Asian elephants have long been a Sinhalese symbol and although numbers have greatly dwindled, conservationists are determined to ensure their survival.
Sri Lankan spices are abundant, varied and versatile. Praised since ancient times, widely traded in colonial days, they remain one of Ceylon's most important crops.
Kandy, the hill capital of Sri Lanka, claims the island's most revered temple, its most important religious festival and one of the best Botanical Gardens in Asia.