Sri Lanka, the exotic dream island in the Indian Ocean, called "the radiant shining land".

Colombo is the pulsating centre. The Fort-District impresses with its British colonial buildings.

The fishing village of Negombo is about 35 kilometres north of the island's capital. Today, people still fish in the characteristic outrigger canoes.

Further north, in the geographical centre of the island, is the so-called "Cultural Triangle", and we visit Anuradhapura.

Sigiriya with the Simha Giri fortress, built on a steeply towering monolith of gneiss by Kassapa. Polonnaruwa is Sri Lanka's second metropolis of the old kingdom Rajarata. In Dambulla the rock caves of the sacred shrine can be found. Pinnawela is the world's first and so far only elephant orphanage.

In the highlands it is significantly cooler and this is where the world-famous Ceylon highland tea thrives.

Nuwara Eliya is reached. A Victorian-style mountain village, also called "Little England" because of the climate. Near the Ravana Ella cave, also a site from the Indian Ramayana epic, the Ravana waterfall impresses. Yala National Park is located on the south-east coast of the island. Still further south is Tissamaharama, once one of the royal cities. Soon we reach the coastal town of Galle with the historic Fort.

Sri Lanka is a holiday paradise with thousands of years of history. Fascinating, mystical and extraordinary