OUR DESTINATIONS
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We offer holidays to the four corners of the globe. If you want specialist advise please phone our travel team and we will be happy to help.
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- Destinations
- Asia
- Sri Lanka
- Colombo
- Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura
The remains of the ancient sacred city of Anuradhapura are sited
about 130 miles (205km) north of Colombo, standing majestically in
the jungle that for generations hid away the palaces, monasteries
and monuments, which have been there since the third century BC.
The ancient city was capital of the island for more than 10
centuries, until an invasion in 993, having initially been founded
around a fig tree grown from a cutting of Buddha's 'tree of
enlightenment'. The remains visible today consist of several
magnificent dagobas (domes built to enshrine sacred relics),
sculptures, carvings, ruined palaces and monasteries, bathing ponds
and irrigation tanks. Tourist facilities and hotels are available
in the nearby 'new town' of Anuradhapura. A recommended way to view
the many scattered archaeological treasures is to hire a bicycle,
or travel between sights on a 'Tuk-tuk'.
Information & Facts
Language
Most people speak Sinhala, which is the national and
official language. Tamil is also spoken, and English is spoken at
most tourist establishments.
Money
The unit of currency is the Sri Lanka Rupee (LKR), which is
divided into 100 cents. Major credit cards are widely accepted, and
travellers cheques in US Dollars are recommended. ATMs are becoming
more common, but outside the main cities they are unlikely to
accept international cards. Credit cards should be used with
caution due to the potential for fraud. Foreign currency can be
exchanged at bureaux de change, banks and hotels, but exchanging
cash is more expensive than exchanging travellers cheques. Banks
are closed on Sundays.
Opening Times
Time