Prior to our first trip in 2005, we knew very little about the island nation of Sri Lanka. Indeed some of us even had difficulty pointing it out on a world map! Yet over the course of our many ongoing projects, sometimes spending months at a time in the country, we now have a deep appreciation for Sri Lanka’s rich cultural background.

From the delicious mangosteen fruit, to the wild elephant herds that block train tracks, to the fishermen riding down the street with sharks hanging off the back of their bicycles, Sri Lanka is a unique and fascinating island. Located just off the southeast tip of India, it is home to about 20 million people.

Famous for its fishing industry, export of tea, precious gems, and rubber, Sri Lanka is also a premiere tourist destination, featuring a plethora of exotic beaches and world heritage sites. Unfortunately, much that is great about Sri Lanka has been overshadowed by the twofold disaster of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, and an ongoing civil war between the Sri Lankan Government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

To learn more about Sri Lanka, read the wiki!