Marco Polo called it "the most beautiful island"; the ancient Romans knew it as "Taprobane"; called "Serendib" by Arab traders (hence the English word "Serendipity"); "Ceylan" by the Dutch followed by "Ceylon" by the British and finally Sri Lanka for the Sri Lankans. A large emporium", a center of exchange and trade between the Mediterranean of the Roman Empire and the wealth of imperial China. Few places in the world have so much to offer: from the grandiose ruins of the past, witnesses to the history of ancient civilizations, to the vast cultivated expanses that reveal the presence of a hospitable people, whose dedication to the land is second only to religious devotion. A dense road network connects every corner of the island that offers varied landscapes: lush forests, rivers, parks, beaches and waterfalls.
