Navigating the Urban Geography of Sri Lanka
To plan a trip around Sri Lanka you need to know the layout of the major cities. Sri Lanka has a geography with cities all over the place. On the coast in the mountains and on the dry plains in the north. Each big city is like a center for something. Transportation, history, business or exploring nature. If you understand how these cities are connected you can easily see your trip from the busy city on the coast to the quiet cultural places inside the country.
The Busy City of Business and Gateway to the West
Your trip to the cities will probably start in Colombo, which’s the biggest city and the center of business on the west coast. Colombo is a city with old buildings from the colonial times and new tall buildings and busy markets. If you go south along the coast you will get to Galle, which’s a old city with a very well preserved fort from the Dutch and nice little shops. The cities on the west and south coast are connected by roads so it is easy to get from the airport to the beach hotels.
The City of Spirituality and the Beautiful Hills
If you go to the middle of the island you will get to the hills. And the city of Kandy, which’s the spiritual and cultural center of Sri Lanka. Kandy is in a place with green hills . And has a special temple and is a good place to start your trip to the hills. If you go south and up into the hills you will get to Nuwara Eliya. Which is a city with a cool climate and old houses from the British times and big tea farms. Then you can go to Ella, which’s a laid-back city in the hills with nice hiking trails and old railway bridges.
The Old Ruins of the North and East
If you go north from the hills you will get to the Cultural Triangle. Where you can find the cities of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. These cities have buildings and ruins . That are over two thousand years old. At the top of the island is Jaffna. Whichs a city with a rich Hindu culture and nice food and colors. On the east coast is Trincomalee. Which is a port city with a nice harbor and temples, on the cliffs and nice beaches where you can see whales.
