Ratnapura is generally considered as a city that is ideal for a shot stopover to visit a gem mine or purchase precious stones before moving to a more popular destination. But most tourists don’t realize that it is a focal point with easy access to numerous interesting attractions and sites in Sri Lanka.
As a major crossroad between the Southern plains and hill country of Sri Lanka it is a great place for you to stay during your visit especially if you plan to travel. You find Ratnapura Hotels that are conveniently located with easy access to many popular attractions. If you browse the Cvisit website you will find a list of the best accommodation in the city. Although this website is relatively new it is a brand of the foremost travel agency in Sri Lanka, Walkers Tours so you are guaranteed a secure and convenient online booking service that will offer you not only the best service but also some good travel deals.
Ratnapura Gem Bureau, Museum & Laboratory is a reputable place to purchase precious and semi-precious stones. Tourists can purchase gems from this museum without the fear of it being imitation since the Gem Bureau sells only genuine gems and stones. There are local minerals and gems showcased at the museum as well as detailed information on mining and polishing gems. You find exceptionally beautiful sapphires, rubies, emeralds, amethysts and tourmalines here. In this museum gems and jewellery are displayed to show the origin of these gemstones so that visitors can understand the value and source of them.
Apart from the Gem Museum, Ratnapura also offers a list of things to do. Maha Saman Devale, National Museum and Gnanasiha Tapowana Vihara are some of the attractions you can visit when you are in the city.
Uditha Dharmawardhane is a travel writer who writes under the pen name Roland Lefevre. He specializes in creating features on leisure as well as business travel destinations across the globe.