Sri Lanka celebrates 70 years of independence

This year Sri Lanka celebrates Sri Lanka celebrates 70 years of independence, it truly is the best time to visit this enchanting country, and here are the reasons.

In Sri Lanka you can dive with blue whales in season or watch spinner dolphins leap about in Kalpitiya. Sri Lanka also has 5,800 wild elephants ambling about, and the biggest concentration of leopards in the world live in Yala National Park, along with sloth bears and buffalo.

A visit to the Dambulla Buddha caves, which are filled with Buddha statues and cave paintings, will surely arouse your sense of history at the very least.

A newly reopened train route from Colombo to Jaffna promises an eye-opening journey through Sri Lanka. The Yal Devi (Queen of Jaffna) Express provides visitors with an opportunity they have not had since 1990: to travel by train from Colombo to Jaffna.

Don't miss the surf barrels in the South east of the island, Arugam Bay is a crescent of golden sand that offers barrelling surf breaks during summer days and beach parties galore on balmy nights. In winter, drag your board to Weligama.

If like us you always wanted to visit India, but are hesitant, then it's just so much easier to travel in Sri Lanka than in India. Transactions go more smoothly, things work and best of all, trains and planes leave near enough on time. And there's a fantastic network of hotels, all of which you can book on the web. And tuk-tuks are everywhere.

Visit Wewurukannala Vihara temple, with models of humans being boiled alive and sawn in half! Visitors must first walk past these horrors before reaching a giant Buddha.

The romantic beach island life is waiting for you on the peaceful beaches of Uppuveli and Nilaveli, both close to Trincomalee in the northeast. Secluded and stunning stretches of sand offer few accommodation options, which are spread out, making these beaches perfect for lonely wanderings.

Considered a must-visit attraction, Sigiriya is an abandoned palace (its ruins are almost entirely eradicated) at the top of a soaring, gargantuan bolder. Those with vertigo should avoid as the climb is extremely steep, up an extremely narrow staircase. Traces of ancient frescoes are still visible on some walls, and two lion's paws, hewn from the rock, dating from the 5th century, are an intriguing feature at the base of the final stairwell.

Sinharaja rainforest is a stunning natural heritage site - the country's last viable area of succulent rainforest - it's not very well known. You can go for adventurous treks and swim in the waterfalls but keep an eye out for snakes and spiders among the varied plant life.

Tourists are always welcomed with enthusiasm to join in and celebrate the many festivals. Besides the Vesak Poya - Festival of lights, Kandy Esala Poya Perahera, Poson Poya Festival, Deepavali / Diwali and Sinhala and Tamil New Years, which are the main ones, you can celebrate the full moon with Buddhist tranquillity. The Poson Poya is in June and people dress in all white, make pilgrimages to Mihintale, and light pretty lanterns.

One holy site not to miss is Buddha - or Adam's - footprint. The top of Adam's Peak is believed holy by Buddhists, Christians, Muslims, Hindus and the Veddas. Sri Lanka's early inhabitants, who all believe the imprint of a footprint in the rock at Adam's Peak belonged to a very auspicious person.

If you still have not booked your Sri Lankan travels. Contact Serendipity Tours and they will make all your travel arrangements with you.