On 28 December 2014 my mother, aunt, cousin and I spent our first night in superb Sri Lanka in the homely and welcoming environment of Suriya Arana. Judith and Saman made us feel immediately welcome and as though we were part of Sri Lankan family. The upstairs/downstairs family room was clean, comfortable and suited our needs. The outdoor patio and area by the pool are lovely places to relax, enjoy tea, write your travel diary and plan your Sri Lankan adventure. The pool is the perfect place to cool off! Saman and Judith can arrange tours of the country for you and provide you with much assistance for your travel plans. They are very generous with their time and spirit and nothing is too much trouble for them. Negombo is a terrific location to begin ones exploration of Sri Lanka. It is located an easy drive north of the international airport and is a vibrant and tropical introduction to this island paradise. Negombo is known locally as “Little Roma” as it has 55 churches of beautiful Portugese colonial architecture. In one block you may find a Catholic church, a Buddhist temple and an Islamic mosque. A bicycle or tuk tuk ride around this special, peaceful melting pot is highly recommended. Your camera will be busy!! Suriya Arana is just an easy stroll from the hub bub of the tourist strip which has lots of charm. As Judith and Saman show such sincere regard for their guests I felt a special connection with them. I returned twice on my own during my time exploring Sri Lanka so Suriya Arana became a home away from home. I was later travelling alone as a single woman and felt ever so safe and secure in their premises. Judith and Saman have hearts of gold and their strength, courage and determination to strive for their dreams with the memory of their precious son at the forefront of their minds is inspiring. They and the tragic loss of their son deeply touched my family’s soul. The young Tamil men in their charge are being groomed for life in the hospitality industry, providing them with the skills for future and progressive employment. Hopefully they are practising the English phrases I wrote down for them! I will always return to Suriya Arana on my travels to Sri Lanka. Judith and Saman have many, many repeat guests who have become friends! Judith often collects clothing for the underprivileged children in the area so should you have any unwanted children’s clothes or small adult sized clothing please pack it and bring it to Judith so you can be sure the preloved clothes go to worthy families. Toys and picture books are also welcome! To start your special Sri Lankan adventure on a high, I highly recommend you begin here at Suriya Arana.
Judith and Saman, the owners of this place, manage to mix a blend of total professionalism with sincere Sri Lankan hospitality. If you are seeking a value for money room with a hearty breakfast,then look no further. The samecanbe said with regard to Judith’s home cooked meals. On top of this Saman (Sam) operates as a tour guide with exceptional pride and love of his native country as is fluent in English, Italian and German. His knowledge of his country’s history and politics gives a different focus to your tour, not to mention the manner in which he goes about his job. If you give this place a try then I don’t think you will be disappointed.
This was the first place we stayed in Sri Lanka. Judith and Saman arranged for us to be picked up at the airport at 03:00 in the morning by the excellent driver Malin. What followed was an amazing combination of professionalism and warmth. We were only going to stay there two nights, but ended up letting Saman arrange a tour for us around the country. After two weeks we had fallen in love with the country, our hosts and all the people they had us meet along the way. By the way, don’t miss Judith’s cooking. It is nothing short of excellent. Best meals we had during our trip.
We stayed at Suriya Arana our first couple of nights, when we arrived to Sri Lanka and the last night before departure. We felt lucky to start and end our trip here.
Saman and Judith(the couple, who owns the hotel) are amazing people, who made us feel at home right away.
We were offered a guided trip around Sri Lanka with Saman, which we could design as we liked. Thanks to Saman we had an amazing trip around Sri Lanka. We got so many impressions, that we wouldn’t have had alone. He could tell us about everything we asked about and show us different experiences. He is an intelligent man with fantastic personality and great humour.
Thank you, Saman!!
The last day we were given a ride to the airport by Judith for free!!!
We can highly recommend this place!
Explore Sri Lanka in comfort and style with Suriya Arana in our vehicles.
Elephants are magnificent land animals, with a thick skin and a curved trunk. Watching these gigantic wild, semi wild mammals is a lifetime experience. Sri Lanka has considerable number of the world's elephant population. Visitors can enjoy watching wild elephants in wildlife parks such as Yala, Wasgamuwa, Udawalawa, Habarana and Mineriya.
But to those who want to see the tamed and semi wiled elephants in close proximity the best place is the "Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage". It is located northwest of Kegalle town along the Colombo - Kandy main road. The orphanage is in a twenty five acre coconut land near Maha Oya. The wide area of shallow water and the huge rocks of Maha Oya make the ideal place to these magnificent animals.
Anuradhapura, is a major city in Sri Lanka. It is the capital city of North Central Province, Sri Lanka and the capital of Anuradhapura District. Anuradhapura is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, famous for its well-preserved ruins of ancient Sri Lankan civilization. It was 3rd capital of the Kingdom of Rajarata after Tambapanni and Upatissa Nuwara.The city, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies 205 km north of the current capital Colombo in Sri Lanka's North Central Province, on the banks of the historic Malvathu Oya. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and one of the eight World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka.
Polonnaruwa is an ancient city. It's the main town of Polonnaruwa District in the North Central Province, Sri Lanka. Kaduruwela area is the Polonnaruwa New Town and the other part of Polonnaruwa, remains as the royal ancient city of polonnaru kingdom.The second most ancient of Sri Lanka's kingdoms, Polonnaruwa was first declared the capital city by King Vijayabahu I, who defeated the Chola invaders in 1070 to reunite the country once more under a local leader.The Ancient City of Polonnaruwa has been declared a World Heritage Site.
Sigiriya rock fortress of Sri Lanka is situated in Matale district near to Dambulla, along the Colombo - Habarana highway. Before Sigiriya became a Kingdom, the Sigiriya rock base and the places such as Pidurangala were endowed with many Caves and a temple had been dwelled by Buddhist monks from around the 3rd Century BC with a long history behind. Sigiriya was rediscovered during the rule of the British, by Major H. Forbes in 1831. Climbing of the Sigiriya summit was achieved by A.H.Adams and J.Bailey in 1853.
Thereafter drive to Dambulla cave temple which is also known as the golden temple of Dambula. A sacred pilgrimage site for centuries and is the largest well preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. The cultural landscape is an extraordinary and a unique complex with rock paintings in five caves and statues of various sizes. On completion of the tour, take a rest at Sigiriya.
The gem-mining centre of Sri Lanka is also a major crossroad between southern plains and the hill country to the east. A bustling market city servicing most of the surrounding towns. Many of the prominent gem dealers in Sri Lanka operate from this town. Scenery around the town is excellent and charming.
The mining operation for gems has been virtually the same since the days of the Alexander the Great or perhaps the Pharaohs times except for the modern addition of the water pumps for dewatering of the pits. The supports for the excavations are still mostly the logs. Labour is provided as a share to the earnings as well as the equipment, materials as well as the daily expenses such as food too are contributed as share.
Inside the jungles of Kitulgala there are plenty of camping opportunities which can be coupled with White Water Rafting, Bird Watching, Jungle Walks, River bathing and many adventure activities.
If you are looking at an adventure and leisure base close to Colombo, Kithulgala is THE PLACE. Being so close to Colombo if you stay for one night you would be able to do many adventure and leisure activities such as White Water Rafting, Bird Watching, Walking in the Jungle, Visiting pre historic caves, Bathing in the river, Trekking to Waterfalls, Adventure Jumps and slides in natural ponds, River Expeditions, Rain Forest Walks and Trails, Flat Water Rafting, Waterfall Abseiling, Mountain biking etc.
Ella is only a small village located high in the mountains and a little Village paradise in the central highlands of Sri Lanka. Most visitors to Ella only spend a couple of days there. But if you are willing to travel Out of town, you can find plenty of things to keep you occupied. Like most places in Sri Lanka, the people here earn their money from tourism. The nice thing about Ella is that there doesn't seem to be anyone trying to con you or rip you off, which makes for a nice laid back, relaxing stay. Ella is surrounded by hills perfect for walks through tea plantations to temples and waterfalls.
Dunhinda Falls is a waterfall located about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from Badulla town in Sri Lanka.The Dunhinda Falls is one of Sri Lanka's most beautiful waterfalls.The waterfall, which is 210 feet (64 m) high gets its name from the smoky dew drops spray, (Dun in sinhala means mist or smoke) which surrounds the area at the foot of the waterfall. The water fall is created by the river called Badulu Oya which goes through
This waterfall measures approximately 25 m (82 ft) in height and cascades from an oval-shaped concave rock outcrop. During the local wet season, the waterfall turns into what is said to resemble an areca flower with withering petals. But this is not the case in the dry season, where the flow of water reduces dramatically. The falls form part of the Ravana Ella Wildlife Sanctuary, and is located 6 km (3.7 mi) away from the local railway station at Ella.
A visit to the Botanical gardens and religious temples and Kandyan Dancers. Kandy, the last royal capital of Sri Lanka is a major tourist destination. (115 km from Colombo and 465 meters, above sea level). Kandy is famous for the Temple of the Tooth and many other temples and the city could be called the cultural capital of the island. This bustling market town is rich in cultural diversity and has plenty of itinerates to offer to the tourists from songs, dances and handy crafts to ancient temples and adventure activities. Kandy is a good transit point to the cultural triangle to the north or hill country to the south.
Situated around 2000m above sea level and surrounded by lush tea plantations. Nuwara Eliya is the main hill resort of Sri Lanka and the heart of the tea industry. Once a pleasure retreats of the European planters the town is still very much an English town with many English style bungalows and buildings. Nuwara Eliya is a good escape for those who miss cool breeze in tropical Sri Lanka at any time of the year. Local tourists flock to this town during the 'season' March to May when it is the hottest duration for the town, April being the busiest.
The perfect time to explore this natural reserve is during the break of dawn and dusk as it is during this time that the leopards and sloth bears emerge out of the shady jungle and roam around the park.
Yala is great place for bird watchers and you will have the chance to see the famous peacock dance.
Horton Plains National Park is situated in the Central Province of Sri Lanka of Nuwara Eliya District. It is positioned at the eastern boundaries of the Upper Montane Forest Range (1500m-2524m above sea level) of Central Highland of Sri Lanka. The plateau of Horton Plains which is at a nominal elevation of 2100 m also bears the 2nd and the 3rd highest peaks of Sri Lanka, namely Kirigalpoththa (2389m) and Totupolakanda(2357m). The area of the Horton Plains is 3160 ha. or 31.6 sq. km. and is about 8% of the total upper montane forests and grasslands of Sri Lanka. The rainwater of Horton Plains plateau is drained through tributaries to Mahaveli river to the North (through Uma Oya), Walawe river to the South (through Belihul Oya and Kiriketi Oya) and Kelani river to the West (through Bogawantalawa Oya). Horton Plains has an average rainfall figure of around 5000mm though the surrounding areas have an average of 2540mm. Horton Plains gets more rain from North West monsoon and throughout the year even the minimum rain fall per month for the area had been 100mm. The mean annual temperature for the area is about 13C . One can expect temperatures as high as 27C during day and 5C during nights. The distance to Horton Plains from Nuwara Eliya is 32 km.
Pidurutalagala is an ultra prominent peak, and the tallest mountain in Sri Lanka, at 2,524-metre (8,281 ft). Mount Pedro is located close to the city of Nuwara Eliya, and is easily visible from most areas of the Central Province. It's summit houses the central communications array of the Government of Sri Lanka and armed forces, and serves as an important point in the country's radar system. The peak is currently designated as an "Ultra-high security zone", and is protected by a large military base; being strictly off limits to the general public.
Trincomalee is a port city on the east coast of Sri Lanka. The city is located on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours.Trincomalee is an anglicized version of the Tamil word Tirukonamalai (which means "lord of the sacred hill"); it is a hill situated in the end of a natural land formation that resembles an arc. It is one of the main where Tamil is spoken at large scale. Historically referred to as Gokanna or Gokarna it has been a sea port that has played a major role in maritime and international trading history of Sri Lanka.
The Bay of Trincomalee provides security and is openly accessible to all types of sea crafts in all weathers. The beaches are used for recreational purposes such as surfing, scuba diving, fishing and whale watching. The city is renowned for housing the largest Dutch fort in Sri Lanka. It is home to major Sri Lankan naval bases and a Sri Lankan Air Force base.
Arugam Bay is a bay situated on the Indian Ocean in the dry zone of Sri Lanka's southeast coast. The bay is located 320 km due east of Colombo. "Ullai" as Arugam Bay is locally known is a popular surfing and tourist destination.Beyond surfing there are many things can be enjoyable, Lagoon tour, bird watching, elephant watching, Kumana National Park, Kudumpigala monarchy and many ancient ruins & archaeological sites. After the war ended, there are lot of tourist not only surfers but many nature lovers visiting Arugam Bay.
Kalkudah Electoral District was an electoral district of Sri Lanka between August 1947 and February 1989. The district was named after the town of Kalkudah in Batticaloa District, Eastern Province. The 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka introduced the proportional representation electoral system for electing members of Parliament. The existing 160 mainly single-member electoral districts were replaced with 22 multi-member electoral districts.[1] Kalkudah electoral district was replaced by the Batticaloa multi-member electoral district at the 1989 general elections, the first under the PR system, though Kalkudah continues to be a polling division of the multi-member electoral district.
Unawatuna is located 140 km south of Colombo in the southern coastal belt of Sri Lanka. Unawatuna is fringed by lush groves of coconut palm trees. Besides swimming Unawatuna is famous for snorkeling and surfing.
You can also enjoy a 20 to 30 minutes boat ride during your stay.
Mirissa Located close to the Southern tip of the Island of Sri Lanka and its breathtaking sandy beach pretty much transforms your dreams and visions of a tropical paradise into an everyday reality.
Hummanaya is the only known blowhole in Sri Lanka and it may be the second largest blowhole in the world. Meaning of the word 'Hummanaya' is the distance a sound of "hoo" can be heard. There is a rock with a long but narrow fracture in the middle; At once rough sea waves gush through the crack and pass out through the hole at the bottom of the rock and blow out high in to the sky displaying a marvel water fountain.
Mirissa is the best place for Whale and dolphin watching which has become a tourist attraction. The Blue whale is the largest and rare marine mammal on earth and one of the most exciting water activities you can do in Sri Lanka during your holiday.
Independence hall is one of Colombo's many landmarks to be discovered. Independence memorial Hall located at the Independence square is a Sri lankan Heritage site among the Sri lankan Tourism. Many travelers visit the place and walk in the interior of the Hall.
This hall was build to commemorate and the victory gained from the British rule in 1948. Sri lanka has only few monuments in memory of the heroes of the Independence. The construction process was started after the independence. The construction was empowered by D.S Senanyake but it was handed over to Sir. John Kotalawela. In addition they had a vision entitled ' Worthy of Sri lanka's long and impressive history.
The Town Hall of Colombo is the headquarters of the Colombo Municipal Council and the office of the Mayor of Colombo. Built in front of the Viharamahadevi Park, Colombo, Sri Lanka, it is the meeting place for the elected municipal council.
The Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall being the very first purpose built convention center in Asia combines the best of professional conference facilities with the once in a life time opportunity to visit an island known as the paradise on earth - Sri Lanka!
The Nelum Pokuna (Lotus Pond) - Mahinda Rajapakse Theatre is a fully equipped sate of the art performance centre, meant for large scale theatrical productions. The theatre consists of two venues for performances, which includes the main auditorium and an open air amphitheater.
The inspiration for these iconic creations stemmed from the desire to create "Expressions of Freedom", which would present a tangible real-life experience to the multitude of people residing and visiting the capital city of Colombo. Spreading out from the capital, this philosophy of modern city planning and development will embrace the entirety of Sri Lanka, transforming a once 'island nation' into one of the most pulsating and dynamic countries in Asia
What was once a swamp adjoining the famous Beira Lake, a landmark in the capital city, is today a vibrant complex comprising the Gangaramaya temple, the 'seema malaka' - an assembly hall for monks - in the picturesque Beira Lake and a vocational training institute. The temple has been in existence for over 120 years having being established by one of the most famous scholar monks, Venerable Hikkaduwe Sri Sumanagala Nayaka Thera, founder of the Vidyodaya Pirivena, originally an institute of oriental learning for monks, now a State University - Sri Jayewardenapura University.
Beira Lake is a lake in the heart of the city of Colombo, Sri Lanka. The lake is surrounded by many large businesses in the city. It occupied approximately 165 hectares of land 100 years ago and has been reduced to mere 65 hectares today due to various reasons. During the colonial era of the Portuguese, and the English the lake was used to transport goods within the city. It still retains its Portuguese name. The lake was originally built before the colonization of the country and connected to many intricate canals providing easy way of transporting goods within the city and suburban cities.
Negombo situated by the shores of a lagoon by the same name once has been a trading port for Portugese and Dutch and is a ideal place for those who want quick access to and from the airport. Attractions in the city are the old Dutch fort gate built in 1672 now a part of the prison, the Dutch Canal which was then a supply route to the Dutch administration, old churches and fishing villagers. The 100km long canal running through the town is still being used and is an attraction for those who want to see the country from a different perspective. The stretch of road towards Kotchchikade comes to life at dusk (most shops are open at daytime too) with many handicrafts and curio shops, gem shops, restaurants and internet cafes catering for tourists.
Sri Lankan is noted as a destination for all kinds of fishing, be it lakes, rivers or oceans. Both the casual angler and the ardent enthusiast will find some form of activity to satisfy whether inland or deep sea on a fishing tour in Sri Lanka.
Negombo is a traditional fishing town. Negombo Lagoon has an area of 3164 hectares, situated some 40km north of Colombo and the depth within the lagoon is less than 2m. The fishermen rely on traditional knowledge of the season for livelihood using outrigger canoes carved out of tree trunks and nylon nets.
