TOURIST SPOTS - SOUTH ASIA
1. Dambulla Cave Temple - Sri Lanka
Dambulla cave temple is a World Heritage Site (1991) in Sri Lanka, situated in the central part of the country. This site is situated 148 km east of Colombo and 72 km north of Kandy. It is the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka.
2. Sigiriya - Sri Lanka
Sigiriya is an ancient palace located in the central Matale District near the town of Dambulla in the Central Province, Sri Lanka. According to the ancient Sri Lankan chronicle the Culavangsha, this site was selected by King Kasyapa (477 – 495 CE) for his new capital. He built his palace on the top of this rock and decorated its sides with colourful frescoes. On a small plateau about halfway up the side of this rock he built a gateway in the form of an enormous lion. The name of this place is derived from this structure —Sīhāgiri, the Lion Rock.
3. Kerala Backwaters - India
The Kerala backwaters are a chain of lagoons and lakes lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast in the Kerala state. The Kerala backwaters are home to many unique species of aquatic life including crabs, frogs and mudskippers, water birds and animals such as otters and turtles.
4. Virupaksha Temple - India
The Virupaksha Temple in the city of Hampi started out as a small shrine and grew into a large complex under the Vijayanagara rulers.
5. Utheemu Ganduvaru - Maldives
Utheemu Ganduvaru is a historical residence where Sultan Mohamed Thankurufaan lived. This historical site is located in Utheemu, which is an inhabited island in the north of Maldives. Mohamed Thankurufaan is considered one of the heroes of the Maldives, and earned high respects from the Maldivians for his heroic actions and for saving his people from the Portuguese conquerors.
6. Naran - Pakistan
Naran, located 119 kilometers from Mansehra, is one of the most frequently visited areas of Pakistan in the summer. Tourists, both local and foreigners, go to Naran to enjoy the picturesque valley and to escape from the summer heat in the south. There are many places in Naran which one can visit. There is the immensely popular Lake Saif-ul-Malook located here, along with the peaceful, Lulusar and Ansoo Lake.
7. Manta Point - Maldives
Manta Point is a diving area where you can enjoy seeing large numbers of manta rays being fed and cleaned by wrasses.
8. Concordia - Pakistan
Concordia lies in the heart of Karakorum range. 4 out 14 of the worlds’ 8000s are situated here. Those tourists who don’t like climbing can come here and enjoy breathtaking views. K2 is also located here. The landscapes are really rugged and one must have sufficient experience of trekking before embarking on a journey to Concordia.
9. Adam's Peak - Sri Lanka
Adam's Peak is a 2,243 m tall conical mountain located in central Sri Lanka. It is well known for the Sri Pada, i.e., "sacred footprint", a 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) rock formation near the summit, which in Buddhist tradition is held to be the footprint of the Buddha, in Hindu tradition that of Shiva and in Islamic and Christian tradition that of Adam, or that of St. Thomas.
10. Harmandir Sahib - India
The Harmandir Sahib, better known as the Golden Temple is the main tourist attraction in Amritsar, and the most important religious place to the Sikhs. Construction of the temple was begun by Guru Ramdas ji. in the 16th century.