Sri Lanka (2024/25- 3 weeks)
December 13th (a Friday too!!) 2024 to Friday 3rd January 2025.
Flights- Emirates from Newcastle via Dubai to Colombo (Cost £1,695 ouch and a reflection of much higher air prices this year and for this period)
Tour – 15 days Intrepid – Best of Sri Lanka which ran from Wednesday 18th December to morning of Wednesday 1st Jan, 2025
First few days at a “villa” (aka guesthouse) Negombo to acclimatise my celtic pale body to warmer weather.
Link to pictures on my Flickr account. (all of the pictures)
Link to my "favourite" pictures also on my Flickr account- in case you time pressed <smile>
Day 1: Wed 18th
Hotel meet up for our tour group at 5.30pm in Negombo for tour admin followed by a group meal out (devilled fish for me) in Negombo.
Vibes of fellow passengers good- 12 of us in all, 6 Aus, 2 USA, 1 Canada, 2 UK and me. (3 couples / 6 singles).
Hotel Amagi Aria very good but parts could do with a serious dusting. Overlooks lagoon which was permanently in a heat haze. Very popular with crows who seemed to bully out other birds.
Day 2 Thurs 19th.
After breakfast, stopped off at Negombo fish market to see for a 2nd time (first time was solo me) the large number of small scale (no pun), merchants upon a shed covered concrete slab, wholesale / retail. Fishermen were emptying nets whilst sun drying of sardines and other fish in progress. Labour intensive de luxe and who could make a living from this.
Stop off at Mihantale, the spiritual home of Sri Lankan Buddhism. First rule of all new religions is “divide”. A snake "snaked" rapidly past in front of us before disappearing. There are supposedly 294 species of snakes worldwide and 96 are found in Sri Lanka.
Arriving at Anuradhapura we stayed at Heritage hotel a fine upmarketish hotel who did wonderful buffets at breakfast and evening. 2 nights here. Four poster single bed.
Day 3 Friday 20th
Cycle tour of ancient ruins which stem from 400BCE to approx. 900CE. Cycling in heat was hot work and heat impeded brain took me a while to realise my brakes were gradually sticking. Soaked and not by rain. At the temples we followed customary practise and removed shoes along with the many pilgrims. My feet protested and were treated to a wonderful 45min foot massage later. The guru of M said that my “feet were sensitive”. Cooked would be more appropriate for my sun baked soles.
Lots of pilgrims in groups, families and individuals. The largest stupa most impressive and its size made walking harder and yes no carpets, just hot bricks.
The Bo tree temple swirling with pilgrims in its walled confines. Squirrels confident despite the human hordes. the entire complex much more than these buildings.
Bike helmet a sensible precaution as we used roads. I learnt too late that I should have worn my sunhat under the helmet as no fashionista recommended as the brim might have protected my face. Yep burnt that too lol
Lunch at one of the ancient reservoirs under the trees was delightfully relaxing and peaceful.
Museum visit where I wished the ac worked as hard as I had. The fans a welcome relief. Bought a rather good book on the ancient temples.
Really enjoyed the hotel gardens where my App “Merlin ID” picked up 20 birds in 20 mins after breakfast. Many other birds in the nearby reservoir.
Day 4 Saturday 21st
Took public bus for about an hour including several Q&A with people so very polite and an acknowledgement that my nails included the festive Santa as a cultural experience and several chats before transferring to our own bus for the journey to Polonnaruwa.
The Indian Chola dynasty based themselves here from the 10th c. Afternoon cycle around this more compact centre of ruins. Cooler/ supposedly but perspired just as much, At least I quickly identified the brake issue (again) which has been frustrating for me. 3rd cycle in 4 decades and 2nd of this trip alone.
A 14metre reclining Buddha a highlight.
Best lunch of the trip in a rice field, well a hut adjoining the fields with circa 40 dishes full of flavour cooked “with love” by a team of cooks. (words from one of them).
The hotel Siyanco Holiday Resort, compact basic rooms however they messed up dining arrangements due to a larger group staying and we were forced to seek our own. All turned out well though despite some night time thunder.
Day 5 Sunday 22nd
Departing P, we headed for the Dambulla caves whose ornate art work (ceilings too) and statues were wonderful to see.
In the afternoon we visited Eco national park where we drove and drove, saw a “changeable hawk eagle” and a couple of elephants playing with their trunks. Despairing and bruised from standing and ducking in the back of the jeep (ducking due to trees). Then out of the blue near end of tour (no coincidence surely) we met a herd of elephants of all ages, very relaxed with multiple vehicles full of us humans. After years in Africa where getting close to their babies was impossible, it was wonderful to see them so relaxed with us.
Hotel at Sigiriya was Kassapa lions rock, with huts scattered through their grounds. Lions rock in the distance.
Day 6 Monday 23rd
Departed early hours to climb Lions Rock, a former fortress, the climb in 2 phases, hot and sweaty followed by a break at “lions paws” and then a steel staircase climb to the top. The descent included a stop off for some ancient frescoes.
Back to hotel to freshen up and observe a snake from my roof trying to access some trees. It was small and olive green and soon set off the squirrels in their warning calls. Two snakes in 6 days and this was all for the trip.
Spice gardens for lunch for a class in medicinal benefits of the various spices.
Drive to Kandy where hilltop temps a welcome relief (about 5c cooler)
Dance and fire show in the evening. Great noisy percussion led entertainment and juggling. Very colourful costumes.
Hotel was Senani hotel, interior room, great ac. Those with balconies unable to use due to brazened and spoilt monkeys.
Day 7 Tuesday 24th
Kandy all day
Gems visit- video, talk and then sales pitch- no buy by me.
Wood store- Carvings and natural colours talk. The blending of colours to create new ones for use with the wood so simple and so beautiful
Buddha tooth relic- crowded with pilgrims swirling thronging up the stairs in a powerful stream of humanity, and through the building. Personal sense of encroachment on the faithful.
Botanical gardens where an EV got us around and an expert guided us on the massively large variety of trees and plans from around the world including Iceland (think temps). A single bamboo growing a meter per day till peak height at circa 45 metres. Inspiration for Jack and the beanstalk perhaps.
Lunch where the locals actually eat at about £1.50 veg option only. Tasty, basic and value for £.
Tea factory- ancient equipment including furnaces (heat used to dry) from Belfast. Reminded me from my plantation days where I visited Tanzania operations of my Zambian employer (1999).
Christmas dinner put on for us that evening by the hotel. Lots of foods, Extra-sweet desserts.
Day 8, Wednesday 25th
Bus to “Little England” (Nuwara Eleya) and then very scenic train journey through extensive hill sided tea plantations to Bandarawela. First part of journey is best on right, then best on left for most.
Cooking demonstration where slow cooking, natural spices and coconut were the main learning points.
Hotel was the Orient. Good hotel/ short visit only.
Day 9 Thursday 26th
Drive and drop off for hill trekking in tea plantations followed by lunch and then we were at the next stop of Haputale, a small and lonely planet described as “scruffy”. Mists obscured the views.
Hotel was Srilak view. Small basic and clean rooms but a nice balcony especially after the mist lifted and rolling hills presented themselves.
Day 10 Friday 27th
Short train trip to Idalgashinna for our 2nd tea plantation walk. Mainly downhill.
Then bus to Udawalawe nature park (Forest lodge camp).
Perm framed walk in tents with loo and shower to back and a fan too.
En route we stopped at the town of Ella a most horrifically touristy spot.
Diyaluma waterfalls- big, picturesque and pretty.
9 arch bridge: Gradient and curve in route the engineering aspect. Yes its pretty but but – Stuck for words. Tuk Tuk first, train arrives stops and people get off then back on and it continues.
Day 11 Saturday 28th
Early morning walk- wonderful: Birds and plants and nature.
Then drive to Mirissa where we stayed at “Palace Mirissa” Well furnished spacious huts on stilts with balconies upon a headland at west end of beach.
Day 12 Sunday 29th
Day at Mirissa.
Whale watching from 6 to 12.30.
Day 13 Monday 30th
Drive to Galle where there is UNESCO world heritage listed fort of Dutch origin.
Extensive and impressive and now home to a very touristy centre.
Sunset from ramparts.
Crow attack on me-- ouch.
Stayed at Frangipani hotel- internal room. Small. Fab ac, Clean.
Day 14 Tuesday 31st
Drive to Colombo. We voted not to take train due to time / duration/ crowd combo.
Big city of c 6million. I don’t like big cities.
Stayed at Fairway next to food courts at Old Dutch Hospital. Very good room. Vigorous AC.
Day 15 Wednesday 1st
Tour ended in morning and we begin to go our own ways
Thursday 2nd
Taxi to airport at 10pm. 45 mins, crowded but thinned out later. Shops galore outside. Bus at Dubai takes so long, crowded Transit/ “Connections” area. Knew my way this time and got to plane boarding for “final call” although I suspect other passengers had similar prob. 90 mins is too tight for a transfer whilst construction in progress and buses in use. Emirates sold me a ticket with 90 mins connection time which as OKAY due to their efficiency but no time to spare. I read that 60 mins possible lol. Its a big and busy place. I was relieved to board and sit and belt up.
Landed at Newcastle and just about last off the plane for passport clearance. Bags came out and just about first. Probably last onto plane lol. Home by 1pm. Door to door journey 20 hours.
Negatives, cos there were a couple
Plastic pollution especially at Negombo beach but generally and clearly a problem and especially at coastal resorts (Mirissa ok but suspect each hotel does its own patch, Galle no so).
At both elephant park and whale watching obvious that lots of tourists chasing a few. Worse at Whale watching as speed boats would watch us looking for whales (more of us, plus the guides and the height of boat) and then they rush to where the whale had surfaced while we chugged along to get there. Whales breathing before diving. Bad operators in speedboats. Our guide says, that they tell government but government does nothing.