Sri Lanka is a tourist's paradise. Marco Polo described it as "the finest island of its size in the world". Wonderful pristine beaches, lush-green hills, majestic waterfalls, corals, wild life, heritage sites, pilgrimage sites, exotic cuisine-Sri Lanka has everything that a tourist can imagine. It has something to offer to everyone.
Though Colombo is widely known as the capital of Sri Lanka but strictly speaking Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte-a miniature town in Colombo-is the legislative capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is the commercial capital of Sri Lanka.
The total population of Sri Lanka is around 20 Million. Major ethnic groups include: Sinhalese (74%), Tamil (18%), Moor (7%), Burgher, Malay and Vedda (1%). Buddhism is the major religion followed by around 70% of the population. Other major religions are Hinduism (15%), Christianity (8%) and Islam (7%).

For a small island, Sri Lanka has garnered a lot of names - Serendib, Ceylon, Teardrop of India, Resplendent Isle, Island of Dharma, Pearl of the Orient - an accumulation which reveals its richness and beauty, and the intensity of affection which it has evoked in visitors.For centuries it seduced travellers, who returned home with enchanting images of a languorous tropical isle of such deep spirituality and serenity that it entered the Western imagination as a Tahiti of the East

Sigiriya is a major archaeological site in North Central Sri Lanka. At Sigiriya we find the ruins of an ancient palace complex built during the reign of King Kasyapa. It has been ascribed by UNESCO as one of the seven World Heritage Sites in Sri Lanka. Probably the most recognizable feature in Sri Lanka is the spectacular rock fortress of Sigiriya. Originally built in 477 A.D. as an impregnable fortress and palace, Sigiriya was later used as a monastic refuge in the 16th and 17th centuries. The rock dramatically rises 200 meters above the surrounding plains and it is a wonder to imagine how they managed to carry up the materials necessary for its construction. At the base lies the remains of the royal rock and water gardens in what once was the lush pleasure gardens of the royalty. The most significant feature of the Rock would have been the Lion staircase leading to the palace garden on the summit. Lion staircase leading to the palace garden on the summit of Sigiriya Rock. Based on the ideas described in some of the graffiti, this Lion staircase could be visualised as a gigantic figure towering majestically against the granite cliff, facing north, bright coloured, and awe-inspiring. Built in the 5 century AC this magnificent complex of geometrically laid gardens, pools, fountains (still working today) as well as oldest surviving murals of maidens has been a palace of the King Kasyapa.