Travel / Lifestyle

Lanka's breathtaking coral shelf

All major groups of vertebrates can be found in Sri Lanka due to the abundance of waterfalls as well as the 103 rivers that surround the country. The highest endemic species are found in the amphibian and reptile group. Most of the 107 species of fish are found in marsh and river dwellings.

The 39 endemic species - the Carplet group - being restricted to the perennial streams of the wet zone. The British introduced trout into the clear, cold streams of Horton Plains. Of the 54 species of amphibians, 33 are endemic to the island.

According to ongoing research, the largest number of endemic amphibian fauna in the world may soon be found in Sri Lanka. One endemic genus, the Nannophyrus, with three species, is common in the wet zone living on rock ledges, covered by a continuous trickle of water, and sharing the same habitat with tadpoles.

Marine turtles were roaming the oceans for about 190 million years. Among the many different varieties of this species only eight reptiles are found living today.

Of the eight, Sri Lanka is famous for five kinds of turtles who regularly visit the sandy beaches to nest in the south-western and south-eastern beaches. Turtles are best seen in the nights.

Sri Lanka offers sea expeditions to see dolphins and whales off Kirinda and Bentota - Whales are also seen in other areas around the islands such as Batticaloa, Weligama, Negombo and Chilaw at a distance of 20 - 30 miles from the Island. In Sri Lanka whale watching is now high on the list of holiday activities.

The whales that can be seen include Common Blue Whales, Bryde's Whales , Sperm Whales, Killer Whales, False Killer, Dwart, Melon Headed Whales, Cuvier's Beaked Whales and if lucky, the elusive Indian Blue Whales.

The dolphines seen in the Sri Lankan seas include Spotted Dolphins, Spinner Dolphins, Fraser's Dolphins, Rise's Dolphins, Common Dolphins and the Bottlenose Dolphins.

Deep Sea Fishing can also be experienced and it is said that Sri Lanka has the potential to be one of the hottest fishing spots. Its unspoiled seas and fishing zones hold an abundance of game fish for the keen angler. Species of Marlin, Sail Fish, Wahoo, Spanish Mackerel, Grade Trevallie, Benito, Queen Fish Barracuda, Grouper, Cobia and Tuna make this beautiful island second to none when it comes to sea angling.

A wide coral shelf surrounds Sri Lanka's coast at intervals, from north to south, providing excellent sites for skin-diving.

The discovery of the beautiful underwater natural world in Sri Lanka will keep you fascinated and spellbound. The blue green, turquoise and aquamarine waters are home for the magical and mysterious underwater world of coral veets, shells and a fantastic variety of fish.

Courtesy: Tourist Board

Etihad to fly non-stop to singapore

Etihad Airways will start non-stop flights in September three times-a-week from Abu Dhabi to Singapore.

This comes a day after the launch of the Abu Dhabi-Singapore Business Forum (ADSBF), which will forge greater links between the two cities.

Singapore will be Etihad's fifth destination in the Far East to add to Bangkok, Manila, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur, which was launched in January 2007.

Etihad Airways' chief executive, James Hogan said: "The new service will cater to the growing demand for air travel between the UAE and Singapore from business and leisure travellers, which is growing year on year."

"The new service demonstrates Etihad's ambitions to provide our customers with flights to the world's top destinations, and the creation of the ADSBF will also benefit the airline greatly with the increasing commercial co-operation between Singapore and Abu Dhabi."

SriLankan awarded prestigious Imperial Mark

SriLankan Airlines has become the only airline in Asia to be awarded the prestigious Imperial Mark, a global accolade of excellence in recognition of its exceptional levels of service and quality.

SriLankan joins the ranks of prestigious companies that have been awarded the Imperial Mark, which include exclusive global brands such as Omega watches, Clive Christian perfumes and Tiffany and Co. of New York.

CEO of SriLankan Peter Hill said: "We at SriLankan are honoured to receive this accolade, which is indeed a special one among the many that we have won in recent years.

The Imperial Mark is not a subjective popularity poll, but is an expert evaluation of our service excellence. It is a tribute to the professionalism of our staff around the globe."

Less than one per cent of companies which are nominated for consideration are awarded the Mark, following a stringent evaluation process.