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An increasing number of tourists from the Middle East region are travelling to Sri Lanka in search of an exotic location with plenty of sun and clean, unspoilt and uncrowded beaches.
Destination Sri Lanka reported a major influx of Arab travellers and Gulf-based expats as Middle East tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka surged 50 per cent in recent months compared to the same period last year, according to statistics compiled by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority and announced by the Middle East office of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Board (SLTPB).
For the sun-sea-and-sand enthusiast, Sri Lanka offers unbeatable value. Due to its location along the equatorial zone it has a tropical climate which varies with the regions and the seasons. Summer temperatures range between 24 to 26 degrees Celsius and sunny, blue skies are virtually guaranteed. The island nation offers several public beaches as well as five-star beach hotels and resorts.
"A full range of water sports can be enjoyed in Sri Lanka, including swimming, sailing, windsurfing, scuba diving, water-skiing and deep-sea fishing. Equipment for all sports can be hired and professional instruction is available throughout the coastal areas," said Heba Al Ghais Al Mansoori, Middle East Director of SLTPB based in Dubai.
Divers in Sri Lanka are treated to some of the most spectacular reefs in the world as also large schools of a variety of colourful fish. The islands coastlines have dozens of famous ship wrecks dating back centuries and also coral reefs, under sea caves and rock formations all around the island.
When even the most avid sun-bather needs a break from the beach, Sri Lanka offers a variety of options to unwind. Comfortable city tours are also possible with air-conditioned coaches and multi-lingual guides introducing visitors to the island's unique culture.
All of the above attractions are combined with the highest standards of luxury and comfort and service with a smile. There are more than 5,000 rooms available in graded establishments along the southern coast offering a wide range of options for high spenders as well as budget travellers.
A visit to Sri Lanka would hardly be complete without sampling the wild natural beauty of the country including the scenic waterfalls, spice and tea plantations, bird and wildlife reserves, tropical jungle excursions and the luxurious yet eco-friendly accommodation.
Lying off the southern tip of India, the tropical island of Sri Lanka has attracted travellers for centuries with its palm-fringed beaches, diverse landscapes and historical monuments.
Now the island is recovering from a long and bitter civil war arising out of ethnic tensions between the majority Sinhalese and the Tamil minority in the northeast. After more than 25 years of violence, the conflict ended after government forces seized the last area controlled by Tamil Tiger rebels.
To illustrate the point 53 couples of former Tamil Tiger rebels were married Sunday in a colourful mass ceremony at a government camp in northern Sri Lanka with a Bollywood star as witness.
Some of the brides and grooms had trained or fought together during the island's civil war that ended last year. They are among thousands of rebels who surrendered to the government and are still interned at a rehabilitation camp near the northern town of Vavuniya.
Government ministers attended the ceremony, signing the marriage certificates and giving gifts to the couples.
Bollywood heartthrob Viveik Oberoi also attended and joined camp inmates in a dance to a popular Tamil song from a south Indian movie. Oberoi had come came to Sri Lanka for an Indian film awards earlier this month and visited the camp at the government's invitation.
During the ceremony, brides dressed in bright red or yellow sarees and with artificial flowers in their hair stood beside grooms in white shirts with sacred ash on their foreheads. Hindu priests chanted prayers.
Sivapathasundaram Kavithas, 29, had been a fighter for nine years. He met his wife Bhavani, 28, a fighter for 12 years, when they went for weapons training together.
"He was a well-mannered man and I thought he will be suitable for me," Bhavani said.
The couple exchanged garlands at a Hindu temple and made a vow of marriage with family blessings in 2006, seven years after they met.
Brig Sudantha Ranasinghe, in charge of the rehabilitation of former rebels, said they will not be free until the government feels they are 'ready to join the society'. He said that would not be a long time off, and that the inmates would not be prosecuted for their roles in the war.
The camp houses some of the 10,000 men, women and children who gave themselves up to the army as having had links to the Tamil Tiger rebels soon after fighting ended in May 2009. Ranasinghe said 3,000 have already been released.
