The Bo Tree, Anuradhapura

Advantages: Beautiful country, full of history
Disadvantages: High security presence

...start as our driver collected us at 07.00 to start our tour. He gave us some facts and figures about Sri Lanka including its religious beliefs. But, it soon became evident that one belief supersedes all others – this is absolute faith in the power of the car horn. Pedestrians rely on it to protect them as they blindly step from the pavement into busy main roads, cyclists likewise as they weave an unsteady path down the middle of thoroughfares, but most of all, vehicle drivers as they overtake on blind corners and the brows of hills. Through the protection of the car horn we arrived safely at our first port of call - Anuradhapura, to see the impressive remains of an ancient civilisation. We also saw the sacred Bo Tree, believed to be an offshoot of the original tree under which Buddha gained his enlightenment. A walk to its site... Read review

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Advantages: A little bit beautiful, interesting and friendly
Disadvantages: A little bit unchallenging

...Triangle”. This area of northern central Sri Lanka is delineated by three former capitals – Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Kandy – and contains five of Sri Lanka’s seven World Heritage Sites. We tackled them in descending order of antiquity, and ascending order of pronouncability: • Anuradhapura, the capital from the third century BC to the tenth century AD and still a sacred place for Buddhists, who comprise the majority religious group on the island. Here can be seen the Bo tree, allegedly grown from a sapling of the tree under which Buddha achieved enlightenment, with its surrounding temples and dagobas – a dagoba being an enormous bell-shaped structure built from solid bricks. The Ruvanvelisaya Dagoba is vast – perhaps fifty metres in diameter at its base and thirty metres high, whitewashed for the May full moon each year... Read review

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Advantages: beautiful
Disadvantages: Entertainmentlimited

...Sri Lanka is often described as the world's most beautiful island, and I agree totally. Its has palm-fringed beaches, tea plantations, paddy fields, cool hill stations and thick jungle. But the cultural attractions are also highlights. Anuradhapura, with its huge buddhist shrines, Sirigaya, a rock fortress which dominates the surrounding jungle, and the tranquil lakeside town of Kandy are all worth the effort to visit. There are signs the civil war is easing. Fighting is largely confined to the north and east of the island, but there have been rare bomb attacks in Colombo and Kandy. Be aware of the situation, but don't let fear spoil your holiday - you are as safe here as you are in the UK. Hotels are simple and entertainment and watersports are limited. The Temperature is regularly over 30 degrees centigrade. Cooler in the hills... Read review

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