Lying of the coast of India like a ripe mango, Sri lanka is home to a rich multicultural tradition of interwoven religions and ethnic groups. It was the Centre of a great civilization evident today in the magnificent sprawling ruins of ancient cities unparalleled anywhere else in South Asia. History aside, valleys of emerald green paddy, coral reefs and beach resorts overhung with coconut palms, entice the visitor. The palms clasped together and a gentle bow of the head accompanies the "Ayobowan", Sri Lanka's gentle gesture of welcome and respect. It is the age old greeting of our people, and the chances are you will be greeted this way, wherever you happen to travel through the island. What may strike you most about Sri Lanka is its amazing diversity of scenery. It is possible to pass brilliant green paddy fields, sun-bronzed beaches, ruined cities, small lively villages, near desert regions, sanctuaries for wildlife in tropical jungles, and hill country tea plantations, literally within hours of each other.

The history of Sri Lanka stretches back to over 2500years,its very beginnings are lost in myth and legend, and the arrival of prince Vijiya an Exile from North India with his entourage of seven hundred followers. However, the earliest record civilization dates back to to 380BC, when Anuradhapura(206 km from Colombo) was established as the first capital city. Following the advent of Buddhism in the 3rd Century BC, a civilization rich in Indo-Aryan culture took root. It produced the great cities and their dagobas which compare, and even exceed in size, the pyramids of Egypt, palaces and pleasure gardens, a rich art and architecture and the gigantic irrigation works, many of which are still in use today. With invasions from neighboring South India, the base of power shifted to Polonnaruwa(101km South East of Anuradhapura) and other cities such as Dambadeniya, Kurunagala, Kotte and Kandy.In the 16th Century the island had its first recorded encounter with the traders and colonizers of the West, with the arrival of the Portuguese in 1505.What followed was a period of nearly five hundred years during which the island came under the control and influence of the Portuguese, Dutch and British. While the Portuguese and the Dutch ruled over the maritime regions for a rough 150 years each, the British established complete control over the island with the fall of the Kandyan Kingdom in 1815.They too ruled for 150 years before the country regained independence in1948.