Sri Lanka located at the tip of Southern India is often known as the gateway between East and West. Known as Ceylon until 1972, Sri Lanka is famous for its apparel exports, its commodities such as tea, rubber and coconut, and its beautiful scenery that has led to the country becoming a popular tourist destination.

The country's population is made of a diverse mix of races and religions. The main races are the Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims and Burghers. Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Christianity are practiced by the people of the Island , and the country is dotted with different places of religious worship, often with churches, temples and mosques co-existing side-by-side.

Sri Lanka has a 2500 year old history – with fact often interwoven with lore. Tales abound about an errant prince, Vijaya who landed on the country's shores, and started the Sinhalese race. Many spots in Sri Lanka are also linked to the Indian epic, the Ramayana. Adam's Peak too is a place that has sparked many legends with its giant footprint that has been attributed to the Buddha, Adam, and the Hindu god, Shiva. However, there is much evidence of the existence of the great kings of Sri Lanka , whose impressive palace ruins, temples and water reservoirs are found in many parts of the country – especially within the Cultural Triangle.

Sri Lanka has a varied landscape for a nation its size. Beautiful beaches surround the Island , while much of the landscape consists of flat plains, scrub jungle and heavily wooded forests. The central region of Sri Lanka is dominated by mountain ranges and the climate is much cooler in these parts than in the rest of the country. Temperatures range between 27 – 30 degrees Celsius across the beaches and flat lands, but falls between 16 – 20 degrees Celsius in the mountains.