Emerging Land

Elephant Polo

While it may never rival cricket as the country's top sport, elephant polo is fast becoming
an important event on Sri Lanka's annual sporting calendar. The fifth Annual International
Elephant Polo Tournament is to be held in the southern historic city of Galle in January
next year, and has attracted a record number of teams from around the world.

Organised by the Ceylon Elephant Polo Association (CEPA), the January 24-28 event will
feature eight teams - from Australia, India, Singapore, France, Thailand, Hong Kong,
Scotland and Nepal. Played against the backdrop of the 5th century ramparts of the Galle
Fort it attracts both international tourists and the local community, raising awareness of -
and funds for - elephant conservation. Matches are played in the cooler parts of the day
but the fun doesn’t stop when the matches are over as the social side of the tournament
provides an opportunity for players and spectators to relax and let their hair down at a
number of stylish, informal parties.

   The tournament elephants are specifically trained for the game and teams are graded
with three players and a reserve. The match consists of two seven-minute 'chukkas' of
playing time, with a 15 minute interval in-between. Sri Lanka Tourist Board (SLTB)
Chairman, Mr Udaya Nanayakkara, said the annual elephant polo tournament was
growing in popularity and would become a major event on the tourism calendar. "The
elephant has stood as a major symbol of Sri Lanka. This beautiful creature is revered by
our people and touches our lives in so many ways," said Mr Nanayakkara. "The polo
    tournament provides an opportunity to showcase the elephant’s fun-loving nature, its
       natural charm and the wonderful interaction with our people," he added.

Diving

A wide coral shelf surrounds Sri Lanka’s coast at
intervals, from north to south, providing excellent sites
for skin-diving. The discovery of the beautiful underwater natural world in Sri Lanka will make you absolutely fascinated and spellbound. The blue green, turquoise and aquamarine waters are home to the magical and mysterious underwater world of coral veets, shells and a fantastic variety of fish. The adventure of scuba diving can be easily clubbed with activities like underwater photography and fish identification. The coral world offers beautiful species such as Rays, Eels, Clown Fish, Porcupine, Moorish Idol, Unicorn and Moorish Angle. The common species belonging to the families of Aroporidae (Staghorn Corals), Poritidae (Donnie Corals), Mussidae (Brain Corals), faviidae (Ster Corals) and Pocelloporidae (Flower Corals).

White Water Rafting

Sri Lanka’s boulder stream rivers are the ideal setting for white water rafting and one of the best ways to see the stunning environment the region has to offer. Many tours are arranged and begin with days of action, rafting the white waters. This high adventure is suitable for first time ‘go for it’ rafters and experts alike. Rafting has become a very popular, exciting yet safe adventure sport option.

Ballooning

Explore the natural beauty of the Island on a hot air Balloon. Watch the Elephants in their natural habitant without disturbing them , fly over the placid lakes or take a bird's eye view over Sigiriya Rock or a historical ruined city without disturbing the landscape. We call it "Soft Tourism". Witness ancient lakes, gigantic ruins, some over 2500 years old.

Paragliding

Paragliding is the latest aero sport to take the world by storm. The origin of the sport dates back to the 1940s. Since then , this sport has been rapidly expanding. Thousands of people all over the world have found this sport convenient , sheer fun and a safe medium for soaring in the air. Sri Lanka's physical features and climatic conditions are conductive to flying operations throughout the year. Paragliding holds a special lure for the foreign tourist. Flight time for any average pilot with an intermediate level glide can last 25 minutes.

Canoeing /Kayaking