Sri Lanka, an island in the Indian Ocean and located south of the Indian subcontinent, is also known as the Island of Serendipity. It is an island of Sunny beaches, a palm fringed coastline, an abundance of rivers, streams and cascading waterfalls, a heartlands of cool misty mountains, forests containing a variety of exotic flora, and fauna, from leopards, to herd of majestic elephants, birds from the tiny 'tailor bird' to the gorgeously coloured peacock, reptiles from crocodiles to pythons, conjure visions of a jungle paradise. Sri Lanka has an enormous range of Buddhist, Hindu, Christian and Muslim festivals.

Sri Lanka's is fampous for precious gemstones - sapphires, rubies, beryls, zircon, quartz and more. In contrast the island's capital, Colombo, is a thriving and modern city with plenty entertainments and good nightlife. Sri Lanka is an island where colour abounds everywhere, in the bright festival decorations, in the scenery, and even in the food. Sri Lanka's distinctly Buddhist culture also shows elements of contact with the British, Dutch and Portuguese colonial forces.