Stunning Sri Lanka
Lush with many colors of vibrant green, this tiny teardrop island about the size of West Virginia stuns with its natural beauty from beaches to jungles to misty mountains and tea plantations. Simply spectacular!
I drove over a thousand miles with my very knowledgeable guide, Yatawara, in a comfortable Toyota SUV. Thankfully the air conditioner worked well as July is hot and humid….after all it is a tropical island. Only 55 kilometers from the southern coast of India, it is different in many ways. The islanders are primarily Buddhist, then Hindu, Muslim and Christian in that order. You will find Sri Lankans to be friendly with a ready smile and genuine interest in sharing their culture and customs.
There are many colorful Hindu temples, mosques and churches along with amazing UNESCO World Heritage Sites:
Anuradhapura was the first capital of Sri Lanka and the center of Buddhist civilization. The oldest historically documented tree, dating over 2,000 years is revered as the sacred Bodhi Tree of which this is a sapling of the tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment.
Sigiriya Rock Fortress will require that you climb up 1,262 steps to reach the top which is quite the sweaty hike. I had 2 guides and was met at the end by another Authenticiites’ guide with cold towels, cut fruit and water all of which was very welcome and refreshing.
Polonnaruwa, the second medieval capital, is comprised in four different parts from the King’s Palace, Tooth Relic Temple, Vatadage and my favorite, the Gal Vihara Temple with the rock carved Buddha statues.
Dambulla Royal Cave is another beautiful World Heritage Site.
The second largest city, Kandy is also a World Heritage Site. While in Kandy, I took a walking tour of the old town with a local host, took a cooking class with another local and his wife and visited a local artist and her beautiful batiks. Oh my goodness, then a local traditional dance performance that also included fire. Amazing to watch! Another Kandy experience was the Royal Botanic Gardens, which is perhaps the most beautiful botanic gardens I’ve seen anywhere. Authenticities Sri Lanka had me explore the grounds with an expert botanist, who trains all the guides there. Simply stunning gardens and expert guide!
Galle, the third largest city, is also a World Heritage Site. Driving along the coast from Yala National Park you will see the stilt fishing, known as “ritipannaâ€. Galle Fort, built by the Portugese in the 17th century, then the Dutch came and lastly the British left their mark. I walked the streets of Galle Fort with a charming local and wished I had another full day to shop at the art galleries, jewelry and clothing stores. Pretty sure I could do some serious damage here!
I visited tea plantations in Hatton where I had a tea tasting and overnighted in a Relais Chateau tea plantation and walked through a tea factory learning about the processing.
I took the train up to Nuwara Eliya, known as the “Little England†of Sri Lanka. More tea plantations and at least a 10k walk on stage 22 of the Pekoe Trail which is a 300k walking trail throughout central Sri Lanka. Stage 22 will have you walking up and down through tea plantations and a small village.
My trip ended in Columbo with another walking tour with a local host and visit to the bustling wholesale markets, and a colorful hindu temple and mosque.
Other fabulous experiences I had and things I learned:
Mihintale is a mountain peak where Buddhism was believed to be first introduced to Sri Lanka. There I sat and talked with a monk, then we walked through the forest and had a private meditation session by the lake. Can you say p-e-a-c-e-f-u-l……
My private Spice Garden tour was fascinating, especially the history of spices and their importance in early trade…more valuable than precious gems! I had no idea cinnamon was a tree and not a bush. No idea what nutmeg looked like. My host was most knowledgeable about Ayurvedic medicinal plants which were pointed out as we walked the gardens.
All about rice. We call this a rice paddy. Nope. It’s a paddy field. Paddy isn’t ready to harvest until it turns yellow. We call this drying rice. Nope. Drying paddy. It’s not rice until it’s husked. Who knew?
Kaffirs or Ceylon Africans. There is a dwindling population of Africans mostly from Mozambique and Tanzania that I visited and enjoyed their dance and song.
Wildlife: There are 26 national parks – I only went to Minneriya, known for its wild elephants (with much smaller ears than African ellies) and the more popular Yala, known for leopards. Sadly, I didn’t see a leopard in my 1 game drive (each park), but good birding. Interestingly, only about 5-6% of the elephant population have tusks so I was lucky to see this guy in Minneriya. While I would not specifically go to Sri Lanka for a wildlife safari, I would do several game drives while there to enjoy wildlife and nature. Yala NP is on the coast which is a completely different vibe listening to pounding waves while at the tented camps!
Arts / Culture: The Suriyakantha Centre for Arts and Culture is a French professor’s home filled with antiques, paintings, Buddhist manuscripts, photography and weapons. It’s incredible as is famed architect, Geoffrey Bawa’s estate. There are museums and galleries galore I didn’t have time to visit.
Fruit: Oh, the abundance of so many different fruits! We stopped at a roadside stand where I learned to drink from a king coconut like a local (messy) and tried multiple different fruits. Mangos were delicious as were the mangosteens, lychees, bananas and different melons. There are durians everywhere if you want to try – once was enough for me (different country) as I can’t get past the smell.
Vegetables: I was wowed by the many veggies I could not identify and am sure many of them ended up on my dinner plate and were delicious.
Food: Sri Lankan food tends to be spicy for a “lightweight†like me. It’s easy to eat as a vegetarian as there will always be dal on the menu and jackfruit, which grows there and is a vegetarian protein staple here in the States. Many of the boutique hotels I stayed in were happy to cook paneer, tofu and halloumi as protein sources for me. Vegans would eat tofu, dal, rices, and the many different vegetables. I enjoyed a traditional cooking class and several local dinner outings with meals prepared in clay pots with up to 12 different veggies and rices – way too much food and such a variety! Carnivores will enjoy seafood, chicken, and other meats.
Arrack: When I learned they make alcohol from coconuts, I immediately envisioned moonshine stills (yep, I grew up in the South). Nope, it’s a spirits’ industry with multiple varieties. I was fortunate to experience an Arrack tasting with 5 of the many different varieties. It was quite educational and ideal for those who drink liquor.
Holidays: Every full moon is a national holiday – I love it! Alcohol and meat can not be sold. While driving through towns you will see locals lined up for community lunches on this monthly holiday.
Getting around: by car, domestic flights, private charters, sea plane, helicopter or train.
Getting there: I made the mistake of flying through India (slave to maintaining my Delta Diamond status) and then Air India direct to Columbo. Don’t (unless you’re staying in India beforehand) if you can help it as you will need an India visa and have long layovers. The easier flights will be through the Middle East.(Of course, my India DMC, Royal Expeditions, took care of me while in Delhi.)
Travel Tips: Sadly this is not a destination for mobility challenged people. My Sigiriya day was over 24,000 steps and going to temples and other sites will always include steps / stairs. I wore trail shoes but next time will wear my light hiking shoes for all activities except for dinners at the hotels.
Lodging: Wow, the amount of boutique luxury hotels on this tiny island will blow you away! I have to thank Authenticities Sri Lanka for the fabulous lodge experiences and note I have many photos of all the luxury boutique hotels I stayed in plus from the many site inspections. From private plunge pools to beautiful rooms / tents, to the butler services and delicious food, your guests will be well pampered. A sampling:
Authenticities Sri Lanka: I’m proud to represent them as everything they do is first class. Their VIP meet and greet service is welcomed after the long flights but the departure VIP service is even better. There is a different turn right before the drop off area where a guard must unlock a door, then you are escorted into the lounge. If checking luggage, they do that for you and an immigration officer comes to the lounge to do your paperwork. You go through a private security and then escorted up to the departure gate area where hopefully you have lounge access.
Authenticities is known for using local hosts and the authentic experiences that result from walking cities and tea plantations with them.
When driving throughout the country, their comfortable SUVs, Coasters or larger buses have guest amenities: map, postcards, travel tips, sarong for visiting temples in case guests are not properly covered, disposable socks for entering temples. I will say I wore my own socks and was amazed they never looked dirty – temples are cleaner than my floors at home. You will also find sunblock, anti-bacterial wipes, mosquito repellant, hand sanitizer, face masks, disposable rain poncho, snacks and beverages. The toiletry pouch contains toilet paper, wet wipes, sanitizer, hand cream, disposable toilet seat covers. (Note, western toilets in every place we stopped.)
You will be given a nice metal water bottle with your name on it. Water is carried in the vehicle and is boiled and filtered. Your guide will sterilize your water bottle each evening and refill it with filtered water. As an aside, I encountered no gastrointestinal issues while traveling throughout the country, eating in homes, etc.
Sri Lanka is stunningly beautiful, rich with history, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, wildlife, gorgeous beaches, paddy fields, tea plantations and lovely people. It’s filled with adventure, and is a photographer’s paradise!
The fire dance in Kandy:
Kiki / July, 2024