Sri Lanka is lush, tropical island paradise, known to Arab traders as Serendib - hence "serendipity", meaning discovery by accident - and famously described by Macro Polo as "undoubtedly the finest island of its size in the world" For a small island, Sri Lanka has much to offer the discerning traveller. Sri Lanka is culturally rich and environmentally diverse country with nine World Heritage Sites, 86 species of mammals (including elephant and leopards), more than 400 bird species (including 26 endemics), a colourful array of flowering plants and trees, a Hill country famous for tea, 14 national parks out of 100 areas protected by the Government, an Indian ocean coastline boasting palm-fringed and sandy tropical beaches
Muthurajawela is a marsh in Sri Lanka in the southern region of the Negombo lagoon, 30 km (19 mi) north of Colombo. The Muthurajawela Marshes are 3,068 ha (7,580 acres) in area and the country's largest saline coastal peat bog.[1] The marsh is notable for its unique and highly diverse ecosystem and is listed as one of 12 priority wetlands in Sri Lanka. "Muthurajawela" translates to "Swamp of Royal Treasure".
