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– 147 – www.paradises.com Unawatuna Beach is a lovely semi-circular stretch of golden sands bordered with coconut palm trees located four kilometres southward around the coast of Galle. This is paradise for those who just want to enjoy to the silence of the sea and dive deep into the blue waters of the ocean. There is a reef protecting the beach making it perfectly safe for bathing. Unawatuna Beach was voted as one of the "Top 10 most beautiful beaches in the world" by the Discovery Channel and Mark Ellingham, the founder of Rough Guides. Where to stay Travelling in Sri Lanka is quite economical and travellers can experience five-star luxury at very reasonable prices in the countryside, while budget travellers can find delightful traditional 'rest houses'. Food and entertainment Traditional Sri Lankan food is dominated by rice and curry, and is usually very spicy and hot. Colombo teems with restaurants that offer a spectrum of international gourmet and fusion cuisine. If the high-end fine dining isn't what you are after, there a number of places offering good and reasonably priced fare. To experience local cuisine and roadside dining, Colombo offers numerous roadside cafes that serve up the tantalising kottu, a Sri Lankan favourite, and string hoppers (a tangle of rice f lour noodles that are eaten with curry), pittu and rotti. Sinhalese dancing resembles Indian dance but the story is told using acrobatics and symbolism. Sri Lankan folklore is recreated in theatre using dance, masked drama, drumming and exorcism rituals. Things to do The southwestern coast offers good swimming beaches. The dive centre at Hikkaduwa is a good base to explore the reefs in the region such as Dodanduwa, Gintota and Ralagala. The Bentota River is ideal for sailing, windsurfing and waterskiing. Climb Adam's Peak for a taste of trekking, or walk across the Horton Plains near Nuwara Eliya to see the 700-metre drop at World's End. Shopping On the road linking Colombo and Kandy is a series of 'monoculture' villages. One sells clay pots while others sell brooms, roof tiles, cane chairs, cashews and coconuts. Not surprisingly, the most popular purchase is tea, sold in many f lavours and all manner of gift containers and teapots. — S r i L a n k a —