{"id":16034,"date":"2019-12-10T17:46:45","date_gmt":"2019-12-10T17:46:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/?p=16034"},"modified":"2024-03-22T12:53:55","modified_gmt":"2024-03-22T12:53:55","slug":"sri-lankas-eight-wonders-of-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/sri-lankas-eight-wonders-of-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Sri Lanka’s UNESCO Sites: Eight wonders of the world"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Here\u2019s the lowdown Sri Lanka\u2019s UNESCO sites. Which one will inspire your next holiday<\/a>?<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_column_text]Sri Lanka is home to an incredible selection of locations that have been bestowed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. From rainforests to stunning cities, there are eight of Sri Lanka’s UNESCO sites to be explored on your next adventure.<\/p>\n

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Sri Lanka’s UNESCO Sites:<\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ancient city of Sigiriya<\/h3>\n

This incredible archaeological rock fortress, that rises out of the earth to dominate the landscape, was also given UNESCO status in 1982. Known also as the Lion\u2019s Rock, it is located in the centre of the island and is the most popular tourist destination on the island, which is not surprising. It has the remains of a 5th century palace, which is accessible by stairs built on the side. Those who make the climb are rewarded with stunning 360\u00b0 views as well as the well-preserved remains. For a unique tour of Sigiriya<\/a>, see our website.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

Sacred city of Anuradhapura<\/h3>\n

Founded in the 4th century BC, Anuradhapura<\/a> has a long and distinguished past. The oldest and largest of all of Sri Lanka\u2019s ancient cities, it was seat of many Bhuddist kings and remains a sacred location for Buddhists today, who visit the ancient palaces, temples and monasteries in the city. It is 200km north of Colombo and was given UNESCO status in 1982.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_single_image image=”10010″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

The ancient city of Polonnaruwa<\/h3>\n

Polonnaruwa became Sri Lanka\u2019s second capital following the destruction to Anuradhapura<\/a> an thus is the island\u2019s second most ancient city. The city has some of the best Archeological relic sites in the country, including the 12th century Garden City. The city forms part of the country\u2019s Cultural Triangle along with Anuradhapura and Sigiriya. It was designated one of Sri Lanka’s UNESCO sites in 1982.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

Sinharaja forest reserve<\/h3>\n

Located in the south-west of the island, a 75km from Galle, the Sinharaja forest reserve is Sri Lanka\u2019s last viable area of rainforest<\/a> according to UNESCO, who gave it World Heritage Status in 1988. It is home to many rare trees \u2013 more than 60 per cent endemic \u2013 and a wide variety of endemic wildlife including mammals, reptiles and butterflies. It is a bird spotters paradise with many species making it their home.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_single_image image=”7811″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

Old Town of Galle and its fortifications<\/h3>\n

Built by the Dutch in the 16th century, Galle is one of the island\u2019s true gems. Perched on the south of the island on the Indian Ocean, it is famous for the fortifications, which now overlook the city\u2019s picturesque cricket ground (which you can see with us when England tour in March 2020), they were used to protect the goods of the Dutch East India Company. The city retains much of its colonial charm and is a must on any visit to Sri Lanka and very accessible from Colombo. It was given UNESCO status in 1988.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

Rangiri Dambulla Cave Temple<\/h3>\n

Also known as the Golden Temple of Dambulla<\/a>, it is the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. For more than 2,000 years pilgrims have flocked to the cave, which has a stunning array of more than 150 statues and cave paintings that relate to Buddha. It was given UNESCO status in 1991.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_single_image image=”13042″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

The sacred city of Kandy<\/h3>\n

Kandy was the last remaining Sri Lankan capital city on the island \u2013 stretching back 2,500 years \u2013 until the city fell under the rule of the British in 1815. As well as being a bustling city in today\u2019s modern Sri Lanka, it is home to the famous Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic \u2013 which the locals call Sri Dalada Maligawa. The tooth in question belonged to Buddha and legend goes that whoever is the holder of the tooth, holds the governance of the island or the legions of Buddhists. It was made one of Sri Lanka’s UNESCO sites in 1988. To find out more about why to visit Kandy<\/a>, visit our website.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Central Highlands of Sri Lanka<\/h3>\n

Sri Lanka\u2019s Central Highlands comprise of the Peak Wilderness Protected Area, the Horton Plains National Park and the Knuckles Conservation Forest. Rising more than 2,500 metres above sea-level, the area is 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. It became a World Heritage Site in 2010 to complete the list of Sri Lanka’s eight wonders.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

CURIOUS ABOUT SRI LANKA’S EIGHT WONDERS?<\/h2>\n

Head to our website for more ideas and information about holidays to Sri Lanka<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Alternatively, give us a call on 020 7924 7133<\/span>\r\n \t.<\/p>\n

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Sri Lanka is home to eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Which of Sri Lanka’s eight wonders will you explore on your Sri Lanka holiday?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":9711,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17,15],"tags":[265],"coauthors":[1261],"class_list":["post-16034","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guest-contributors","category-sri-lanka","tag-history"],"aioseo_notices":[],"views":11625,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16034","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/57"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16034"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16034\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9711"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16034"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16034"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16034"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=16034"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}