If you want to explore the must-see sights of Sri Lanka, but also enjoy your well-earned vacation from work, here are our suggestions on how to make the most of your days in the land of serendipity.
Landing at Colombo International Airport, we headed straight to the central hill part of the country. Although we could have easily spent a day in the capital of Sri Lanka, we decided to avoid the hustle and bustle of the big city. Our first stop was Kandy, where we visited a few temples and street markets. An important place of pilgrimage is the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, which holds the sacred tooth of Buddha and is a symbol of Sri Lanka’s sovereignty. It is also in Kandy that we tried our first “kottu roti” – chopped roti bread mixed together with chicken, vegetables and lots of aromatic spices. The food in Sri Lanka tends to be quite spicy, so check before you order.
From Kandy we headed to Ella, a popular stop for travellers, known for tea plantations and hiking trails. Word of advice: avoid public transportation around “Poya Day”. Poya is observed on every full moon and is an important national (Buddhist) holiday. Unaware of this information, we decided to do the iconic train ride from Kandy to Ella on a Poya weekend. As we wanted to travel like locals, we refused to take the “luxury tourist train” and took a no-seat-reservation 2nd class compartment instead. Needless to mention that we were squashed like sardines for most of the 8-hour train ride. Eventually, we managed to find a spot in the doorway and fully admire the lush green landscape, our feet dangling off the edge. The ride also proved to be a good way to mingle with the locals, who have been extremely friendly throughout our visit.
We highly recommend homestays in Sri Lanka. Not only are they affordable, they also provide a great opportunity to speak to locals, who will help you with your travel and sightseeing arrangements. Not to mention that they serve the most amazing and generous Sri Lankan breakfast (usually included in the price). We experienced a rather magical moment while walking towards our home in Ella valley, surrounded by the quietness of nature and brightness of full moon, while monk’s calls to prayer echoed between the hills.
Our next stop was Uda Walawe National Park, one of the best places in Sri Lanka to see elephants, as well as monkeys, birds, crocodiles and jackals. To get to the park we took the long-distance bus and found ourselves sitting on the luggage bench right next to the driver and (one too many) other passengers. Again, the bus ride was quite an adventure to say the least. If you dislike crowds, you can always take a more comfortable (and more expensive) private transfer or a three-wheeler “tuk-tuk”. The park itself proved its worth as we learned a bunch of things about elephants and saw many other animals.
Lastly, we arrived on the coast in the South of Sri Lanka, where there is plenty of choice when it comes to beach holidays. We decided to stay in the town of Mirissa, since it met (and fulfilled) all of our interests: surfing, watching whales and turtles, and visiting beautiful scenic beaches. If you are a beginner surfer, we recommend going to Weligama, which is a 5-minute ride away, otherwise Mirissa is great for intermediate to advanced surfers. After you have checked everything off your bucket list, there is nothing else left but to relax and enjoy the summer breeze, palm trees and delicious sea food.
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