Rathnapura " City of Gems "
The ancient " city of gems" is 101km (63miles) from Colombo right in the heart of the low country, where rubber grows and gems are sometimes found in paddy fields in the middle of nowhere. If you come to Ratnapura with the express notion of buying a gem at a bargain price, you may be disappointed. Be sure to know what you are doing. Lads riding pillion on motorbikes will produce envelopes of gem stones that might not be the real thing. Best to Stick to gem shops.

The small but instructive museum called the Gem Bureau, a mile or so out of town, is also a training centre for young artisans and has a handicrafts gallery. The tranquil Hotel Kalawathi, with a rare herb and vegtable garden where you can try herb baths made from indigenous species, lies about 6km (4miles) from the Rathnapura Rest House. The Rest House is a good place for a rice and curry lunch with beer, rather than to stay overnight. The National Museum (open Monday to Thursday 9am -5pm) has a fossil display of elephants. rhinoceroses and hippopotamuses found in gem pits from the Balangoda area. The Gemmological Museum (open daily 8.30am-5.30pm, no entrance fee,) as its name suggests, display precious stones and has a cafeteria.

Adam's Peak
Rathnapura is the starting point for the classical route to Adam's Peak via Gilimale and Carney Estates, although there are of course much less arduous ways of making the journey these days. " When Adam was expelled an angel took him by the arm and set him down here" wrote the Papal Legate Marignolli over 500 years ago when he descended from the most famous of Sr lanka'a mountains.

The Peak has been the object of worship and pilgrimage by kings and commoners alike over the centuries. The " season" for pilgrims is during the calm bright months from January to April When the incredible sunrise produces the famous spectacle known as the " Shadow of the Peak ". Which leaves all who have seen it spellbound.