Best Five Star Resort in Sri Lanka - (Sri Lanka Tourism Award 2011)

                    Cinnamon Lodge HABARANA

Habarana is the centre of Sri Lanka's cultural triangle that is made up of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Kandy; therefore the perfect epicentre to explore the glorious past of Sri Lanka.

Sprawled over 27 acres of lush forested land, Cinnamon Lodge Habarana, is an exclusive hideaway for the entire family. Rooting over 1700 trees, time stands still enabling guests to experience serenity and tranquillity while walking along the paths that lead up to the chalet-type rooms. The architect of the property derived inspiration from the glorious remains of Ritigala - A monastery that dates back to the 6th century.

                                                                 View of SUITES

It is also of interest to note that the land used to build this lavish resort was once an abandoned Chena cultivation (slash and burn cultivation), and it had been transformed with the tedious task which was undertaken for period of years through re-forestation creating a man made forest, which is an uncommon sight in the dry locale of the country.

                                                              Sigiriya Rock Fortress

 All 137 chalets are carefully prepared to provide absolute intimacy and comfort, making Cinnamon Lodge an all suite resort with large rooms giving guests the luxury of space and indulgences. Guests can spoil themselves to the country’s finest foods at the three restaurants that are renowned for delectable dishes ranging from local delicacies to international favourites. Being a truly eco friendly resort, Cinnamon Lodge Habarana also offers the option enjoying organic fine dining prepared from the produce of its very own organic farm. One could also choose from a range of unique and creative dining options, from tree top dining, dine by the lake to dining with the chef just to name a few.

                                           Elephant gathering at Minneriya National Park

Being located in tranquil surroundings, Cinnamon Lodge is also the ideal location for corporate meetings, brainstorming sessions, CEO/CFO forums at the ‘Tree Top’ conference hall that is able to house a 100 on theatre style. Unwind, relax and enjoy the bliss inducing body therapy and signature treatments at the Azmaara spa.

Visit for further details : http://www.cinnamonhotels.com/CinnamonLodgeHabarana.htm

Lodge E Book             : http://www.cinnamonhotels.com/LodgeEbook/

Sri Lankan Beaches

Commonly known as the pearl of the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka is gifted with many miles of sun kissed beaches that enchant all visitors. The Southern coast of Sri Lanka consists of deep blue waters bordered with golden sand; these beaches are perfect for sunbathing, swimming, water sports and exploring the underwater beauty of coral reefs. The western and southern coast beaches begin from Negombo and spreads along a distance of about 273 km up to Hambantota. The golden coast line consists of many beautiful beaches, namely Mt. Lavinia, Wadduwa, Kalutara, Beruwala, Bentota, Induruwa, Kosgoda, Ahungalla, Hikkaduwa, Galle, Unawatuna, Koggala, Weligama, Dickwella, Tangalle and Hambantota. A wide choice of Sri Lanka beach resturants & hotels by the various hotel Group are to be found at scenic locales at the best of these destinations.

Bentota is one of the most popular beaches on the southern coast. In what is arguably the best location in the strip; bordered by the beach on one side and the Bentota river on the other.

Hikkaduwa is another popular destination for Sri Lanka beach holidays, and it is the best beach to explore the beauty of coral reefs in the Southern coast. It is a destination where the beach is a 24- hour party. Enjoy the liberties of island life by visiting, Hikkaduwa.

The Eastern coast of Sri Lanka quite different from the Sourthern coast offers endless white sandy beaches and a captivating tri coloured ocean in aquamarine and turquoise. Trincomalee is renowned to be one of the most beautiful natural harbours in the world. Whale and dolphin watching, surfing, diving and snorkelling are just a few attractions to partake in, on this coast. The best of the Eastern coast extends from Arugam Bay in the deep south and spreads till Kuchchaveli approximately 275 km up the coastline.

Spices of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has long been renowned for its spices.The best known is Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) which is native to Sri Lanka. In the 15th and 16th centuries, spice and ivory traders from all over the world who came to Sri Lanka brought their native cuisines to the island, resulting in a rich diversity of cooking styles and techniques.Lamprais rice boiled in stock with a special curry, accompanied by meatballs, all of which is then wrapped in a banana leaf and baked as a Dutch-influenced Sri Lankan dish. Dutch and Portuguese sweets also continue to be popular. British influences include roast beef and roast chicken. Also, the influence of the Indian cooking methods and food have played a major role in what Sri Lankans eat.

                        Matale area is the most famous destination for the spicy gardens in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankans use spices liberally in their dishes and typically do not follow an exact recipe: thus, every cook's curry will taste slightly different. Furthermore, people from different regions of the island (for instance, hill-country dwellers versus coastal dwellers) traditionally cook in different ways. Sri Lankan cuisine is known to be among the world's spiciest, due to the high use of different varieties of chilliees referred to as chilli paperes(, kochchi miris, and maalu miris and in Tamil Milakaai, among others. It is generally accepted for tourists to request that the food is cooked with a lower chillie content to cater for the more sensitive Western pallette. Food cooked for public occasions typically uses less chillie than food cooked in the home, the latter where the food is cooked with the chillie content preferable to the occupants.

Eco tourism and Economic Oppotunities

Tourism is an important sector to develop to derive the economic benefits fro the people of the country. There is a growing acceptance of links that exist between protection of ecosystems and economic opportunities emerging through tourism. These opportunites must be developed to find employment opportunities for the youth as well as to make valuable contribution to the national economy.

Increased interest in natural areas provided the authorities with a powerful incentive to protect the environment, as well as with the income from tourism to pay for conservation of environment. A part of the the revenue coming from the tourists must be utilized to protect the environment.

Many environmentalists and managers of tourism industy and nature reserves turned to ecotourism as a source of revenue for protected areas. This was part of a general realization of the need to improve the sustainability of all tourism.


Ruwan Gamage
Hospitality, Tourism and Events Management
Uva-wellassa University

Development of Tourism in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is an island in the Indian Ocean, also often called the “The Pearl of the Indian Ocean”.Tourism in Sri Lanka has had its ups and downs. Such things like the civil war is now over, but for the past thirty years that the war was ongoing, a lot of people feared to travel to Sri Lanka and the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami . But despite all these events, the tourism in Sri Lanka is still one of the major profit generating industries.

Sri Lanka may be a small island, but it has a lot to offer. From its beautiful beaches, to their exotic foods and diverse cultural heritage. The tropical weather in Sri Lanka is all year round except for the monsoon season which usually ranges from mid-year to the end of the year. Foreigners visit often to be in the warm weather. Sri Lanka has so many beautiful beaches that are still untouched and not commercialized.

Over one million tourists came to Sri Lanka in 2012. Other up and coming tourist attractions are precious stone mining in Ratnapura, “The Gem City” as it is known and also ecotourism. Travelers today like the idea of travelling while also doing their part to help preserve the environment.

Buddhism has the biggest influence in molding Sri Lanka’s diverse cultural heritage and also a big factor in drawing in the crowds to Sri Lanka. From temples, relics, religious landmarks and Ayurveda. Sri Lanka has started its campaign on ecotourism and spa-like ayurvedic treatments, banking on the diverse flora and fauna found there.

                                                       Namunukula Mountain

No matter what natural disaster or civil war comes upon Sri Lanka, its beauty and purity have made its mark on the world. There is no doubt that Sri Lankan tourism today is expected to reap the benefits after thirty years of struggle and the tragic tsunami, with hope and bright prospects on the horizon.


Ruwan Gamage
Hospitality,Tourism and Events Management
Uva-wellassa University

Tourism in Sri Lanka

Tourism is a very popular industry in the entire world. Today tourism is a fast developing industry even in Sri Lanka.

Our country has an abundance of naturally attractive places to lure tourists. These places enhance the scenic beauty of our country.

There are many picturesque waterfalls and mountains, golden sandy beaches, forests, botanical gardens and wildlife sanctuaries that are frequented by tourists.

Historical places such as Anuradhapura,Polonnaruwa, Kandy,Yapahuwa,Dambulla, Dambadeniya and Sigiriya attract tourists from various parts of the world to visit Sri Lanka.

They appreciate the beauty of these places. It’s a pride when foreigners appreciate the beauty of our Motherland.When many foreigners visit our country throughout the year, it is economically beneficial to the country.

We can derive lots of benefits from tourism and we must promote it for the development of our country. We can earn foreign exchange for the country. Hotels, restaurants, guides and comfortable transportation facilities in the country help to promote tourism.

Sri Lankan people can also learn languages and improve their knowledge about different cultures, food, lifestyles and many more things around the world via tourism.

Tourism is also a good way to display our skills to the world. Sri Lankan handicrafts and traditional food can be easily promoted.

However, tourism also has a negative impact on Sri Lanka because many youth are influenced by the cultures of some countries which are not suitable for our country.

Some people try to imitate cultures of these tourists. But, we must not do so. We must protect our traditions. Sometimes tourists try to give drugs to our youth and influence them to do wrong things.

Tourism has some disadvantages too, so we must take necessary steps to avoid them and promote only the good things it brings.

Ruwan Gamage
Hospitality, Tourism and Events Management
Uva -wellassa University