{"id":29430,"date":"2018-09-25T10:40:00","date_gmt":"2018-09-25T00:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures?p=29430&preview=true&preview_id=29430"},"modified":"2024-09-18T16:32:24","modified_gmt":"2024-09-18T06:32:24","slug":"sri-lanka-facts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/sri-lanka-facts\/","title":{"rendered":"10 cool facts about Sri Lanka"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sri Lanka<\/a> is one of those island nations that’s often overlooked and is very much still one of Asia’s most prized hidden gems. <\/strong><\/p>\n

The best thing about\u00a0Sri Lanka<\/a>\u00a0is that, even thought it’s a small island, it’s jam-packed with stuff to do, things to eat, and a fascinating history.\u00a0Here’s a few facts to warm you up.<\/p>\n

1. You might not be able to guess the national sport\u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Cricket is by far the most popular sport in Sri Lanka, but the national sport is in fact\u2026 volleyball. We dig that!<\/p>\n

READ MORE:\u00a06 OF THE BEST BEACHES IN SRI LANKA (AND WHEN TO VISIT THEM)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

2. Sri Lanka is totally about tea<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Sri Lanka is the largest exporter of tea in the world, and grow black tea, green tea and white tea. You can sip your way around the entire country.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Image by Ewen Bell<\/p><\/div>\n

3. There\u2019s enough waterfalls to keep the lights going<\/strong><\/h3>\n

There\u2019s more than a hundred waterfalls in Sri Lanka and plenty of them you can swim in! The majority of Sri Lanka\u2019s electricity is supplied through hydropower plants that tap into the immense energy of these falls.<\/p>\n

4. They know how to spice things up<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Cinnamon originated in Sri Lanka<\/a><\/strong> and was discovered by the Egyptians. It\u2019s still grown in the country and is recognised as the highest quality you can find in the world.<\/p>\n

EXPLORE WITH PEOPLE YOUR OWN AGE ON OUR ESSENTIAL SRI LANKA TOUR, <\/strong><\/a>
\nEXCLUSIVE TO TRAVELLERS AGED 18 TO 29.\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

5. A tooth from Buddha sits under the roof of a temple in a place called Kandy<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Kandy\u2019s Temple of the Tooth (where the relic of the tooth of Buddha is housed), is one of the most sacred Buddhist sites you can visit.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Image by Ryan Bolton<\/p><\/div>\n

6. Rice before curry, and there\u2019s never an exception<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Rice and curry is the staple dish in Sri Lanka. It\u2019s often eaten from a banana leaf and it\u2019s traditionally eaten with the hands (without cutlery), as is every other meal. The dish is always called rice and curry,\u00a0never<\/em>\u00a0curry and rice, because rice is seen to be the most important part of the dish and Sri Lankan cuisine<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Image by Ryan Bolton<\/p><\/div>\n

7. The first female prime minister was elected in Sri Lanka<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Sri Lanka was the first country in the world to democratically elect a woman as the head of government.<\/p>\n

8. You’ll find the freshest (and sweetest) pineapples you\u2019ve ever tasted<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This isn\u2019t a particularly solid fact, but the pineapples in Sri Lanka are absolutely delicious. Grab them from a roadside stall, get the vendor to cut it up, and give it a nibble whenever you need some sweet, sweet deliciousness.<\/p>\n

SUBSCRIBE TO INTREPID\u2019S NEWSLETTER FOR INSPIRING STORIES, COMPETITIONS, GIVEAWAYS & MORE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Image by Anton Gvozdikov<\/p><\/div>\n

9. It\u2019s said to be home to the oldest tree ever to be planted by a human<\/strong><\/h3>\n

As the story goes, the Sri Maha Bodhi was planted in 288 BC during the reign of King Devanampiyatissa, and brought from India by Princess Sangamitta. That makes the tree more than a staggering age of 2300 years.<\/p>\n

10. Students get a high level of education<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Sri Lanka has a literacy rate of 92 per cent, which means they have the highest literacy rate in South Asia and one of the highest rates throughout Asia.<\/p>\n

Ready for a Sri Lankan adventure? Check out our range of small group adventures now<\/a>.
\n<\/strong>
\nFeature image by Ryan Bolton\u00a0<\/em>
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sri Lanka may be a relatively small country, but it’s big on things to do, and FULL of interesting info. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15098,"featured_media":29437,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[455],"tags":[2181,180,385,52],"class_list":["post-29430","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature","tag-18-to-29s","tag-asia","tag-south-east-asia","tag-sri-lanka","ipf_theme-18-to-29s","ipf_region-sri-lanka"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n10 Awesome Facts About Sri Lanka | Intrepid Travel Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Sri Lanka is one of those island nations that's often overlooked yet is still the hidden gem of Asia. 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