Marco Polo once described it as the 'perfect island of its size'.

The picturesque island, once called Serendib, is a place where Buddhism flourished for centuries, alongside other religions.

Its culture is coloured with history, the beaches bathed in warm sunlight, the hills are clothed in lush greenery and veiled in mist in the mornings and evenings. Its people, well, they smile all the time, even in times of adversity.

Noting that Sri Lanka's historical sites, beaches and landscapes may perhaps be surpassed somewhere else on earth, Scientist Arthur C Clarke once said: 'But I find it hard to believe that there is any country which scores so highly in all departments - which has so many advantages and so few disadvantages, especially for the Western visitor.' He added, 'Sri Lanka is also the right size. You can drive from one coast to the other in half a day, over roads which are usually good and often excellent, though sometimes afflicted with unusual hazards, such as elephants without rear lights.' Places to visit abound, except perhaps some parts of the east and the northernmost areas where troops at times engage in combat with militants. But the military activity does not bother any one. Not even the locals. When Sri Lanka's flamboyant cricketers flayed the Australans to win the World Cup, even the soldiers were celebrating. The militants' guns were silent as well.

Sri Lankans are still celebrating that memorable victory against an old adversary. But in Sri Lanka, adversaries become lifelong friends. That's the spirit of its people. Grin and forgive.

Travellers who want to experience that spirit, head in all directions, especially to the countryside. Some head for the beaches in the south and the west, others ascend the hill resorts, where its springtime all the time. Temperatures dip to as low as 1O?C on some days in the hill retreats such as Nuwara Eliya and in other charming towns like Bandarawela, Kandy, Matale, Haputale where its about 16?C year-round.

In the northcentral region where there are numerous astounding Buddhist historical sites, the heat can be unbearable at certain times of the year.

But many visitors take in those sights - massive stupas built of brick and mortar, palaces, monasteries built by ancient kings and statutes of the Buddha of varying sizes (some as large as tower blocks) carved out of sheer rock. Some monuments were built as long ago as 250 BC.

Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, both ancient kingdoms of Sinhalese rulers where historical monuments abound, have never disappoined visitors. Polonnaruwa, for example, is known for its architectural and sculptural landmarks. History is frozen in time in some of these sites.

The central hills, of course, can be the most alluring, where the landscape, especially in cities like Kandy, Bandarawela and Nuwara Eliya, is simply breathtaking. These cities are the ideal places to go strolling and even hiking. The rice paddies, the mountains, the streams and rivers and those sleepy villages where you still see people chopping firewood and drawing water from wells and lighting oil lamps as dusk descends.

What is most astonishing are the whole ranges of mountain covered in green tea bushes. They stretch as far as the eye can see.

And yes. Then there are those topless maidens. They are in Sigiriya, that world famous Lion Rock, featured here on the cover. The view from atop the monolith is breathtaking, especially at dawn.

There are about 23 of those maidens. They are the subject of some classic frescoes stretching from the western face of the rock to the northeast. Once there were 500 of them.

For those planning a holiday in paradise, there are many competitive holiday packages available from Sri Lanka Airlines, the national carrier known for its ever- smiling crew. Call Sri Lanka Airlines at 2521-0870 for more details.

Kapila Bandara