Fran has recently returned from Sri Lanka and she shares her trip highlights here …
I was lucky enough to have been invited by Exodus Travels to visit Sri Lanka in early September on a travel agents familiarisation trip.
Having met my other UK companions at Heathrow, we flew on the overnight Sri Lankan Airways service to Colombo where we were met with a wonderful “Ayubowan” by our tour guide Dilip, who introduced us to his assistant Abey and driver Manoj, and then whisked us away to our overnight hotel close by. Luckily this was right on the beach so we were able to either wander the grounds, or go for a relaxing dip in the pool before meeting with the rest of our group at our welcome meeting. Our group was split very evenly between UK and North American agents so after all introducing ourselves, we headed to dinner in the hotel’s A La Carte restaurant.
The next morning, we ventured off into the cultural circle, with Dilip filling us in with his extensive knowledge on everything thing there is to know about Sri Lanka – including (in a tea orientated country) the best coffee stops! Throughout our trip he liked to show us local traditions as well as explaining them, and on our way pulled the bus over enroute to show us a group of locals working their way through opening a pile of coconuts, removing the more profitable husks to sell.
The beautiful countryside sped past and as we reached the dry zone, we regularly saw elephants wandering along the road hoping for a passing driver to throw out some food, and were kept entertained by Dilip singing traditional songs.
After lunch we readied ourselves for the hot climb through the gardens and up the side of Sigiriya rock. Famous for its historical significance with ruins dating from 5th century, it is an ancient rock fortress built with the highest vantage point being nearly 350 meters above sea level. I will confess I remained at the “Lions Paw” and kept my feet firmly on the ground admiring the already stunning views and acting as photographer, while the majority of the group made the final push up the steps to enjoy the heady heights at the top.
After all that exercise Dilip had a cold “Lion” beer waiting for us on our return to the bus and we enjoyed a very welcome swim back at the hotel pool, with views of the sun setting over Sigiriya rock.
Having spent the night in a beautiful hotel near the base of the rock, we made our way to the ancient capital of Polonnaruwa and the archaeological ruins dating back to the 12th century. We enjoyed a short cycle tour around the ruins, with the coach & backup vehicle allowing easy access to our belongings enabling us to cover our knees and shoulders at the sacred sites when needed. Then after tasting an authentic Sri Lankan lunch, we made our way to Minneriya National Park, where we were lucky enough to witness the famous elephant gathering, which occurs between July to October when the elephants head out in search of fresh water and grass. Seeing elephants of all sizes hanging out together really was a sight to behold and any elephant lover’s idea of paradise.
We began Day 4 in Sri Lanka by stepping into the ancient world of the Dambulla Cave Temples – a breathtaking series of caves adorned with intricate Buddhist murals and stunning statues, which is rightly considered one of the most impressive sights in Sri Lanka.
From there we headed to the charming village of Habarana, where we were treated to a cart ride through the paddy fields, a relaxing trip in a canoe through lush jungle surroundings, fresh coconut water straight from the source, and the most delicious Sri Lankan lunch served on a lotus leaf and packed with incredible flavours, cooked by a local family in their home. We were then shown how to remove rice from its husk, separate out the waste product to be left with perfect rice, grind it into rice flour and weave a palm roof.
The following day we headed into the intermediate zone on our way to Kandy, stopping on the way at a spice garden in Matale, where we learnt all about the different spices & their medicinal benefits, and had the opportunity of taking an invigorating massage. We were also asked to plant a tree each and see some that were planted by previous Exodus customers a few years ago.
The afternoon was spent at the Kandy Botanical Gardens which are usually a beautiful and tranquil environment filled with exotic plants and towering trees, but on the day we visited, were filled with hundreds of school children in their smart white uniforms, which was a spectacular sight in its own right, as they were all so pleased to see us.
We then wrapped up the day with a performance of traditional Kandyan dancing and fire walking, followed by a sunset walk around Kandy Lake backed by flower sellers, back to our bus.
On Day 6 we completely immersed ourselves in the local culture with a visit to the Temple of the Tooth which houses the most important Buddhist relic in Sri Lanka. Being a holiday weekend it was so busy (think rush hour on a packed tube), but an amazing experience listening to traditional music being played whist the locals brought their flowers and gift parcels as offerings to Buddha. After making our way through the crowds upstairs and past the relic, Dilip had arranged for us to meet a retired chief monk in his living quarters, where we each received a personal blessing which was definitely a memorable moment.
Some of the group then visited a local Gem Museum as Sri Lanka is known to have the best and biggest blue sapphires in the world along with many other precious stones, including the lucky Moonstone. A number of purchases of custom-made jewellery items were made, whilst others wandered the local shops of Kandy and make purchases of their own, before all heading back for a couple of hours relaxation around our hotel pool beside the river.
The next morning on our way out of Kandy we popped into a local tea factory, and after an explanation about the process the leaves take to make our cuppa, got to sample the different flavours of the Sri Lanka famous teas. We then headed to the train station to take the stunning train ride into the misty hills of Nuwara Eliya (Little England), which was a favoured cool escape for the British, at nearly 2,000 meters above sea level. But unfortunately, luck was not on our side as it had broken down an hour away and after a hopeful wait, Dilip quickly switched plans to take our coach through the spectacular scenery of the tea plantations, stopping to pick some leaves ourselves and learn about the life of the local pickers, and to admire the beautiful landscapes and waterfalls.
The contrast between the colonial buildings and British weather in the hills could not be more different to what we had experienced only a few days previously in the dry central zone near Sigiriya, and showed what a truly diverse country Sri Lanka is.
For our final day, we made our way back down from Nuwara Eliya through the tea fields and jungle of the wet zone on our way back to Colombo. Half of the group joined a white-water rafting trip down grade 3 rapids at Kitulgala, past the locals bathing in the cool waters (and the film location of Bridge on the River Kwai), and getting out to float down the gentle waters, which was all great fun.
Our last evening was spent tasting another delicious meal of local dishes and reminiscing about our best bits, with cocktails at the rooftop bar of our hotel looking out at the Lotus Tower – South Asia’s tallest self-supported structure.
As we left for the airport the next morning, all that remained to be said was our last “Istouti” to Dilip for his expertise in guiding us effortlessly through his homeland, to Abey for constantly re-filling our water bottles, handing out umbrellas for the heat and rain, and getting us safely across the busy roads back to the coach, and to Manoj for his skilful driving avoiding every other car & motorbike on the road. And on our return home to say a huge thank you to Exodus for offering the opportunity of seeing such a magical country.
We can arrange small group tours and tailor-made itineraries in Sri Lanka (also with extensions to the Maldives), so get in touch with Fran to discuss your travel plans.