25 Things You Didn’t Know About Sri Lanka

From the beaches in Mirissa, the tea gardens in Kandy, to the giant Buddha rock carvings in Sri Lanka.

Sigiriya Temple, Sri Lanka — PHOTO Wendy Hung

I try not to think about Sri Lanka too much. Years ago, I took a trip with my ex-boyfriend and his family to this beautiful country that had just been trying to bounce back from a horrendous tsunami in 2005. There were more beggars than usual outside of temples, and staying at a hotel on the beach meant that the trashing sounds of waves every minute came with inklings of fear. Nonetheless, Sri Lanka remains a popular destination. So, if you’re planning a trip to this gorgeous country with a sordid history, here are 25 things you might not have known.

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The Golden Temple of Dambulla is the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka.

Sigiriya Temple contains references in the graffiti to 500 ladies in these paintings.

A famous local dish is Lamprais, which is rice cooked in stock and baked in a banana leaf.

The Gal Vihara is a rock temple of the Buddha situated in the ancient city of Polonnaruwa in North Central Province.

Before your enter Sri Lanka you need to obtain an online visa – Electronic Travel Authorization System (ETA), valid for 30 days.

Sri Lanka is one of the most biologically diverse countries in Asia. Over 25% of Sri Lanka’s total area is protected, more than any other Asian nation.

The country's main economic sectors are tourism, tea export, clothing, rice production and other agricultural products.

Sigiriya is the most visited historic site in Sri Lanka.

The Cultural triangle is situated in the centre of the island and covers an area which includes the World Heritage cultural sites of the Sacred City of Anuradhapura, the Ancient City of Polonnaruwa, the Ancient City of Sigiriya, the Ancient City of Dambulla and the Sacred City of Kandy.

Stilt fishing is a dying tradition in Sri Lanka.

Precautions against malaria in Sri Lanka is important, so use mosquito repellents and wear long-sleeves and pants.

Galle is the fifth largest city in Sri Lanka after the capital Colombo, Kandy, Jaffna and Negombo.

Sri Lanka has South Asia’s highest literacy rate of 92%.

Sri Lanka has the longest continuous history of Buddhism of any predominately Buddhist nation.

Kandalama Lake was created by the dam used for irrigation purposes in the region.

Giant carvings of Gal Vihara are considered to be some of the best examples of ancient Sinhalese sculpting and carving arts.

Mirissa in southern Sri Lanka is a fishing port and one of the island's main whale and dolphin watching locations.

Former Sri Lankan Prime Minister, Sirimavo Bandaranaike (1916 – 2000), was the modern world’s first female head of government.

The toque macaque is a reddish-brown-coloured Old World monkey endemic to Sri Lanka.

The tea trade in Sri Lanka was started by a Scotsman.

Buddhists comprise 70 percent of the populatio

Temple of the Tooth Relic is one of the most sacred places of worship in the Buddhist world.

There are several languages spoken in Sri Lanka but Sinhala and Tamil are official ones.

Kandy is a city in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea.

Sri Lanka is the 4th largest tea producer in the world.

Wendy Hung

CEO, FOUNDER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

As the founder of Jetset Times, Wendy is an avid traveler and fluent in five languages. When she's not traveling, Wendy calls Paris and Taipei home. Her favorite countries so far from her travels have been: Bhutan, Iran, and St. Bart's because they were all so different!