from the 12th century. It became a British colony in 1798 and achieved independence in 1948. In 1972 the island was declared a republic, and it adopted the Singhalese name of Sri Lanka. Colombo is the capital and the largest city. Population: 20,000,000. |
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Anuradhapura, a Ceylonese political and religious capital that flourished for 1,300 years, was abandoned after an invasion in 993. Hidden away in thick jungle for a long time, the splendid site, with its palaces, monasteries and monuments, is once again accessible. |
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The city of Polonnaruwa like any other ancient South Asian city, consisted of a citadel within which the royal precinct was located, a defense wall system and moats, monastic and devale complexes which were the ritual centres and a well laid out market complex. In the periphery of the city were centres of craft production and beyond them the agricultural hinterland. |
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Nothing in Sri Lanka captures the imagination more than a 200 meter lump of granite that rises starkly above the flat central plains. Sigiriya has it all -- a blood-stained history full of intrigue, astonishing frescos of bare-breasted maidens painted 15 centuries ago, a wall covered in graffiti that is more than 1,000 years old and, to top it all, Asia's oldest surviving landscape garden. |
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Dambulla is about 12 miles south west of Sigiriya, on the Matale-Anuradhapura Road. The largest cave carries some 48 statues of Lord Buddha alone, with statues of some Hindu gods, (Vishnu and Saman). The statues of the Hindu gods date back to the 12th century, when Hinduism took root in Sri Lanka and started influencing the arts. The history of the caves themselves dates back to the 2nd or 1st century B.C., when King Valagam Bahu who was escaping the invading army that drove him out of Anuradhapura, took refuge in these caves. |
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In 1592 Kandy became the capital city of the last remaining independent kingdom in the island after the coastal regions had been conquered by the Portuguese. Several invasions by the Portuguese and the Dutch (16th, 17th and 18th century) and later by the British (most notably in 1803) were repelled. Portuguese invasions in the 16th century and 17th century were entirely unsuccessful.
The kingdom tolerated a Dutch presence on the coast until 1761, when King Kirti Sri Rajasinha attacked and overran most of the coast, leaving only the heavily fortified Negombo intact. When a Dutch retaliatory force returned to the island in 1763, Kirti Sri Rajasinha abandoned the coastline and withdrew into the interior. When the Dutch continued to the jungles the next year, they were constantly harassed by disease, heat, lack of provisions, and Kandyan sharpshooters, who hid in the jungle and inflicted heavy losses on the Dutch. The Dutch launched a better adapted force in January of 1765, replacing their troops' bayonets with machetes and using more practical uniforms and tactics suited to jungle warfare. Though initially successful in capturing the capital which was deserted, the Kandyans withdrew to the jungles once more, refusing to engage in open battle. The Dutch, worn down by constant attrition, came to terms in 1766.
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| 22/12/2011 |
| victor & susan gomez, California USA - san Juan Capistrano, california USA |
RE: VISITING SRI LANKA. We are seasoned travelers lucky enough to have seen the world. One of the last frontiers on our list was SRI LANKA but we had to wait until the political situation straightened out. Thus, SRILANKA is in the early stages of developing their tourism infrastructure. To properly see this beautiful, sometimes puzzling Country, you need someone knowledgeable, trustworthy and above all a good driver!!. Besides Colombo, which we saw on our own, we wanted to see the countryside in as much detail as possible. We hired an independent operator, that has been in business for more than 30 years, a safe driver and also a good value!. J. D. NANDASENA TOURS. We spent ten day in the capable hands of NANDASENA (NANDE), seeing the country with its religious heritage and beautiful countryside. On route we changed our minds a few times, he was very happy to accommodate us. Be aware that his packages do not include entrance fees and a few other extras, which in fact is a plus if enroute you find do not want to see the attraction, you don’t pay for it. This makes the basic price for car and driver reasonable. Nande is a man you can trust to not steer you into buying things you don’t really want or need. Thanks NANDE. VICTOR AND SUSAN GOMEZ SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CALIFORNIA, USA 92675 VICGOM8@AOL.COM - more info |
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| 28/11/2011 |
| Roxanne Chihos - U.S.A |
When started our 10 day tour with a driver in Sri Lanka we had no idea that we would end our tour with a new friend. Nande expertly guided us through Sri Lanka and took every opportunity to share his country with us. It can be hard to hire someone over the internet - you never know what kind of person you are hiring. Nande is truly one of a kind. Nande is always the one smiling - though stressful chaotic roads, torrential rain fall (during the rainy season) and curious travellers. Although he has probably answered every one of our questions at least 50 times in the past, he was always patient and kind. He always remembers what interests you. For example, one day we had asked about a red banana - the next day he actually picked on up so we could try it. The long car journeys led to some enlightened conversations - and we both learned about each other. Nande shared a lot about his family and the Sri Lanken culture with us. By the end of the 10 days we felt like we were a part of his family. If you are looking for someone who will go along at your pace - whether fast or slow; who will make sure you have everything you need and someone who is trustworty and reliable, Nande is your best option. And, if he is already booked he will recommend someone.
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| 14/09/2011 |
| Heinz and Christian , - Switzerland |
We spent 2 weeks in Sri Lanka, therefrom 12 days travelling around with Nande. Nande is a good driver. He drove very safely. Not easy with the sometimes chaotic traffic on Sri Lankas roads. Nande has good knowledge on all the historical monuments too and he did very interesting explanations. We had very relaxing vacations. Nande managed the reservations for the hotels as well. We were fully satisfied with this. The hotels were nice and clean, and according to our desired standard. If you need a trustable driver and manager for your next Sri Lanka trip, i can highly recommend Nande to you. - more info |
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