Introduction

Sri Lanka is an island of many names - all magically evocative of a tropical land of exotic spices, cool misty highlands, sun-soaked beaches, age-old temples and lost cities. To the ancient Greeks it was Taprobane;to the Arabs, Serendib; to later European conquerors, Ceilao, Zeylan or Ceylon; and in the Sinhala tongue of most of its own people, Sri Lanka - 'Lanka the Blessed'.

A teardrop-shaped island just off the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent, less than 50km (31 miles) away at its closest, Sri Lanka has links with the cultures of India that stretch back beyond history, but it would be a mistake to think of it as an India in miniature.

For the visitor, much of its enduring appeal stems from a near-unique combination of tropical sunshine and superb beaches with a fascinating and colourful culture epitomized by the mighty relics of ancient, vanished empires. All of this is concentrated within one tiny pack- age, just 435km (270 miles) long and 225km (140 miles) at its widest, making it easy to experience much of the best of Sri Lanka within a relatively short time.

It's quite possible to pack into a two-week holiday a tour of the fascinating heritage sites of Anuradhapura, Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa (the so-called 'Cultural Triangle'), a visit to the primal jungles of the Ruhuna National Park, two to three days of scuba diving on the south coast, and still have plenty of time left for lazy days on the beach, visiting botanical gardens, shopping for various arts and crafts, and sampling Sri Lanka's lip- smacking, spicy cuisine.