The ancient kingdoms in this island nation speak of a rich culture and a heritage with its own arts, crafts and amazing architectural and engineering skills. One of the focal points of the country’s history was the introduction of Buddhism during the 3rd century BC, from which the kingdom developed into a much sophisticated and advanced monarchy with a strong inheritance from Buddhist teachings. Remnants of many architectural wonders that were built by past Sinhala kings still remain to date in their past glory and prestige.

The country due to its location at a main naval route and its close proximity to the Indian sub continent was affected by threats outside which lead the kingdoms being relocated during the course of time. The Kingdom of Anuradhapura and the Kingdom of Polonnaruwa and lastly the Kingdom of Kandy which succumbed to British rule in 1815 were at their epitome in contributing to the country’s history and heritage.

Some of the interesting remnants left from these former monarchies rang e from pyramid like Buddhist Stupas soaring in to the skies, magnificent Buddhist sculptures carved out of stone and a fortress built atop a magnificent lion like rock. The country also got its heritage from the colonial periods where parts of the country and eventually the whole country were under several colonial powers. Portuguese, Dutch and British influences from the 1500s have also played a significant impact on the Sri Lankan community as well. Some of the interesting historic attractions from these eras are the 17th century Dutch Fort in Galle, and many Dutch churches and forts in Negombo and Kalpitiya.

It was formerly called Sinhale or Heladiva and comprised of naga, yaksha, deva, raksha and possibly other tribes as well. It is thought that the island was colonised by the Balangoda people 34,000 years ago after their remains were discovered there. Many artefacts have been found in caves that suggest that they were Mesolithic hunter gatherers. No doubt anyone who is interested in Sri Lanka travel will be keen to investigate these theories.

It is thought that Sri Lanka had trading links with Ancient Egypt thousands and thousands of years ago. This is because cinnamon, which is native to the island was used in Egypt at that time. Even today cinnamon is still one of the main exports of Sri Lanka which is something that those on Sri Lanka travel will discover.

A prince of Kalinga invaded the island from 1215 – 1232 AD using the Tamil and Kerala mercenaries and the country never recovered from this. This is because irrigation works were destroyed and mosquitoes developed and it was during this time that Jaffna emerged as a sub – kingdom.

In 1505 the Portuguese were the first Europeans to embark on Sri Lanka travel. As the country was unable to fend off intruders the Portuguese established a fort in Colombo and gradually extended their control over the coastal areas.

In 1638 the Dutch invaded the island and by 1660 they controlled it all except for the kingdom of Kandy. This wasn’t a happy time for the island as the Catholics were persecuted and people were taxed a lot more than they had been in the past.

The only reason why the British became aware of Sri Lanka travel is because in 1659 a British sea captain was captured by the king of Kandy after he landed there by mistake. He managed to escape 19 years later and wrote an account of what happened while he was imprisoned there.

With briefly introduced history above, it is clear that Sri Lanka is not only interesting and intriguing in landscape and culture but also in the politics that go on today. This always makes a great attraction for anyone who is planning a travel in Asia.