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UN agency identifies new world heritage sites in Sri Lanka |
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The United Nations agency tasked with preserving humanity's cultural heritage today added a selection of new sites situated in Sri Lanka to its World Heritage List, after deciding that they were of outstanding universal value. The new sites recognized by the World Heritage Committee of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), include the Central Highlands in Sri Lanka.
Situated in the south-central part of Sri Lanka, the Central Highlands comprise the Peak Wilderness Protected Area, the Horton Plains National Park and the Knuckles Conservation Forest.
The forests, where the land rises to 2,500 metres above sea-level, are home to an extraordinary range of flora and fauna, including several endangered species such as the western-purple-faced langur, the Horton Plains slender loris and the Sri Lankan leopard. The region is considered a super biodiversity hotspot.
The Horton Plains National Park and Knuckles Conservation Forest were added to the list of the existing 6 world heritage sites in Sri Lanka. The other UNESCO world heritage sites include Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya, The Golden Temple of Dambulla, Kandy, Galle and Sinharaja Rain Forest. |
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DTSL provides transport for Cathay Pacific Crew |
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It was indeed a very special occasion and an achievement for Diethelm Travel Sri Lanka, when
we greeted and welcomed the airline crew of Cathay Pacific on Monday, 2nd August 2010 for
the 1st crew arrival transfer provided by us.
DTSL has signed a contract for a period of 1 year, commencing 2nd August 2010, and will provide
transport for the crew of Cathay Pacific which operates daily flights to Sri Lanka. |
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Milan Colombo direct flights operational in December 2009 |
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SriLankan Airlines will launch a new twice-weekly direct service between Milan and Colombo from 16th December and will better facilitate Italians traveling to Sri Lanka for leisure and tourism while being a convenience for Sri Lankan expatriates living in northern Italy. Milan will also serve as a connecting point between those traveling from the south of France and southern Switzerland to Colombo.
The National Carrier launched services to Rome last December, and serves the southern and central regions of Italy, and will continue its fly twice-weekly flights to the Italian capital complimented by the new flights to Milan, Italy’s second largest city.
The Milan service will also offer one-stop flights via Colombo to popular Far Eastern destinations - Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Beijing, and six major cities in India, while continuing to service the Maldives.
With the addition of Milan, SriLankan will expand its route network to 44 destinations in 29 countries across Europe, the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent, the Far East, and North America. The Milan flights, on modern Airbus A330 and A340 aircraft, will operate on Wednesday and Saturday. Wednesday’s flight UL565 will operate on the route Colombo-Paris-Milan-Colombo, while Saturday’s flight UL 555 will fly Colombo-Frankfurt-Milan-Colombo |
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The Elephant Gathering at Minneriya National Park (August - September) |
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Every year during the months of August and September, one of the most awesome wildlife spectacles in the world takes place in Sri Lanka. Over three hundred wild elephants converge for ‘the gathering’. Matriarchs lead their clans to water the whole group taking care to safe guard the baby elephants who are always flanked by adults.
‘The Gathering’ at Minneriya is a wonderful opportunity for Wildlife
enthusiasts to observe the social dynamics of Elephants. |
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For more details, please contact us |
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Kandy perahara 2010 - 15th to 24th August 2010 |
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Legend has it that when Buddha was cremated in the fifth century BC, one of his followers took a tooth from the pyre. The holy canine was later smuggled to Sri Lanka, in the hair of an Orissan princess disguised as a Brahmin priest. King Megavanna was so happy to have the religious relic on his island that he had it paraded it through the city for his subjects to marvel at.
Today’s Esala Perahera festival is as colourful as the story of its origins. Taking place in August on the ten days leading up to the full moon, the time-honoured elephant parade takes place in Kandy, the Sri Lankan centre of Buddhism. For more than 400 years, the city’s Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Tooth Relic) has housed the revered dentistry. A replica casket is used in the parades, but that doesn’t stop thousands of Buddhist pilgrims from breaking out their drums, dancing shoes, whips and fire.
This spectacle can be seen, by torchlight, at the nightly elephant processions, which are actually formed of five separate parades. In the 18th century, the South Indian Nyakar dynasty introduced a Hindu element to proceedings, and four of the parades start at temples dedicated to the religion’s principle deities, Vishnu, Natha, Kataragama and Pattini.
The Hindu hoe-downs spill into the main parade, where the Jumbo of honour is the mighty tusker from Dalada Maligawa, carrying the golden casket. All the elephants are dressed up to the nines, clad from trunk to toe in silk costumes, glittering thread and embroidered cloth, even chains of fairy lights.
Between the elephants, the religious participants perform all kinds of devotional acts to the booming drums. Some show their faith by walking barefoot or, in the case of the Hindus, with spikes in their backs. The procession is headed by banner carriers and whip crackers, whose weapons clear the path of both evil spirits and the crush of humanity. Kandy is the country’s main arts centre and the city’s performers add to the chaos. Acrobatic fire performers juggle, twirl and eat oily flames, their glow reflected by palanquins teetering on elephant back.
The most riotous parade happens on the last night. The following morning, preparations for next year are already underway at the ‘water cutting’ ceremony. A religious official draws a sword through the Mahaweli Ganga river, in a ritual designed to divide pure and impure and ensure a plentiful supply of water. Some water is kept and used in the next opening ceremony, when breadfruit trees are planted outside the temples. |
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Essentials |
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Bag a seat with a view, either arrive hours before the action begins or reserve a place in one of the premises on the parade route. |
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Local Attractions |
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Linger in World Heritage-listed Kandy, built around a peaceful lake among hill stations and tea plantations. |
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Hikkaduwa Beach Fest 2009 (30th July 2009 - 2nd August 2009) |
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A fun-filled fiesta for kids, adults, and grandparents. The world famous southern coastal town of Hikkaduwa,
is all agog with preparations, to hold Hikkaduwa Beach Fest 09 an initiative of Sri Lanka Tourism. The sun-kissed
beaches of Hikkaduwa will vibrate to the pulsating rhythms of DJs, dancers, and musicians from July - August . The event will cater to both local and foreign visitors as well as to persons of all age groups – a family outing – a break
from the monotony. There will be something for everyone from sand-castle building, movie night to a jazz festival. |
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For more details, please contact us |
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Ayurveda 2009 - May 23 - 25, 2009 at (BMICH) - Colombo |
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Symposium on Ayurveda & Indigenous Medicine |
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A series of workshops and plenary sessions on special topics related to Ayurveda and Indigenous Medicine addressed by world renowned professionals from India, UK, Germany, Japan, Singapore and Sri Lanka will be held on 23rd, 24th and 25th May 2009. |
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For more details, please contact us |
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