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Treat yourself to the fascinating colonial heritage of Sri Lanka’s most important ancient port of call followed by the natural beauty of a tropical rainforest preserved for its rare endemic species of flora and fauna. These two UNESCO World Heritage sites are easily accessible from Swanee Hotel: Old Town of Galle and Its Fortifications Explore the old town of Galle, an excellent example of a fortified city in South and South-East Asia that illustrates the intricate blend of European architectural styles and Eastern traditions. Occupied by the Portuguese in the 16th century, Galle is most famous for its Dutch fort constructed in the mid-17th century, which boasted 14 bastioned stonewalls to fend off other colonial powers vying for the supremacy of the sea. Imagine the days of ancient mariners who set foot on the shores nearby; Ibn Batuta, the Arabic traveler from Morocco; the venerable monk Fa Hein from China; the legendary voyager Marco Polo and Lorenzo De Almeida, son of the famous Viceroy of Goa. Sinharaja Forest Reserve The country’s last viable area of primary tropical rainforest counts more than 60% of rare species amongst its trees. Many of these plants have valuable benefits: palm kitul can be used as a sugar substitute, wewal for cane, dun for varnish and incense, weniwal for medicinal purposes and cardamom as a spice. The reserve’s rare endemic wildlife includes the purple-faced langur, Indian elephant, leopard, Sri Lankan white-headed starling, blue magpie, ashy-headed babbler and red-faced malkoha. Even the forest’s name is special. The word Sinharaja literally means ‘lion’ (sinha) ‘king’ (raja). Legend has it that the origin of the Sinhala people in Sri Lanka began with the union of the lion king, who once lived in this forest, and a mythical princess, making Sinharaja Forest Reserve an auspicious place indeed. |
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