Sri Lankan cuisine with rice, coconut and spices gives a unique taste you will not find anywhere in the world. You will enjoy your stay with the staple of Sri Lankan steamed rice and curries. If you are not interested in these basic meals, you have plenty of options. Few Kilometers towards Colombo there is a wealth of restaurants, cafeterias, and fast food outlets providing a wide range of food and this includes many of the worldwide franchises as well. But feel free to taste Sri Lankan dishes such as Kottu, Lamprais, Biriyani to get the real experience of living in Sri Lanka.
KIU is in the capital city of Sri Lanka which symbolizes the recent development in the country. Branded stores, shopping malls, supermarkets and banks can be found within the town. Whatever your style, KIU nestles with some of the best shopping places in the country, such as ODEL, Cool Planet, Romafour, House of fashion, Majestic City. Do not hesitate to visit the floating market also which makes your shopping experience more exciting.
As Sri Lanka is enriched with a true cultural diversity; you will find plenty of theaters, cinemas, and venues. A visit on national art gallery and Nelum Pokuna theater will make an extravagant experience about Sri Lankan aesthetic values. There are iconic places you can enjoy around the campus including Diyatha Uyana, Independence arcade, Leisure world and Galle face with the golden shore of Sri Lanka. Enjoy your stay celebrating Sri Lankan cultural festivals like New Year, Vesak, Christmas, and more Hindu and Muslim festivals.
Malabe and Colombo is two of the fascinating capital cities in the country. You will find many convenient ways of transportation. Although the busy roads with the traffic jams try to distract you expressways, public transportations and taxi services you can find at your doorstep will make your life at KIU more convenient.
Thanks to the profusion of timber in Sri Lanka, traditional architecture of Sri Lanka has featured some of the most unique wood carvings of the world. Kandy is most renowned for wood carving attractions and its excellence is most exemplified in the Ambakka Devalaya which contains perhaps the most exquisite use of wood carving in the entire world. The use of wood carvings was held to be a sacred privilege reserved to palaces and temples and due to this most of the wood carvings from the ancient eras have been preserved in their original glory and is something you will not want to miss during your time in Sri Lanka.
Termed “Rukada” in the native Sinahala language these puppetries have long operated as a cultural phenomenon in Sri Lanka. The word is consisting of the two words “Ru” which stand for picture and the the word “kada” which stands for meaning of half. Rukada has mainly served as a mode of entertainment as well as portrayal of historical events or even comedy. Although its prominence may not be as huge as ancient times, even today Rukada has a sub cultural following. Some of the most revered examples of Rukada is displayed at the Dehiwala puppets museum which is in close proximity of the Dehiwala Zoo.
It is very famous that Sri Lankans are talented in making brass metal creations. With the use of brass metal creations, they are making lamps, trays, boxes, stands, vases, bagasmats purge, baskets, lampshades, tablemats and chairs. All these cast or wrought brassware items are bedecked with fine carving
Kandy Esala Perahera takes place on the Esala full moon day in August and pays homage to the sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha. The highest numbers of caparisoned elephants can be seen in this Esala Perehara. This Perahara is normally able to attract a magnificent number of foreigners than other perahara’s that are held in Si Lanka due to its elegance and sacred position of the heart it occupies within the Sri Lankan Citizens. The sacred Tooth is carried in a magnificent procession through the streets of Hill Capital Kandy, 110 km from Colombo in the central hills, includes temple chieftains, caparisoned elephants, acrobats, frenzied drummers, trumpeters, pipers, traditional dancers, torch bearers, and whip-crackers. lasts for 12 days.
The annual Sri Dalada Perahara of Historic Raja Maha Viharaya of Sri Jayawardanapura Kotte commences in August. There will be all night pirith chanting and sangika-dana offer to Maha Sangha. There will be Kumbalperahera, three Mal peraheras, Pavadaperahera, Weediperahera, Randoliperahera, Mahaperahera and Diya Keppemaperaheras. The Perahara is beautiful as the Kandy Esalaperahara and it is a magnificent Perahara which is held in Sri Lanka as a cultural festival.
Similar to Kandy Perahera there are three more beautiful parades in Kotte Raja Maha Viharaya, Kelani Viharaya and Gangarama Viharaya. While you relax at KIU, you have this valuable opportunity to feel this remarkable experience of glittering and dazzling parades within Colombo city.