Sri Lanka Adventure Part 1
I travelled to Sri Lanka on an educational trip, so we had just 1 week to pack as much as we could into our itinerary. We got through a lot in a short space of time and couldn’t see everything this fantastic island has to offer. I would definitely recommend at least 10 days to replicate a similar itinerary, ideally even more if time allows.
We flew to Columbo via Doha with Qatar Airways with an easy 2-hour layover enroute. Economy class with Qatar is really good, with comfy seats, great entertainment and good food. We had the opportunity to experience Qatar Airways Business Class Q Suites for one leg and they are simply incredible!
What I love about Sri Lanka is the diversity of the experience, you have spectacular beaches, you can go on safari, visit tea plantation covered mountains, with countless temples and beautiful towns to explore too. We were escorted throughout our visit by our driver/guide Ananda whose warmth and knowledge added so much to the experience. I cannot underestimate what having your own guide adds to your experience. Ananda was on hand to answer our countless questions, explain the sights as we passed them by, advise on things like tipping and cultural sensitivity, as well as bringing laughter and fun to our trip every day.
Our first day of action brought us to Dambulla Cave Temple, the largest, best-preserved cave-temple complex in Sri Lanka. After a short climb you must take off your shoes before entering the temple complex (bring extra socks to wear in the temple as the ground can be very hot!). As you work your way through the different caves you can feel how special this place is to the Buddhist community. There are approx. 153 Buddha statues throughout the complex, many intricately painted.
From Dambulla we continued to Minneriya National Park to spot our first elephants. Minneriya is home to the largest gathering of Asian elephants in the world, so you have a very good chance of seeing them. We were very lucky and saw at least 20. The guides are excellent at locating the herds and the animals don’t feel threatened by the jeeps, as they are used to them being nearby and are not hunted in the park. It was a really unique experience to be so close to such majestic animals and witness them in their natural habitat.
A 4am wakeup call the following morning was worth every yawn, as we climbed the iconic Sigirya to watch the sunrise. Its 1236 steps to the top, ascending some fairly sheer rock face, but you can go at your own pace and anyone with reasonable fitness shouldn’t have an issue. The heat is probably the hardest part, even at 5.30am it was tough going at times. We were at the top in about 45 minutes and watching the sunrise from that vantage point was stunning. We had a guide with us, which I definitely recommend, as they can tell you all about the history of the rock fortress that sits atop the mountain. If you have a fear of heights the steps might be tricky for you, especially on the way down as you notice the height more looking down than up. Allow plenty of time to get up and down, and to enjoy the views and explore different ruins of the fortress.
From Sigiriya we headed south to Kandy, and that evening we visited the sacred Temple of the Tooth. The golden-roofed Temple of the Sacred Tooth houses Sri Lanka's most important Buddhist relic – a tooth of the Buddha. We queued for about an hour in the heat for a glimpse of the tooth itself, but to be honest a visit to the overall temple during that time would be fine as you still get to see the temple itself and feel a sense of the sacred nature of the temple to the visitors. Train journeys are another must do on any trip to Sri Lanka, so the following morning we took one of their famous trains from Kandy to Hatton, right up through the tea plantations. The journey took about 2 hours. We sat in 1st class which was air conditioned but as a result you can’t open the windows to really appreciate the view as much. However, you can go back to 2nd class and look out the open doors or jump into an unoccupied seat there, as their windows open fully. Passing through the tea plantations, the colourful clothing of the workers stands out against the fields of green.
We spent the next 2 nights in the Ceylon Tea Trials, recently made famous after featuring in BBC’s Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby. The hotel is made up of 6 stand-alone bungalows, each with 4-6 bedrooms and their own staff. You stay on an all-inclusive basis with a friendly team of staff to cater to your every need. From the bungalows you can enjoy a Tea Factory tour, and water sports on Castlerea Reservoir. The increasingly well-known Pekoe Trail can be accessed from here too, or if you are feeling a little less active you can enjoy waymarked 5km walks that bring your through the local small towns– but make sure you wear leech socks!
Part two is in a separate blog post (there just isn't enough space in one sorry!)
