Country Facts

Buddhist temples with images of Hindu gods, beautiful palm-lined skylines and pristine, sandy-white beaches, elephants and batik, rice and curry, tea and cricket, coffee and cinnamon, coconuts and rubber, Sri Lanka is closer to home than you imagined. From Marco Polo to Arthur C Clarke, this tear-drop shaped nation has enthralled artists and tourists alike with its cuisine, its natural beauty and its friendly smiles. To get under Lankan skin, read Michael Ondaatje’s ‘Running in the Family’, listen to Lankan radio from Los Angeles on www.labaila. com and watch Prasanna Vithanage’s ‘Death on a Full Moon Day’.