Sri Lanka

Tripoto
27th Dec 2012
Photo of Sri Lanka 1/9 by Abhijeet Patra
The view from the Dambulla Caves
Photo of Sri Lanka 2/9 by Abhijeet Patra
Lovers at Galle
Photo of Sri Lanka 3/9 by Abhijeet Patra
Galle tower
Photo of Sri Lanka 4/9 by Abhijeet Patra
The lawns at Sigiriya
Photo of Sri Lanka 5/9 by Abhijeet Patra
Sigiriya
Photo of Sri Lanka 6/9 by Abhijeet Patra
Buddha of Dambulla
Photo of Sri Lanka 7/9 by Abhijeet Patra
Galle lighthouse
Photo of Sri Lanka 8/9 by Abhijeet Patra
The beach at Galle
Photo of Sri Lanka 9/9 by Abhijeet Patra
Mt Lavinia Beach

Sri Lanka is a calm place. So calm you can hear its heartbeat. You should come here if you are looking to relax. The country is steeped in natural beauty and vistas will greet you at all towns. I had a very short trip of 4 days, which is simply not enough to get to feel the vibe. On the whole, Sri Lanka seems to be a place where people sleep and rise early.

Colombo is surprisingly quiet for a capital city. Streets were deserted by 9 PM.

Kandy is vibrant. There are many attractions to see in Kandy, but we headed out of Kandy to the Sigiriya rock and the Dambulla caves.

Parts of the path were rather slippery. After Sigiriya we headed to Dambulla. There is an entry fee to both Sigiriya and Dambulla which if I remember correctly is 50 USD for non-SAARC citizens and 25 for SAARC citizens.

Galle is the laidback beach town. It is similar to Pondicherry in India. Old buildings are intact. Stone paved roads and colonial Dutch buildings give this town a certain aura.

Check out the beach at Unawatuna, about 15 mins from Galle town. The place is filled with shacks and sea facing pubs and eateries. You can also scuba dive subject to sea being calm. scuba diving here is surprisingly cheap compared to places like Malaysia.

I did not find anything of interest in Colombo, except the quiet beach at Mt Lavinia. There are a couple places that serve really good seafood, It is not exactly cheap though.

Sri Lanka is rich in culture. The food has similarities with south India, but the use of coconut is abundant. They make damn good fish curries which goes really well with the flat grained rice they serve. Transport is slow, so factor this in when you make plans. Average road speed when we travelled out of Kandy would have been around 35 kmph. Trains are slow too. But it is cheap.

Check out the pictures in the album. Advice: do spend at least a week and see more places. Head up north, the white sand beaches are exotic. For me, there is always a next time. Keep those feet busy, fellow travellers.

The view from the top of Sigiriya is breathtaking I am told. But we couldn't climb it because it was raining cats and dogs. If you want to reach the top of the rock, factor in 1 to 1.5 hours from the time you begin ascent. Also wear proper footwear.

The fort is a must visit. Make it in the morning if you can.

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