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We walked up some 200 steps on a steep hill to get to the place and felt a divine joy at the spot. Finally 3 out of 10 Indians are repeat visitors.The last part of the journey was in the capital Colombo, which is like any major city of India or other Asian nations, with a beach (like Mumbai), but far cleaner than Mumbai. And the week-long journey across four cities of the nation and in this order, Kandy, Nuwera Elia, Bentota and Colombo, driven by the handsome smiling young man, Jaanaka of Red Apple Travels, taught me many a thing, like the entire journey from garden to cup of tea, moods and colours of hills Rosary Chain Suppliers and beaches, the preservation of Sita-Hanuman memories of the Ramayana times, and how the island-nation is dependent on and possessive of its 2 million strong tourist industry which contributes to one fourth of its annual revenue. The pray with white lily flowers and usually in pristine white dress considered as symbol of peace and purity. The Sita Amman Temple, located halfway between the highland village Sita Eliya and the Hakgala Botanical Gardens, has become the most venerated of all Ramayana Trail sites in Sri Lanka, because it is believed to be the place where Sita spent most of the time during her captivity on the island of Lanka.

For we three, it is 80 per cent delightful.However, the high-point of Bentota was the private sea-beach of Eden Resort where we stayed, and the tree-houses and designer swimming pool where one could have a drink or dinner even while floating. Indeed, agriculture, tourism and governments jobs together account for 8 out of every 10 gainful employment opportunities, private or public, in Sri Lanka. Around 37 per cent Indian travellers visit the historical sites in Sri Lanka while wildlife is of interest for 21 per cent".We had in mind the focus on hills sight-seeing, beachside fun and visiting animal homes apart from a cool time in the hotels as our desired objectives. July to August becomes a peak point especially in Kandy as there is this traditional parade ("Dalada Perahara") during the time. The other important highlights of the survey shows that, 45 per cent Indians come home with a memory of Sri Lanka being a beautiful tropical country; 30 per cent say that the people of Sri Lanka are nice and hospitable; 24 per cent talk about the pristine beaches with golden sand.

The author is the School Head, School of Media, Pearl Academy, Delhi and Mumbai.The highlight of our tour was Kandy, which is the second capital in Sri Lanka. We surely want to join these three sometime again in near future. Kandy is both an administrative and religious city and is also the capital of the Central Province. The total tour usually limits to 4 to 7 nights, as told to me by the young well-groomed guest relations professional at Great Kandyan Hotel in Kandy, Imesha. Among them, the various types of occupations consisted of Professionals (23 per cent), Businessmen (16 per cent), Scientists and Technicians (10 per cent), Executives (9 per cent) and 8 per cent of Educationists. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. The only lament in Colombo is the existence of several high-risers going up to 20-25 floors also, after seeing a series of towns with just 2 to 4 floor houses and business buildings.