Emichelle's VirtualTourist Home Page

I'm from the beautiful island Sri Lanka, a geographically blessed nation with has very different climates and cultures within 2 - 3 hours drive. I must be honest, small as my country is I haven't been able to cover most of the places within my own back yard.

I am a lover of travel as almost all of you are, however the frequency at which I can travel is limited even though I try to cover one country every 1- 2 years. Traveling is such a wonderful & flufilling experience. There is so much that you lean and cherish along the way. As someone once said " The world is like a book and if you don't travel you read only one page of it " How true. I live in the commercial capital of Sri Lanka which is Colombo. Colombo demonstrates the busy city life where life is a rat race as in most busy cities around the world. I work for a financial service organisation which also happens to be a very stressful job. So it is travel that helps relax and unwind may it be within the country or outside.

Each country has its unique wonders that they have to offer us travellers and as we go along I will do my best to give any potential traveller more insight into this wonderful travel destination, Sri Lanka.

My first trip out of the country was back in 1997 to Bangkok, Thailand ( not long ago ! ), it was quite an experience at that time, I am not a veteran traveler, however you tend to mature as a traveler as time goes by. Understanding how to enjoy what another country or destination has to offer comes with experience and of course the assistance of my felleow VT members.

My next trip was almost 8 year later to Singapore and it was a very special trip for myself and my wife cause it was our honymoon. Singapore, a small but wonderful country. We had so much fun there it was a very memorable trip and for that reson Singapore will be very close to my heart.

In November 2005 we were three and our little son was 6 months old, probably he might have a better travel page considering a very early start to his travel expeditions. That gives you a brief descirption about myself and the start to my travel experiences.

Sri Lanka known as the pearl of the Indian Ocean and has much to offer for any traveler. I will try to briefly describe each of its unique features.

The capital of Sri Lanka is Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte wich also happens to house the new Parliament. Sri Lanka's Parliament is beatifully built in the Diyawanna Oya and the parliament is surrounded by water with the exception of one road which leads to the complex. Other than that the area is a highly residential area.

Colombo is the main city and the commercial capital of the country this is where all the business takes place. Colombo houses all the major 5 star hotels, the old parliament which is also a land mark building many buildings built during the british rule which sometimes gives you a feeling of walking through Central London. Its not as well maintained though. Most of the businesses have their head offices in Colombo and it is a highly populated city compared to the other major cities in Colombo. Another significant building is the World Trade Centre which is similar to the World Trade Centre that was in New York it is much smaller and is 37 floors and currently the tallest building in SL this building also houses the Colombo Stock Exchange on its 3rd floor, you can arrange a tour of the Stock exchange and expolore investment opportunities for those interested investing. There are a few buildings under construction which will take over the title of being the tallest building in SL.

The Colombo Municiple couincil building also is one that needs to be seen. It is again a smaller version of the White House in the US. This building is right opposite the Vihara Maha Devi Park which is largest park in the city of Colombo. The park ( no its not like Central Park or St James Park ) provides a nice place for a long walks and relaxation. The park is home to large trees that makes it very scerene, a kiddies play area, jogging and walking tracks and a large Buddah Statue. Other places that should be visited are the BMICH which is an extraordinary Conference hall & Exhibtion centre and Opposite that the Buddah Statue that is a replica of the Awkana Buddah Statue in Anuradhapura. Other Significant places to visit in Colombo are the Gangarama Temple, the Galle Face Green and many other places that you will come along in between. You can arrange a city tour and cover all this within a day.

I am very interested in having at least one good friend from each country in the world, its a bit of hard task but I feel I can get there in time and with the help of my fellow VT'ers.

In a lifetime you may not be able to cover most parts of the world but by having a friend you might be able to gather insights into many places and it will help pick your travel destinations accordingly in the future.

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO MAKE A FRIENSHIP REQUEST AND I WILL BE MOST DELIGHTED TO BE YOUR FRIEND.

Looking forward to seeing those freindship requests rolling in !!!!