Need some planning information for Sri lanka trip
 

Hi everyone , we are planning a trip to Sri lanka this December ( end ) .Ive been there once.Can anyone suggest some interesting places to visit.we have only 6 days . Is pinnawala Elephant orphanage a good place to visit ?. Also i found out Polonnaruwa city has good cultural sights to visit.I found below information while surfing. please help.thanks

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polonnaruwa
http://www.mysrilankantrip.com/best-...ant-orphanage/

Sri Lanka is a very nice place to visit and very near to India. There are lot of nice destinations to visit like Nuwara Eliya, when you proceed from Coloombo to Nuwara Eliya, enroute you can visit the tea plantation and its factory, in Nuwara Eliya you can visit Sita Amman Temple (which is the historic place where King Ravana put Sita into captivation), Hakgala Botanical garden (which is the second largest botanical garden in Sri Lanka where you can find different variety of flora and fauna, Yala National Park, Ratnapura (where you can find gemstones and especially Ceylon Sapphires), Sinharaja Forest Reserve, Galle (here you can find the UNESCO World Heritage Listed Dutch Fort).

Pinnawala Elephant orphanage is a very nice place to visit, here they give shelter, food and care to baby elephants till they grown up and left in the jungle which is their actual habitat, must go place. And Polonnaruwa city tells you the story of Golden Age of Polonnaruwa a Royal place once in the history, now it reflects the tradition and culuture of that time. I hope you got the answer to all of your questions...!!

Where have you visited previously in Sri Lanka?

Personally, I wouldn't visit the Pinnewala Elephant orphanage. There are major problems in how elephants are treated all over SE Asia.

We spent four days in the Cultural Triangle area and loved it - Polonnaruwa was our favorite, but don't miss the Dambulla Cave Temples and Sigiriya. You might find our photos of this area helpful: http://www.marlandc.com/Sri-lanka-2007

With just 6 days, choose one general area so you don't spend too much of your time on the road.

Hi!

In December the best areas to visit in Sri Lanka are the west and south coast and the center.

You're right, Polonnaruwa is an amazing ancient sight to discover, close by are also Sigiriya and Dambulla if you're interested in more culture and scenic views. Instead of Pinnawala you can visit the near by Millennium Foundation which is not so touristy or even better take a jeep safari in Kaudulla National Park (close to Polonnaruwa) to see elephants in the wild! Little hint: If you're planning to stay on the southern beaches book a hotel very soon, many popular beach destinations such as Mirissa are already pretty much booked out.

as an alternative to the southern beaches you could stay in Galle and get a tuktuk out to a beach resort. The hotel we stayed at had an arrangement with its sister hotel which meant that we could go and use its facilities for free - a lovely garden and pool with great food.

the hotel is called the Fort Printers. Galle is lovely with a lot of character and interesting things to see like the maritime museum and the cricket ground.

Hi, I too was looking around for interesting places in Sri Lanka and was quite overwhelmed with down south beaches. You can maybe first do the interior areas of the country and then head out to coastal areas. Im a beach lover so here goes- Mirissa (good for whale watching & surfing), Bentota, Hikkaduwa; also if you are heading down south I would suggest you visit the Turtle hatchery at Kosgoda. If you are looking for accommodation I may suggest the Saffron Blue by Jetwing, Kosgoda- their room rush deal offers 50% discount- quite a big deal considering the rooms they offer. And yes, not to forget trincomalee! Some amazing beaches. Don’t miss out on the beaches of you go to SL!