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Anuradhapura

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Anuradhapura is one of Ampersand's Top 10 Summer Holiday Destinations in Asia.

The sprawling ancient city of Anuradhapura is full of dreamy stepped pools and bell-shaped stupas, or dagobas (some as large as 60 metres high and 340 metres in circumference), many of them gleaming white, while others have faded to overgrown, sun-baked brick. It was first founded in the sixth century BC in fertile, undulating countryside irrigated by numerous tanks. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Buddhism's holiest places - partly because of the 2200-year-old Sri Maha Bodhi tree, grown from a cutting of the Indian tree beneath which Buddha found Enlightenment - it also features in the Hindu Ramayana. The once-walled, planned city, with its palaces, monasteries and cemeteries, was the capital for 1300 years from 377BC. The Archaeological Museum is excellent and worth a visit.

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There are no foreign lands. It is the traveller only who is foreign.
Robert Louis Stevenson

Client Testimonials

Ampersand’s preparation, attention to detail and interaction before and during our trip show exactly why good travel agents have a role in today’s internet booking age. They were a delight to deal with!
- Mr David Wallace, North India
We have just returned back from a wonderful trip. Thank you very much for organising everything. The transfer was excellent – for once they had perfect car seats. The villa was lovely, just what we needed and the hotel had helpfully put us as far away as possible from everyone else. The breakfast buffet was the best I have ever seen – and I am slightly obsessive over breakfast!! There was an incredible choice, something for everyone and so beautifully presented. A real highlight of the trip. Thank you again for sorting everything - and at such short notice!
- Redmayne family, Phuket
We really enjoyed the trip and were happy that we squeezed so much into a few short days. The Burmese people were lovely and the sites were fantastic. We really enjoyed the balloon ride and would highly suggest it to others in the future. The trip went super smoothly and a good time plus learning happened for all. Yangon was nice as the Strand was quite amazing and we of course loved the giant gold temple. Many thanks for all of your help and look forward to future travel with you.
- Wallace Family, Burma

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